Rush Limbaugh stepped over a line of bad taste today during his radio broadcast.
While I don’t often agree with Andy Revkin, I know what it is like to be on the receiving end of an ugly suggestion like what Rush uttered today, transcript below:
I think these militant environmentalists, these wackos, have so much in common with the jihad guys. Let me explain this. What do the jihad guys do? The jihad guys go to families under their control and they convince these families to strap explosives on who? Not them. On their kids. Grab your 3-year-old, grab your 4-year-old, grab your 6-year-old, and we’re gonna strap explosives on there, and then we’re going to send you on a bus, or we’re going to send you to a shopping center, and we’re gonna tell you when to pull the trigger, and you’re gonna blow up, and you’re gonna blow up everybody around you, and you’re gonna head up to wherever you’re going, 73 virgins are gonna be there. The little 3- or 4-year-old doesn’t have the presence of mind, so what about you? If it’s so great up there, why don’t you go? Why don’t you strap explosives on you — and their parents don’t have the guts to tell the jihad guys, “You do it! Why do you want my kid to go blow himself up?” The jihad guys will just shoot ’em, ’cause the jihad guys have to maintain control.
The environmentalist wackos are the same way. This guy from The New York Times, if he really thinks that humanity is destroying the planet, humanity is destroying the climate, that human beings in their natural existence are going to cause the extinction of life on Earth — Andrew Revkin. Mr. Revkin, why don’t you just go kill yourself and help the planet by dying?
UPDATE: You can read it in entirety here: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_102009/content/01125112.guest.html
At least Revkin takes it in stride in his column:
I’d like to think that Rush Limbaugh was floating a thought experiment, and not seriously proposing something, when he told millions of listeners the following: “Mr. Revkin, why don’t you just go kill yourself, and help the planet by dying.”
Rush should apologize, IMHO. We don’t need this sort of thing in any discussion. Disagree, argue, cite studies, yell if need be, but do not say this sort of ugly thing.
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UPDATE: I posted this in comments, and I’m moving it here so that people can read it before jumping top the comment form.
With 188 over 270 comments, I think most everybody has had their say. Some say I was wrong to criticize, others supportive. It is about what I expected.
Having been on the receiving end of “why don’t you just kill yourself” suggestions myself, I don’t like to see it repeated by anyone, no matter the stature or situation. I was once told by a local eco-person that I should “study CO2 by locking myself in my garage with my SUV with the motor running”. While she couldn’t even get the chemical compound right, it was then that I chose not to reply in kind by wishing death on my opponents.
I simply think Rush could have chosen better words to voice the outrage, such as “if you really think this way, then you first, Mr. Revkin.” which would be humorous satire.
In Rush’s defense, doing live radio (or television) is tough when you ad lib everything. Eventually everyone who broadcasts this way will let loose a zinger for which they’ll take flak.
The only thing I can do is to stick to my principles. I try to keep the discourse civil here on WUWT. My dislike of the Limbaugh comment is a reflection of that. While I strongly disagree with Mr. Revkin on many, many, climate related issues, he has always been civil and respectful to me, and Rush probably does not have the first hand experience with him that I do in that regard.
Make of it what you will, but taking the high road in keeping discussions civil has been my choice and one that I do not regret.
Hopefully some good will come of the discussion. Let’s move on. There are more important issues. -Anthony
Agreed… an apology is in order.
Bad taste? Maybe. But so is the idea of some environmentalists that there are too many people on the planet. So who do we go after first? Name the group(s).
Rush’s bad taste was to actually name some one and suggest that he be the first to follow his own advice (too many people? well you know what to do).
I agree. We could use more professionalism today. Nothing positive is gained by such rhetoric and it can put all skeptics in a bad light. Revkin means well, I am sure, and seems always to be polite. He does not deserve this lambasting.
No, let’s leave the “yelling” out, also.
Rush lives near the line. This time he stepped over it. He should apologize. If he does, the apology should be accepted.
Maybe Rush should apologize after the complicit CO2-alarmist media apologizes for endlessly promoting a onesided, baseless agenda that has wasted astronomical amounts of time, effort and money.
A little post hiccup… here it is again just in case:
He got it wrong on the jihad and he got it wrong by telling Andy Revkin to kill himself. But again, in this bizzaro world, does 2 wrongs make it right?
Well, Rush was a little crude and sank to the same level as a lot of the AGW’ers do, as reported here, but at the core of this diatribe is the basic question: If a person really believes over-population to be so critical what is that person doing about the problem? Helping solve it by getting themselves sterilized or following Al Gore’s example on C02 – producing way more than his share?
Rush should apologize – not to Revkin- but to Rush’s followers for lowering his standards of response and reaction. He needs to remember the old saying, and I paraphrase, “In order to argue with fools you have to lower yourself to their level and they are a lot more experienced down there”
I am a conservative, I do not listen to Rush, he talks at least 50% of the time about himself. Yes, he gets carried away at other times also.
Well, Rush can be a bit out in left field sometimes (pun intended).
I don’t know if Revkin ever said there are too many people, but if so, then I’m not sure an apology is necessary. Anyone who publicly takes a position that there are too many people certainly should not be surprised or offended if someone suggests they help solve the problem by being the first volunteer.
I’ve listened to Rush since before the 1988 presidential election. The statement about Revkin is not over the line. When taken to the end game of Mr. Revkin’s absurdity Rush’s comment was a logical and pointed. The way to illustrate absurdity is often to posit an absurdity.
No apology is necessary or required.
This would not fly in Australia. He’d be off the air. But, no doubt, the right to freedom of speech in the US lends him a lot more tether. A shock jock in Australia has recently talked himself off the air with comments that were tasteless, but not as personally directed as Rush. Maybe Kyle Sandilands can get a job side-kicking for Rush?
M. Simon (16:19:42) :
Bad taste? Maybe. But so is the idea of some environmentalists that there are too many people on the planet. So who do we go after first? Name the group(s).
I’m pretty sure the first group they have gone after were Unborn babies. Planned parenthood’s founder Margret Sanger’s primary motivation was population control
Agreed. Very bad taste, ignorant and stupid. Turns the whole discussion in to a one dimensional slanging match.
I happen to be a centre leaning, liberal atheistic skeptic. This is pretty reasonable in Australia. Not so much in the USA I gather, where the centre is the left, a liberal is a communist; and an atheist, well I can’t even begin to imagine what Rush and the rest might want to do or say about that.
I am skeptical of emotional arguments. It is one of the reasons for my skepticism about global warming.
The pertinent word here is “if”. “If” Revkin believes humanity is going to cause extinction, THEN logically,he should kill himself. Where does this necessitate an apology?
Rush should drop the personal attacks and stick to the facts. Comments like his today hurt our cause by creating more rancor and bickering, which obscures the facts.
There’s a good and relevant article in the New York Times Freakonomics blog today:
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/are-solar-panels-really-black-and-what-does-that-have-to-do-with-the-climate-debate/
A few excerpts:
“One of the saddest things for me about climate science is how political it has become. Science works by having an open dialog that ultimately converges on the truth, for the common benefit of everyone. Most scientific fields enjoy this free flow of ideas.”
“Political movements always have extremists — bitterly partisan true believers who attack anybody they feel threatens their movement. I’m sure you know the type, because his main talent is making himself heard. He doesn’t bother with making thoughtful arguments; instead, his technique is about shrill attacks in all directions, throwing a lot of issues up and hoping that one will stick or that the audience becomes confused by the chaos.”
“That seems to be the case with Joe Romm, a blogger with strong views about global warming and what he calls “climate progress.” In a recent series of blog posts, Romm levels one baseless, bald charge after another.”
“Romm’s method of attack is pretty simple. He takes as many statements as he can, interprets them — or misinterprets them in the worst possible way — and then subjects them to ridicule.”
And how do you characterize trillions in taxes to support a outright hoax?
Revkin was saying to basically kill people for a hoax. All Rush said was to lead by example.
I say let’s kill the hoax and then employ some common sense to save people and raise their standards of living. Like in Africa, spray DDT and build coal fired power plants to supply electricity, the very essence of modern life.
Since DDT was banned for a hoax, 40 million black children in Africa have died of Malaria. How is that the slightest bit humane when we know how to prevent it.
Well whats that saying again, what goes around comes around. Sorry but with all the vile crap that’s been slung our way I think its almost far play.
Am I sick of Guys like Revkin? Ya sick of the whole green movement.
Its like a bowel movement no matter which end you pick it up from your going to get your hands dirty. They are the sick ones and to hell with trying to appease them.
Remember that most “believers” honestly, sincerely and passionately believe that they are in the right. This is not a debate between the good guys vs. the bad guys. Rather, as I see it, it is a debate between those who want to believe in AGW because it fits in with their belief systems of community and conservation and those (myself included) who pride themselves most on logic, rational thought and consequently view emotion-driven causes with some skepticism.
OK – Just a wordy way of agreeing that Limbaugh is a jerk.
No apology necessary. The analogy seems appropriate. Environmentalists want others to be forced to comply with their vision of utopia. The average Joe is bombarded with a constant barrage of ” do this to save the planet”. Meanwhile the Cassandras in government and their cohorts in the MSM live the high life. At the bottom of it is an attempt at behavior modification, either by hook or by crook. Bravo Rush! Call it like it is. My view anyway. fm
That’s right. Revkin is suggesting the denial of life to millions, if not billions of people, but he doesn’t cross any lines because he doesn’t name any of them. Not sure Rush needs to apologize on this one. Revkin is giving the advice, he declines to take it himself, and he implicitly acknowledges this by removing all context from the quote and then suggesting it might be a threat.
Bad taste? When people carelessly speak of getting the world’s population down to 10 million?
The bad taste is those who can bomb from 30,000 feet and feel innocent.
Let everyone who advocates the death of others to “solve” a problem picture himself in the coffin and think a little harder.
The problem is government backed banking cartels which leads to economic insanity. The earth might one day be overpopulated but it is not now. Let’s get a sane, free economic system and soon we won’t be planet bound anyway.
(1) Rush stepped over the line. He should apologize.
(2) The way I put it: I won’t even begin to believe we’re headed for catastrophic anthropogenic global warming (CAGW) until Al Gore lowers his “carbon footprint” to my level (merely affluent)–without those phony carbon “offsets”.
I have said the same thing on this very blog although it was not directed at any one individual and was more on the line “why don’t you lead the way”.