Jeffrey Feldman’s Frameshop has always been a favorite of mine. Jeffrey has recently published Outright Barbarous: How the Violent Language of the Right Poisons American Democracy, which is a real eye-opener.
Jeffrey looked at Rush Limbaugh’s recent crowings about “Operation Chaos” and looked at other instances where airwaves were used to foment violence:
During the Rwandan genocide of 1994, radio broadcasts called for direct acts of violence to be committed by one faction of the Rwandan public against another. These broadcasts drew considerable attention because (1) radio was the major source of information for the listeners in question, (2) the audience was largely non-literate, and (3) there was an ongoing nationalist struggle into which the broadcasts fed (emphasis mine):
In March 1992, Radio Rwanda was first used in directly promoting the killing of Tutsi in a place called Bugesera, south of the national capital. On 3 March, the radio repeatedly broadcast a communiqué supposedly sent by a human rights group based in Nairobi warning that Hutu in Bugesera would be attacked by Tutsi. Local officials built on the radio announcement to convince Hutu that they needed to protect themselves by attacking first. Led by soldiers from a nearby military base, Hutu civilians, members of the Interahamwe, a militia attached to the MRND party, and local Hutu civilians attacked and killed hundreds of Tutsi (International Commission 1993: 13-14). (from “Hate Media in Rwanda“)
The broadcasts in Rwanda, thus, were directly engaged using false reports as propaganda, the goal of which was to encourage listeners to commit acts of violence. The effort worked, and subsequent investigations linked the violent language to the actual deaths, thereby including the broadcasts within the framework of the genocidal action both legally and morally.
In stark contrast, Limbaugh’s broadcasts were removed from encouraging direct acts of violence, focusing instead on creating the conditions for violence–what Limbaugh described as ‘chaos.’ In this transcript (Apr 23, 2008), Limbaugh explains how his broadcasts are intended to incite political violence. Notice how he describes creating conditions for violence rather than actual violence (emphasis mine):
This is about chaos. This is why it’s called Operation Chaos! It’s not called Operation Save Hillary. It’s not called Operation Nominate Obama. It’s called Operation Chaos! The dream end… I mean, if people say what’s your exit strategery, the dream end of this is that this keeps up to the convention and that we have a replay of Chicago 1968, with burning cars, protests, fires, literal riots, and all of that. That’s the objective here. And there has been nothing that’s happened on the battlefield for my vision of this to change just because Hillary won. We got what we wanted last night, and people want me to change course now? “We got what we wanted, okay, now time to support Obama.” No. If Obama runs the table with the rest of these primaries, it’s over, and the superdelegates are going to have a much easier choice choosing him, because he’ll end up with a big lead. (from “Why It’s Called Operation Chaos“)
So the goal of the ‘operation’ for Limbaugh is not to encourage his listeners to commit acts of violence, but encourage his listeners to commit acts of politics that ‘end’ in Democrats committing acts of violence on each other.
Even though the violence is one step removed for Limbaugh in comparison to the 1990s broadcasts in Rwanda, Limbaugh clearly includes the eruption of political violence as an ideal goal of his rhetoric. Read on…
So the question falls to us: what can we do to not only reject this kind of violent framing, but to discourage it from continuing?
No Trackbacks To “Rush Vs. Rwanda“
Limbaugh is scum. But isn’t this comparison a little extreme?
I remember a time not so long ago when the airways were owned by the public for the public.
“So the question falls to us: what can we do to not only reject this kind of violent framing, but to discourage it from continuing? ”
One answer is to have someone who can stomach listening to the show write down each sponsor`s name and found a web site dedicated to asking sane people to write each of his sponsors and tell them what they think as well as telling them that we will not ever buy their products.
I think the FCC should come down hard on his pimpled ass.
Rush is just the loudest mouth not the only mouth. My feeling is that he has gotten way too much attention for his “operation”. It’s been mentioned on several of the cable news shows and I’m not just talking about fox. I doubt his listeners are going to actually do any of this trouble making he suggests with riots etc. They may be ignorant enough to listen to him but I’m guessing most of them are not stupid enough to break the law merely by his suggestions.
I’m much more concerned about how the MSM happily went along with the bush administration and lied us into a invasion of a country who was not a threat to us. How do we stop that from happening again in the future?
What can we do?? Show up in huge numbers outside the studio. By the hundreds of thousands file complaints with the FCC. STOP buying the products that advertise on these programs and let them know. There are MANY MANY more of us than them. They just like to organize their little hate patrol and we would rather live and let live. But those times are over. Time to be angry as hell and fight back in HUGE number. Make the press focus on the major protests. Have some elected representatives with some balls call this asshole out. Scream, yell and complain by the hundreds of thousands and it will stop.
Wow, who pays this guy?
How can we make this change? Well sully18 has a good start - there needs to be a collective effort.
* Document each sponsor involved in these outrages and encourage mass mailing, protest, boycot - and if possible PROTEST AT THEIR STORES. Public awareness.
* Get experts to talk on the effect of violent dialogue. If conservatives can rally against television, we can note that actually using violent language is far worse.
* Embarass government officials who kowtow to these voices. Make it part of the campaigns. Organize. Get commercials, ads, flyers, etc.
* Encoruage people that work at sponsoring and broadcast companies to act - strike, protest, note it makes a harassing envornment, etc. Try to imagine a walk-out of employees at a broadcaster.
AND organize people to go door to door to spread the word about this man`s hateful violence,just as we go door to door to help get our candidates for office elected.If enough of us spread the seeds of compassion the hatred will eventually be stamped out.
This is a stretch to compare machete wielding gangs to a prank. Limbaugh’s a jerk, but it’s within his first amendment rights to do this, and far removed from the yelling-fire-in-a-theater test.
I’d say throw the man in prison, but I’ve seen the cells. He’s way to big to fit into one.
fiver @ 1:
Tell me about it….I dislike Rush as much as the next guy, but to compare him telling people to commit potential voter fraud, is a far cry from Rwanda.
*shrugs*
Just my thoughts though.
sully18 @ 3:
I have little hope of that kind of action having any effect. If that kind of action had the kind of effect you want Wall-mart would be out of business by now. The effort from the Fascists have been going on for many years, I remember when there was a very successful effort to eliminate civics from elementary school because the history of the founding fathers and the government they set up has a real liberal bias.
Newspapers, and I’m guessing it’s the same for radio shows, love stories that stir up controversy. The more the story or the show is talked about, the more attention it draws. The more attention it draws, the more the sponsors’ product is exposed and the more sales they make.
If no one spoke of Rush’s show and it got no media attention, I’m betting the sponsors would balk and pull away. No one wants to advertise in a newspaper or on a radio show if no one is reading or listening.
“So the goal of the ‘operation’ for Limbaugh is not to encourage his listeners to commit acts of violence, but encourage his listeners to commit acts of politics that ‘end’ in Democrats committing acts of violence on each other.”
One problem is many of his listeners are not smart enough to make the distinction, and may assume he means the former. This is, of course, the intention.
This is what you get when a fat drug addicted pig
is given carte blanche when spewing hatred and
marching orders to his Flying Monkeys from the
toilet throne of his basement.
The way to fight RL’s crap is to call it out, raise discussion, keep it out there that he’s on the edges of reality, that his thinking is intellectual trash.
As to comparing Rush to what happened in Rwanda, it’s not totally comparable, but Rwanda is instructive. The hard right has for decades been barely skirting the active promotion of violence against political opponents. This goes all the way back to McCarthy, to Kristol, etc. They try to say what they want so badly to say by implying violence, by presenting scenarios in which violence could be justified, by taking the rhetoric to the edge and looking over without jumping. It’s Bennett talking about black babies, it’s Rush about causing another 1968, it’s about calling equating Obama with Osama and labeling Keith Ellison swearing on the Qu’ran a treasonous act. Their flippant use of the words “treason”, “sedition”, and “traitor” are inherently silent calls to violence, or at the very least use of judicial force in in appropriate and entirely capricious ways to silence others simply for speaking.
Maybe the “wizard” school teacher could take care of him? You know…a little “disappearing”.
This describes the current situation we find ourselves in so well I had to share it.
“Oh, it’s true. I know your race. It is made up of sheep. It is
governed by minorities, seldom or never by majorities. It suppresses its
feelings and its beliefs and follows the handful that makes the most
noise. Sometimes the noisy handful is right, sometimes wrong; but no
matter, the crowd follows it. The vast majority of the race, whether
savage or civilized, are secretly kind-hearted and shrink from inflicting
pain, but in the presence of the aggressive and pitiless minority they
don’t dare to assert themselves. Think of it! One kind-hearted creature
spies upon another, and sees to it that he loyally helps in iniquities
which revolt both of them. Speaking as an expert, I know that
ninety-nine out of a hundred of your race were strongly against the
killing of witches when that foolishness was first agitated by a handful
of pious lunatics in the long ago. And I know that even to-day, after
ages of transmitted prejudice and silly teaching, only one person in
twenty puts any real heart into the harrying of a witch. And yet
apparently everybody hates witches and wants them killed. Some day a
handful will rise up on the other side and make the most noise–perhaps
even a single daring man with a big voice and a determined front will do
it–and in a week all the sheep will wheel and follow him, and
witch-hunting will come to a sudden end.” - Mysterious Stranger, By Mark Twain
My definition of violence is a bit different.I believe that any violation of another`s self is violence .We are all spiritual beings, and when the spirit is attacked by whatever means it is violence,or a violation if you will.America is the most violent country on earth.To realize this one must look at how we protect and treat our most vulnerable–woman and children.We don`t do a very good job especially poor women and children.We can do better but we have to stop listening to people who want to stamp out creativity and live because they were abused as children.
I don`t say this as an argument to be debated in this thread.I know it iis fact so any attempt to persuade me otherwise will meet with no resistance,only apathy.
Let`s get these damn babies off the airways and into therapy where they belong.
Rush just needs to be ignored. He’s an idiot. The more attention you give him, the more he thrives. It’s like taking care of trolls, feed `em and they stick around…
This is Rush overstating his influence and underestimating the Democratic party. *yawn*
Indiana was a loss for Rush.
fiver @ 1:
Hear, hear, the comparison is silly. A dumb radio stunt that had absolutely no effect is a far cry from state sponsored genocide, not “one step away.” Puh-leeze. Howard Stern couldn’t even make Sanjaya the “American Idol” last year (even though he gave it a good run), I hardly think Rush can have ANY effect on a convention or an election.
Baba Booey to you all.
The Rwandan station in question which helped prompt the genocide was actually Radio-Télévision Libre des Milles Collines — Free Radio TV of the Thousand Hills, which refers to a popular conception of Rwanda with lots of smaller, pastoral mountains as the Land of the Thousand Hills. It was founded just after the Arusha Accords and aimed at a more popular audience than the older Radio Rwanda.
It would be RTLM that would be the model of more recent hate radio.
In my opinion the analog here would have been the numerous right wing extremist and white supremist shortwave broadcasters in the USA in the 1990s, which constantly warned of imminent government coups and United Nations and socialist and atheist conspiracies along with Clinton murder tales.
FOX is State Sponsored TV @ 7:
Bull’s eye, excellent question. I mean $250 million or something???
El Cid @ 24:
You just described the am radio hate crowd and faux propagandists (except for the shortwave part).
Am I on a bumpy computer road today or is C&L having some sort of server problems. It started with the post about the quake in China. It wouldn’t load exactly right and froze up my computer. After that there are times when I just can’t connect with C&L and my computer times out. Not running into those problems anywhere else so I thought I would ask if there have been glitches here?
I feel sort of proud that I have never heard one of Rush’s shows. I have seen clips on the net and on tv, but never made the effort to see if his show is even carried where I live.
Why is this pig still employed?Why isn’t he in jail?What does someone like Limbaugh–that is a conservative talking head–have to do to finally convince his employers that he has crossed the line?Is there a line?
I picture seeing Rush chased down and off the street by concerned Americans. Rush needs to sample his prescription of chaos for America.
Isn’t this grounds for losing your FCC license? Also, under Nixon’s safe streets act, isn’t against the law to incite violence? Could we bring a civil action on grounds of inciting violence?
Rush is trying to create his own importance.
He must have Reverent Wright and William Ayres on his speed dial.
Since the media market is so fragmented there will aways be a small but loyal following for Rush.
Bringing legal charges against him will not help, it will only make him a martyr.
Limbaugh will spew his poison as long as there’s an audience.
He wouldn’t find an audience in any country with social equality and real education policies. Let’s hope the U.S. takes a turn in that direction soon.
No one has mentioned it yet, so I guess I will. What, you ask, may we do to reject this violent framing, but to discourage it from continuing?
Well, it would seem that in order to be progressive and go forward, sometimes one has to be reactionary and go back in time. We need to do today, as we did in days of old. Back to the days of another inept repug era aka Herbert Hoover’s administration. During the 1920’s when radio first became a public phenomena, the government passed a law called the “Fairness Doctrine” so that the new medium of Radio could not be used as a powerful propaganda machine. If the station aired 3 hours of Republican shill, then it must reciprocate and air 3 hours of Democratic shill. This kept fairness in broadcasting for both radio and television. This worked fine for around 40 years or so.
So, what happened? Well, let’s now zip forward to a more recent time in the past. Around 1988, give or take a few months, during a rethuglican administration, the Fairness Doctrine was done away with. Now it would be legal to feed you propaganda 24/7/365 without ever mentioning an opposing viewpoint. Shortly after the elimination of this protective document, the onslaught of mewling, pribbling, pustules of spiritual and political feces e.g. Pederast Limpballs, Glenn Bleeeeech, Savage Wiener, and others came into being. And then right after that came the consolidation of the media, tv stations, radio stations, newspapers, etc…
So, the short answer to your question, is bring back the Fairness Doctrine, break up the big Media consolidations, vote Democrat to take over both legislative houses, and elect a Democratic President, and ride herd on their newly elected asses to get shit done. Just putting them in isn’t going to cut it.
> So the question falls to us: what can we do to not only reject this kind of violent framing, but to discourage it from continuing?
I hate to say it, but another thing that we HAVE to do is to actively ensure that all forms of protest are peaceful. Violent protest doesn’t make sense for a lot of reasons, and it’s not appealing to a whole lot of the public. Believe me, I know how much more organized and peaceful protest has gotten in the last decade, and it’s wonderful; but if people like this are going to stoke that particular fire, then we’ll likely see a lot more of this happening in the future:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story.....bello.html
(fascinating story, on it’s own)
sully18 @ 3:
I’ve tried… but all I got was a headache and psychotherapy sessions.
pissed off patricia @ 31:
Rashbo is trying to create his own impotence. Then who were all those viagras for?
samdog @ 23:
i wouldn’t let rush’s oversized, oxy-encrusted, sex-starved, NAMBLA-joining ego cloud the issue.
rush tried to foment political riots and the such. and just b/c he is a buffoon-baboon doesn’t change the fact that, had he been successful, in his attempt to stir up violence, his actions would be very analogous to the state-run rwanda radio program.
the comparison, as i see it, is not between rush and the murderous thugs chopping people down in rwanda, but to those that used the airwaves to spread misinformation, fear, hatred and called for hutus to hunt down tutsis.
he is a complete joke and idiot, but never overestimate those that listen to his program. one who follows a fool is more than foolish, they are a danger to themselves and others.
Sedition
Pronunciation:
\si-ˈdi-shən\
: incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority
From Cornell UniversityCornell Law School
(http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00002384—-000-.html)
U.S. Code collection
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 115 > § 2384
§ 2384. Seditious conspiracy
If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
AND…
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 115 > § 2383
§ 2383. Rebellion or insurrection
How Current is This?
Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.
Sedition
Pronunciation:
\si-ˈdi-shən\
: incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority
From Cornell UniversityCornell Law School
(http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00002384—-000-.html)
U.S. Code collection
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 115 > § 2384
§ 2384. Seditious conspiracy
If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
AND…
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 115 > § 2383
§ 2383. Rebellion or insurrection
Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.
O.o Mind telling me how voter fraud is equal to hacking people with machetes in large numbers, which is how the Rwandan Genocide happened? Limbaugh’s an ass, but to compare his “Operation Chaos” to a genocide created in large part by outside forces is disingenuous bordering on libel. Rush Limbaugh in his wildest dreams could not hope to create the circumstances of the 1990s genocide (which, incidentally, how much did Europe and the US step in? I believe the answer is none.) The comparison is the sort of libel one expects from the Right, not the reality-based community.
O.o Mind telling me how voter fraud is equal to hacking people with machetes in large numbers, which is how the Rwandan Genocide happened? Limbaugh’s an ass, but to compare his “Operation Chaos” to a genocide created in large part by outside forces is disingenuous bordering on libel. Rush Limbaugh in his wildest dreams could not hope to create the circumstances of the 1990s genocide (which, incidentally, how much did Europe and the US step in? I believe the answer is none.) The comparison is the sort of libel one expects from the Right, not the reality-based community.