I’ve long subscribed to a rule which says that in political discourse whichever side calls the other side a “Nazi” first loses. The “Nazi rule” means that if you use it, you lose it. The “Nazi rule” holds true almost universally. I say “almost” because the one calling the other a “Nazi” first loses unless the first one using the term “Nazi” has it right.
[1]Recently, a caller on Rush Limbaugh’s show identified himself as a Republican voter, a veteran and opposed to torture and blamed Rush and his ilk for the recent electoral woes of the Republican Party. The caller, ”Charles from Chicago”, called out Limbaugh for his support of torture and blamed Limbaugh and others which supported torture for why the American people have left the GOP in droves.
Rush begged to differ and Charles called Rush a “brainwashed Nazi.” [2] Rush blamed people like Charles for the Obama win, and didn’t stop there but, called Charles “ignorant” among other things [3].
First, “Brainwashed [4]” is the intensive forced indoctrination of new beliefs to have them supplant old beliefs.
No one grows up believing it’s OK to subject others to torture and to be inhumanely degraded. I’m from St. Louis, Missouri, and don’t remember anyone here advocating this while I grew up. Rush Limbaugh grew up near Cape Girardeau, Missouri which is about 125 miles south of St. Louis. Rush and I are of a similar age and I have spent lots of time in grade school, high school and college thereafter in the “Cape” area camping, hunting or fishing, partying, playing rugby (some would call that partying!). Lately, I’ve spent time in the Cape area doing business with law clients. The Limbaugh family is very well respected, and has had many respected members in the Bar and on the state and federal bench. We know Rush didn’t grow up in Missouri believing in torture and the inhumane treatment of others. Why did he change? Perhaps it was drugs. Drugs are frequently used in brainwashing. The only way Rush could now be advocating that others violate the law, besmirching America’s honor by engaging in behavior and tactics approved by the Nazis is if Rush had been brainwashed.
Second, Rush Limbaugh does support torture [5] as a policy of the United States. He jokes about torture [6] and even sells T-shirts to promote “Club Gitmo.” [7]
Third, the Red Cross has concluded [8] that the US has used “torture” as part of its fight in the “Global War on Terror.” The ICRC is the international body of the Red Cross, which has been specifically designated by international law to monitor whether such practices are being perpetrated in violation of the Geneva Conventions and international law.
Well . . . (Rush Argues) . . . Because we are threatened by the forces of evil, we are right to disregard International and US law to know what the bad guys are up to and it’s not bad if we do it, because we’re good. [9]
But what about the “Nazi” thing, let’s us see!
Did the Nazis use the CIA methods that have been endorsed by Rush Limbaugh? Yep, they sure did!
The Gestapo used many techniques which were not allowed to be used by the regular German army, including “the Paris method” which introduced water boarding as an “intensified interrogation technique.” The Gestapo didn’t want to leave marks on their victims, and justified the tactics as “not killing anybody.” The memo which allowed these “enhanced” techniques and described others used is freely available on the web [10].
In very nearly identical language the Bush administration authorized the use of Nazi approved tactics and Nazi approved techniques but, attempted to so narrowly define “torture” that they felt they could avoid criminal acts, just like the Nazis. By the way, some of the Nazi folks which did these things in WWII Norway were tried for war crimes, convicted and given the death penalty.
These techniques are so despised that when used in a 1960 Fox film, “A Circle of Deception, [11]” some viewers have cautioned fast forwarding past the scenes of water boarding and other torture.
Given Rush’s early family history and fine Missouri upbringing, and Rush’s support of Nazi approved tactics and techniques, “Charles” was correct to call Rush a “brainwashed Nazi.”
Rush Limbaugh IS a Brainwashed Nazi.
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