A friend of mine, I’ll call him Ron, ventures into Right-wing Radio World a couple of times a week, and now and then delivers what he calls “Reports from the dark side.” In a way, it’s a valuable service, especially since I can’t subject myself to the likes of Limbaugh & Co. for more than 5 minutes before feeling a stroke coming on. Nothing Ron tells me about the right’s radio shock troops surprises me much anymore — they lost me forever when they defended the torture and killing at Abu Ghraib prison — but I admit I was shocked yesterday at what he told me.
Ron called up and started talking about the various talk jocks and listeners he’d heard recently who think the county’s library system is largely a waste of money. One genius, said Ron, called in with this bit of wisdom: “Why can’t people pay a couple of bucks whenever they want to check out a book — or just borrow them from friends?” as if just any book would do at any time, and never mind that centrally located compilations of knowledge, made available to the general public, are a cornerstone of civilization. Another insightful listener suggested that, “These days, you can find anything you’d wanna read online, so why are we paying so much for all those buildings?” According to Ron, those were two of the more reasoned calls he heard. Today, the daily paper ran two letters to the editor about libraries, one that questioned the need to keep library branches open in as many areas of the county as possible, and another letter that seemed to be an odd threat of a Loonytarian lawsuit against Mayor Foxx for crossing over the city/county line to help the libraries.
All I can say is God help us. The hounds of deliberate idiocy have broken their leashes and now run amok on our airwaves, and infect what I seem to remember as having once been a reasonable country with lots of reasonable people. Tune in to the next full Boomer With Attitude column for more on libraries, local opponents of helping them, and the rise of willful ignorance in our troubled country and community. Meanwhile, I’ll be thinking of the German writer Goethe, who said, “There is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity.” Oh, and please e-mail or call county commissioners to demand more money for the libraries and schools.
This article appears in Jun 1-7, 2010.
Keeping America stupid is the only way conservatives will have any influence in this country since anyone with half a brain can’t help but laugh in these peoples faces every time they open their mouths.
The simple truth is, everyone thinks these teabagger republicans are straight crazy. From Bush running the country into the ground to soccer moms raising hell in ballentine to Glen Beck saying he has been sent by God!
These fools really believe the trash they spout and are oblivous to the truth, no matter what you tell them. Reminds me of Flip Bennam and those damned OSA freaks that always parade around and bash gays and pregnant mothers. Pure devils.
You are the one who is the nut ball. I’m way more famous than you.
Frank,
Not too bright, son, accusing anyone else of “aggressive stupidity.” You shine a light on your vast amounts of pure-t ignorance on this site daily.
Ditto for this asinine observation: “Having someone constantly showing how wrong you are is probably why you cannot handle listening to Rush for more than 5 minutes.”
Rush Limbaugh is even more ignorant that you, Frank, and that’s really saying something.
What?
Can I make a suit out of you Frank?
I keep blaming liberals for all my shortcomings too but no one takes me seriously 🙁
You’re sounding a little more cranky than usual today, Frankie. Whatsa matter? Drunk again? Or is the problem that you ran out of booze?
Frank:
“the Abu Ghraib pranks”
That was the best validation of the article you could have posted.
Like most other ignorant Rush listeners you believe that torture is a PRANK.
I would love to read what you would post if it had been done to you or your hero, Rush.
Seeing Francis accuse anyone else of having nothing to, “contribute,” or exhibiting, “ignorance,” and, “stupidity,” is positively HILARIOUS. Seriously, he should take his act on the road.
As long as that road leads far, far away from here, of course.