Saturday, February 20, 2010

Coming Distraction: Sean Hannity

NOTE: This is NOT a political rant because I don't do political rants.

Conservative Victory: Defeating Obama's Radical Agenda, Sean Hannity


Harper Paperbacks, 2010
ISBN 9780062003058
256 pages


Release date: March 30, 2010


From Amazon.com's Product Description:

"Barack Obama and his radical team of self-professed socialists, fringe activists, and others are trying to remake the American way of life. They have used their new Democratic majority to launch an alarming assault on our capitalist system—while abandoning the war on terror, undermining our national security, and weakening our position in the eyes of our enemies. The "candidate of change" is threat- ening to change our country irreparably, and for the worse—if we don't act to stop him now."
* * * * *

Sean Hannity, for all of you non-Americans, is the host of a daily radio call-in show and a nightly TV program on the Fox Network. Like others of his ilk* he is a Master of Shitting Bull. After reading the blurb from Amazon, any thinking person will know he is fucking nuts. And therein lays my problem.

Thinking people pay no attention to him, but the sorry fact is that idiots outnumber thinkers by 100 to 1. And millions of idiots believe his trash: “If it’s on radio and TV then it must be true!”

Worse, I truly believe that hate-mongers like Hannity are partly (if not more) responsible for the incredible political divisiveness in America today.

A personal example:

I had a friend whom I respected, a fellow who served with the Marines in Vietnam before the public even knew about Vietnam, followed by a long career as a policeman. When he retired, he got into Internet groups that espouse Hannity’s “journalism.” He began sending me forwards of forwards of emails, assuming I belonged to the idiot faction. The last one I received a week ago was something about Obama no longer allowing troops to pray before they go into battle. Wazzat?

I lost a long-time friend because I refuse to comment on undocumented and unproven allegations by slick, fast- talking assholes.

Hannity has a right to free speech and I would never impinge upon that freedom. His radio producers defend him by saying his show “is for entertainment purposes only.” It’s all shtick, folks, but the believers will never believe it.


* Others of his ilk:
Rush Limbaugh
Anne Coulter
Bill O'Reilly (also on Fox)
Glenn Beck
Michael Savage
Local radio "hosts"

23 comments:

savannah said...

absolutely true, sugar! there is a ugliness that is seeping into our everyday language and demeanor. the use of words of hate and fear as political rhetoric is starting to become acceptable. on the flip side, i'm noticing more and more reports against this type of behavior. or maybe, i'm listening to a different station...
xoxoxox

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

OMG....what next a Glenn Beck profile. These guys you mentioned are just plain vicious and idiotic IMO.

Ponita in Real Life said...

Those guys scare the bejeezus out of me. Not because they are smart or right or anything else... but because so many idiots think they are. And you are right, the idiots outnumber us 100 to 1.

I can only hope Savannah is on to something and that a movement against them is rising up.

Pat said...

Yes I hope Savannah is right about the uprising AGAINST the spread of ignorance and prejudice. We have our share over here.

Attila the Mom said...

I often get inflammatory emails that have been forwarded from older relatives that they haven't vetted before sending to their 50 closest friends and relatives. (along with the "forward to 5 friends and get a free coupon to Cracker Barrel").

Quite a few are anti-Obama. I usually look up the claim on snopes and send them a link, asking them to stop the spread of disinformation.

Some write back, embarassed and apologetic (but I wonder if they sent the correction to those 50 closest friends), and the others simply stop sending me crap. LOL

Fay Campbell said...

Charlie, You are too, too kind when it comes to these marketers of hate. I know it's my problem when I truthfully say I can't stand intolerance, but these narcissistic, self-righteous, tiny-minded, fatasses get me riled up.
Ok. . . breathe. . . breathe.

Unknown said...

Oh dear... did you actually read the book? Gods forbid and on your Kindle...even worse.

I think you should get Palin's book up here as well and do a little political non rant about her as well.
:)

Have a good Sunday Charlie!

Charlie said...

SAVANNAH: "...i'm noticing more and more reports against this type of behavior..."

I sure hope you're right, dear lady.

And what happened to your portrait?

DIANE: No, no profile on Glenn Beck. All I know about him is he's had a bestseller for a long run.

I bet the people who read these books move their lips, run their finger down each line, and skip all the words with more than two syllables.

PONITA: I take it that in Canada you (1) get the American slimeballs, (2) have your own Canucklian slimeballs, or (3) and I shudder, both.

Charlie said...

PAT: Thank you for answering a question: I wondered if England and the UK have the same problem of hate-mongering. Are they in newspaper format, since you have so many tabloids?

MOM: Yes, the old "Pass this on to every REAL American you know." My American citizenship, including 3 years in the Army, must all be a figment of my imagination.

And the reward is always something religious for passing it on. You know how killing for God has always been so darn popular.

Charlie said...

FAY: "I know it's my problem when I truthfully say I can't stand intolerance..."

I would hardly call that a problem, Phase Two (I finally figured it out).

As far as being too kind, if I'd come on stronger I would have been one of them.

SHELLIE: Gawd no, I haven't read it. And when it's released in March, I still won't read it.

As far as Palin's book, I did a piece on it last October:

Book News and Snooze

savannah said...

should be back now, sugar1 ;~D

Kevin Musgrove said...

We don't have so very many mainstream opportunities for this sort of rabble-rousing drivel as you do over there. The real nasties tend to be either in fringe parties or working the strings backstage.

Interestingly, some of the more bilious stuff comes from publications with overseas proprietors, for tax purposes at the very least, including somebody who owns a well known TV company with not entirely scrupulous news balance.

Barbara Bruederlin said...

There's a fine line between the drek that people like this guy espouses and hate literature. But there must be money in it for the publishers...

Anonymous said...

I loved this post and agree with you 100%.

Peter S. said...

And we have another post from Charlie that he's so passionate about! I just love reading your thoughts on things, Charlie.

By the way, I read Ann Coulter's blog. That "lady" is so delusional. I just don't understand how people can be so hateful.

Charlie said...

SAVANNAH: It be you! Glad to have your half-a-face back.

KEVIN: Ah yes, Mr. Murdoch, a great friend of Mrs. Thatcher. Seems he's done plenty of damage in England too.

BARB: The publishers are whores. There USED to be a time when non-fiction books were fact-checked.
Hah.

STACY: It's nice to hear from a thinker!

PETER: Ann Coulter is known as "a chick with a dick." Personally, I think she's insane.

Robert the Skeptic said...

I sometimes wonder if these people REALLY believe the crap they spew or if they might admit to their closest friend that, in their heart-of-hearts, they know they are just successful shills lining their pockets knowing a gullible public will pay for this crap. But I have to remember that the "average" IQ in this country is 100.

Tiffin said...

There is a swath of rigid fundamentalism through the US that, frankly, scares the tar out of me. With God on their side, they are convinced that their narrow, bigoted view of reality is the right one. They are stupid but savvy, controlling vast chunks of the media. They completely ignore those of us outside the US who speak out against their bile as irrelevant. They can only be countered from within your country, Charlie, by persistently speaking up against them and proving them wrong again and again.
I love it when the "family values" guys get caught with their pants down.

We have a few up here. I would have said they don't have a real toehold here but I'd be wrong: Harper got elected as Prime Minister. He's their boy. However, we do have a history of being far less tolerant of this kind of bilge in Canada so I remain optimistic that despite the heavy infiltration of bad Amurcan FOX type television, sanity will be retained.

Charlie said...

ROBERT: I think these guys (and woman) know perfectly well that they're spouting bullshit. Like pro wrestling, they don't believe it's real and just follow the script. They make a ton of money, follow Murdock's agenda, and throw moral responsibility to the wind.

The average IQ in the US is 100? Huh. I didn't know it was that high.

TUI: I was about to send a lifeboat out on Lake Ontario for you, but I should know by now that you go missing from time to time to have a life.

I totally agree with everything you say, but "countering them from within" is much easier said than done. The only way we can effectively fight them is at the voting booth.

And yes, Canada has been affected by our hawks--otherwise, you wouldn't be screwing around in Iraqistan along with us and the UK.

Buzzard said...

Charlie, 100% in your corner on this one. It's a damn shame people can't think for themselves in today's world. The more extremist the view the more publicity they seem to garner.

Charlie said...

BUZZARD: Scary, ain't it. I'm not a pessimist, but the future of our country isn't looking too optimistic right now.

Mary Witzl said...

Eeeeyuck! That's entertainment?

I'd never heard of him until I saw this. Now I'm almost sorry I did, but I think I needed to know.

Just one thing about Obama being elected president is the incredible kudos this has gotten the U.S. abroad. Ever since he got elected, when I tell people I'm American, they practically fall all over themselves telling me what a great, fair, HONEST country I'm from. All because of Obama. If there are Americans protesting the sort of nonsense Sean Hannity spouts, there are plenty more where they came from outside the States.

Bill Lisleman said...

misinformation, scare tactics, tea party, birthers, - yes many idiots suck this stuff up but the minds behind this are not idiots. They are well financed swift boat operators.
I hope for balance and common sense.