Evidently I have a new right wing neo-con fan. I’m guessing a few million people listen to his show everyday. I doubt they will stay long on our site, if they come at all. Rush Limbaugh did a segment today on my recent Depression article. Here is the transcript:
Millennials Are Coming of Age in a Depression — They Just Don’t Know It
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
Jim Quinn, The Burning Platform blog. We find everything here, folks. “Why This Feels Like a Depression for Most People.” You read this, and you can figure out why the Millennials are weird or strange or feel that way, because they have come of age in a depression that nobody will call that. Now, none of this in this story is new to those of you who have been regularly listening to this program. But it is well thought out and presented here. I found at the Zero Hedge blog.
“Everyone has seen the pictures of the unemployed waiting in soup lines during the Great Depression.” Wait. Should we make that assumption? Do you think everybody has seen those pictures? You have, so you think everybody else has. Yeah, I’ve seen ’em. You know those old black-and-whites with men standing in soup lines with hardly any clothes, and it’s freezing cold. All these black and white still shots. Some film. You’ve seen it, right?
“Everyone has seen the pictures of … the Great Depression. When you try to tell a propaganda believing, willfully ignorant, mainstream media watching, math challenged consumer we are in the midst of a Greater Depression, they act as if you’ve lost your mind. They will immediately bluster about the 5.1% unemployment rate…” A depression? What are you talking about! See the unemployment rate? It’s 5.1%.
They’ll tell you about “record corporate profits, and stock market near all-time highs. The cognitive dissonance of these people is only exceeded by their inability to understand basic mathematical concepts” involved. “The reason you don’t see huge lines of people waiting in soup lines during this Greater Depression is” why? Let me just ask you, and let me give you a number. Do you know what the number…? At the peak of the Depression, at the height, do you know what the number of unemployed were?
Now, granted, the population of the country was less than it is today. There were 12.8 million Americans unemployed during the Great Depression. These were the men pictured in those soup lines. Today, there are 46 million Americans unemployed, and 94 million not working. Now, these 46 million people, these are the counted unemployed. This is the U-3 number. The counted unemployed represent 14% of the population. There are 23 million households on food stamps. There are 123 million households in America and 23 million of them are on food stamps. Therefore 19% of all households in America require food stamp assistance to survive.
In 1933, there were approximately 126 million Americans living in 30 million households. The government did not keep official unemployment records ’til 1940, but the Department of Labor estimated 12.8 million people were unemployed during the worst year of the Depression, or 24.9% of the labor force. We have the lowest labor force participation rate since 1977 in the country today. Sixty-two percent of the labor force is working; 38% not working. I’m gonna stop with the numbers ’cause numbers get confusing to keep track of when you’re hearing them and you don’t have them in front of you to look at. But why do you not see any soup lines?
What’s the difference between 1933 and today? Well, obviously, 1933, there were no food stamps. In 1933 there was no welfare. In 1933 there were no welfare debit cards. In 1933, if you were out of work, you didn’t eat. You had to stand in the soup line and depend on charity. In 2015, you can be among the 94 million not working and have a roof over your head, have a cell phone, a car, your home is probably air-conditioned, and you’re eating as much as you want.
Twelve million unemployed people standing in soup lines gave us these horrible pictures of the Great Depression. Today, the numbers of people out of work dwarf even when you factor the population difference. Far more people are not working today than during the Great Depression. We are $18 trillion in debt today, too. We are paying people not to work. We are paying people comfortably not to work. This is why I keep making the point, 94 million Americans not working but they’re all eating. It does matter. “What, do you want people to starve?” No, that’s not the point. Don’t get sidetracked here.
If you can eat and have a house and a big screen and a cell phone without working, who in the world is paying for it? Back during the Great Depression, if you couldn’t pay for it, you didn’t have it. And that’s why parents and grandparents of yours who lived during the Great Depression are so scared that another one would happen. That’s why they’re so hell-bent on everybody going to college and getting an education, because that was the key to not being fired. That was the key to having a job so that you could eat.
My parents and grandparents could not imagine being paid not to work by the government. They feared it. They thought it would be disastrous. So here comes the Democrat Party last night promising even more for people that don’t work, can’t work, are not qualified to work, not very skilled. They become the champions. They become the number one constituency group for the Democrat Party. They and their rich donors.
END TRANSCRIPT
Hi Rush,I am a big fan.Remember when you were in Sacramento,and playing the song”They’re coming to take me away”You had this one woman caller that got under your skin.Good stuff.Hope you write here often,enjoy your work.Spot on!
I USED to be a mega Ditto Head. In the 80’s my radio station was fixated for the entire three hours. Then something weird happened …. about 8 years ago I grew a brain.
I do not mind his bombastic know-it-all attitude. After all, he is in SHOW BUSINESS. Of course, I still (would) love the way he skewers Democraps & Libtards.
His failure is his myopic vision. He actually believes Repukes are the answer. He actually believes there is a significant difference between the two parties destroying this country. He loves the war machine. And for these reasons he is a goddamned FOOL not worthy of my time.
Jim
Ink is ink, whether it’s in the Wash Post or the Des Moines Register. Same with audio or visual broadcast, whether it’s MSNBC or Rush Limbaugh.
Limbaugh said, “Jim Quinn, The Burning Platform blog. We find everything here, folks. ‘Why This Feels Like a Depression for Most People.’ ” If just a few hundred of Limbaugh’s multi-million fan base asked themselves, “Hey, who is this Quinn character, and what is his blog like?” you win.
You knew from the beginning that it was gonna be a long, slow slog. Keep on trucking.. You’re getting some attention from big megaphones. That’s what counts.
Holy Shit!!! That’s huge!
Mike, it’s huge for Rush. They are talking heads, they read up on ZH and TBP so they can sound smart and connected with their finger on the pulse of America.
Big movements start this way, they don’t start from radio or TeeVee shows. I have suspected for a while that Trump is cribbing from TBP.
Those who have stuck with TBP will see Jim’s work come to fruition, those who left will recall the time they posted as SAH or Colma but no one will care.
This makes sense to me that Rush and others would agree with Admin. The first article of Jim’s I read was Depression 2.0 about the unseen depression. I think Admin could really drum up his own New Depression propaganda to compete with the talking heads. We need a counter debate to the BLS 5.1% unemployment rally cry.
OMG.
Let us know if your visitor stats improve, bet they do.
The thing about Rush is that I believe he genuinely loves America: Its founders and founding principles, as the greatest engine of wealth and prosperity in human history, the promise of opportunity and equality under the law, the idea of consent of the governed, yadda yadda. The American Experiment is unique and worth defending, IMHO.
Okay, we all know that our country isn’t perfect and is flawed as is all human enterprises, but I don’t think Rush let the Perfect be the enemy of the Good, like the Left does. If it isn’t Utopia, then the Left wants to destroy it.
The Lefties hate him because Rush is: 1) successful on his own terms, 2) doesn’t give a shit what the Left thinks, 3) Calls the Lefties out on their bullshit, and, 4) Rush is an optimist and believes in the power of the individual and the Lefties are all depressives and collectivists.
Personally, while I don’t agree with everything he says, I do admire his “in your face-yeah so what” approach to commentary.
There are a ton of Lefties that listen to him everyday and then blog about how they disagree with him, so expect some Leftie trolling here soon.
Damn,Mr. Quinn you are getting to be BIG TI ME. Rush may not be a libertarian but he isway better than Oreo. You are making a difference, ten years ago nobody would have noticed. Like Rush or not he is huge.
OK, jim. You’re a neo-con now. Not as good as a paleo-conservative, but a step in the right direction. Embrace it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baRv63qQ2m0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I remember very clearly being taught in public school in Kansas City Kansas that being on the dole was not a good thing. It was much better to have a job and work for your money. About 1950. Us boomers sure turned this country to crap. Those days are long gone.
Eek, I agree with Stucky; hard to believe someone from Neeeew Joisy has half a brain.
The plug from Rush is a good hit for TBP.
I was in the unfortunate position of selling spots on the local AM station I worked for that carried Rush. This was back in ’92. I actually tried selling Rush. Spots cost about $15 net. There were no takers, and this was in the Bluegrass, KY.
Rush’s problem has always been, the program is all about him. It’s like an audio selfie.
To be endorsed by scum like Rush Limbaugh is poison. TBP has done very well with out any help from that wingnut neocon drug addict. He makes millions off the moron class nation wide.
That’s all TBP needs is a pack of brain dead Limbaugh fans showing up on the site. But maybe they won’t because reading and writing might be challenging for many of them. Limbaugh is just a right wing propaganda spin master, a misinformation pig that slops on the right side of the same trough as the left wing talking heads.
And some folks here are celebrating recognition from Limbaugh? Shit ………….TBP is already infested with USA, USA USA war wing zombies who follow a dope head pied piper .
We are are doomed.
It’s really simple. Keep posting from HSF, Stucky, and everyone else who writes well. The braindead will come and go, the worthwhile will come – and keep coming, again and again. Great to have a publicity spot from Rush, but the reason HE came was the writing. Keep up the quality and the rest will follow.
I am glad you got the shout-out; I hope it makes a favorable difference for you. Meanwhile, sweep, take out the trash and wash the windows; tomorrow is another day, and the work awaits. God bless you all, and keep it comin’.
Congratulations Admin.
Maybe you will help the mighty Rush wake up.
Fools Rush in…
During little shrub years running errands on my lunch hour in my car if i flipped on radio and landed on station with his show… After just a moment or two i found myself yelling at my radio “mega dildoes, Rush!”
The fact that he reads blogs that are counter to the GOP establishment is good. Better than just parroting NRO, Commentary and WSJ. People are waking up to the Uniparty machinations. I don’t listen to Limbaugh much, but he’s wiser than ten years ago. I guess getting hosed by your own party over and over will do that to you. A lot of people are changing from neocons to paleocons.
I have to say it… Looks like old Finnegan’s Wake got you some baaaaaad publicity after all. LOL.
Now, are you ready for my Limbaugh connection story? Get yer popcorn ready boys and girls… my cousin who lives in the log house over the holler retired 15 years ago because being one of the board members of the Limbaugh Trust gave him a lot of stress he decided he wanted to leave behind. So he loaded up the truck and moved to the hills. That trust, I’m guessing holds probably several thousands of acres of farmland in the bootheel of Southeast Missouri hostage to several farmers who depend upon being able to rent that ground at reasonable rates while sharing the subsidies with the Limbaugh heirs (of whom several are lawyers). Now, I don’t know a lot about HIS business… what I do know is that his Grand-uncle was pretty much the J.R. Ewing of my little hometown (and I’ll NOT put his name here).
When the Federal government wanted to put the state highway through his land, he somehow managed to get them to pave a road to his home AND put an underpass for his cattle beneath the highway. That one mile stretch of road was PERFECT for drag racing outside of town because there was a nice place just across the bridge created by the cattle overpass to start the race and a nice slow curve that gave the drivers a good turn to show off some maneuvering skill and a straightaway for a half mile. Since the Limbaugh home was the only one out there and was about a half mile off the road and isolated by trees and his barns and sheds, no one worried about police being called. I dated/went with/rode with…whatever the term we used was… a guy who drove a 1968 Road Runner, Yes Indeed 383 Mopar! (And I know what that means.) My best friend dated a 1972 Camaro. LOL
Okay, back to the Limbaugh issue. The stretch of road belonged to HIM whenever he wanted it to he believed. He literally would drive his truck along the middle of the road at 20 or 30 mph, blocking people behind while he checked his cattle or his crops. He really believed that just because the Federal Government had paid him a load of cash for the easement, paved his road and built a tunnel for his cows to get underneath only meant other people could use it when he didn’t need to. He would let traffic back up behind him and make oncoming cars pull over to the side. He was that pompous at times…
When my father heard Rush Limbaugh the first few times on television proclaim he had talent on loan from God… he said “well, he gets it from his Great Uncle. They are all a bunch of arrogant you know whats.” And my father always said “you know whats.” Because they didn’t say bad words.
There’s more but that’s my claim to Limbaugh fame.
Here’s my Rush Limbaugh story: I was ragging about Clinton when my sister asked me, ‘do you listen to Rush Limbaugh? My boss puts him on the radio in the afternoon.’
I snapped back (without any idea who the moron was) ‘I don’t need anybody to tell me what to think!’
I actually turned my old boss Phil from NY on to Rush, not because I liked Rush but because I figured he would like Rush. Phil was a cool boss. I found a picture of a neanderthal and made a composite – pre-photoshop – of him, wherein I listed the various ways in which his life was a contradiction, in truth, even so-called pagans are a contradiction because they conform to our Christian society’s norms and standards of behavior. Anyway, he loved his composite titled: Phil, the Paleo Conservative.
Hey Maggie (I know that is a pseudonym) I had a buddy from Florida named Mag…everybody called him Maggie, sorta like Beaufort is called Bea. One day I will tell you of the time we went bar hopping in LA.
EC… Stucky was right. you are not all bad after all. I am Martha by birthname, but I really like Maggie and only a few folks CALL me that in person, but I find that in cyberworld, I can be Maggie a LOT. I like it.
No surge of visitors from the Rush Limbaugh shout out. It looks like about 500 or 600 extra views on that article. Maybe his audience isn’t all that big.
Good for you, Jim, you deserve a much wider readership, your work is consistently top shelf, well reasoned and concise. Every time you post a new piece I feel like I’m back at a Yankees game in the the late 20’s watching Babe Ruth knocking them out of the park- to me this is historic work.
Admin- The link in the article went to Zerohedge.
Yeah, this;
“”His failure is his myopic vision. He actually believes Repukes are the answer. He actually believes there is a significant difference between the two parties destroying this country. He loves the war machine. And for these reasons he is a goddamned FOOL not worthy of my time.””
A major beneficiary and modern-day enabler of the make-believe left/right paradigm.
Probably Finnegan’s Wake warned them all in time.
Admin, Bea Lever needs my email Address so I can send some APIJ… Am making a batch and will mail another jar your way to support your blogging the best way I can.
Administrator says:
“No surge of visitors from the Rush Limbaugh shout out. It looks like about 500 or 600 extra views on that article. Maybe his audience isn’t all that big.”
His audience is mostly mindless, right leaning sheep looking for someone to follow. They can tune into his show and drown out the kids or the insecurities in their heads on the drive home. They’re just like the lefty’s are with whoever they listen to.
Or maybe everybody finally realized RUSH really is a band!
Anon above twas I.
Clear Channel Communications is owned by a company owned and run by Jewish Interest. Not all Jews are liberal. Still it is big for you Admin. Maybe Fox news will call back.
Hub listens to Rush everyday, I was in office yesterday.
For the first time in 12 years of my forced listening I actually turned the radio volume up to hear him. Although I didn’t catch the JQ shout out, I did here the end of the segment and had said to my hub that Rush sounded like he had been visiting here.
He also had a great segment on the fact the government and academics have been lying to us about saturated fat!
I was in a (slight) state of shock, but hey, even old dogs occasionally learn new tricks.
Glimmer of hope waxes and wanes, yesterday was proof that hope may still reside in this mess of a country. Congrats Admin
Limbaugh once admitted to “carrying the water” for the neocons of the Bush administration. Well, at least he admitted it. There are so many others still acting as grooms-of-the-stool for the neocons: Hugh Hewitt, Hannity, Prager, etc. I don’t think Limbaugh cares much for them but he can’t upset the apple cart too much with his $50 million (or whatever) mansion. It’s too bad he “earned” it by being the bitch boy to Wall Street and the Israel lobby. Maybe had he opposed the Iraq wars, yes, both of them, instead of being AIPAC’s flunkie, thousands of American and millions of innocent Iraqi lives might have been saved. If he has a conscience, this ways heavily on it. I sure wouldn’t trade places with him. I’d rather have my soul than all of the mansions in Palm Beach.
Imagine if TBP regulars responded with a programmed “ditto”. The TBP convention would become a favorite venue to commit suicide, the Golden Gate bridge of the internet.
Im with stucky. It might be entertaining to listen to him skewer obama and the left, and he does a good job, but his persistent belief that the republican party is an answer to any of this is delusional. Hell, they had a inron clad majority in both houses for a while when bush was president and what did they accomplish? Not a fucking thing, except waste more money on wars and welfare. But we are supposed to take their world that this time, if we put a republican in office, things will change.
IS, not a big rush fan, but working man is a great song, very black sabbath. EC, that should be the motto of this site, the golden gate bridge of the internet. Very funny. Jim, your numbers keep rising steadily, and, present company excluded, the quality of your readership has to be off the charts. Not exactly the low information voter. Keep marching. Never know where it might take you
Hey, Admin: Much respect lost for your your intellect and character, noticing your arrogant dismissing and posturing about the consequential intellect and character of Rush Limbaugh. One thing obvious is your not having listened to him lately. Many of the criticisms here speak of things pertinent only a long time ago; many of his views actually have changed.
donnieork
Rush is an entertainer. I don’t listen to him. I never have and never will. I think for myself.
I don’t give flying fuck what you think of my intellect or character.
Go worship at the feet of that fat ass neo-con.
@Donnieork – Welcome to TBP.
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Enjoy your visit.
Rush Limbaugh. Thanks a million. Hadn’t had a bowel movement in a couple days and was getting a bit constipated. Problem now solved. Thanks again!
Well done admin. Even though rush is a buffoon, and I used to listen to him, he will boost your numbers. You deserve it. And much more.
Archie only a God Damn Dumbass would call a self made multi millionaire a buffoon.
Sensetti, think what you want. Rush is a buffoon. He is the point man for the Republican Party, an absolutely useless entity. That he shows a modicum of good sense in promoting TBP on this occasion means little, to me at least.
Limbaugh lost me a few years ago, when he was fighting over his annual salary. Something like 25m wasn’t enough. He lives on divisiveness. The illusionary battle between the left and the right. ……Clue to Rush, the battle is between ALL the parasites feeding off of the republic, and what little isf left of the producing middle class.
Is everybody new here? You all sound like a bunch of rah-rahs. Like any decent bar in the hood, you have to fight your way in here and you have to fight your way out or at least show your bleeding profusely.
If anybody shows up, they will be raving neo-cons. Cheerleaders for the kleptocracy and the military-industrial war machine. Sure, they might like some anti-Hillary articles but can they handle horse-fucking articles?
Will they instantly lose respect for admin and curse the undisciplined monkeys here? Next thing you know, they will insist on rules and order..