Limbaugh and Fox News responded to U.N. deputy Sec.-Gen. Brown with attacks
SUMMARY: In response to recent remarks by Mark Malloch Brown, the deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, who criticized "U.S. administrations of both parties" for allowing the U.N.'s "loudest detractors, such as Rush Limbaugh and Fox News," to define the international organization for the "U.S. heartland," Limbaugh and various other Fox News media figures smeared Brown, referring to him, in turn, as a "pointy-headed, elitist liberal" and "a phony."
In response to recent remarks by Mark Malloch Brown, the deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, who criticized "U.S. administrations of both parties" for allowing the U.N.'s "loudest detractors, such as Rush Limbaugh and Fox News," to define the international organization for the "U.S. heartland," Limbaugh and various other Fox News media figures smeared Brown on June 7, referring to him, in turn, as a "pointy-headed, elitist liberal" and "a phony."
In a June 6 speech delivered at a global leadership conference, Brown stated that the United States is "constructively engaged" with the U.N., but that its productive relationship is overshadowed in the United States by "too much unchecked U.N. bashing and stereotyping." He added that "much of the public discourse that reaches the U.S. heartland has been largely abandoned to its loudest detractors, such as Rush Limbaugh and Fox News."
Responding to Brown's criticism on the June 7 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Limbaugh acknowledged that "Brown is saying ... that [the U.N.] is not recognized for its true benefit to world peace ... because of me and Fox News poisoning your minds." Limbaugh responded by advising his listeners that Brown "is just another pointy-headed, elitist liberal saying you're a bunch of mind-numbed robots and you can't make up your own minds about things." He added that the U.N. is "still the bar ... scene in the first Star Wars movie" and that its members are "tinhorn dictators" and "little rugrats." Limbaugh continued, saying that he couldn't "care less" what Brown "has to say 'cause he's just another in a long line of liberals who can't win in the arena of ideas, so he's got to go out and try to discredit the detractors." Later on the program, Limbaugh accused U.N. peacekeepers of "raping everybody they can find," and then asked: "How many of you, and how many people on my staff, have sold young women into prostitution?"
Fox News hosts John Gibson and Bill O'Reilly also responded to Brown's criticism with more attacks on the U.N. and attacks on Brown himself. On the June 7 edition of Fox News' The Big Story, Gibson called U.N. diplomats "annoying" for their alleged habit of "running around New York like they own the place, tearing up parking tickets." Similarly, on the June 7 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly said Brown is "a phony" because he was "too afraid" to appear on O'Reilly's show to talk about his remarks. And on the June 7 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, co-host Sean Hannity accused the U.N. of "a lot of institutional anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism."
As Media Matters for America has noted, the U.N. has been a frequent subject of attack by Fox News personalities and on The Rush Limbaugh Show, as Brown observed. For example, O'Reilly once wished, on his radio show, that Hurricane Katrina "had only hit the United Nations building, and nothing else," adding: "And I wouldn't have rescued them." He also has said that "[I]f [former Soviet dictator] Joseph Stalin was still alive, he'd be the UNICEF [United Nations Children's Fund] spokesperson." Fox News also smeared U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in a special report titled Breaking Point: U.N. Blood Money: Kofi Annan Under Fire. Limbaugh has called the U.N. General Assembly "thugs and dictators" and claimed that an economic proposal by the United Nations Development Programme was intended to "rape" the United States.
From the June 7 broadcast of The Rush Limbaugh Show:
LIMBAUGH: And so, Mark Malloch Brown is saying the reason that the United Nations is unrecognized for its greatness and its value, the reason that it's not recognized for its true benefit to world peace and blah, blah, blah, blah, is because of me and Fox News poisoning your minds. What's new?
This is just another pointy-headed, elitist liberal saying you're a bunch of mind-numbed robots, and you can't make up your own minds about things. The United Nations has not changed. It's still the bar war -- the bar scene in the first Star Wars movie. It's nothing but the vast majority of its members being tinhorn dictators and -- and -- and other, you know, little rugrats that are given legitimacy with their membership in the United Nations.
It is an organization that seeks to fleece the American treasury. It's an organization that seeks to undermine U.S. foreign policy, blames us for the problems of the world. And I couldn't care less what this pointy-headed intellectual elitist has to say 'cause he's just another in a long line of liberals who can't win in the arena of ideas, so he's got to go out and try to discredit the detractors. What -- what's new about this?
[...]
LIMBAUGH: And here's the actual statement of Kofi Annan's chief aide. He was making this speech yesterday. It was a luncheon speech at a midtown hotel in New York to a conference on global leadership, co-sponsored by the Center for American Progress and the Century Foundation.
BROWN [audio clip]: Much of the public discourse that reaches the U.S. heartland has been largely abandoned to its loudest detractors, such as Rush Limbaugh and Fox News. That is what I meant by stealth diplomacy. The U.N.'s role is, in effect, a secret in Middle America, even as it is highlighted in the Middle East and other parts of the world.
LIMBAUGH: No, I'm not offended, but I long ago ceased being offended, Mr. Snerdley. I just don't have the energy anymore. I told you, I do not let people offend me. This is -- this is -- he's exactly right. Is -- is -- so what, he's on the world stage? The guy is a pointy-headed elitist; they're all the same. I don't care if they're in Little Rock or if they're in New York on the world's stage. You know, the U.N., as I say, is nothing more than the -- than the bar scene in the first Star Wars, and now Mr. Malloch Brown is trying to engage in The Empire Strikes Back. And you know, we're just a little federation out here doing our best to keep people informed of the truth. What a corrupt organization! Kofi Annan, oil-for-food -- hello! Iraq! Saddam Hussein! It's not like we're making this stuff up, ladies and gentlemen. And then you've got the peacekeepers, so-called, the blue-helmeted guys over in Africa, raping everybody they can find in their peacekeeping role. For crying out loud here. Here's [U.S. ambassador to the U.N.] John Bolton. John Bolton reacted to this. He was on Fox this morning I think with David Asman, he was asked about this, and this was Bolton's reply.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: And that's what Malloch Brown is essentially saying: "We are above criticism. We don't like Mr. Rush Limbaugh, Fox News daring to attack our integrity and honor." Now, let me tell you something. Let me ask you people a question here. How many of you, and how many people on my staff, have sold young women into prostitution?
From the June 7 edition of Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson:
GIBSON: I wrote a book called Hating America: The New World Sport, in which I documented the anti- Americanism rampant among the 190 countries in the U.N. that are not the U.S. And this doesn't even account the annoying habit of U.N. diplomats running around New York like they own the place, tearing up parking tickets. Mr. Malloch Brown is aware that the U.N. has a bad rap. It may be true that Fox and Rush Limbaugh have alerted the American people to these problems, but let's get serious. Neither Fox nor Rush Limbaugh made these things up.
From the June 7 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor with Bill O'Reilly:
O'REILLY: Well, Mr. Brown is a phony because we asked him to come on tonight, and he's too afraid. He's hiding under that lectern right now. We sent him sandwiches.
From the June 7 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes:
HANNITY: All right. But we got U.N. oil-for-food. We've got their ineffectiveness, not only on Iran but Iraq. We have had a lot of institutional anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism there. Why shouldn't the American people say enough is enough?
The speed with which these propaganda whores get their talking points circulated never ceases to amaze me.
You should be impressed but not amazed.
I'm impressed with the technology that directly connects Karl Rove's keyboard to the FOX NEWS teleprompters.
Fox News is really taking what Brown said personally. Gibby and O'Lielly weren't the only Fox talking heads to get in jabs at the UN on the behalf of Fox News and the Bush admin.
The morning stooges on "FOX and Friends" went to the trouble to have a NYC real estate agent in and discuss just how good it would be for NYC if the UN were gone. They proceeded to add up the dollars that the city would get if "somehow" the UN building went the way of high end condos. The segment came off really arrogant and had a weird threatening tone to it. Makes one wonder if Murdoch or Ailes is planning a little real estate coup over on the East River.
when statements such as this one, "referring to him, in turn, as a "pointy-headed, elitist liberal" and "a phony" had to be proven.
His head does not look pointy, and what is the proof that he is a elitist liberal. Who defines elitist liberal? What makes him a phony, in what context, etc etc............WHERE IS THE PROOF?
We don't need no f---ing Proof!
What is it with this man and rape?
And then you've got the peacekeepers, so-called, the blue-helmeted guys over in Africa, raping everybody they can find in their peacekeeping role.
In the Google search window, type in these words:
peacekeepers rape
There are 517,000 citations. Of course, not all are UN related, but you can subsearch if you want
24,300,000 references...
any other questions?
ChasingMoksha seemed not to know what Limbaugh was referring to. I wrote how to find the answer.
If people are talking about misdeeds of the US military, you provide the way to obtain more info. Was that question asked?
....I knew what he was talking about, however, I was questioning (or at least trying to imply) is obsession with it.
....I knew what he was talking about, however, I was questioning (or at least trying to imply) his obsession with it.
The most I listen to of Limbaugh's program is a little over the lunch hour while running errands and getting lunch, so I do not really know how much time he spends on any topic.
I had thought that you were wondering "Where did he come up with this charge?"
Take care.
with a major scanal of rapes and sex-trades in Congo (eg [link to www.iht.com] although there were also reports of it in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Haiti.
The US military has been accused of rapes in Japan, the Phillipins, Iraq, Vietnam, and within their own ranks.
Thus, rapes have been reported within the UN and US military, and measures that were promised sadly either have not been implemented, or did not lead to the desired outcomes.
I guess that rapes, assaults, robberies, and homocides happen by all military actions, although some countries are more involved in them (eg soldiers of African nations) than others (eg European and US).
Because the 'UN soldier' actually does not exists (its just soldiers from countries that are part of the UN, but are trained in their own country, and thus bring their own attitude and discipline into UN military/peacekeeping actions), it is hard to bring back those atrocities to the UN as such, even though the UN is in the end responsible for it.
Sounds about right so far...
If you listen to the callers that Rush's screeners allow to get through, especially the women, "mind-numbed- robots" is a pretty good description. "Drooling Sycophant" is another phrase that comes to mind...
These reactions are particularly ironic since these same "pundits" used to cite UN Resolution 1441 to justify our attack and invasion of Iraq.
Red State America's opinion of the UN is based upon what they hear from the Fox thugs and rightwing radio bobbleheads.
Ironically, it sure is nice to have the UN Security Council resolutions to fall back on when all your other reasons for war turn out to be complete baloney.
" to define the international organization for the "U.S. heartland" - Brown
And how does Limbaugh respond?
"It is an organization that seeks to fleece the American treasury. It's an organization that seeks to undermine U.S. foreign policy, blames us for the problems of the world."
In other words, Brown complains that Limbaugh and his ilk are defining the UN for the U.S. heartland, and Limbaugh responds by um.....defining the UN for his listeners.
Great retort, Rush. Perhaps you should request a higher credit line for that talent you have "on loan from God".
Amerika IS the source for a lot of the problems facing the world! For Rush to deny that is whitewashing the many conscious foreign military and economic decisions the U.S> has made. The U.S. is the chief culprit responsible for global warming, exporting neoliberal trade agreements to the rest of the world which further divide the wealthy from the poor, and the destabilization of Iraq and the Middle East.
WAKE UP RUSH!!!!
---" [Sec. Brown] can't win in the arena of ideas, so he's got to go out and try to discredit the detractors."---
And then the hypocrite Limbaugh, who only moments before chastised Brown for "discrediting detractors", proceeds to discredit Brown by calling him a "pointy-headed elitist".
he attempted to discredit Brown.
And failed miserably.
--"[Limbaugh] attempted to discredit Brown"--
I agree, thanks. Only within the "minds" of the dittohead listeners was Brown discredited.
The constant smearing of the UN tells the dittoheads that it is okay for the U.S. to ignore international co-operation, and that the UN, the most cohesive and powerful global council is not worth America's respect. It is precisely these sentiments that cause the world to resent U.S. double-standards. So the UN has faced scandals, well, the U.S. administration hasn't been squeaky clean either.
The irony amazes me how Rush can so easily whip out the elitist card.
"It is an organization that seeks to fleece the American treasury. "----our own gov't is doing that well enough on its own. Maybe the UN could recoup U.S. dues from China, our real treasury!
Brilliant argument.
Rush uses the following points learned from his Debate Team days: 'pointy-headed, elitist liberal', 'pointy-headed intellectual elitist' and 'pointy-headed elitist'.
And then he follows up with 'phony', 'little rugrats', 'tinhorn dictators' and a bizarre reference to the bar scene from Star Wars.
Can 'poopyhead' be far behind?
What an intellectual midget.
Is that Rush and his parrots repeatedly accuse the Left of not having any logical arguments, of basing our decisions on emotiona....then he turns around and uses emotional buzzwords to whip his dimwitted audience into a frenzy.
"LIMBAUGH: And that's what Malloch Brown is essentially saying: "We are above criticism. We don't like Mr. Rush Limbaugh, Fox News daring to attack our integrity and honor." Now, let me tell you something. Let me ask you people a question here. How many of you, and how many people on my staff, have sold young women into prostitution?"
Ehhhhhhhh?
what was Boltons reply, because despite his efforts, he has not come too far to transform the UN into an arm of the US.
the entire non-U.S. world is comprised of "elitist liberals," because the vast majority of the world's population has rejected key components of the Bush foreign agenda, such as the invasion of Iraq, Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, global warming, and trade policy.
That term is attached to anyone who disagrees with right-wing politics.
" . . . They proceeded to add up the dollars that the city would get if 'somehow' the UN building went the way of high end condos. The segment came off really arrogant and had a weird threatening tone to it. Makes one wonder if Murdoch or Ailes is planning a little real estate coup on the East River." - StevenSM -------------------------------------------------------------------------
. . . Or if Rummy, Cheney, and Rove are planning an "errant plane ride" timed just before the midterm elections . . .
As for Bush Limbo, when he says, "This is just another pointy-headed, elitist liberal saying you're a bunch of mind-numbed robots, and you can't make up your own minds about things", THEN proceeds to say, " . . . And I couldn't care less what this pointy-headed liberal elitist has to say 'cause he's just another in a long line of liberals who can't win in the arena of ideas, so he's got to go out and try to discredit the detractors . . .", isn't Rush doing the EXACT same thing?
Must be the oxycontin withdrawl talking . . .
Cons LOVE to accuse disenters to their positions as being elitist. They've managed to completely redefine the word to mean the OPPOSITE of what common meaning has always been. According to right wing squakers, you are an elitist if you:
Oppose tax cuts that favor the rich.
Favor legislation designed to aid America's poor.
Oppose corporate welfare.
Favor putting CEOs convicted of fraud in prison.
Favor affirmitive action to help the children of historically oppressed minorities get into college but oppose legasy exemptions that reserve addmissions for the children of wealth.
In other words: you are an elitist if you oppose the interests of the elite.
I believe it was Goebbels who said that a good propagandist always accuses "the enemy" of that which his own side does or wishes to do. It's pretty common fare on the Rovian menu.