These are Not Normal Times

RUSH: Just a year ago actually almost to the day, February 23rd -- 2009, President Obama said, quote, "And that's why today I am pledging to cut the deficit we inherited by half at the end of my first term in office. This will not be easy. It will require us to make difficult decisions and face challenges that we have long neglected. But I refuse to leave our children with a debt that they cannot repay, and that means taking responsibility right now in this administration for getting our spending under control."

Your reaction is, "Man, Rush, I'm glad you're mentioning that because people find out what a liar Obama is, and people are finding what a failure Obama is! He promised to cut the deficit in half and he hasn't done it," and in normal times, that would be a perfectly logical reaction -- and in fact, if this were normal times, I would bring this story to your attention. I would have led off the program with it today and I would have tried to convince people, "See, this guy told you a bunch of stuff he didn't mean back in 2009."

But that's, sadly, not the way this is perceived. The vice president was at the White House today. Now, we already played the sound bite of the vice president saying, "The American people are tired of being tired. They just want to get up and get moving." They're tired of being tired? Well, "tired of being tired" of what? No job to go to? No prosperity to get? What are they tired of? He didn't say. So there's just a general malaise. People are fed up. They want to go out there and they want to do something.

"They're tired of being tired," in normal times, would be a huge indictment of this administration, but these are not normal times. In addition to the vice president saying people "are tired of being tired," the vice president said that Americans no longer worry about the economy. He said, " "The are no longer traumatized by what was a traumatizing event, the great collapse of 2008. They are no longer worried, I think, about our economy being overwhelmed either by Europe writ large, the EU, or China somehow swallowing up every bit of innovation that exists in the world.

"They are no longer, I think, worried about our economy being overwhelmed beyond our shores. But, and I don't think ... there is very little doubt in any circles out there about America's ability to be in position to lead the world in the 21st century. Not only in terms of our foreign policy, our incredible defense establishment, but economically." So, "The American people are tired of being tired," and "they no longer worry about the economy," and four years ago, Obama pledged to cut the deficit in half at the end of his first term.

He said he "refuse[d] to leave our children with a debt that they can't repay, and that means taking responsibility right now." But he hasn't taken responsibility, see? That's the key. He has remained an outsider. Even while occupying the Oval Office, Obama remains in campaign mode. But what the low-information voter makes of all this is that Obama has been trying for four years. The point that we haven't yet arrived at -- and I don't know that we ever will with Obama -- is people do not question his motives, and they do not question his intent.

They have swallowed all of that whole. They believe Obama really intended to cut the deficit in half. The reason he hasn't is that there are people who don't want the deficit cut in half, and who are they? They're the rich, and they somehow benefit from a big deficit. Because, as far as the low-information voter is concerned, the rich got rich off the government. The government allowed them to get rich or gave them the money or there was some sort of arrangement, and that's how the rich got rich.

What Obama is about is now taking it back, and when you take money from the rich, you lower the deficit. As far as the low-information voter's concerned, "You lower the deficit when you raise taxes on the rich, because the reason we have a deficit is the rich have too much money." I know this doesn't make any sense to you. It doesn't make any sense, period. It's not logical. But we're not deal with logic. We're dealing with emotion.

So the people who voted for Obama -- a majority of the voting public, by the way, low-information voters -- don't have any problem with hearing Obama intended four years ago to cut the deficit in half. They think he's still trying. They think he's been trying for four years. There are just some mean people standing in his way, mean people stopping him, selfish people who don't want to give up what they have unfairly and illegitimately received. That's the battle. I remember so many people on my side of the aisle thinking this class envy stuff stopped working a long time ago, and there may be an interval where it did.

But it's back, and it's roaringly successful for Obama now, to the point that the low-information voter is literally clueless about the source of prosperity. The low-information voter, I'm convinced, believes government is the source, and that's why it's not fair that the rich have so much money. Because the rich run the government, and the rich have been taking care of themselves and it was the rich who founded the country. "Obama, four years ago, pledged to cut the deficit in half.

"He meant it. He's been trying! But these people, you know, they're not gonna give away their money. They're just not gonna give it up. He's gonna have to go take it! He's gonna have to go take even more." What the low-information voter doesn't realize is... By the way, I happen to think... Correct me if I'm wrong, people. If you want to call me on the phone, correct me if I'm wrong. I think within a certain segment of the population -- I think it's rather large -- Biden happens to have waded into the truth.

I don't know if it's a majority or not, but I think there are millions of Americans who aren't worried about the economy. Now, there are millions who are worried -- and there are millions who are more than worried; they're petrified. They're petrified about what it means for their kids and grandkids. I had an interesting conversation. I played golf yesterday for the first time since July. I had this frozen-shoulder thing.

I didn't even know what that was, but starting last August I began to experience an increasing amount of pain in my left shoulder with a decreasing range of motion, and it just kept getting worse. It's one of these things that was nagging. It didn't hurt all the time, just with certain types of movements, but it kept getting worse. It's one of those things you think will just get better if you leave it alone. This didn't.

So finally my golf buddies, who amazingly were sad that I wasn't able to play with them, forced me to see a doctor. One of them actually arranged a doctor coming to me. That's how much I was missed on the golf course -- and my airplane. (chuckling) Anyway, so I got a shot of cortisone, and it's working, so I was able to play golf yesterday for the first time since July. I had a fascinating talk with one of my golf buddie, who is semiretired. He's been very successful.

He said to me, "You know, Rush..." I got the usual expressions of concern about the future for his kids but, more importantly, his grandkids. This man is petrified that if things don't change, his grandkids are never, ever gonna even have a chance at prosperity because nobody will. He's afraid there won't be enough money circulating in the private sector, that the government is just gonna grow and grow and grow, and then the debt is gonna pile up and pile up, and this is going to collapse at some point.

A United States collapse would be much different than a Greece collapse. Greece can collapse and there's a ripple. We collapse and the world feels it. But then he said this to me. "It's gotten to the point, Rush, I don't care about the social issues right now. I just don't care. Gay marriage? I don't care." He's a devout Catholic. You know, six months ago, he's adamantly opposed to it. He says, "I don't care. Abortion? I don't want to have 'em, but I don't care. That's not important. I don't care. I am 100% focused on fiscal things. This country is out of control."

I would suspect that there are millions of you feeling exactly the same way. The concern over the economic future, I don't know about the social issues. In this guy's case it was interesting he phrased it that way to me. I'm not endorsing it or disagreeing. I'm just passing it on as something I was told. I suspect that a lot of people are like that. His whole point was, "Look, I care about that stuff, but I don't want to lose focus here. I don't want anybody to dilute the energy that we put into saving the economy." That was really his point. If the amount of energy we've got to fight for the economy is 100%, I don't want 30% of it off on some social issue, another 10% off on another social issue, and we're down to 60% of our energy on the economy. I want a hundred percent of it on the economy, saving the economy.

I said, "In many ways, the morality that is incumbent in social issues can't be divorced from fiscal matters," but I didn't get much into that because this was before we hit the links. We were wrapping up a quick bite to eat before we went out. But I suspect, though, that there are a lot of people who feel the same thing way. At the same time, the vice president's right, folks. This is just a sense. I mean, I can't swear to this. And I could be wrong. But I think we've gotten to the point where a lot of people, if you've got your TV, you've got your food stamps, if you have your cell phone coverage, as long as you can get a pitcher of beer and a pizza, which, not for long if you live in New York, by the way. If you don't have much ambition to begin with, then the economy may not matter to you, and it certainly may not matter enough that you would fight or join a fight.

I don't know what the percentages are, but I suspect that Biden's got a point. I think he's also right, which is contradictory, that people are tired of being tired. And by that, I think there are also some people tired of waiting for the cycle to fix this. Some people just instinctively think, "Okay, recession. But we gotta come out of it sometime." And those people are totally clueless that this recession was created by Obama policies. This recession is sustained by Obama policies. They're totally clueless.

I think the people Biden's talking about who are not worried about the economy are also clueless as to why the economy is stagnant. But it's clear that this regime wants that perception of this economy, that there's nothing to worry about. Unemployment's cool, 7.8, 7.9%, this cool, this is the new norm, everything's fine, because it's going to get worse. So there are a lot of individual parts of the engine here that appear to be working, some in agreement and in sync, and others in total opposition to themselves. Something's gotta give at some point, but the one thing that we don't have anywhere as far as the eye can see is policies that engineer or make possible economic growth. That's the sad reality.

Not only do we not have that, we have a president who promised four years ago to cut the deficit in half who's done nothing but grow it faster than any president in history, not just the deficit, but the national debt, who is not tied to it. In fact, the view is he's trying to stop that. (voice of new castrati) "That's right, Mr. Limbaugh, he promised four years ago to cut the deficit in half and he fully intends to and he's still trying to, but it's people like you and others that are stopping him because you don't want him to succeed."

And then you add one final thing. Look at Bob McDonnell, the governor of Virginia. Look at Governor Rick Scott in Florida. McDonnell, what did he do to get elected? He had everybody thinking this guy was a movement conservative, right? He's totally caved now. He has totally caved. He has thrown in with the Democrats. He's thrown in with Obama. He's thrown in with expanding Medicaid, because of two things. He's up for reelection and there's this big pile of money Obama's promising, along with all the other governors.

The one thing I know that irritates you as much, if not more than anything, is it just appears that people on our side, way too many of 'em, not all, but way too many of 'em, don't know how to govern when they're in power and don't like to fight when they're out of power, or either don't know how. I suspect they don't like to. It's easier to go along, less friction.

I know me meant 4 years.
The sad thing for me is I have real doubts, for the first time that we can change things

Too many people are getting gov’t checks and 0dumbo is adding millions more very quickly

I hope some of the takers understand that there has to be somebody doing the work from which totake BUT I now longer think there are enough people who care

I see people in Italy Greece and now France rioting against any cuts to their free checks
I think that is us within 2 years

I am frightened for the economy my kids and Grandkids face, but I al also frightened by what I face.

I face rationing being cut off because I am too old or unworthy and because some Bureaucrat affirmative action creep in washington may do the deciding.

I was pretty well set. I paid BC&BS all of my life, I still pay it, T got to be 65 and started with Medicare, I thought my future was pretty good, but now I don’t know what to think. What if I need a stent or a by-pass in a couple of years? Will I be judged not worthy?

Certainly the Congress will be fine, they exempted themselves.But where do I stand, Can I affor the new premiums>will BC&BS go out of business, what hidden taxes are still to be found in Obamacare?

No one seems to know.

You make a good point about the Soviet Union being able to hold on to the communist system for 70 years but I will offer some hopeful (partially) thoughts that suggest we are not heading for centuries or even decades of a centralized, socialist, oppressive system.

First, the Soviet Union greatly weakened due to economic inadequacies. The gov’t could not provide for the people, the people knew the gov’t did not work and neither did the people much work, and payments started to slow then stop. The economic stresses of years of negative gov’t cash flow have already presented gov’ts with critical levels of debt. Gov’t cannot shower much more largesse on the poor masses before quickly producing a bad economic situation for those masses. The Soviets could blame the rich people for a while and then WW2 distracted attention. The US socialists will have a harder time distracting blame.

Second, movements like the Hungarian, Czech, then Polish (successful) had to wait till after WW2 to get attention. The people were demanding what the gov’t claimed to be providing—if your people are restless the pressure increases. The economic situation in the US is already putting pressure on gov’t that will increase in the US in months and years to come. Unemployed people will become more restless—more people will experience unemployment.

Socialists tend to attack, violently, their dissenters. In the US, the dissenters are vocal and already anticipating attack. The US socialists are less militaristic, but not entirely so, than most other socialists. They may have a harder time with dissent.

US citizens have known freedom and its bounty. The contrast is already apparent between free society and the post-2008 US socialist gov’t system. Anyone who draws attention to the difference, especially if the economic situation worsens, will have increasing numbers of people in agreement. Even the socialist media will have a hard time repeating the message that the economy is “in recovery” and that capitalists are to blame if the situation produced by the socialists increasingly effects the average citizen. Note how it is increasingly harming young people looking for work—they are ripe for questioning socialism.

Just my 2 cents.

Rush, I don't care about the social issues right now. I just don't care. Gay marriage? I don't care." He's a devout Catholic. You know, six months ago, he's adamantly opposed to it. He says, "I don't care. Abortion? I don't want to have 'em, but I don't care. That's not important. I don't care. I am 100% focused on fiscal things. This country is out of control."

Matthew 19

The Rich Man

16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” the man asked.
And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.
19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”
21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

I have a feeling if you’re over a certain age and not in a skilled profession, you will be not be treated for any illness. Those idiots who voted for this will also get the same treatment as will their parents and grandparents. And they won’t even complain....because they’re idiots and will never admit they made a mistake.

The proof to me that this country is on it’s final gasp for breath is that congress exempted themselves and there wasn’t a mob storming Washington. There were some tea partiers and Michelle Bachman waving a flag and that was it.

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