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Bill Maher Comments on the Rush Limbaugh Drug Addiction Story
Bill Maher ^
| 10-13-03
| Bill Maher
Posted on 10/14/2003 4:04:21 PM PDT by ambrose
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To: scan58
And that's the thing.. people on here will throw you under the bus the first time that you think that Rush(a guy who's done a fine job for pushing the conservative moment in America) isn't handling this the way he should.
If you love the guy fine.. if you want to pray for the guy.. great! But to blindly follow his logic.. to not question him when he does the wrong thing is in my mind stupid. Rush isn't perfect.. and because I don't agree with the way he's handle this doesn't make me a liberal.
Those who think he's handled this the way he should needs to have their head examined.
To: Almondjoy
I wish the schools would crack down on drug users - my nephew told me the other day how everyone KNOWS the drug users sell at a certain spot behind the campus - Well, HELLO, if this is common knowledge where is the narcotics people and why are these "sellers" being busted...I'm MAD AS HELL because we're doing our best to straighten out my nephews life and these losers are pushing drugs off on him (although he could just say NO as well)...but it's this drug war thing and no one has taken it seriously since before I was a teenager!
To: ambrose
Now now now... Rush was "out of work" several times, but I don't recall him ever saying he received welfare.
63
posted on
10/14/2003 5:01:03 PM PDT
by
Humidston
(Do not remove this tag under penalty of law)
To: Almondjoy
It must be exhausting for you...being perfect human being and all.
To: wirestripper
Rush was being treated for pain as a result of a back condition. With the time and dose involved with that, the addiction was as sure as the sun comes up in the morning.
I have seen nothing stating the dosage prescribed or the time involved or why the prescription ran out and wasn't renewed by the doctor etc etc etc
They are a lot of unknowns here.
You are asssuming he chose to self medicate for the pain and not for the high
65
posted on
10/14/2003 5:01:30 PM PDT
by
uncbob
( building tomorrow)
To: ambrose
The whole problem here is trying to make a political case against the WOD on the basis of Rush's addiction. The only reason we have a WOD is to control access. I know our Libertarian friends will not hear of this but the rationale is both valid and clear.
For example, white male physicians have a substance habituation history (especially for prescription narcotics) many times that of the general population. The reason is simple--they have both access and the money to become addicted. Every State Board of Medical Examiners has noted this and has developed tough standards to deal with the problem.
Our WOD has been almost entirely restricted to dealers. I know a few users with large amounts in posession sometimes face a prison sentence but this is an anomoly of the courts and the law as much as anything else. In Singapore (right in the middle of the dope producing area of the world) substance abuse or habituation is virtually unknown. The reason is if you use even once, you are incarcerated and treated or just incarcerated. If you are a recividist the legal roof falls on you. If you are dealer and are caught you get a mandatory death sentence. Initially, there were death sentences but now there are few since any dealer knows his or her life span is brief once they are arrested. Users are so legally and socially punished there is little incentive even to experiment. Of course, such Draconian legal measures cannot be instituted in a modern, Western democracy.
In a certain sense, the WOD is a misnomer. We should call it a war on dealers. In the meantime, users are not prosecuted with any vigor; hence, we have a schism between what we think we want --control of access--and what we actually want--dealers only punished--resulting in a failing WOD.
To: John H K
People thought that him being addicted to painkillers at all didn't pass the smell test, either.
You're seriously delusional if you're trying to cling to the fantasy that all the pills Rush acquired the last three years he got through a legal prescription.
I knew I should have qualified my post with my beliefs about this situation to prevent these types of followups . Anyways...
I was never in denial about this situation. When I heard it break, I figured there had to be something there, and viola, he was addicted to pain pills. It wasn't a surprise, but some of the details of it still don't pass the smell test given Rush's income and the people involved. The maid had more than enough incentive to sell the story, given her predicament and the amount of money involved, and being that her husband is classified as a small time con, it adds another questionable item to the story.
I'm not saying the story's 100% wrong. Not at all. What I am saying is that given these elements of the story, I find these aspects dubious, if not exaggerated, and I will have a hard time giving this part of the story credibility until I hear Rush's side of the story corroborate it.
67
posted on
10/14/2003 5:03:06 PM PDT
by
Thoro
(Superman + The Corleone Family = The United Nations)
To: ambrose
The guy is dreaming. Rush CANNOT change the attitudes of his fans by coming out for the decriminilization of drugs. His audience are just what he says they are, individuals. We do not look to him to supply our opinions. We already have those and he has similar opinions. He is much better than most of us at supplying the facts that support those opinions. He is not idolized in the manner of a movie star whose every quirk and change is inhaled by his followers. I have never agreed with Rush's point of view on drugs and if he switched to my point of view because of his current situation I would not cheer because it would show that his ideas are changeable with circumstances and my respect for him would diminish considerably.
68
posted on
10/14/2003 5:05:02 PM PDT
by
arthurus
(When the other shoe drops, look out for the cleats!)
To: ambrose
Who is Bill Maher in the scope that anyone would or should care?
69
posted on
10/14/2003 5:06:03 PM PDT
by
TSgt
(No longer a mooch - Proud financial supporter of Free Republic)
To: All
70
posted on
10/14/2003 5:06:41 PM PDT
by
Bob J
To: Almondjoy
He choose to become addicted to them and he choose not to do anything about it until he got busted for it. Those are the facts that you cannot disputeI'm glad you have the whole scoop even though all the facts are not known.
And BTW, why is it that one has to need to get high to be addicted to these pills? Couldn't it be that a person is addicted to pain killers because they help with physical pain and the person cannot do without them for that reason?
Not being able to do without something IS what an addiction is and pain whenever you are without the pain killers qualifies. Why is everybody assuming Rush just wanted to get high? Give the guy a break and wait for the facts people!
To: John H K
Your lack of experimentation explains your comments.
Ben Stein's wonderful comment is easily explainable.
For a intelligent person who loves to talk, the first few doses of a Oxy-codone type drug would probably create a slight euphoric effect. This effect does not really increase with the amount taken and is caused by the sudden amount of painkiller in the system. the effect lasts for only the first few doses and goes away on it's own.
The real effect as a enhancer of other drugs is primarily with alcohol. The effect is similar to cocaine without the increased heart rate and BP. Oxycodone has a suppressive effect on BP and heart-rate as well as breathing. It is in no way a stimulant.
Why people use it for a high, I do not know. I once baked banana peels in the oven, thinking it would get you high. LOL! how about aspirin and coke! Or huffing lighter fuel.
No, Rush's addiction came initially as a result of use and he chose to go outside the box apparently, to self medicate.
He did it not to get high, but to be totally free of pain. The reasons were noble, but the methods not.
I am sick and tired of Oxycodone addiction being labeled words like junkie and drug addicted slob.
I am addicted to the substance and I manage it quite well with the help of a Dr.
Should the time come when I can get off these meds I will have to go through a withdrawal period, and perhaps some lingering mini with-drawls for some time. But, it is something I was prepared for as a consequence of using the drug and a small price to pay for the reduction of the chronic pain that plagues me and other people like Rush.
72
posted on
10/14/2003 5:08:41 PM PDT
by
Cold Heat
("It is easier for an ass to succeed in that trade than any other." [Samuel Clemens, on lawyers])
To: shrinkermd
Our WOD has been almost entirely restricted to dealers
Go to any AA meeting and see if the members blame the BARTENDERS (dealers)
73
posted on
10/14/2003 5:10:05 PM PDT
by
uncbob
( building tomorrow)
To: baltodog
You make an excellent point, and should be commended for your candor.
The only difference between Rush's addiction to pills and yours to cigarettes is that your addiction is (still) legal.
Rush has a lot of company when it comes to substance abuse (including, I'm sure, some of his biggest bashers this week).
He's in a smaller class when it comes to admitting his problem (with no excuses) and trying to deal with it.
74
posted on
10/14/2003 5:12:18 PM PDT
by
daler
To: uncbob
You are asssuming he chose to self medicate for the pain and not for the highOxycontin lasts for twelve hours. According to the reports he was taking some 30 or more pills per day.
Did anyone ever notice he was high?
The answer is no.
75
posted on
10/14/2003 5:12:36 PM PDT
by
Cold Heat
("It is easier for an ass to succeed in that trade than any other." [Samuel Clemens, on lawyers])
To: wirestripper
I keep seeing the words "self medicated" applied to Rush around here. Is that some politically correct way to say he bought his drugs illegally?
76
posted on
10/14/2003 5:12:47 PM PDT
by
halfdome
To: Almondjoy
He's Rush Limbaugh, not Christ. He's going to do what he needs to do, obviously he's humiliated, and go on with what he is best at, being the #1 conservative voice in the country. If anyone has lost respect for him, they can get off the bandwagon now.
To: ambrose
Three cheers for Maher. I don't buy the whole "crack is just like booze" thing, but the central point that the government has no business telling me what I put in my body remains.
To: wirestripper
I say again.........There is no high from Oxycontin.What I understand from your declaration here is that you were unable to get high on Oxycontin. That is called Sour Grapes. Better luck with your next effort.
79
posted on
10/14/2003 5:16:11 PM PDT
by
arthurus
(When the other shoe drops, look out for the cleats!)
To: daler
is that your addiction is (still) legal.Rush's addiction to oxy is legal, as is mine.
What he did wrong was to purchase illegally without a presciption.
Addiction is not always a dirty word.
80
posted on
10/14/2003 5:17:53 PM PDT
by
Cold Heat
("It is easier for an ass to succeed in that trade than any other." [Samuel Clemens, on lawyers])
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