RUSH: To the phones finally as promised. This is Michael in Washington. I’m glad you waited. I really do appreciate your patience. Thank you. Hello.
CALLER: Hello, Rush. Nice to talk to you.
RUSH: Thank you, sir.
CALLER: It’s interesting that they’re looking at the Israeli election as being something that is pointing towards some sort of racism. But why isn’t it racist that there’s no democratic elections in any of the surrounding Arab countries? All of those Arabs are denied the right to vote, and even the Palestinian territories, they haven’t had an election in ten years.
RUSH: Exactly. That’s my whole point. The Arab-Israeli population has more freedom and liberty than they have any other country in the Middle East, and they’re allowed to participate in Israeli elections. Somehow… You nail it. Somehow that’s racist? It’s absurd on its face. No, that’s a great point you’re making out there, and I thank you for getting through and making it.
CALLER: Well, you’re welcome.
RUSH: Well, I’m glad you’re out there. Again, if you ever do go to Israel — and I imagine a lot of people would probably not go because they think it’s too unstable, terrorism happening left and right, suicide bombers and all that. It’s worth going, and I’m telling you, so many things would shock you. If all you think you know of Israel is who’ve been told by the American political media, you’re in for surprise after surprise after surprise, ’cause one of the things you probably believe is the Israelis hate the Arabs.
They’re intolerant, and they don’t accept ’em, and they don’t want any part of ’em. But you get to Israel, Jerusalem, and you see a happy, content Arab population, and they’re running around, and they’re living there, they have access to everything the nation provides any other citizen. They have total freedom; they participate in Israeli elections. It’s one of the biggest surprises anybody getting off the plane in Israel will discover if all they know of Israel is what they’ve been told as part of their consuming much news in this country, or the BBC, anywhere, Western news media, doesn’t matter.
Here’s Christopher in Manhattan, great that you called, sir. Great to have you here, too. Hello.
CALLER: Hi, Rush. It’s great to talk to you. You do such a wonderful service.
RUSH: Well, thank you.
CALLER: Yesterday we were talking about the bomb and Iran getting the bomb. I don’t see why they would use the bomb against Israel because they’d wipe themselves out. I’d be more worried about them using a nuclear weapon against somebody that supported Israel.
RUSH: Meaning, the United States?
CALLER: Or… Well, okay, meaning United…? You know, I’m more worried about terrorism than a bomb going off in my backyard in Manhattan.
RUSH: Well, that can happen now, Iranian sponsored. They don’t need to acquire a nuclear weapon for that to happen.
CALLER: Right. But why would Iran bomb Israel? Why would they pee in their own well if they have to drink out of it. I mean, they couldn’t destroy Israel without destroying themselves and the immediate area with a nuclear weapon.
RUSH: Theoretically, yeah. People are just going on what they’ve said. They’ve vowed to do it. I think if you… Do you know the story of the Twelfth Imam?
CALLER: No.
RUSH: Well, go look it up. The Twelfth Imam basically is their version the apocalypse, and they bring that about by destroying Israel. And they die, too.
CALLER: Oh, okay. Well, I mean, if they’re gonna do it that way, then, yes, it makes perfect sense.
RUSH: It’s the end of the world.
CALLER: I’m not for Iran getting the bomb. I just wonder why they’d use it and blow themselves up, too.
RUSH: Well, if they think that’s what’s called for in their own religious teachings — f they don’t expect to survive it, if the glory is the destruction of the enemy, which enables, dare I say, the equivalent of the anti-Christ to show up… Take a look… That’s why I take these people seriously when they say this. Hitler told everybody what he was gonna do, and these guys, the militant Islamists have made no bones about it. I think it’s risky to running around saying, “Ah, they just huff and puff. They don’t mean that. They would never do that!
“They’re just trying to intimidate people. They’re just trying to make themselves look like they’re tough.” I think it’s risky not to take them at their word. They’re beheading people, they’re lighting people on fire, they’re wiping out cultures — and the real offense, according Wolf Blitzer, they’re obligatory museum artifacts. Can you believe that? Beheading people is one thing and setting people on fire, but they’re actually destroying ancient museum pieces! I mean, what a bunch of you schlubs.
Well, you gotta take ’em on their word. Common sense says take them at their word and create a deterrent to it. That’s what defense policy is. Most of your defense arsenal… People never understand this. The reason you build the B-2 bomber, the reason you invest in stealth technology is so that you never have to use it, and that, you lose people with that. “What do you mean? You’re gonna build all these stealth bombers and never gonna use ’em? It’s a waste of money!” No, you have ’em if you need ’em. You hope their existence is a deterrent.
That’s why this whole notion of the nuclear arms race back in the eighties was specious. The number didn’t matter. So we had arms-reduction talks. We’d get together with the Soviets. “Well, we’ll get rid of 15 if you get rid of 15.” Okay, we’ll both get rid of 15. Nothing’s changed. If the balance of power doesn’t change, nothing changes. If each side has five, each side has five. If each side has 5,000, it doesn’t matter. If one side has 10,000 and the other side as 2,000, that matters — and that’s what you strive for.
You strive to be bigger and more powerful at all times than the people who want to wipe you out, and it is the idea that even if they try, they’re finished that acts as a deterrence. But that doesn’t always work when you’re dealing with insane mad men. This stuff can get complicated and hairy. That’s why you need really incredible people involved in these kinds of subjects, policies, negotiations, what have you. You need really serious people.
Not a bunch of pie-eyed utopians who think that they got some sort of magic power with the use of their speeches that can somehow convert hatred into love. That’s the kind of danger we have now, the kind of narcissism and arrogance that thinks, “I’m so special and my speeches are so good that our enemies will automatically love us! As soon as we get rid of our cowboy Bush, love for America will be the norm.”
How’s that worked out for us?
I don’t think it has. Anyway, I appreciate the call, Christopher.