RUSH: Ladies and gentlemen, for 232 years, on July 4th, America celebrated Independence Day. I mean, that’s what it was about. Sadly, for too many Americans, it just became a cookout. But for 232 years on July 4th — and it might be 233, you know, my numbers guy is sometimes off by years or months, but if it’s 233, I don’t care. Since the beginning of this country we have celebrated Independence Day. And now we have to ask ourselves, are we heading to Dependence Day? Not if I can help it. ‘When, in the course of human events,’ seven words that started the Declaration of Independence and begat the United States of America, independence, a single word, a glorious idea, a word that guided us, governed us for 232 or 3 or 4, whatever the number is, years, independence, liberty, freedom, independence, that which made us different from everyone else. But on this July 4th we have to give pause.
Are we celebrating Independence Day or a new Dependence Day, dependence on government for our health, our wealth, our income, there won’t be any wealth, our well-being? Independence or dependence? The answer, my friends, is written in the polls. Thirty-five to 45% of Americans want dependence. It is our job, your job, my job, ours to do everything we can to resist the false promises of dependence and cherish the virtues of independence. It shouldn’t be that difficult, really. We have 
232, 3, 4, whatever the number of years of evidence, proof, that independence works far better than dependence, better for the individual. In fact, we have world history to show us this, not just our own. It works better for the individual, and as our Founders foresaw, better for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But I fear we’re soon to be saying happy Dependence Day. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like you to all rise — except for those of you driving — I would like you to all rise as we play the new national anthem of the Banana Republic of the United States.
(playing of national anthem spoof)
Are you still standing?
(continued playing of song)
Harry Belafonte and the new national anthem.
(continued playing of song)
Harry Belafonte and the new national anthem of the United States, now officially a banana republic.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Arlington, Texas. Faith, I’m glad you waited. Thank you, and hello.
CALLER: Hi.
RUSH: Hi.
CALLER: Mega dittos.
RUSH: Thank you very much.
CALLER: I’ve been listening to you for 16 years, and I’m 24 years old.
RUSH: I was going to say, you don’t sound 16 even on the phone to me.
CALLER: Thank you. I have two children, ages three-and-a-half and 18 months, and I was listening to that banana republic that you played earlier and it just brought tears to my eyes.
RUSH: You mean the new US national anthem?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: Day-O, by Harry Belafonte?
CALLER: Yes. I guess I just realized that my kids aren’t going to be growing up in the same country that I did.
RUSH: Not yet. It’s not time to say that yet. Because not everybody has given up here, not everybody has said to hell with it and I’m going to New Zealand, not everybody said this. Don’t have that attitude, this is all worth fighting for, especially for your kids.
CALLER: I definitely agree, but I’m not seeing a whole lot of people on our side of the fence stand up for what’s right, with the eight Republicans —
RUSH: Well, Faith, let’s be honest. You’ve been listening here for 16 years?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: You don’t need anybody else, right? As long as I’m on the case, then there’s leadership being provided, for the people that matter, and that’s the American people. All that other stuff will happen. It will coalesce as we near an election. When you need to worry is when I tell you one day, ‘Folks, live from New Zealand, it’s the Rush Limbaugh program.’
CALLER: (laughing) I suppose that day would make me very sad.
RUSH: Yeah, that would be a day that I would sanction tears, but not today. Not today.
CALLER: You think there’s hope, then, that we can take it back?
RUSH: Yes. We haven’t lost it yet. It’s not going to be easy, but we can do it.
CALLER: So I shouldn’t start signing up my kids for foreign language classes yet?
RUSH: Well, you might do that anyway for their education, that’s not a bad thing to do, but no, not because English will not be spoken here. No, no, no. We haven’t gotten to that point.
CALLER: Well, good.
RUSH: There’s hope for change, Faith, your name says it all. Somebody named you right? You got faith, you are Faith.
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: Hope and change.
CALLER: Yeah, I guess I don’t need hope and change when I have faith.
RUSH: That’s right. Actually, hope is an excuse for not doing anything. Faith is what guides you. I’m glad you called me today. We don’t need you checking out.
CALLER: Okay. Well, I appreciate it very much.
RUSH: All right, Faith. Thanks very much. In case you missed it, ladies and gentlemen, with the unemployment news today, we are very, very close, folks, to banana republic now, United States banana republic. And as such, I introduced a new national anthem today.
(playing of national anthem spoof)