RUSH: Paul in Nashville. I’m glad that you called. Thank you for waiting. You’re next on the EIB Network. Hello.
CALLER: Yes, sir. Hi, Rush. I’m a little nervous, and I hope you’ll please excuse me if I sound a little out of breath. It’s because of an illness that I have.
RUSH: Okay. I appreciate that but you don’t sound out of breath, and even if you did, this is not the show that would hold it against you.
CALLER: Thank you. I appreciate it. (coughs) Excuse me. I want to make three quick comments. I would like to make them consecutively and then hear your reply to them.
RUSH: All right.
CALLER: First, the political divide in America that exists can be summed up in one profound comment from a Founding Father, and that quote is this: “Half of Americans would rather be equal in economic poverty than unequal in economic freedom.” Romney has not articulated that fact because it’s too hard of a truth for half of Americans to want to hear. Secondly, Americans respect a candidate who is a fighter, not a gentleman. That’s what Obama has going for him. And that’s how he’s perceived, as a fighter. And lastly, a famous quote I’m sure you’re familiar with: “America will exist until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public Treasury. From then on, the majority always votes for the candidate who promises the most benefits from the public Treasury.”
RUSH: Yep. Yep. Everybody is familiar with that last one. Your first quote has already scrolled out of my view. What was it, again?
CALLER: It is that half of Americans would rather live —
RUSH: Right, okay.
CALLER: — equally in economic poverty —
RUSH: Right.
CALLER: — than unequally in economic freedom.
RUSH: Right.
CALLER: In other words —
RUSH: I got you.
CALLER: If we’re going to be poor, we’re all going to be poor.
RUSH: My problem with that is, just like the 47%, the people you’re talking about would not admit being in that 50% group. They would never admit it. They may live it, you know, but they would never admit it. It’s like Churchill, I think it was Churchill, his variation of that quote I have paraphrased over the years in my own way: Liberalism is shared misery. Everybody living equally miserable. If you want quality of outcomes, it’s what you’re gonna get, everybody living equally in misery.
Now, I don’t disagree with your point. A lot of people would choose security over prosperity, safety over effort. Whether it’s 50% is what this election’s all about. But the reason why class envy tends to work in certain pockets is that there are people who can be made happy if you tell them that we’re gonna raise taxes against the rich and the rich are gonna be a little poorer, you’re not gonna be any better off, you’re still gonna be in the depths of economic misery, but those people are gonna hurt, they’ll be made happy by that. Democrats play on it. Makes no sense. But there’s all kinds of people that are infected with get-even-with-’em-ism, is what I call it. That is largely human nature. How many people do you know who like to lift themselves up by putting other people down? Or who rejoice in the failures of other people? Happens all the time. Very common. I you gotta take a break. Great call. I appreciate it.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Okay, here’s the Churchill quote. I had to look it up during the break. “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” Want me to run that by you again? Here’s the Churchill quote. “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” That’s it. Liberalism is spreading misery equally. It’s exactly what it is.