"Michael Savage", born Michael Alan Weiner, has 10 million listeners of his radio program, and I am one of them for 10-15 minutes most nights as I get ready for bed. The man repulses me, but I'm one of those who believe you must understand your enemies, hence I subject myself to short periods of his vitriol, which is leavened by homey little stories of his childhood and life experiences.
I must admit, Michael is a pretty good talker and a bright guy. His Wikipedia biography explains how Michael Alan Weiner was, during the 70's, a consort of some famous liberals in the San Francisco area. However, in the 80's he turned radically conservative perhaps because of some experiences with the welfare system or his failure to get a job interview due, he says, to affirmative action. He has an earned Ph.D. and, at least to me, he's conversant in many fields of study. Yet the guy comes across as bent beyond belief, so I must conclude either that the "Michael Savage" persona is a purely commercial one or he is nuts.
Two nights ago I listened to a rant where he claimed "liberals" are delighted that 75% of African-American kids are illegitimate. He said this situation was reflected their idea of "freedom". I about choked. Of course, his show consists primarily of rants against liberals, homosexuals, and immigrants, so I suppose the great majority of the 10 million listeners get just what they want to hear. In my opinion, it's a perversion of "freedom" that allows Michael Savage to even be on the air. But I don't blame him - anyone is allowed to be nuts or crassly commercial - I blame the whores who put him on the air.
But I digress. Listening to Michael Savage made me think about the recent Einstein biography that I just read. Einstein was in Germany when Hitler came to power, and Einstein saw firsthand how Hitler and his rabble vilified those who they blamed for Germany's defeat in WWI and the depression that followed - Jews, homosexuals, Gypsies, liberal democrats, and non-Germanic people. We all know what happened to these unfortunate folks. Some of the farsighted and wealthier ones, like Einstein, were lucky enough to flee Germany before they were rounded up by those who listened to the crap that the Hitlerites were putting out.
Who, today, is putting out the same kind of crap? None other than Michael Savage, son of a Jewish Russian immigrant. He's found the same kind of audience that Hitler did, and he's milking them for all they're worth. Perhaps he was born too soon...he could have become a top Nazi propagandist had he been in Germany in the 1930's, and he would have achieved the national influence he craves in these more modern days.
But what about the sweet, homey stories he loves to spin? Last night's concerned an incident where a nondescript black man came into his father's store and was treated with respect. The man subsequently bought a load of stuff. The moral? Treat everyone with respect. Great idea. Now listen to Savage talk to the callers who have a different point of view than his. Respect? Not. It's probably a good thing Savage doesn't have a gas chamber at his disposal. Like the Hitlerites, Savage gives a kind of "pat on the head" respect only to those who agree with him.
What is the national media reaction to Michael Savage? He's simply a non-person, a malignancy that nobody wants to acknowledge. Perhaps they feel that ostracizing him is more effective than taking him on and giving him even more publicity. They are wrong. Like Senator Joseph McCarthy, Michael Savage needs to be called out and put out. The 10 million listeners need to hear him get a "fair trial" in the media before those who sponsor him are ashamed enough to give him a permanent vacation on his sailboat. Germany did not need Hitler, and America does not need his intellectual successor, Michael Savage.
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3 comments:
There are some people who are just "anger junkies."
If we woke up one morning to find that God had smote all the liberals, I don't Michael would be happy. He'd just find something else to rage against.
Anger junkies. I like that Thomas.
I've listened to Savage before. Just a couple of times. And it works - he makes me hopping mad. His listeners either get mad at his targets or mad at him. I just don't have the patience for it.
You listening to him reminds of a guy who told me that he absolutely hates Howard Stern but sets his alarm to wake up to Howard. He set the clock radio across the room and once he'd had enough of Howard - about five minutes - he would be forced out of bed to stomp across the room and turn him off. He said before that he had the worst time waking up and getting out of bed. Who needs caffeine when you have adrenalin?
And by "stuff' Savage meant chicken and crack. Because Michael Savage Doesn't Care About Black People.
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