(Fremantle W. A.) December 11, 2008 If this columnist told you that he would sell you some magic snake-oil that would cure your leprosy, and if you bought some and it didn’t work, you could take the matter to the police.
The conservative talk show hosts who promote the Republican agenda (a spruiker is Australian slang meaning someone who touts something. http://www.allwords.com/word-spruiker.html) seem to be immune to any accountability. Aussies want to know if the Americans are stupid or just too lazy to make the effort to become well enough informed to know BS when they are presented with a massive serving. (Kinda like the old song about Moose Turd Pie, eh?)
If a man gives false testimony, in court, under oath, and if it was proved that the facts contradicted what he said, he would be facing arrest for perjury.
If a reporter gets the facts wrong he can be fired even if there is no lawsuit for liable or slander.
The spruikers who tout the accomplishments of the Republicans can say whatever the **** (heck) they want and will usually get a big fat bonus if the rubes believe what they say.
Has accountability become an extinct requirement for talk show hosts? Has the U. S. become addicted to Republican spruikers?
If the conservative radio personalities tell falsehoods, why are then not held accountable by the citizens?
Famed comedian W. C. Fields used to portray a despicable salesman who sold phony patten medicine from the back of a wagon and everyone wanted to see him tarred and feathered for his dishonesty. Why do people like el Rushbo get a free pass?
Perhaps the very avid Republican cheerleaders believe the old Fields maxim: “Never give a sucker and even break!”?
Want to see an example of spruiking?
This columnist has promised to plug the anti-whaling efforts of Greenpeace in Australia and, since they don’t like to print fliers that get thrown away, we also promised to do so by providing our readers with the link to their website.
http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/
Now, we have kept our promise and given you an example of a spruiker at work.
There is an old adage: “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on you.” Listening to Conservative talk radio next year will be like advocating a “not guilty” verdict for the Nuremberg trial defendants.
Maybe this web site should start a pool to see who can make the most accurate prediction about exactly when the first conservative media personality will make the first suggestion urging that President Obama be impeached? (I say it will be Bill O’Reilly on Jan. 21, 2009 at 9:15 a.m. PST.)
One of W. C. Fields lines seems to cover the Republican Spruikers’ code of ethics: “If a thing is worth having, it’s worth cheating for.”
Now, the disk jockey will (after hearing it at the Record Finder) play Johnny Cash’s recording “What Is Truth?” and we will make our escape. Have a “and that’s no lie” type week.