Submitted for your disgust, Rush Limbaugh.
A caller compared the torture at Abu Ghraib to a college fraternity prank, Rush responds (via Pandagon):
RUSH: Exactly. Exactly my point! This is no different than what happens at the skull and bones initiation and we're going to ruin people's lives over it and we're going to hamper our military effort, and then we are going to really hammer them because they had a good time. You know, these people are being fired at every day. I'm talking about people having a good time, these people, you ever heard of emotional release? You of heard of need to blow some steam off?
The most popular radio host in the country, ladies and gentlemen. I'm really at a loss for words.
Just to make things crystal clear, here's a list of things these people did and are alleged to have done, to "blow some steam off:"
- Punching, slapping, and kicking detainees; jumping on their naked feet
- Videotaping and photographing naked male and female detainees
- Forcibly arranging detainees in various sexually explicit positions for photographing
- Forcing detainees to remove their clothing and keeping them naked for several days at a time
- Forcing naked male detainees to wear women's underwear
- Forcing groups of male detainees to masturbate themselves while being photographed and videotaped
- Arranging naked male detainees in a pile and then jumping on them
- Positioning a naked detainee on a MRE Box, with a sandbag on his head, and attaching wires to his fingers, toes, and penis to simulate electric torture
- Writing "I am a Rapest" (sic) on the leg of a detainee alleged to have forcibly raped a 15-year old fellow detainee, and then photographing him naked
- Placing a dog chain or strap around a naked detainee's neck and having a female Soldier pose for a picture
- A male MP guard having sex with a female detainee
- Using military working dogs (without muzzles) to intimidate and frighten detainees, and in at least one case biting and severely injuring a detainee
- Taking photographs of dead Iraqi detainees
- Breaking chemical lights and pouring the phosphoric liquid on detainees
- Threatening detainees with a charged 9mm pistol
- Pouring cold water on naked detainees
- Beating detainees with a broom handle and a chair
- Threatening male detainees with rape
- Allowing a military police guard to stitch the wound of a detainee who was injured after being slammed against the wall in his cell
- Sodomizing a detainee with a chemical light and perhaps a broom stick
- Using military working dogs to frighten and intimidate detainees with threats of attack, and in one instance actually biting a detainee
(From the Taguba Report)
Rush's take on this, again:
RUSH: Exactly. Exactly my point! This is no different than what happens at the skull and bones initiation and we're going to ruin people's lives over it and we're going to hamper our military effort, and then we are going to really hammer them because they had a good time. You know, these people are being fired at every day. I'm talking about people having a good time, these people, you ever heard of emotional release? You of heard of need to blow some steam off?
You know, I'm sort of feeling like I need some emotional release myself. Feeling a little stressed out. Maybe I should go down to Rush's house and sodomize him with a chemical light. You know, just to blow off some steam. Come on, I just wanna have a good time!
