Comments on: Eliminationism by Limbaugh http://dirtyhippies.org/2011/03/02/eliminationism-by-limbaugh/ Democracy. Unwashed. Wed, 06 Sep 2023 22:36:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: Frederick Clarkson http://dirtyhippies.org/2011/03/02/eliminationism-by-limbaugh/#comment-121 Frederick Clarkson Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:04:45 +0000 http://dirtyhippies.org/?p=320#comment-121 Cockroach is a term used on hate radio quite a bit, and frequently on far right message boards such as Stormfront. And it is in wide use around the world to yes, indicate the lowest of the low, and very often to indicate someone or some group that is worthy of extermination. The Hutu used the term cockroach to dehumanizes the Tutsis, Nazis also used the term against the Jews. <a href="http://www.aish.com/ho/o/48954321.html" rel="nofollow">For example,</a> the Nazi propaganda paper "Der Sturmer was running contests encouraging German children to write in. One little girl wrote, 'People are so bothered by the way we’re treating the Jews. They can’t understand it, because they are God’s creatures. But cockroaches are also God’s creatures, and we destroy them.'" Here are a few more contemporary examples of the use of the term cockroaches to indicate vile lowness or eradicable people: <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/200708150002" rel="nofollow">Neil Boortz</a> comparing Muslims to cockroaches. <a href="http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/12/05/17429" rel="nofollow"> An Anglican Church leader</a> in Uganda supporting the 'kill the gays' bill being considered by parliament told a leading newspaper: 'not even cockroaches who are in the lower animal kingdom engaged in homosexual relations." A scholarly <a href="http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/perspectives/anti-immigrant-movement-and-politics-exceptionalism" rel="nofollow">article</a> on anti-immigration politics noted: "In a posting on the Aryan Nations website faction leader August Kreis declared "open season" on "these dirty wetbacks," suggesting that "this infestation of cockroaches need deportation or extermination." These are but a few examples from recent years culled from a few minutes of Googling around. The users always seem to be well aware of how they are portraying their targets and the implications or potential implications of their choice of words. Cockroach is a term used on hate radio quite a bit, and frequently on far right message boards such as Stormfront. And it is in wide use around the world to yes, indicate the lowest of the low, and very often to indicate someone or some group that is worthy of extermination. The Hutu used the term cockroach to dehumanizes the Tutsis, Nazis also used the term against the Jews. For example, the Nazi propaganda paper “Der Sturmer was running contests encouraging German children to write in. One little girl wrote, ‘People are so bothered by the way we’re treating the Jews. They can’t understand it, because they are God’s creatures. But cockroaches are also God’s creatures, and we destroy them.’”

Here are a few more contemporary examples of the use of the term cockroaches to indicate vile lowness or eradicable people:

Neil Boortz comparing Muslims to cockroaches.

An Anglican Church leader in Uganda supporting the ‘kill the gays’ bill being considered by parliament told a leading newspaper: ‘not even cockroaches who are in the lower animal kingdom engaged in homosexual relations.”

A scholarly article on anti-immigration politics noted: “In a posting on the Aryan Nations website faction leader August Kreis declared “open season” on “these dirty wetbacks,” suggesting that “this infestation of cockroaches need deportation or extermination.”

These are but a few examples from recent years culled from a few minutes of Googling around. The users always seem to be well aware of how they are portraying their targets and the implications or potential implications of their choice of words.

]]> By: Dwight Holmes http://dirtyhippies.org/2011/03/02/eliminationism-by-limbaugh/#comment-119 Dwight Holmes Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:01:51 +0000 http://dirtyhippies.org/?p=320#comment-119 I'm interested in your comment that "the use of the term is more than coincidental". Seems an odd word to use in the American context. I'm not used to hearing people use "cockroach" as an epithet here. When it came up in the Rwanda context I assumed - albeit, I never researched it to verify it - that "cockroach" was a term used in the language to connote the lowest of the low. And that people would understand that when an ethnic group was described with that word. Perhaps as we use "vermin" here, though that may be a bit archaic nowadays. Anyway, my point is, was Limbaugh's use of this really coincidental? If he wasn't trying to connect to the history in Rwanda, why did he choose this particular form of life to label his perceived political enemies with? I’m interested in your comment that “the use of the term is more than coincidental”. Seems an odd word to use in the American context. I’m not used to hearing people use “cockroach” as an epithet here. When it came up in the Rwanda context I assumed – albeit, I never researched it to verify it – that “cockroach” was a term used in the language to connote the lowest of the low. And that people would understand that when an ethnic group was described with that word. Perhaps as we use “vermin” here, though that may be a bit archaic nowadays. Anyway, my point is, was Limbaugh’s use of this really coincidental? If he wasn’t trying to connect to the history in Rwanda, why did he choose this particular form of life to label his perceived political enemies with?

]]>