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Rush Limbaugh's Adopt a Solider Program and Exploitation
Rush Announced his Adopt a Soldier Program But is it Really Generous and Patriotic?
On Friday, Limbaugh announced his "Adopt a Soldier Program". This involves soliciting money from listeners to pay for subscriptions to the Limbaugh letter and Rush 24/7 that will be
"given" to the soldiers. Each listener can "adopt" as many soldiers as they wish who will each get a subscription. The donor pays the discounted price of $49.95 for each soldier.
The description is on Rush's web site here... a Soldier Program
Clearly this is a tasteless marketing ploy. Rush and Premiere Radio Networks are fattening their coffers by exploiting the generosity of listeners with the use of our military troops as props.
There is not one thing stopping Limbaugh and Premiere from simply giving the subscriptions away. Rush 24/7 amounts to accessing content on rushlimbaugh.com.
This content is produced and costs Premiere the same no matter how many people are consuming it. The Limbaugh Letter amounts to a handful of printed pages. If Rush and Premiere Radio Networks wished the
troops to experience the generous and supportive spirit of the show, they would simply provide this to the troops instead of making it a function of how many Rush listeners are willing to pony up $49.95 per soldier.
Without question, Rush and Premiere Radio Networks stand to make a tidy sum from this marketing effort. Let's suppose just 100,000 of the 3 million member listening audience forks over $49.95 to
participate in this program. That comes out to a sum of $5,000,000. Subtracting the cost for paper and postage for 100,000 copies of the Limbaugh Letter makes only a slight dent. The profits are obviously
quite large.
To any sensible person, soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have needs far more urgent than either Rush 24/7 or the Limbaugh Letter. Items such as bullet proof vests, up-armored Humvees, airline tickets
for family members to visit injured troops at Landstuhl or Walter Reed are certainly higher on the wish list. But such a donation drive would not result in Premiere Radio Networks making profits in the millions.
Strangely, Rush took the opportunity of this announcement of the "Adopt a Soldier Program" as something of a test for liberals.
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: I've got an idea for you liberals. Liberals are always out there saying you "support the troops." Well, then adopt a soldier! Join the Adopt-a-Soldier program at RushLimbaugh.com if you're a lib and you
want to say you support the troops. This is a great way to prove it.
END TRANSCRIPT
The irony in all of this is massive. Limbaugh evaded serving his country at a time when it needed him, by getting his private doctor to declare he had a pilonidal cyst and needed a 4f (Rush could have gotten treatment).
Today, instead of encouraging his listeners to make thoughtful donations, he is exploiting their sense of patriotism to enrich himself and his network. The troops should be supported by sensible policy and civilian leadership
that objectively considers facts, admits and corrects mistakes, and supplies them with everything they need. Subscriptions to consume the rhetoric of an opportunistic radio entertainer is hardly a substitute of any kind.
Resources for Making Meaningful Donations for Our Troops
Network For Good
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