Bill Maher completely blew it last night.

[Archae]

Guess what! We're no longer "trVe liberals" if we boycott or pressure sponsors of Rush Limbaugh!

Maher is an asshole. Pure and simple.

Maher's New Rule: Limbaugh Can Say Whatever He Wants, You Little People Can Just STFU

Bill Maher's New Rule segment tonight called out ordinary people for exercising their right to free speech in order to make the point that Rush Limbaugh should have his right to free speech and the far-reaching microphone that goes with it.

In Maher's eyes, anyone who reaches out to sponsors and asks them if they really want to sponsor Limbaugh's hateful speech is "part of the problem" and not the solution. Also, we're not "proper liberals," whatever that means.

"This may surprise you, but I am not a big fan of Rush Limbaugh. However, if you're one of the people with the web site devoted to making him go away, you are part of the problem, and ironically, you're not even a proper liberal, because you don't get free speech. You're just a baby who can't stand to live in a world where you hear things that upset you."

Oh, really? Methinks Maher doth protest too much.

What is Maher-style free speech?

Is it reserved only for the guy with the microphone and no one else? Yes, Rush Limbaugh has the right to be vile, and ordinary citizens have the right to object. They have the right to ask sponsors whether they actually want to be associated with his vile speech, and they have the right to choose which sponsors they will support using whatever criteria they choose.

That is not being a part of the problem. That is ordinary citizens exercising their First Amendment rights, too. Seems to me the one who doesn't "get it" is the guy who doesn't claim to be a "proper liberal."

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/01/mahers-new-rule-limbaugh-can-say-whatever

[Scuba]

1. Maher is sometimes amusing, occasionally correct and often a dumbass.

This is one of the latter instances.

[yuiyoshida]

65. This!

[JaneyVee]

2. So Maher is "defending" free speech by telling others to stop using free speech?

And he was back on his Muslim shit again.

[BlueCaliDem]

3. Maher has always been a Libertarian: corporations uber alles.

I still can't see him as a Liberal. He's more of a left-leaning Independent or left-leaning Libertarian than a Liberal. In my opinion, a Liberal is a person who believes in true equal rights - for ALL, not just the rich and powerful who already enjoy an unprecedented amount of power and "free speech" than any blue-collar American. And Maher just doesn't appear to fit that description, imo.

[freshwest]

39. Beat me to it! Monied speech is not free speech, IMO.

[BlueCaliDem]

49. You're not easy to beat in anything, freshwest. Thank you for the compliment. :-) eom

[tularetom]

4. Maher has been suffering from cranio rectal inversion for a long time

And it appears that he's gone over the edge.

Free speech is OK for rush limbaugh but not for the people who want to get rid of him?

Bill Maher is just a slightly less repulsive version of Dennis Miller.

[GeorgeGist]

5. being paid for it is not free speech.

[CentralMass]

6. Your second sentence sums it up.

[Neon Gods]

7. I enjoy Maher's humor

And he is often spot on, but when he stumbles it's often a doozy. Free speech is what allows Limbaugh to broadcast his views over publicly-owned airwaves. Free speech is what allows the public to express outrage to those who sponsor Limbaugh (or Maher's sponsors - heh). Seems pretty simple to me.

[RichGirl]

23. Me too...love Maher.

I detest Limbaugh as much as anyone...but I wouldn't want him taken off the air. I would like for people to wise up and stop listening to him...and then his sponsors can take him off because he'd no longer be a financial asset to them.

[Art_from_Ark]

70. Limbaugh incites hatred

He's been on the air for decades, including military radio where he has been constantly lambasting Democratic commanders-in-chief, not to mention women and minorities. People aren't going to suddenly "wise up and stop listening to him". If a boycott can get his sorry ass off the air, then America will be much better off.

[tblue37]

68. I think his perception on this issue is skewed by the fact that HE

was hounded out of his "Politically Incorrect" show on Comedy Central by an organized RW outrage campaign when he made a perfectly valid comment about the 9/11 attacks

[madville]

8. Does anyone understand the 1st amendment?

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances"

Can someone please explain what "First Amendment rights" has to do with Bill Maher suggesting people shouldn't boycott sponsors?

Nowhere in this entire scenario is the presence of the government attempting to limit citizens' or Limbaugh's or Maher's "First Amendment rights".

Other than that, I agree with the article. In these scenarios money talks and that comes from sponsors.

[el_bryanto]

9. I agree with Maher

I don't think censorship is good, whether imposed on from above, or forced by boycotts from below. But I know that this is not a popular position on this board.

If you want to start a website saying what a liar he is, that's one thing - that's challenging speech with speech - if you want to take him off the air and that's your goal - than that's not in harmony with the principal of free speech.

And by the way - the test of your commitment to free speech isn't your willingness to support speech you agree with, it's to support speech you find hateful and awful.

Bryant

[kelliekat44]

11. Why support speech you find hateful and awful?

I support your right to speak but i don't support what you say. Isn't there a difference? I have a right to call for a boycott but no one has to support it.

[el_bryanto]

12. Well you can certainly disagree with me and point out flaws in my logic

The problem with boycotts is what if they are successful - where do they stop? Or consider, would you be happy if a the proposed boycott of Farenheit 9/11 or Sicko had actually come off? Would you just throw your hands up and say, "well, they were successful." Certainly the people who tried to silence those films were just as passionate as you might be


Bryant

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. Yes, I would say "well, they were successful."

I wouldn't like the people who did it, but people have the right to boycott, and to call on others to boycott. It's the freedom of who to deal with. It's like saying "buy American".

[Fred Sanders]

19. You therefore would codemn Bill's cancellation at Berkley and the cancellation of Muslim prayer at

Duke? You would defend free speech principals as being immutable, as a basic principal to be applied equally at all times? And not to be cowed by religious extremists?

[el_bryanto]

24. Yes I would - had to look up what happened in those two cases

The cancellation of Muslim Prayer is completely wrong - the disinvitation of Maher at Berkeley is more in the baffling category to me it's not like he hasn't been saying that kind of stuff for years. So why would they try to have him disinvited now? Surely they knew about this issue when they invited him. But yes I would condemn both.

Sorry to disappoint. I know that as an open religious believer at DU I'm supposed to be on the side of religious extremists, but in this case I think they are wrong.

Bryant

[Fred Sanders]

25. No one is one the side of the religious extremists except the extremists and their power loving

masters, on all sides it is about power.

[el_bryanto]

29. You haven't been paying attention - to be a member of any religion

is to support the ugliest and nastiest part of that religion.

Bryant

[Fred Sanders]

30. Sometimes the religions are bad and nasty on their own, but none of the major religions or

their major sects qualify, I have to add that caveat.

Satanism is apprently a religion, bad and nasty all on its own. Or Westboro Baptist...the extremist religions that somehow get to be called a religion because they say so.

[alp227]

66. So boycotts = censorship? Nonsense.

The "boycott=censorship" fallacy is another "first world problems" trope. If HBO dismissed Bill Maher because of viewer backlash, Maher could distribute his content via an alternative means for his fanbase, especially in the age of YouTube and high-quality streaming video. Glenn Beck founded his own media outlet (The Blaze) that originated from his "GBTV" service that started after he left Fox News. Free speech doesn't entitle one to a spot in insert-media-outlet-here.

Similarly, talk radio hosts whose syndicators let them go temporarily did online shows until finding new deals, such as Michael Savage most notably.

[elias49]

10. I agree. Maher has worn out his welcome

at least in my house. (Hey! I have the right!)
And his petulance with his audience has me shaking my head.
Which leaves Friday night at 10PM open for anything.

[Fred Sanders]

18. Now I watch to see when Bill flames out completely. I used to love his comedy, now it all reeks from

more than one logical fail and major hypocrisy.

[MohRokTah]

13. Freedom of speech is NOT freedom from criticism or boycotts in reaction to your speech.

Maher is such a douchebag.

[Bluenorthwest]

14. I don't have much respect for those who rattle on and on about Rush or FoxNews while not having

any breath to spare against the endless, pointed, nasty rhetoric aimed at specific groups of people by say, Rick fucking Warren or any other religious figure you can name.
You tell me. How righteous and authentic is a person who claims to not be able to endure Rush whom they can simply avoid, who also was happy to view or attend the Inaugural with Rick Warren, who had just days before called all gay people pedophiles and every other horrid thing under the sun?
Sorry, I have not seen Bill's show as yet. But I am in general sick to death of people who pretend to be all against 'hate speech' who actually and in reality are entirely comfortable with lots of extreme hate speech, as long as it is toward LGBT people and coming from religious people. So comfortable that speakers of extreme venom are given roles of great respect in our own Party on our finest day and hour.

Read this. This was less than a month before the Inauguration. Look at the video. Tell me about how much standing 'our side' has to oppose bigoted invective. I'm sick of the hypocrisy.
http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/12/18/rick-warren-compares-gay-marriage-to-incest-pedophila/

[ND-Dem]

20. rick warren was the choice of the president in the name of 'bipartisanship'. it was a despicable

choice and signaled, to me anyway, what kind of administration we were in for. I haven't found any consistent reason to change my opinion about it either.

[malokvale77]

57. ^^^ this ^^^

It´s hard to believe he couldn´t find someone on the other side of the aisle who wasn´t so hateful.

[redgreenandblue]

16. Maher had security boot a 9/11 truther from his show.

Then threatened to kick out people who objected as well.

Free speech?

[TeamPooka]

33. You're describing a disruptive audience member. Yell during my show about anything, I'll kick your

ass out too.
Should he just let people yell during his live show?
Please.
get real.

[elias49]

44. Hands folded in lap, feet flat on floor? You're kidding, right?

A-OK if you laugh a lot (but not at the wrong moment! Bill gets pissed if you don't follow the script)
Have fun on 'your show'. You wouldn't find ME there.

[TeamPooka]

47. Go disrupt any TV show and see how long you last in the audience, Straw Man.

[elias49]

48. Oh bull shit. Strawman my ass.

What's disruption? Yelling "You go Bill!"?
Yeah. Not so much. Yell that all you want. That's all good.
Yell "Come on!" Not good.

[TeamPooka]

51. So you don't know what you're talking about? Here, this clip will help you learn.

[PAProgressive28]

56. You are right

The truthers went there to cause a scene and get the attention they so crave. You can't disrupt a show like that and not expect to be kicked out.

[TeamPooka]

64. Yeah and this thread is bring out the true idiots. Good to know who they are. nt

[redgreenandblue]

62. Wasn't Maher's point that no one should ever face any obstacle when speaking, ever?

Seems like there is a little double standard here: Maher and Rush Limbaugh (both millionaires) should both be entitled to receiving future millions for their speech. Other people get escorted away by security for speaking.

[TeamPooka]

63. If that's what you think his point was, you're excused. nt

[Fred Sanders]

17. Maher blew all four tires stating that Boycott movements against RW hate speech is indulgent...or

something..not actually quite sure what he was saying,to tell the truth, the whole monologue was kind of disjointed.
What else do we little people have to use to exercise our free speech, Bill, we do not have a nationally broadcast TVe show?

[ND-Dem]

21. maher is just another rich guy. people without wealth can go blow.

[Paladin]

22. Lousy show last night.

He started losing the studio audience at the beginning of his lame "New Rules," and you could tell he was flailing. Oh, yeah---he also pimped his anti-vaccination viewpoint in that opening interview with the MD. Might as well flip over to Faux, there wouldn't be much difference.......

[Faux pas]

26. I've always thought

maher is a misogynist asshole. I don't have hbo, if I did, I sure as shit wouldn't watch him.

[Logical]

27. So we hate Maher today? I lose track. Like with Michael Moore, etc. DU is a joke a times. nt

[elias49]

46. Did you watch his show last night? If not, hold your comments. Thanks. nt

[Logical]

50. No, I think my comment is that great dems get slammed if they are not perfect! Too many times....

this place trashes dems who are good dems because they do something wrong.

Like I said, this place is a joke at times.

[Stephen Retired]

28. Big time!

DURec

[Cleita]

31. His show really did suck last night. eom

[TeamPooka]

32. I think his position comes from the fact he was thrown off ABC for stating an opinion post 9/11

and was boycotted by people

[tularetom]

52. Bingo!

He got canned for stating that the 9/11 terrorists were not cowards and he's been trying to prove ever since how much he hates Muslims.

Everything about Maher is phony.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

34. On this occasion I think he's wrong.

I think that asking people not to sponsor someone else's speech is a legitimate use of free speech.

[edhopper]

35. Forget the Limbaugh bullshit.

Did you see him attacking the use of vaccines earlier in the show.
That is some seriously fucked up shit.

[X_Digger]

36. Who the fuck watches that anti-vax fucktard anymore?

[Lobo27]

41. So is he a fucktard because he is anti-vax?

Or are you just pissed because you don't agree with him?

[X_Digger]

43. No, fucktard came first. Anti-science, woo peddling stupidity. This is just the most recent example.

This isn't the only principle that the moron has gotten wrong. He also doesn't understand due process, freedom of the press, judicial review, probable cause.. and that's just off the top of my head.

But hey, he's a stoned comedian, what should I really expect?

[Smarmie Doofus]

37. You lost me w. sentences 2 and 3.

Whatever he is... he's not pure; and he definitely ain't "simple."

[Motown_Johnny]

38. Maher lost his first TV show because of things he said

and sponsors pulling out.

His attitude is completely self serving (as usual).

[bullwinkle428]

61. And that's EXACTLY why Limbaugh has lost shit loads of advertisers!

It's not because "teh libruls" have worked their magical spell - it's because advertisers got really nervous in the wake of the horrifically misogynistic comments on the Sandra Fluke situation. They didn't want to lose potential customers by looking like they were tacitly endorsing what he was spewing.

Irony alert - this is your precious "free market" solution you're always foisting upon your listener base, El Drugbo!

[True Earthling]

40. I agree with Maher.. there's a difference between criticism and boycott

On a personal level I have the right to not listen to or criticize other's speech. However when I organize boycotts, try to pressure sponsors or in any other way try to remove the means or soapbox by which such speech is communicated... then I'm denying others the freedom, the right and opportunity to hear such speech..which in effect is imposing my personal beliefs, values etc. onto others.

[X_Digger]

45. How silly- freedom of speech doesn't mean that all speech is equal or valuable.

This false notion that all speech has the same value, that all opinions and ideas are equal- it's not part of our legal system, western civilization, nor any particular moral code.

Where do you get that idea?!?

All freedom of speech means is that THE GOVERNMENT won't get in the way of you speaking.

It's not obligated to provide you a bullhorn and a soapbox, and it has no obligation to stop the guy beside you from shouting louder.

[joeglow3]

67. I don't think he was discussing the first amendment

I believe he was stating his personal view.

[X_Digger]

69. All opinions are 'personal views'

I can say, personally I think that his opinion is still silly false equivalence.

(See what I did there? )

[muriel_volestrangler]

54. A boycott is you removing your particular support, and asking others to do so

It's not about the 'right' to hear speech. Boycotts target commercial enterprises; the speech that comes through that isn't a 'right', for the speaker of listener.

Boycott Limbaugh, and he still has the same opportunities as you or me - letters to the editor, write a book and see who buys it, set up a website, phone in to radio shows, and so on. He talks to make money; a boycott just says "isn't what he says so bad that no decent citizen should give him money for it?".

[malokvale77]

58. Yes...

and is that not the only real weapon we ¨little folk¨ have?

[NaturalHigh]

42. "Maher is an asshole. Pure and simple."

I came to that conclusion a long time ago. He makes some good points sometimes, but even a blind hog will find a nut once in a while.

[riversedge]

53. Part of free speech is to boycott and to ask others to

boycott. It is up to the individual to boycott or not. But I have the right to ask.

[PAProgressive28]

55. I mostly agreed with Maher's orginial statements (the Affleck show)

but I am going to stop watching if he only talks about this issue. He went even further last night and sort of backed up the FOX News "no-go zone" bullshit by saying the Muslim population is growing and they will soon tell us what to wear like they do in Europe.

It seems to me Maher got really pissed at the reaction to that Affleck show and now with the Paris attack he's coming out full force with a "I told you so / fuck you" tour.


His panel was awful last night as well.

[stanchaz]

60. "God" bless Bill Maher!

As Bill Maher understands all too well, the real issue is this: Religion kills. Plain and simple. ALL religion. It kills the spirit of free questioning and open inquiry, of freedom itself. It kills the defenseless child that it indoctrinates, Whether with a smile or a smirk or a sword, it kills and perverts the mind, with fears and falsehoods and fables, with guilt, poisons and prejudices, with wasted lives yearning for pie in the sky when they die. It kills and slaughters and maims physically as well, brother against brother, us against them, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth until all are left blind and toothless, or worse, as we recently have seen in France. From the bloody bible to the bloody koran, physical and mental horrors have -and are- being committed in the name of religion by hucksters and frauds and fascists who claim to speak for god, and with god, and through god. And we fall for it! God did this, God told me. God loves that. God hates this. God wants this. Oh, and please please please drop another coin in the basket before you leave ...as god demands. Their so-called holy books are nothing but recipes for our enslavement and torture, written by self-serving, and all-too-human control-freaks. Like shorn sheep, like lemmings, we are led to our mental and physical debasement and slaughter, time and time again. Enough. Get off your knees! Stand up like the proud Men and Women that you truly are, and choose to live your own lives, in your own ways. Walk tall on your own path - with your own meanings and mistakes and methods. Break the chains of dependency and submissiveness and religion, and breathe the fresh and healing air of freedom. Deeply. Fully. Finally. And fearlessly.