Now, about this Live Earth stuff, I’ve got a couple stories, they’re just hilarious, but the real question, look at the lineup. I don’t see any big names. Now, it’s Saturday, and NBC’s got three hours of primetime telecasting of this thing to do Saturday night, and I don’t know what they’re going to do to fill it. It’s a whole 18-hour extravaganza, and I think on Bravo, which they own, NBC Universal owns, they’re going to do the whole thing. Their HD channel, Universal HD is going to have significant coverage. But I mean I thought this was the most important issue of our lifetime, global warming, climate change, saving the planet, where are the big names? The no-nukes concert had a better lineup than this. Live Aid had a better lineup than this. This is pathetic. Where is Bruce Springsteen? Springsteen is nowhere around. Where is Joan Baez, well known communist sympathizer and anti-tax crusader? Where’s Eric Clapton? Annie Lennox, who will sign up for anything, is not on this thing. If Annie Lennox is not on the bill, there’s trouble and the question is, is this a rejection of Gore or is this a rejection of the issue? People just not thinking it’s a big deal.
There is this young 21-year-old group, the Arctic Monkeys. When I saw this headline, ‘Arctic Monkeys shiver at Live Earth hypocrisy,’ I never heard of the Arctic Monkeys. So I was thinking, monkeys in the arctic, and I was picturing monkeys shivering, and the headline made no sense, all because of my ignorance, naïveté about the name of this group. But this group, the Arctic Monkeys, they don’t even understand what the big deal is. ‘Why do people listen to us? We’re 21 year old kids; we’re a rock band. We don’t know anything more than anybody else does. Why do people listen? What does a rock concert have to do with this?’ I’ve told you people, and there’s a companion story to this later on in the stack, I have told you, when society appears to be crumbling from cultural and moral rot and decay, eventually a generation is born that gets old and sees what it’s about to inherit as adults and says, ‘Uh-uh, we ain’t putting up with this. We’re not going to live this way. We’re not going to live the way our parents did. We want a little more civility and solidity in our lives.’ I, frankly, don’t remember a young rock group, 21-year-old kids, having this kind of maturity about the political nature of what they do. I’ll give you all the details of this, and there’s also a funny as hell story. Wembley stadium is where the London venue is, and PETA is all over them not to serve hot dogs and hamburgers, no meat during the concert there. And of course others are worried about the carbon footprint that the whole thing is going to make, and how to offset it, which of course isn’t a problem.
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RUSH: ‘Live Earth concerts on Saturday meant to spur action to fight global warming must first tackle another environmental hazard — mountains of trash and thousands of tons of greenhouse gases caused by the events. John Rego, environmental adviser for the eight concerts meant to rock the world around the clock on a rolling basis from Sydney to New York and organized by an alliance led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, said, ‘We want to set a new global standard for dealing with waste and recycling.” Well then, don’t create any. Don’t do the series of concerts! It’s very simple. ‘Live Earth needs to lead by example to convince people to change their lifestyles in the long term to confront a climate crisis caused by rising emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, Rego told Reuters. Concert props may live on long after stars such as Madonna, Shakira and Bon Jovi have left the stage. … Even Live Earth is sometimes cautious. Its green guidelines say, for instance, that staff ground travel will be by hybrid or high efficiency vehicles ‘where possible.’ At typical concerts, more than half the greenhouse gases are emitted by thousands of people traveling to the venues by bus, train, subway or car. Those totals can only be estimated. ‘It’s a dilemma for Live Earth — they have to create carbon to save carbon,’ said Michael Buick, spokesman of Climate Care.’ Now, that’s just insane! They have to create carbon to save carbon. That’s the whole point of why this is a waste of time.
They’re a bunch of hypocrites. If you want a concert, go do the concert, if you want to have a worldwide series of concerts, but don’t sit here and say you’re setting news standards for carbon emissions. You’re not going to have one iota’s worth of effect on the climate of the planet. ”It’s a dilemma for Live Earth — they have to create carbon to save carbon,’ said Michael Buick, spokesman of Climate Care which helps invest in clean energy to offset greenhouse gases.’ This is so typical of these proponents. They go out and they don’t reduce their emissions at all. They don’t reduce the amount they pollute. They just say, ‘Well, I’ll invest in these companies that plant trees and I’ll make up for it that way,’ while demanding everybody else reduce their lifestyles and change the way they live. Now, let me give you the details about this group, the Arctic Monkeys. ‘Rock group Arctic Monkeys have become the latest music industry stars to question whether the performers taking part in Live Earth on Saturday are suitable climate change activists. ‘It’s a bit patronising for us 21 year olds to try to start to change the world,’ said Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders, explaining why the group is not on the bill at any of Al Gore’s charity concerts. ‘Especially when we’re using enough power for 10 houses just for (stage) lighting. It’d be a bit hypocritical,’ he told AFP in an interview before a concert in Paris.’ He’s exactly right.
This is a 21-year-old who’s got more smarts on this than Algore does. The bass player, Nick O’Malley said, ‘And we’re always jetting off on aeroplanes!’ Who are we to be telling people about cutting back and global warming? ‘Someone asked us to give a quote about what was happening in Sheffield and it’s like ‘who cares what we think about what’s happening’?’ added Helders. ‘There’s more important people who can have an opinion. Why does it make us have an opinion because we’re in a band?’ The group, whose first record was the fastest-selling debut album in British history, will clock up thousands of air miles — in normal airliners not private jets, they say — during their tour to Asia and Australia in the next few months. They are not the only stars to take a cynical view of Live Earth. … Many of the biggest acts have questionable environmental credentials — the car-loving rapper Snoop Dogg appeared in a Chrysler commercial last year.’ Bob Geldof got in a public spat with Algore. Geldof, from the Boomtown Rats, and he got this whole thing started with Live Aid, to stop the famine in Ethiopia, which of course was not based on anything he could fix with a concert, but it made everybody feel good. Geldof said, ‘Why is Gore actually organizing these things?’ It doesn’t make any sense.
‘Roger Daltrey, singer from 1970s British rock band The Who, told British newspaper The Sun in May that ‘the last thing the planet needs is a rock concert.’ And the singer from 80s pop sensations The Pet Shop Boys, Neil Tennant, attacked the arrogance of pop stars who put themselves forward as role-models. ‘I’ve always been against the idea of rock stars lecturing people as if they know something the rest of us don’t.” This is unheralded. You put together a politically oriented rock concert and the biggest of the big are clamoring to get there. You can’t keep ’em outta there. They are all wanting you to know how serious they are, and how helpful this event is, and how important it is to the virtual survivability of mankind and our planet and so forth. Now you’ve got the Arctic Monkeys and a couple 21-year-olds, you’ve got Roger Daltrey, Bob Geldof — Geldof may just be jealous here that Gore is encroaching on his whole theme, territory. Who knows. These guys all have performer’s egos. When you have a performer’s ego you’re susceptible to envy and jealous. But this is pretty new for me for these people to be coming out and opposing this and saying it’s worthless and that we’re a bunch of hypocrites if we go out and make statements with all the power that we use putting on these concerts. Where’s Barbra Streisand? Where is Springsteen? Where are the big names? Where are the political activists that you would expect to be on stage preaching to everybody? I’m just curious. Is it a rejection of the issue or is it a rejection of Algore?
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RUSH: I want to demonstrate for you what a bunch of genuine morons all of these — you know, the environmentalist wackos, the animal rights people, the militant vegetarians, all of these groups supposedly oriented toward saving the planet are just a bunch of libs. These organizations are just different names to make it look like that they have a specific instance or issue that they’re pushing, but they’re all libs and they all want to run your life. They all want to control you. They are basically miserable people that haven’t amounted to anything. They want to share their misery with everybody else and try to make as many other people miserable as possible, and then they get obsessed with the notion that they’re better than everybody else because they care more. They wear all these ribbons, the AIDS ribbon, blue ribbons, wear all these different colored ribbons. By wearing those ribbons, they’re saying, ‘I care more than you do. I’m a better person because I care more.’ So PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is all over the organizers of Live Earth at Wembley, said, ‘Don’t sell hot dogs, don’t sell any meat, don’t sell hamburgers in the concession stands, don’t sell any of that stuff.’
‘Peta campaigner Yvonne Taylor said that it would be ‘hypocritical’ if the damage caused by the industry was overlooked at the concert, and said that the group had written to the managing director of Wembley Stadium, Alex Horne, urging him not to sell meat at the event. She said: ‘There’s no such thing as a meat eating environmentalist.” Now, that’s a pretty broad statement. Let’s examine it. If that’s true, what does that tell us about them? There’s no such thing as a meat-eating environmentalist? Now, what she means, I’m sure that some of you out there care about the planet and you’re not filthy and you’re not polluters, and you eat beef, but that’s not what they mean by environmentalists. By environmentalist they mean wacko activist socialist types that are committed to running as many people’s lives as possible so as to ruin as many people’s lives as possible, so that they can share having their own lives ruined with others whose lives they do ruin. It’s just misery loves company with these people, but they’re dangerous because they’re unrelenting, and they don’t work. They fund-raise. They live off the donations of others who are simply giving them money to, A, shut ’em up, and B, feel good about themselves at the same time.
‘We’re saying, it’s all a very good cause and obviously we’re very supportive, but one thing seems to have been missed, which is that even the UN say that the meat industry causes more greenhouse gases than all the cars, trucks, ships and planes in the world combined.’ Well, if that’s the case, then your problem is with God. Oop, sorry. They don’t believe in that God. No such thing as a meat-eating environmentalist. Could we then assume that every vegetarian is an environmentalist and is a wacko environmentalist? Could we assume that? Well, I don’t know. She’s the authority here, Snerdley. You may have anecdotal evidence to support the contention that vegetarians are not environmentalist wackos, but she’s the authority, you’re not, even though you’re not one. I love it when these people open up. I love it when they tell us who they are.
To the phones. Ben in Bakersfield, California, glad you called, sir, and welcome to the EIB Network.
CALLER: My life is complete. I’m talking to the big one.
RUSH: Well, I appreciate that. I thank you very much, sir.
CALLER: My mind, when you first talked about all the trash, went to Dan’s Bake Sale.
RUSH: There wasn’t any trash.
CALLER: No, after, I’m saying —
RUSH: There wasn’t any trash at Dan’s Bake Sale. Well, a couple people, maybe, but —
CALLER: That’s what I’m saying, it’s the complete opposite.
RUSH: Oh, I misunderstood you. Yes, there wasn’t any mess.
CALLER: They cleaned up after themselves.
RUSH: Absolutely right.
CALLER: Just like in scouts, we learned in scouts, you leave the place cleaner than you found it.
RUSH: Right. You know, that’s a good point. If you want to save the environment and do a concert, make sure the audience is conservatives.
CALLER: There you go.
RUSH: And we are the ones, by the way, who are mostly accused of not caring and being filthy polluters and using more than our fair share of all these resources. Good point. Great reminder there. I appreciate that, Ben. This is Bill in Reading, Pennsylvania. Great to have you on the program, sir.
CALLER: How do you do, sir? I guess I’ll get straight to my point. I’m taking issue, although I’m against the Live Earth concerts in general, I don’t agree with you when you say there aren’t any big performers there, and what I’m basing those on, I’m looking at a e-mail ad from XM, who is broadcasting the concerts, and I see some names that I think are big on there, like in London I see Genesis, Duran Duran —
RUSH: Has-beens, has-beens, they’re has-beens. They may be a good group, but these are not current — they’re has-beens — Duran Duran, their career bombed out when they sang View to a Kill, the theme song to that James Bond movie. Okay, keep going. This is interesting. Who else is on the list?
CALLER: Okay. The Police, Dave Matthews, Ludacris —
RUSH: Okay, wait. The Police.
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: They broke up years ago. The Police is basically one guy, Sting —
CALLER: Yeah, but Sting is singing with them —
RUSH: I know Sting got back together with them, but it’s not lighting any fires out there. Will you hang on just a second? When you are groaning about in there? Snerdley is sending me facial — they’re has-beens. Snerdley is a music aficionado. He kind of agrees with you here, Bill. But, come on, keep going on the list. You said David Matthews and Ludacris.
CALLER: Ludacris, Kelly Clarkson.
RUSH: Yip yip yip yip yahoo. We’re still not hearing the A-list.
CALLER: Well, to me — I disagree with the A-list. Maybe that’s part of the problem.
RUSH: How can you have Kelly Clarkson without Paula Abdul? And Simon Cowell. Where are the big names in music these days? Where are the heavy hitters? Where’s Dylan?
CALLER: Is Paula Abdul still a big name in music? I thought she just did whatever that show is.
RUSH: American Idol.
CALLER: Yeah. The black guy, which I can’t understand why they’re a big group, I see ’em on commercials all the time.
RUSH: Yeah?
CALLER: Bon Jovi, did I mention —
RUSH: Bon Jovi, I mean Bon Jovi is probably the biggest name on the list, as far as I’m concerned, the most relevant. I mean, the guy owns a little football team, he shows up at NFL concerts, he’s a good little activist out there. That’s what I’m talking about. Where are these other guys? Where are the Streisands, where are the Springsteens, where are the save the earth crowd? Where are the people that you would think would be trumpeting the political message of this whole concert idea?
CALLER: I see. So you’re saying that these groups I’m mentioning aren’t ones that are really —
RUSH: Not only that, I’m just saying, you know, the anti-nuke concert had a bigger play list than this, or playbill, and this is a whole bunch of different concerts.
CALLER: Uh-huh.
RUSH: I don’t see the big players, the big activists.
CALLER: Well, I see some big players, not big activists —
RUSH: For example, consult your list there, Bill, and tell me if U2 is there —
CALLER: I don’t see U2.
RUSH: You don’t see U2. Who is the front man for U2?
CALLER: Bono.
RUSH: Bono. And what’s Bono trying to do? Single-handedly get other people to save Africa.
CALLER: What’s your real criteria on what are big names in the concerts? Do they have to be the activists also?
RUSH: It’s an activist concert. The whole point of this is activism. Why do this? Where’s Willie Nelson? There’s a guy — Farm Aid, all these things, where’s Paul McCartney? Where’s Ringo Starr? They may as well have gone out and try to find Jim Morrison to show up.
CALLER: Uh-huh.
RUSH: Come on, baby, light my fire.
CALLER: Those stars aren’t on, but to me those are still big groups on the list.
RUSH: Music is a funny thing. There’s no right or wrong in it. You might like Chinese opera and I don’t, doesn’t make your tastes bad or wrong, just makes ’em different than mine. So if you’re going to assign B-list talent as A-list talent then they are A-list to you. That’s one of the great things about it, everybody is a critic, and look, I got nothing against us Genesis, we play a lot of Genesis songs in our bumper rotation here.
CALLER: Well, I like them to. I like ’em better with Pete Gabriel, and Peter Gabriel is not with them.
RUSH: Yeah, but is Phil Collins still with them?
CALLER: Yeah, Phil Collins, he’s a big commercial guy, which I —
RUSH: Well, you call here and gripe at me. You’re complaining that all these guys are too commercial.
CALLER: Where did I say I was complaining? I was just disagreeing for discussion.
RUSH: Well, you’re complaining. I asked you if you like Genesis and Phil Collins, ‘Ah, a little too commercial.’
CALLER: Well, if you asked me, that’s what I said.
RUSH: I deal with whiners and complainers all day, part of my job, I can spot ’em.
CALLER: You think that’s whining and complaining? You asked me my opinion and I gave it to you.
RUSH: All right, it’s an observation. I’ll grant you that. But, look, are you going to watch it? That’s the point.
CALLER: Ah, probably not.
RUSH: Why?
CALLER: Not that big a deal —
RUSH: Why aren’t you going to watch it? Because the talent’s not big enough, that’s why you’re not going to watch it. (Laughing.)
CALLER: Because I have better things to do, that’s why. (Laughing.)
RUSH: (Laughing.) Good. That means you have better things to do than be preached to as well. Well, look, Bill, I’m glad you called.
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RUSH: Maybe I spoke too soon, ladies and gentlemen. I’ve just been pointed to a story on the UK Guardian that Paul McCartney is thinking about closing the London show at Wembley Stadium. It hasn’t been decided yet. ”It’s true that Paul has been asked to take part,’ a source revealed. ‘He said that the cause is very close to his heart. He’s very impressed with what Algore has been doing to highlight it, but he’s still deciding whether he can do it.” Whether he can do it at the moment? It’s two days from now. Snerdley says he’s got a new album out, he’ll be there. He’s going to close the show. If he doesn’t do it, they’re going to get Madonna to close the show. When you think about Madonna the last thing you think about Madonna is green, in terms of environmental type credentials. How many houses does she own? She owns seven or eight houses, stables, horse manure all over the property. I know it’s fertilizer, but at any rate, why is McCartney waiting to decide two days away? Could be a matter of money. Could be he’s just not thrilled with the bill and if he shows up, he would be the only big name there, make these other guys look like sandbox beginners.
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RUSH: Clifford in Columbus, Ohio, you’re next on the EIB Network. Hello.
CALLER: Mr. Limbaugh.
RUSH: Sir.
CALLER: Conservative Christian dittos to you, sir.
RUSH: Thank you, sir.
CALLER: Just real quick, I was listening to you talk about Algore, Jr., and how merciful that was. I keep thinking that Mr. Franken would never have given you that kind of room, but to the point, I keep getting the impression that you’re asking why the A people aren’t showing up, Streisand, things like that, because I think that they know that Algore is going to be announcing himself for president, or running as president, and I keep wondering if these live concerts are going to be something along the line as a fundraiser for him. Does he get a percentage? You say follow the money, professor. I’m trying to follow the money.
RUSH: Well, all that remains to be seen. I don’t know what the financial arrangements of this thing are. They’re obviously huge. Bands have to be paid. They’re not doing it gratis. The concessionaires have to be paid. The people are buying tickets to these things I suppose. But what Algore is interested in it is unknown to me. I have a number of people, friends of mine, who think he’s going to announce at Giants Stadium on Saturday. Live Earth concert in New York is at Giants Stadium over in the Meadowlands. I don’t know if he’s going to, especially now with what happened with his son. He’s canceled all the interviews, by the way. He did the Today show today. He did a radio interview. He’s canceled everything else citing scheduling conflicts, but these were previously scheduled interviews to promote Live Earth. So I think this is not the first incident with his son, and this is a problem they’ve got to focus on. Running for president is all about you, whoever does it. It’s all about you. Given the history of repeat problems that his son has had, I’m thinking — and this is just a wild guess — but if you start canceling the interviews to promote this big thing, and you were planning on announcing for the presidency at this big thing, this could change it. But as to whether or not he announces or not here at Live Earth or whether he does it some other time still doesn’t explain why the big names aren’t showing up. If they thought he was going to announce, they would want to be there. This the bunch that thinks the only way to save the country and the world is for Algore to run for president again and this time to win and not have the election stolen from him, quote, unquote.
CALLER: Well, I keep thinking that’s why Barbra Streisand is not going to be announcing. Her tickets were so expensive the last time she announced her retirement tour —
RUSH: Yeah, the last time she did a retirement tour, right. (Laughing.)