Rush Limbaugh, Armed Forces Radio, and Civilian Control of the Military

Back in 1993, Les Aspin, first Secretary of Defense for Bill Clinton caved in to right-wing pressure and decided that Rush Limbaugh should be on Armed Forces Radio. Apparently Aspin never listened to Limbaugh because if he had he would have wondered why a radio commentator who continuously attacked the Commander in Chief, his wife, and, on at least one occasion, his daughter, was on Armed Forces Radio.

Now, here it is, another election cycle and Rush Limbaugh is attacking the Democratic candidates who are running for President. Let's assume that one of them, say Hillary Clinton, gets elected. We all know that Limbaugh will go crazy if that happens. We can imagine the rants he will engage in on his radio show. Why in the world would Armed Forces Radio allow a person who attacks the civilian in charge of the military access to the one million or so Armed Forces personnel?

The idea of civilian control of the military means that members of the United States Armed Forces have to accept decisions made the by civilians, even if they don't agree with those decisions. Rush Limbaugh telling members of the Armed Forces day after day how corrupt and venal the President is doesn't encourage such acceptance.

Quite frankly, it is not the place of Armed Forces Radio to use taxpayers' money to broadcast anyone's political beliefs to members of the United States military. Armed Forces Radio should stay out of the political realm, no matter is the politics is from the right or the left.