Rush Limbaugh: Conspiracy Theorist

David Weigel on Code Pink, Rush Limbaugh and Occam's Razor ...

For more misadventures in conservative social deconstruction, check out Limbaugh's absurd take on Miss Teen South Carolina [via RCP]:

I think that this is a perfect answer for a kid totally educated in government-run schools run by a bunch of liberals. This is the stuff that's been taught to her. When talking about a question about maps, why does she come up with South Africa? Why does she come up with "the Iraq"? I guarantee you that those things came to her mind because something's being taught to her about those countries, and so what happens when she hears the question involving the word "map"? Forget "the United States." The question is: "How come only a fifth of Americans can recognize their own country on a map?" She hears the word "map," and she launches in and makes associations with what she's been taught in geography with maps, and that's Iraq and South Africa -- and look at her answer. "Well, I think we need to increase our education in places like South Africa and the Iraq, our education over here, to help the Iraq and the Asian countries..." Obviously this woman's being taught that we're being mean to the Iraqis and to South Africans.

Never mind that she was in front of a nationally televised audience, under hot lights, probably trying to remember to keep smiling and maintain impeccable posture; that she is young, nervous and had probably prepared for about 20 different standard beauty pageant questions (just not that one) ... Nope, it's all the public school's fault.

And when have Americans been mean to the South Africans? Does "Sun City" count?