Jon Stewart says drones are no big deal

[DerailingDaTrain]

Jon Stewart on his show tonight played a piece from Fox about the EPA using drones to spy on cattle farmers. M. Kelly said that they were the same type as we use to kill terrorists (she did forget to mention they are only surveillance drones). Stewart then spent a few minutes talking about how people shouldn't be afraid of drones because these ones are only for surveillance and how it was basically no big deal.

He also had Gary Johnson on his show the other night and it was sad. If you need any more proof that Stewart would vote for a Democrat over a Libertarian then this is it.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-5-2012/gary-johnson

Here's a comment on the video:


The reason why libertarians fail to gain traction is due to (1) the fact that they take very extreme positions against some policies that many people - left or right - care deeply about, i.e. affirmative action and wealth distribution for leftists and cultural conservatism and warhawkery for rightists; (2) from a leftist point of view, their stance on civil rights - while very good when it comes to individual rights - misses the mark because it doesn't acknowledge the plight of groups that could be (and often are) the target of private discrimination if their well-being is up to market forces; (3) from a rightist point of view, their stance on social issues is harmful to the "integrity of the American family" and stuff like that, and their foreign policy seems suicidal (I don't know well the right-wing argument in favor of oil subsidies and other corporate welfare, but that's another point where libertarians would score low). As a leftist, I'd rather vote for Mitt Romney than for Gary Johnson or Ron Paul (though I like Johnson more than Paul).

[NewRightLibertarian]

He's an establishment snake who can't be trusted just like the rest of them. People like him and Maddow play footsie with us on certain issues for the purposes of bringing people onto the Democrat reservation

[AGRP]

Earth to Jon Leibowitz fans: He plays a role just like the rest. He's no different than those at Faux News.

[NewRightLibertarian]

And that comment sums up the leftist mindset: They hate freedom. They worship the state. All efforts on our part should be to work over conservatives where there is at least some middle ground.

[UWDude]

And that comment sums up the leftist mindset: They hate freedom. They worship the state. All efforts on our part should be to work over conservatives where there is at least some middle ground.

Haven't you learned yet?

Leftists hate the state when a Republican is president, and love it when a Democrat is in charge.

Conservatives hate the state when a Democrat is president, and love it when a Republican is in charge.

[The Goat]

If anyone had the illusion that these people were on our side I don't know what to tell you.

[NewRightLibertarian]

Haven't you learned yet?

Leftists hate the state when a Republican is president, and love it when a Democrat is in charge.

Conservatives hate the state when a Democrat is president, and love it when a Republican is in charge.

At least conservatives can tell you that big government=bad, constitution=good, huge taxes=bad, economic liberty=good. That gives them a big edge over the left in terms of convertability to the libertarian message IMO

[John F Kennedy III]

I used to love watching The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Haven't watched either in about a year. Like another member said, they play a role just like the folks at CNN and Faux News.

[John F Kennedy III]

At least conservatives can tell you that big government=bad, constitution=good, huge taxes=bad, economic liberty=good. That gives them a big edge over the left in terms of convertability to the libertarian message IMO

Just don't mention the cuss word: Ron Paul.

[TheTexan]

At least conservatives can tell you that big government=bad, constitution=good, huge taxes=bad, economic liberty=good. That gives them a big edge over the left in terms of convertability to the libertarian message IMO

And liberals can tell us that wars=bad, civil liberties=good....

Both liberals and conservatives are good at telling us things... but when given the choice to take action on those words, they rarely do.

Their actions say one thing: tyranny=good

[NewRightLibertarian]

And liberals can tell us that wars=bad, civil liberties=good....

Both liberals and conservatives are good at telling us things... but when given the choice to take action on those words, they rarely do.

Their actions say one thing: tyranny=good

Fair enough. But I'm not sure that liberals really believe those things. They care much more about the ultimate power of the state than they do anything else. Conservatives at least believe the things I brought up even if they may be inconsistent in their beliefs

[TheTexan]

Conservatives at least believe the things I brought up even if they may be inconsistent in their beliefs

No, they don't

[NewRightLibertarian]

No, they don't

Explain why you think they don't believe that big government is bad, the constitution is good, large debts are bad and low taxes are good. These are their beliefs even though there is a large disconnect on foreign policy because of Pentagon and CIA propaganda.

I am saying that we need to work on the conservatives because they seem natural allies in resisting the Federal Reserve and United Nations control on the United States while liberals will support these entities to the bitter end because they enable the state and form a faked international consensus on governance.

[Eisenhower]

That comment in the OP was disgusting. This is why Jon Stewart is a media snake and a piece of shit.

[Brian4Liberty]

What? John Stewart pushing big government? Never!

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?379536-Daily-Show-cry-fest-Norman-Ornstein-amp-Thomas-Mann

[EricMuck]

there is a difference between someone who disagrees with you ideologically and someone who is a "media snake." case in point, (i guess this may be much more obvious to me living in minnesota but i digress) every single liberal was gung-ho about this recall scott walker election and getting him out of office. Jon Stewart spent a piece last night to the ridiculousness that they were even calling a recall when dude did not do anything illegal even though I am sure Stewart does not agree with Walker politically. That in itself shows some backbone. Some people on here are so clueless.

point being, to say Stewart is akin to a Maddow or a O'reilly is ridiculous. Colbert on the other hand...

[TheTexan]

Explain why you think they don't believe that big government is bad, the constitution is good, large debts are bad and low taxes are good. These are their beliefs even though there is a large disconnect on foreign policy because of Pentagon and CIA propaganda.

For the vast majority of people its all just empty rhetoric. Their political affiliations have no more meaning than rooting for your favorite sports team. Time and time again they prove this with their actions. Not just with this election cycle... every election cycle.

Just one example of this... Reagan. By any objective standard, he was a big spending liberal. Yet, to this day, conservatives herald him as their hero. Because all the good things you listed, that was his rhetoric. As for the excuse that "they just don't know the truth...", I don't buy that for a second. There's a whole giant department that he promised to get rid of, that he didn't do anything about. It's kind of hard to overlook that.

Well, it would have been hard to overlook, if they actually cared.


I am saying that we need to work on the conservatives because they seem natural allies in resisting the Federal Reserve and United Nations control on the United States while liberals will support these entities to the bitter end because they enable the state and form a faked international consensus on governance.

I'm fairly sure they don't actually care about the Federal Reserve either. They're probably just pissed because they don't have control over the Fed. That's all they want... control.

We can still work with them... just know your enemy, is all I'm saying.

[Victor Grey]

"As a leftist, I'd rather vote for Mitt Romney than for Gary Johnson or Ron Paul (though I like Johnson more than Paul)."

Of course he would, he's a leftist. All that crap they carp on about that they hate Bush and Romney all the rest over, was practically invented by them at one point.

Subsidies? Market manipulating left-side progressives practically invented the modern practice of using subsidies/targeted tax breaks for their own ends. That was and remains a loved tool in their box. They don't want to stop subsidies. They just want to twist them around toward their own little pet projects; union heavy firms, non-fossil energy, & all the ect.

They like to pretend that the establishment right stands for no welfare or social programs at all.
It just a matter of degree. Bush doubles the Dept. of Education, and has Medicare Part D, he's still raping the poor to them. He didn't stop social welfare, he added to it.

IMO, neocons are just left of moderate democrats domestically. Practice
Their war loving is also just a matter of degree. Look at Obama, the man bombs more places than Bush and he's supposed to be the peace candidate. Democrats are still calling the gop warmongers. They're the same on their pet issues as gop'ers are on theirs.

There only a few places where you can work with either of those ideologies. There's always a catch to it, too.
You could work with a liberal say, decriminalizing pot, because in their angle they just want voters to smoke pot freely probably on tax payer's public welfare monies. You could possible work with a "conservative" on domestic spending, but only because they want to use it buying more tanks.


Fair enough. But I'm not sure that liberals really believe those things. They care much more about the ultimate power of the state than they do anything else. Conservatives at least believe the things I brought up even if they may be inconsistent in their beliefs

A conservative can be turned from any of his ideals easily. Just tell them any randomly picked out third world farmer, is an immediate imposing threat, and they'll go along with whatever you do with hardly a mutter. The constitution itself can go in the toilet for all they care.

Bush proves that. Romney being the frontrunner, proves it again.

[BenIsForRon]

geez you people have short memories. One second you like Stewart, the next you don't.

I like him. He's a socialist, but he's an honest one.

[soulcyon]

I don't think he understands the difference between liberals and libertarians...

[V3n]

He respects integrity in media. That doesn't mean he's a libertarian or would ever vote for Ron Paul.

He's not a libertarian and would never vote for Ron Paul. That doesn't mean he's "establishment tool".

[UWDude]

You have to admit, Jon Stewart at least gave Ron Paul a much fairer shake than anybody else of his audience size caliber. Nobody else with a nightly viewership of 2 or 3 million people ever even treated Ron Paul like he was anything more than a "lovable crazy old uncle", certainly nobody on the Network News Channels. (Napolitano never had anywhere near the audience size)

That said, I know Stewart is still establishment in the end.

[Brian4Liberty]

He also had Gary Johnson on his show the other night and it was sad. If you need any more proof that Stewart would vote for a Democrat over a Libertarian then this is it.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-5-2012/gary-johnson



Thanks, I hadn't seen that interview.

At the 3 minute mark, John Stewart started with the fear mongering, ie. we must have big government to take care of us, because so many people are apparently helpless.

[Kluge]

Thanks, I hadn't seen that interview.

At the 3 minute mark, John Stewart started with the fear mongering, ie. we must have big government to take care of us, because so many people are apparently helpless.

And how much of this government "care" creates this "helplessness?" Every psychologist in the world knows that when mommy does everything for you, you'll never want to, or be motivated to, learn to do for yourself. It stifles creativity, it's often very racist, and it's just unsustainable. There truly are categories of people who truly need help, but I believe that's best served locally where it can be controlled better by those who fund the programs.

[TheTexan]

Just don't mention the cuss word: Ron Paul.

Exactly. Ron Paul basically called them on their bullshit. That's why they hate him so much. They can't even admit their bullshit to themselves. Their cognitive dissonance leads them to say things like "I like him except for his foreign policy." *cough* bullshit *cough*

Their hate for him has nothing to do with his foreign policy.

[paulbot24]

Exactly. Ron Paul basically called them on their bullshit. That's why they hate him so much. They can't even admit their bullshit to themselves. Their cognitive dissonance leads them to say things like "I like him except for his foreign policy." *cough* bullshit *cough*

Their hate for him has nothing to do with his foreign policy.

Well said. I'm tired of people thinking that without "big government" we would have post-apocalyptic rioting in the streets, our kids would be on crack, there would be lead in our water, total chaos that makes you run to the phone and dial 9-1-1 only to hear. "Sorry. You are f*cked. Ha ha ha." Click.

[Todd]

The only time guys like Jon are on our side is when our side gives them fodder to slam an establishment GOP type.
I find their brand of political humor funny, but I take it in context and don't believe that any piece they do will ever really wake people up.

[DerailingDaTrain]

geez you people have short memories. One second you like Stewart, the next you don't.

I like him. He's a socialist, but he's an honest one.

I'm finding it difficult to watch his show. Colbert is still good most of the time but I can't stand Stewart having guests like Jill Biden, Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi, etc on his program and doing segments like this one anymore.

[Brian4Liberty]

And how much of this government "care" creates this "helplessness?" Every psychologist in the world knows that when mommy does everything for you, you'll never want to, or be motivated to, learn to do for yourself. It stifles creativity, it's often very racist, and it's just unsustainable. There truly are categories of people who truly need help, but I believe that's best served locally where it can be controlled better by those who fund the programs.

Yep, government "care" destroys people.

[paulbot24]

Yep, government "care" destroys people.

Especially when they give you only enough "care" to keep you ultimately dependent on a society that professionally frowns on you if you've ever needed it, thus destroying your only remaining options for true self-reliance.

[No Free Beer]

Gary Johnson is attempting to create a livelihood off of the "Ron Paul REVOLution"