Jon Stewart returned from vacation this Tuesday night and responded to the article he read at the Huffington Post where Fox News chief Roger Ailes went after Stewart for admitting he's a "Socialist" and wouldn't do well without Fox. What we got in response was Stewart doing a really good job of explaining why being called a Socialist should not be a pejorative.
As far as not having enough material for his show if Fox did not exist, I'm sure Fox existing makes his job as a comedian easier, but as long as we've got wingnut politicians who are on the air either at the other networks or on C-SPAN spouting nonsense from the House or Senate floor, I don't think Stewart is in danger of running out of new material that's ripe for mockery any time soon.
After having a bit of fun with his "scenario" about what actually happened during that meeting with Ailes, Stewart went on to explain just what he meant by his remarks and what he considers "Socialism" such as protecting things like Social Security and Medicare.
He also took some shots at Republicans for pretending the health care law, or "Obamacare" is that dreaded "s- word", Socialism:
STEWART: Yes, Socialism. The new "s-word." The worst thing you can call someone. It's like if the c-word and the n-word had a baby… and that baby's name... Obamacare." [...]
Uncut, the good stuff. Apparently Socialism is like cholesterol. Social Security and Medicare are the good kind. Obamacare is the bad kind; unadulterated Socialism, a program where everyone will be forced to buy health insurance in a competitive marketplace of private, for-profit, insurance companies. The Marxist dream. [...]
Now, some would say... some would say, isn't our current system of health care more like socialized medicine because we're all subsidizing the millions of citizens without health insurance? Well, shut up! Because Obama's real Socialist scheme has nothing to do with health care.
After taking some shots at conservatives for calling the auto bailout "Socialism" cue to Mitt Romney trying to take credit for it and Stewart slamming Republicans for their hypocrisy on what they decide to call Socialism:
STEWART: Here's how you know when a Socialist policy has worked. When a staunch capitalist takes credit for it with a hostile takeover.
Stewart wrapped things up by calling out Republicans' hypocrisy on going after subsidies for the solar industry while being perfectly fine subsidizing farmers and the methanol industry and Mitt Romney's double speak on that issue.
STEWART: Can't we just admit that a Socialist is someone who wants to spend government money on s**t you don't like? And then we can dispense with the name calling and find an industry that we can all agree is great.
Cue wingnut Virginia Foxx praising the NFL and a 60 Minutes clip talking about how that evil Socialist enterprise does revenue sharing between teams.
After a two week drought with no Daily Show or Colbert, I'm ready to take a vote for neither of them to be allowed to go on vacation for more than one week at a time. I'm fairly sure they won't listen but it was nice to see them back to start countering some of the insanity we've had over the last couple of weeks without some laughter to keep us sane.
