Amazing Jon Stewart interview

[Kanada Kev]

Do yourself a favour and take the time to listen to this interview. Stewart never ceases to amaze me.

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[Thorgnor]

That was awesome. Thanks.

I appreciate his effort to get across an idea that I share with him. Guys like Bush are not evil, or bad, and neither are Hussein's, but that the image, or identity/identification, of a foe forecloses a subtlety that the person being represented as evil, or good for that matter, are not people, but entities of some pure essence, rather than complicated be-ings of circumstance and pragmatics. And also that the polarization of any discourse as a debate obscures the actual fears and desires that help us articulate social actions. Bush may be a Fascist, but that should be seen as a neurosis, and viewed with the empathy we accord the infirm, not as the weakness of a mortal enemy. Insisting on "evil" removes the historical and contextual frames and registers in which decisions are made and carried out, and the same de-historicizing removes the possibility of healing rifts seen as part of an unchanging political landscape.

[Deeps]

This was great ...thanks for posting it.

I enjoyed this part.

"What happens in discourse is not precise, but what is important is the place that people come from."

I went to the rally and remember welling up a bit during the moment that Jon Stewart used the "zipper merge" as an analogy for what is really happening in the world. Republicans giving way for Democrats and vice versa where the rubber literally meets the road. I thought it was beautiful, well put and very much needed to hear it.

Despite my new found inspiration and will to be personally more moderate, I also remember on the ride home feeling a little dissappointed that I didn't hear more leftist-rhetoric as I am definitely left of center and personally one who can be opinionated.

After watching this interview I think I realize that this was a natural, but to be avoided response to the syndrome that is this them and us news media portrayal of the world...the want to punch back was so strong that it still was in my thoughts despite the inspiration that I felt only ~12 hours before. Pretty strong and combative force at play indeed.

Thankfully listening to this interview above completed what attending the rally started and will help me carry forward with less stress and dare I say it a little more clarity.

Cheers.