Jon Stewart's balls...
"...and sorry about ... no jokes."
Thanks for sharing this. What a great guy.
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Yep, like i said, at least in my opinion, these things are quite rare these days.
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Since I am a big fan of John Oliver's "Last Week Tonight" I was watching old episodes from 2013 when he was guest hosting the Daily Show this week and got caught up and also watched many Stewart episodes.
Now that he's about to quit it's amazing to see what a deep connection his viewers seem to have with him (and vice versa)... almost like he's part of the family.
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It is good he says what he says. But it's also what he mentioned in his message - people will talk, and nothing will change. It's all shaking heads for posterity and fake Internet points. People trying to boost their self esteem by showing others how very caring and humane are they :)
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Sadly, i'm pretty much that cynical myself these days (at least 99% of the time)... :/
I don't think everyone is exactly like that, but the vast majority are more and more so.
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It doesn't take courage to tell the truth. Even a liar will tell the truth when it suits him. Courage comes into the picture when standing up for the truth means you will face persecution and/or death for doing so.
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+1, but don't expect too from from the internet. It is just a place where everybody seems to be sooo cool swag yolo diehard, but in the end, it is all doubled standarts. So we will wait long for courage from the internet.
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Courage comes into the picture when standing up for the truth means you will face persecution and/or death for doing so.
Well, there's layers and layers of courage, but i certainly wouldn't assume you only think it's courageous if someone only speaks up if facing those (or similarly severe) punishments. That would be a too linear view of almost entire absolutes and i definitely wouldn't expect that from you, nor i feel is what you mean. :)
Not sure though if you mean to say, the chances for him to get any backlash from what he said are close to non existant?
Like i said in OP, i certainly don't want to delve too deep into politics (especially because i think the ongoing racial tension runs deeper than mere politics), but let's face it, he may have gotten a round of applause from his audience, but i'm pretty sure it's a safe bet to wager that he may have made himself quite unpopular among many folks... or wouldn't you agree?
I mean, it's not like i measured him to the likes of Mandela. ;)
Was just my simple way of saying that even these albeit small amounts of courage (if you will) are sadly becoming rarer these days... in my opinion at least, for what it's worth.
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I suppose there may be some people who might disagree with what he said, but I haven't yet discovered any. Obama's comments ticked a lot of people off, but nobody seems to have anything bad to say about Stewart's.
My response was most likely directed at the exaggeration you used. I often run into people who have a lot more courage than that demonstrated in the video you linked.
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Even if so, very few voice it the way he did. Or voice anything at all, regarding the matter.
And it was long due, if you ask me.
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Was too quick to reply, didn't notice you added that last bit when i did reply.
I figured as much, that you meant i was exaggerating and i can understand it, as i myself find the most courageous people i've come across or (luckily) know quite well, are complete strangers to the world.
But that's the thing, public figures rarely ever care or are willing to make a stand of any sort, unless it furthers some personal agenda.
Don't really see it that way in this particular case, that's all. :)
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When public figures take a stand, the (controlled) media does one of two things: silences them (e.g. Mark Wahberg); or tries to take them out (e.g. Duck Dynasty). You may not agree with the position some people take, but you have to acknowledge that they stand up for their convictions.
For the record, anyone who trusts what he hears without bothering to verify it is a fool.
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The people who were pissed off by Obama are the same people finding excuses and saying that the terrorist wasn't motivated by racism. I tend to not let those people's opinions matter to me, because I'd go insane if I did.
When most people are scrambling to find excuses and even blaming the victim for not having a gun then it does matter that there are people saying these sorts of things. And yet, and yet...he is right, very little, if anything will change. It makes me sad to know that, once being a member of active anti-racist and antifascist networks, there is more need for groups such as that than ever, and precious little being done to maintain the hardline against people like Dylan Roof.
Right now, in France, one of the most vile political parties to ever rise from that country, the French National Party (whose former leader is a Holocaust denier, and whose daughter has used anti-Muslim rhetoric to gain popularity among the uneducated) is actually gaining influence. The things they say sound almost exactly like what some shitheel from a certain other European country said in the 1930s. People do not learn from history, unless forced to do so, and we live in extremely turbulent times.
For some people, like Dylan Roof and the French National Party, I never want to see tolerance extended.
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"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - Santayana
Do not be hasty in your analysis. There are many people upset at Obama for many different reasons. That is a discussion in itself, however. What is more important is what you mentioned in your reply. We have seen all of this before. Multiple times. It is sad that so few of us learn from history.
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Also that. :/
No matter how many times we repeat that quote (or hear it repeated), it still doesn't get around nearly enough it seems.
We ourselves have a very idiomatic popular saying here that is something along the lines of Tell me where you're coming from, and i will tell you're going." - sad, but true.
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What is even more disturbing is the recent regrowth of fascist, racist or xenophobic groups in general in a few Northern European countries, countries which are considered the most evolved among the whole of Europe.
Heck, if it's getting worse even there, i dread to think what will become of the rest sometimes.
For some people, like Dylan Roof and the French National Party, I never want to see tolerance extended.
Amen to that, btw.
Blurry lines those people draw between freedom of speech and abuse of said freedom of speech.
As rundown as it may be, i still hold to myself as precious that one fundamental pillar of democracy should be the one that dictates that one's freedom ends where another one's freedom starts.
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I'm not into politics but for some reason I've been following american politics for a while now since I always had some kind of crush on this country because I grew up watching Cartoon Network in english although I didn't understand a single word. I often watched John Stewart or John Oliver and I'm devestated what the states have become.
Yes, he has balls, and I find it very important that at least some people on the media acknowledge all the shit that is happening rather than screaming USA 24/7.
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I agree mostly, but i don't see how street names being named after confederate generals is relevant.
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Many of them went on to form or be part of the Ku Klux Klan, and it can therefore be seen as a legacy of racial hatred.
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Despite what may seem a bit of a parody poll, i don't want to stir up any political debate (rules and all that), so try to keep it civil everyone, please... if it's not too much to ask.
But seriously, in my honest opinion, i think the world needs a little bit more of this guy's courage to have an introspected view:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjzrvRKv6Ks
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