[Peace-discuss] The latest news comedy show is no better than the other corporate news comedy shows

[J.B. Nicholson]

As a retort and correction of the most recent hat-in-hand interview from Jon Stewart 
in his episode this week, I offer 
https://twitter.com/hoosteen/status/1451188023350022151 which wasn't even posted in 
that context.

Jon Stewart's new show just ran episode 3. Using the same shtick he used on The Daily 
Show it's pretty clear that he only offers more tinkering-around-the-edges 
lightweight critique that never strikes at the heart of important issues:

- if you don't challenge US war spending, you're not challenging US government 
spending. In episode 3 Jon Stewart didn't bring up war spending which deserves to be 
mad a drumbeat issue because US war spending affects everything the country spends 
money on.

- asking government higher-ups questions akin to 'Can't we do better for the poor and 
working class?' is pointless because real change that benefits the public doesn't 
come from the top down. If such beneficial-to-the-public change came from the top 
down we wouldn't be where we are. In episode 3 Jon Stewart interviewed Janet Yellen, 
Secretary of the Treasury (https://youtube.com/watch?v=3r76KkcJaTE).

- we're far enough away from an election where Democratic Party sympathizers (such as 
anyone they'll allow on Apple TV) are safe to suggest (but never explicitly state) 
that the Republicans are no better or worse than the Democrats on the US economy. 
Both major parties support neoliberal programs (policy aimed at moving wealth from 
the poor to the wealthy). Both major parties are also neoconservative (more war) but 
you won't hear that from Stewart & co. either. Get closer to an election 
(particularly a presidential election) and you'll see the arguments which highlight 
the narcissism of small differences culminating in vote Blue no matter who.

You can catch most if not all of Jon Stewart's Apple TV show "The Problem With Jon 
Stewart" on YouTube without handing over your money to Apple, a rapacious monopolist 
with horrible labor practices that lead to workers' deaths (another topic you ought 
not look for drumbeat coverage on Jon Stewart's show). See 
https://youtube.com/watch?v=2gOu50HaEvs -- the late Steve Jobs interview about this 
topic when it first came to public attention around the time of Foxconn worker 
suicides. This interview and Jobs' shameful handling will forever change your view 
that Jobs was a "master" speaker as he is so commonly discussed in establishment 
media. His evaluation of the problem spoke to his firmly anti-worker priorities which 
were (and apparently remain) Apple's anti-worker priorities now. All of the claims he 
makes about being "all over this" and "on top of this" and "[Apple is] not a 
sweatshop" are simply lies.

For a much better take on what's going on at Foxconn, read the recently-published 
"Dying for an iPhone" and see/read 
https://www.rt.com/shows/on-contact/526377-iphone-manufacturing-china-workers/ for 
Chris Hedges' interview with Professor Jenny Chan, co-author of "Dying for an 
iPhone", on how Apple (a $2 trillion market value company) treats Foxconn factory 
workers where Apple gets its iThings assembled.

Redacted Tonight remains the only news comedy show worth watching because that show 
actually challenges establishment policy on principled grounds, repeats its criticism 
of capitalism which means occasional viewers are more likely to see the argument, and 
challenges the viewer to see how corporate fealty drives so many policy decisions the 
US government makes.