<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">I copy only the remarks about Stewart and his rally. Other remarks, at <div><br></div><div><a href="http://killinghope.org/bblum6/aer87.html">http://killinghope.org/bblum6/aer87.html</a><br><div><br></div><div>are typical Blum commentary, emphasizing hypocrisy and worse. Some may note how often Blum employs the word "progressive" (a reactionary epithet according to David Green), even with respect to people like Chomsky.</div><div><br></div><div><h1>The Anti-Empire Report </h1><p class="byline">November 2nd, 2010<br>
by William Blum<br>
<a href="http://www.killinghope.org">www.killinghope.org</a></p>
<h2>Jon Stewart and the left</h2><p>The left in America is desperate; desperate for someone who can
inspire them, if not lead them to a better world; or at least make them
laugh. TV star Jon Stewart is sometimes funny, especially when he
doesn't try too hard to be funny, which is not often enough. But as a
political leader, or simply political educator for the left, forget it.
He's not even what I would call a genuine, committed leftist. What
does he have to teach the left? He himself would certainly not want you
to entertain the thought that Jon Stewart is in any way a man of the
left.</p><p>He billed his October 30 rally on the National Mall in Washington,
DC, as the Million Moderate March. Would a person with a real desire
for important progressive social and political change, i.e, a "leftist",
so ostentatiously brand himself a "moderate"? Even if by "moderate" he
refers mainly to tone of voice or choice of words why is that so
important? If a politician strongly supports things which you are
passionate about, why should it bother you if the politician is vehement
in his arguments, even angry? And if the politician is strongly
against what you're passionate about does it make you feel any better
about the guy if he never raises his voice or sharply criticizes those
on the other side? What kind of cause is that to commit yourself to?</p><p>Stewart in fact appears to dislike the left, perhaps strongly. In the
leadup to the rally he criticized the left for various things,
including calling George W. Bush a "war criminal". Wow! How immoderate
of us. Do I have to list here the 500 war crimes committed by George
W. Bush? If I did so, would that make me one of what Stewart calls the
"crazies"? In his talk at the rally, Stewart spoke of our "real fears" —
"of terrorists, racists, Stalinists, and theocrats". Stalinists?
Where did that come from, Glenn Beck? What decade is Stewart living in?
What about capitalists or the corporations? Is there no reason to
fear them? Is it Stalinists who are responsible for the collapse of our
jobs and homes, our economy? Writer Chris Hedges asks: "Being nice and
moderate will not help. These are corporate forces that are intent on
reconfiguring the United States into a system of neofeudalism. These
corporate forces will not be halted by funny signs, comics dressed up
like Captain America or nice words."</p><p>Stewart also grouped together "Marxists actively subverting our
constitution, racists and homophobes". Welcome to the Jon Stewart Tea
Party. In his long interview last week of President Obama on his TV
show, Stewart did not mention any of America's wars. That would have
been impolite and divisive; maybe even not nice.</p><p>He billed his rally as being "for people who are politically dissatisfied but who are not ideological". (<em>Democracy Now</em>,
November 1, 2010) Really, Jon? You have no ideology? To those who
like to tell themselves and others that they don't have any particular
ideology I say this: If you have thoughts about why the world is the way
it is, why society is the way it is, why people are the way they are,
what a better way would look like, and if your thoughts are fairly well
organized, then that's your ideology, even if it's not wholly conscious
as such. Better to organize those thoughts as best you can, become very
conscious of them, and then consciously avoid getting involved with
individuals or political movements who have an incompatible ideology.
It's like a very bad marriage.</p>
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