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Daily Show: Three Generations of “America to the Rescue”

crooksandliars.com — In perhaps the most brilliant segment on “The Daily Show” I’ve ever seen, last night Jon ran through the last three decades of United States intervention in the Middle East to show how incoherent, ass-backwards and counter-productive it has been.

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  • Pssdoff, on 10/10/2007, -2/+203Oh billions of dollars... Is there no dispute you can't settle?
    • moskaudancer, on 10/10/2007, -31/+1Dugg up for the video, in spite of the fact it's from C&L
    • Junkyarddawg, on 10/10/2007, -11/+15Come on, who here didn't know that the US has sold weapons to the Saudis, the Israelis, Iraq, and the Taliban?
      Hell, they forgot kuwait, afghanistan and the palestinian authority, and if they'd extended the timeline a bit, they could've added Iran and Egypt.

      Not one of Jons better.
      • onewingedangel9, on 10/10/2007, -1/+20Just because it's widely known information doesn't make it any less true!
      • Sinistocrat, on 10/10/2007, -1/+22Apparently you'd be surprised just how many people don't know about our tangled web of exploits in the Middle East. Many many.
      • diggimator, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3I hope we didn't aid them with WMDs. Shouldn't we at least put ourselved on our own terrorist nations list for giving aid to Al Qaida?
        • imgstacke, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1uhh we gave Saddam Chemical weapons when he was fighting Iran. Rumsfeld sealed the deal.
        • imgstacke, on 10/10/2007, -3/+0uhh we gave Saddam Chemical weapons when he was fighting Iran. Rumsfeld sealed the deal.
    • PlumDumb, on 10/10/2007, -5/+2Wow, nice job directly quoting the video from the link. jesus.
      • Pssdoff, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I usually read a few comments before actually clicking on the link...
    • badjoke, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2Yeah, we just heard that. Cool.
  • toddcat, on 10/10/2007, -2/+69This should be required viewing for Monkey Boy and Snarl, for Lieberman, Ole Huckleberry, Giuliani, Romney, etc.
    • expat001, on 10/10/2007, -2/+18Why? The ***** they surround themselves with who actually make all of these decisions already know this. It won't stop.
      • hambend, on 10/10/2007, -2/+10Exactly. To you and me this might look like one long thirty year (and then some) *****. But that's because we are compassionate human beings who care about the wellbeing of our fellow man in the middle east. It's only when you have a company with turnover higher than New Zealand's GDP and a tendency to view whole nations with the same disdain as a termite infestation that you can see all this for the success it really is.

        For example, you might think that giving 30-odd billion dollars each to two countries that are historically, strategically and religiously opposed is something of a bad idea. You're probably worried about "human suffering," or some other liberal hippie *****. In fact, if you follow the money trail you'll find that these two countries are nothing more than an ingenious device for channeling American tax dollars back into the American arms industry. Clever, no?

        Likewise Iraq. You may have thought that deposing Saddam and dismantling his regime was a bad idea. You might think dressing SAS troops as Muslim radicals and having them drive around shooting up the locals is in rather bad taste. You just don't have the right perspective on this; that of a God surveying the land as a man might observe two warring anthills. You fail to appreciate the utility of a power vacuum or of sectarian bloodshed. See, where would we spend all that reconstruction money if nobody was blowing anything up?

        Seriously though, it must be difficult to keep a bearing on reality when you are one of the most powerful people on earth. History is full of ruling classes who thought of themselves -- quite literally -- as gods: the Egyptian Pharaohs, the European Monarchs, the Chinese Emperors, the Incan... dudes. The current crowd probably aren't quite so deluded, but it was David Rockefeller himself who used the phrase "supra-national intellectual elite." It can't be hard to convince yourself that as one of the world's richest men, you are also one of the smartest. No harder than your average neocon leap of logic, anyway.
    • elhaf, on 10/10/2007, -14/+5Not to mention Hilary, Obama, etc.
      • Rodman930, on 10/10/2007, -0/+9Obama was there!
      • Fieri, on 10/10/2007, -3/+6Obama is not at fault for any this. Hillary is (though I'd blame the Republicans for 90%). Be discerning.
        • 1337Einstein, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2No, the vast majority of both parties voted for going in, ninety percent is way off.
          • MacEnvy, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Actually that's not true, and you really shouldn't be spreading a lie that was fabricated by FoxNews commentators. 29 Democratic senators voted for the Iraq War Authorization, and 21 Democratic senators voted AGAINST it. So in other, words, 90% is putting it far too strongly. The support was never that high, despite the lies told by certain media and political officials.
  • dtschwe, on 10/10/2007, -1/+129He should have gone all the way back to overthrowing Iran in '53. Which led to the '79 coup which led to our support for Iraq in the '80s...
    • MichaelStanton, on 10/10/2007, -0/+31Well, it's only a half-hour show.
    • dialectical, on 10/10/2007, -6/+29Wait further back even! How about supporting and leading the effort to create a brand new country out of thin air in a land already inhabited by others. Oh wait is that Israel or America? ... $*(@!. Never mind
      • burtonbe, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4Were not Canada, Mexico, and ever country in Central America (and many more) also created this way?
      • tehpwnrate, on 10/10/2007, -5/+1That's every nation on the ***** planet you dolt.
        • dialectical, on 10/10/2007, -3/+0Sheesh, at least someone got it. +1 for clarifying my sarcasm!
      • milesdavis22, on 10/10/2007, -16/+1It sickens me how digg has turned into an anti-Israel-hate-spewing forum. Stop blaming Israel for everything and grow up!
        • Sinistocrat, on 10/10/2007, -2/+18Israel is like a spoiled child. Easy to hate, illegal to hit.
        • dialectical, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1milesdavis, I hope you didn't take that comment as anything remotely close to hate fear mongering. My point was that we can constantly blame the past for many atrocities that happen in the present but it needs to stop somewhere. Constantly blaming the past becomes so counter productive that nothing intelligent even can start to be considered to solve present day problem.
          • ChileanGoD, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Like for example today's children and babies that will be raging wars in the future because of all of our actions today. You have to think about it.
        • alterImperson, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4I don't hate Israel, I just think it's creation was a mistake. It displaced an entire nation of people, pissed off an entire region of the world. And the way the West treats Israel is in fact why most countries in the Middle East hate the US. We are lax on UN mandates when it comes to Israel, but we invade Iraq for the same reason. They have nukes, and when the nations around them feel directly threatened and they try to build something to defend themselves with we blow them up. It's not everything, but its a lot of the problem.
        • diggimator, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I think the point being made was Jon obviously avoided going back further in history because then he'll have to explain Israel's involvement which he didn't want to do.
    • caferrell, on 11/01/2007, -2/+19He should have gone all the way back to Wilson who started all of our foreign problems when he led us unnecessarily into WWI. That unbalanced the war, killing the Ottoman Empire while allowing the French to rape Germany, setting up the chess board for WWII.

      But our foreign adventure in 1917 also set up everything that we see in the Middle East today, because the British and the French had an orgy of map making that ended up with the invention of Iraq, a place with three major groups of people who have hated and killed each other for over a thousand years. The British tried to rule it and finally gave up and split, leaving a Saudi, Sunni King. He was ripped to shreds after WWII and replaced with the lovely Baath party.

      Now you can go to the overthrow of Iran etc...

      Maybe we ought to just mind our own business.

      We ought to mind our own business and watch this video, I just about died laughing. I've watched it four tims now!
      • tehpwnrate, on 10/10/2007, -6/+2Blame Wilson? Even though he foresaw what would happen and tried to get France and Britain to be lenient? Anyway, WWI was not WWII, but it was still definitely right of us to help France and Britain. I like how you are blaming the US for what France, Britain, and other European countries did, as well as what we did, while ignoring everything we did right. You are a jackass.
        • thecoolestguy, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2He was not right to help France and Britian. He only got involved at the behest of Zionists. Zionists promised to get America into the war in exchange for England giving them Palestine. That is how the 1917 Balfour Declaration came about, addressed to the Jewish Zionist, Baron Rothschild, a member of the richest family in the world at that time, Rothschilds. Also the German Zionists lobbied the German government to sue for peace resulting in the war ending, and the Versailles treaty being signed. This resulted in the conditions that allowed Hitler to rise to power.
      • alterImperson, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Oddly enough, the reason we went into WWI was to stop Germany from blocking our ships to Britain. Can you guess what those ships were carrying? Weapons. Ain't that funny? Go read you're history. It'll do you good. I suggest starting with learning about the Treaty of Versailles since we're on the subject.
        • badjoke, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Corrections for your posts:
          its*
          it's*
          your*

          Throw in some grammar books as well with your nightly reading.
          • Metman, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Oh *****! RUN! It's (note the correct spelling) the grammar police!
        • thecoolestguy, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1The excuse given for getting into WW1 was to stop Germany stopping shipping, the real reason was Wilson giving into pressure from American Zionists to get into the war on England's side, in exchange for England giving the Zionists Palestine.
  • fixty, on 10/10/2007, -8/+86The Daily Show for President!!!
    • the6thReplicant, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1This segment and the segment interviewing the soldiers sarcastic comments on the 130 degree heat was priceless.

      It looks like the soldiers are really happy that The Daily Show is there.
    • StormTrooperVII, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2The slogan is "Stewart/Colbert '08"
  • Overseer10, on 10/10/2007, -2/+100Oh god, I want to hear Bill O'Reilly explaining all that ***** and still claim we are doing some good
    • expat001, on 10/10/2007, -0/+50No, I really don't want to ever hear Bill O again.
  • whatthefu, on 10/10/2007, -23/+10If you guys really liked this then you ought to go searching for supplemental material as well.
  • ViennaMags1, on 10/10/2007, -4/+75Absolutely brilliant!!!!!!!

    Stewart/Colbert '08. Where do I sign up?
    • BevansDesign, on 10/10/2007, -4/+8I think there's a ballot or something you need to fill out. Usually only once every 4 years or so.

      In all seriousness, having John Stewart as President would be FAR better than any of the candidates currently in the running.
      • madmage, on 10/10/2007, -2/+8JON Stewart
      • 0zzy, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3But Ro...alas, never mind.
        • bmang, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4haha, it's funny how people are starting to be hesitant about saying his name anymore. I guess for fear that everyone's heard enough and think he's over-hyped. But, the truth is, when watching a video like this one, everyone should be thinking Ron Paul. He understands this topic more than any candidate running and isn't afraid to admit it. Everyone still needs to be reminded (or told) about him if the agree with a video like this. There are a lot of people who still don't know who he is. If you agree with Jon Stuart in this video, there's not really anything you can do about this situation. Just about the only thing you can do is vote for Ron Paul.
  • oMeSSiaHo, on 10/10/2007, -1/+61Easily one of my favorite Daily Show clips. I remember years ago people doubting Jon Stewart. Oh how wrong they were!
    • ecto311, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Hes good but most of it is the writers. Hes a lot better of a host than the first retard.
      • LadyKofNYC, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6Craig Kilborn. My friend used to ***** that narcissistic douche bag. She said he would stop what ever they were doing so he could watch his own show every night and laugh at his own jokes.
      • Koldkompress, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2He's one of the main writers/editors. Sure, the Daily show has more writers, but don't think he just spews out jokes with no creative input in them
    • jveezy, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Isn't that the same for any good actor out there?

      And by the way, Jon is one of the writers, unlike Kilborn.
  • AlexGrant, on 10/10/2007, -1/+28Just as good as the Troops wishing Iraqi congress a good vacation =)
  • purpmint008, on 10/10/2007, -3/+10Our aid comes back to bite us and we never learn...
    • Vodka2389, on 10/10/2007, -3/+9Indeed, Senor Naive. None of this was planned and calculated at all.
    • WiseWeasel, on 10/10/2007, -2/+10In the meantime, some US weapons contractors sure made a nice bundle...
    • 2reflective, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0Read or listen to "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" and all will be explained. Btw I heard about it from Dvorak on TWIT. Excellent recommendation.
  • JJsays, on 10/10/2007, -68/+2well maybe John should move over there, he seems to kiss their ass enough. Love the Americans who love to hate themselves. Country dose not need you folks, move on now.
    • nblsavage, on 10/10/2007, -4/+43The U.S. needs dissenters more than ever. Maybe you should join Bin Ladin's bunch since you seem determined to destroy America.
    • Aetherine, on 10/10/2007, -0/+16You uh, you do realize that you're basically attempting to negate the completely valid points made by doing what? How does your rant fit in?

      I could understand if you defended our policy-makers or something. But pulling an O'Reilly doesn't do much in your favor..
    • IRoaChI, on 10/10/2007, -2/+15The problem I think you have is that USA is #1. You need to think the PLANET is #1 and we are all part of it.
      Because you live in America doesn't make you better than anyone else. We need to work together to get a stabilized system. The world isn't big anymore, there isn't anywhere to hide and each country needs to work together to make this a better place. We need to set in place some solid goals and try to reach them. My first goal would be to remove all religions out of the equation and then work on limiting globalization and stopping the war on drugs.
      • Metman, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1There would be people who would fight you to the death over 'removing religion' even in this country. While I do not support our actions in the Middle East right now (I do support our troops), I find it a little distressing that so many of you honestly believe that you can reason with the radical movement. I think that the notion that other countries in the world would be willing to halt their economic expansions and industrialism because we as Americans 'realized' we should put the planet first is why so many countries stereotypically view us as arrogant. I am not saying that trying to make the world a more peaceful place, or taking steps to be more responsible on how we treat our planet are made ideas. I am merely stating that the view point that we can suddenly convince the rest of the world of this revelation is more then a bit over-zealous.
      • Metman, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Opps?
    • geometry, on 10/10/2007, -0/+24Our government != USA. A few quotes from great men of this country.

      "The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it always to be kept alive." -Thomas Jefferson

      "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." -Edward Abbey

      "Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -- how passionately I hate them!" -Albert Einstein

      "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding." -Albert Einstein

      "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations — entangling alliances with none." -Thomas Jefferson

      “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who believe they are free. The truth has been kept from the depth of their minds by masters who rule them with lies. They feed them on falsehoods till wrongs look like right in their eyes.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

      "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." -Edward Abbey
      • nblsavage, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Well said! Bravo!
        My 9th grade civics teacher (bless his heart) instilled in me a distrust of govement. He always said "A politician only has 2 goals. The first is to get elected and the second is to stay elected. They will say and do anything to acomplish those goals"
      • WiseWeasel, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7"You can build a throne with bayonets, but you can't sit on it for long" -Boris Yelstin
    • faskippy, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2It's been a long day, and I have no patience to even begin to explain to you what is wrong with your statements. I will only say that you seem to be very, very uneducated, in more ways than one. Please, read some American history. While you're at it, get a book on grammar from your local elementary school. Thank you.
    • BlacklabelSAR, on 10/10/2007, -4/+1Hey *****, you are single-handedly bringing down IQ averages. You clearly know nothing of our Founding Fathers which makes you NOT a patriot, yet I am sure that you think that you are.
    • LadyKofNYC, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2No, the country doesn't need submissive dimwits like you. Please leave.
    • alterImperson, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4"I hate patriotism...I can't stand it. It's a round world last time I checked." - Bill Hicks.
  • JJsays, on 10/10/2007, -57/+2I don't watch the Daily Show anymore since John took over. the first guy was a lot more funny. John show has turned into a Democrat show to say the least..
    • Sangatious, on 10/10/2007, -2/+25This country does not need people who blindly accept our government foreign policy while calling those who don't ass kissers of foreign countries.
    • Elderon, on 10/10/2007, -1/+25His name is JON ... Jon Stewart not john.
      and since you admit yourself you don't watch the show anymore you wouldn't know that he bashes both political parties. It's just easy to bash Bush and comp because they make it so easy.
    • billm317, on 10/10/2007, -1/+16Tell Bush & Co. to stop ***** up so much and he might focus more energy on the Democrats. This coming from a guy who loves nothing more than to see Hillary get ripped on. He picks on both sides, but if there's a Republican president and he keeps screwing up, what do you really expect?
    • Fieri, on 10/10/2007, -1/+15Stewart isn't a Democrat. He's an American. He speaks truth to power wherever that power is abused or otherwise ***** up.
      • WiseWeasel, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1I wouldn't go that far. I would say there's a pretty significant democratic party bias in a lot of the video compositions they show, with well-timed cuts to stretch the truth. Not saying it only goes one way, but I don't think it's possible to watch the show and miss the very blatant bias sometimes. That being said, it's still one of the best shows on TV, and one of the few I watch regularly (along with the Colbert Report).
    • BlacklabelSAR, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3You are embarassing yourself.
    • asaturn, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6you seriously think Craig Kilbourn was better???
      • Metman, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I like Jon, but I also preferred Craig. *shrug*
    • the6thReplicant, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2So you're commenting on a show you don't watch. It rips into the Democrats better than that failed FOX show. But of course unless they say every two minutes how evil Hillary Clinton is, then its a left-wing Democratic show.
    • Bodhinature, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Are you disputing the facts? These are facts. Are you saying the satirical soothsaying is somehow wrong? I don't understand your stance. Just what the hell is your problem with the bit? And what does giving facts about US foreign policy have anything to do with partisanship?
  • clueless, on 10/10/2007, -2/+23So in a sense all the current middle east problems started with the iran-iraq war, which in effect means that it started with the cold war, which also implies it all srated by the first world war which in the end puts all the faults on Gavrilo Princip...
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavrilo_Princip

    Daaamn yooou Gavriloooooo
    • ChuyMatt, on 10/10/2007, -1/+11Fun isn't it, when you trace it all back. Tho, we did have a choice not to lump Iraq into one country. That may have removed that issue all together. Or maybe if the Zionists (Christian and Jewish alike) had not been asses to the Palestinian people things may have been different.
      That would have required there to be people TALKING with the Arabs, which was not going to happen.

      So, will we learn? Obviously not.

      We in the West will not learn that forcing people to do what we want does NOT work well, especially in their own country, and the radical Muslims don't want to learn that suicide bombs and killing without thought only makes our commanders more stubborn and willing to stay out of spite. Terroristic tactics has not made a difference in any case that I can think of. Only to make the other side more entrenched.
      • geometry, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7Terrorism worked for the USA before we were the USA. The fighting tactics we used against the British is gaining our independence were considered terrorism at the time. At the time the proper way to battle was to line up in lines and march towards each other while firing. We knew we would loose such a battle so we fought "dirty". Attacking while the British soldiers were sleeping, attacking supply ships and what not.
        • tehpwnrate, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1That's not terrorism you stupid *****. That's guerrila warfare. Terrorism would be blowing up their women and children. And anyway, the difference is simply that we were and are right, and they were and are wrong.
        • Flower2112, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2I don't remember the story of George Washington invading a home and setting a child on fire.... http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/08/23/iraq.boyfolo/index.html

          Damn revisionist historians.
        • Yazilliclick, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3@tehpwnrate Obviously you don't see the double standard. It's guerilla warfare if we do it, it's terorism if they do! Sorry but that's just bs being fed to you by your administration and is typical in any war. Any country will always paint themselves as the good guys doing what's right and the other side is baby eating animal torturing evil doers. It's called conditioning because when you have to shoot somebody in the face they want you to hate him so you can shoot the next guy in the face instead of sitting there wondering whether what you did was wrong.
    • elhaf, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1What is it with these postmen's sons and world wars. Was Cheney's dad a postman by any chance?
      • Retrokid, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I have a seriously hard time believing that.
    • geekee, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2It goes back a lot further, to the point when oil started becoming valuable.
    • alterImperson, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Most of our troubles in the Middle East, the Balkans, and Africa could have been solved at Versailles at the end of WWI when they began to split up the old European Empires. Go read about Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points. Pretty damn interesting stuff.
  • willow0285, on 10/10/2007, -0/+53"Son of a bitch!" That was the best part. The look on Jon's face was priceless. Sometimes, I feel like he's gone in my mind and taken out ideas/feelings that even I didn't know were there. Another great satire from the folks as TDS!
    • thepaul, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7it is brilliant. How he can in mere minutes sum up in a succinct and historically correct way, the history of the mess the United States is in. The line from the Princess Bride is still true Vizzini in the Princess Bride - "never get involved in a land war in Asia
  • fletchsd, on 10/10/2007, -0/+19I watched the show last night and it was probably my favorite one ever. That segment was great but I especially loved the segment where the troops were wishing the Iraqi Parlimentarians the best on their month off. It was then capped off with a Barak Obama visit to the show.
  • veronicame, on 10/10/2007, -21/+0Absolutely brilliant!!!!!!!
    http://lallunepal.com/
  • Steinhauser, on 10/10/2007, -4/+10This segment, Operation Macho Kickass with the postcard from the soldiers, Obama interview, and THEN Stephen's tranwreck interview with Richard Branson. Best Show-Report hour we've had in a long time.
    • WiseWeasel, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Meh, that Branson interview "fiasco" was over-hyped and under-delivered. It was basically a commercial for his new airline routes followed by an awkward water fight for no good reason... I was not too impressed with its comedic value...
  • shortarabguy, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8Great video, but he sort of fizzled out at the end.
    I would have liked to see a map where it showed where the money went in response to whom, etc.. since it most likely would have been absolutely hilarious.
  • nicksawick1, on 10/10/2007, -10/+6The point of the video was to show that it really is unpredictable what can happen from decade to decade. The more experience the better, but even experience can help you predict the future.
    • nblsavage, on 10/10/2007, -1/+13Actually (besides being entertaining) I think the point was we should quit meddling. More often than not we have regretted it.
    • scottc, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5Wow. Either you are trying to spin that and did a really poor job or you are just ignorant. That's not even close to the point of the video.
    • BlacklabelSAR, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1FIrst thing, You made a mistake in your second sentence "but even experience can help you predict the future" should be "can't" which completely blows what you attempted to say.
      Second thing, You are retarded. Everything you wrote after "The point of the video was" is completely opposite of what the point was. The POINT was that the US keeps selling weapons to various countries in the Middle East, which has consistently had a DESTABILIZING EFFECT.
      It's one thing to disagree, but to fail to even comprehend what you see/hear/read is pathetic. I hope you are just young.
      • nicksawick1, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1actually it is supposed to be a can't, sorry. I guess that made my point look pretty stupid.
    • Yazilliclick, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1The point is that nothing the US is doing or has done has every helped the situation. The US didn't just start working in the middle east after 9/11 or after the first 'desert storm', it's been going on for decades and has gone nowhere. The point is that it's naive to think that all the US involvement over there is doing anything other than helping keep the area destabalized.
  • Worldchrisis, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5The 80's version with Regan made me laugh so hard, great segment.
  • btbalance, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1"Country -----> dose
  • ToastyMallows, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Brilliant.
  • ryanbmsu, on 10/10/2007, -0/+35Well said by our nations leading COMEDY station as usual. Why is it Comedy Central is the only station with common sense anymore?
    • positron, on 10/10/2007, -1/+15Comedy is the art of shedding the light of truth on human stupidity in an entertaining manner. In an age where humanity is ruled by stupidity and intellectual discussion of that truth is taboo, comedy is its only remaining vehicle.
      • onewingedangel9, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7Then again, CC does show Mind of Mencia....
        • renegadeafk, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2They will cancel it someday...I hope.
      • mtgarvey853, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0god bless that truth, too bad there aren't more examples of it
      • captjc, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1In all fairness, Humanity has always been ruled by stupidity. Besides, freedom of speech is a relatively recent idea.
    • captjc, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Wrong Reply...
  • Wargalas, on 10/10/2007, -27/+1I say we leave them to their vices, offer $10 a barrel and if they don't like it, tough *****. We'll start drilling in Alaska. Liberals will just have to deal with it. Next up, oil shale. We have literally TRILLIONS of barrels worth of that. :) Neighbors acting up threatening to invade? Tough *****. Worried about Iran/Syria/Jordan/Egypt? Tough *****.

    We should apply this to all nations who ask for our help. Darfur, Liberia, most of Africa can all just have their own little genocide while we watch American Idol. Is that the general idea that I'm getting here?
    • nblsavage, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10Iraq didn't ask for help.
      • Wargalas, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1But the other countries did. Saudi Arabia, Liberia, Darfur, most of Africa in fact, Mexico, just to name a few.
        • dftpnkezln, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2A few comments.
          1. The Saudi Arabian government represents noone but the Saudi Arabian government - not the Saudi people. They only asked for our help because Saddam, who we had been coddling and arming to fight the Iranians began overreaching.
          2. Darfur isnt a country.
          3. the point of the daily show piece wasnt 'tough *****' it was "jesus christ we have been ***** up in the Middle east for decades...maybe the people making the decisions dont have a clue what they're talking about".
          4. Please don't try to dress up (what have been a series of disastrous) decisions made to further our imperial/strategic interests as 'helping out friends' as though the neighbour is asking to borrow a cup of sugar. Its not even remotely like that.
          • Metman, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Actually the Saudi's refused Bin Laden's help, which is in part one of the things that set him off against the U.S. Moreover, as much is it was to 'further out imperial/strategic interests' (you may want to go look up imperialism) - it was also to try to get an ally in the section of the world that supplies 2/3rds of the worlds crude oil. Without this 'link' to the Middle East we would be put at a serious disadvantage that the 'Cold War' heated up and actually went to war with Russia. I think viewing this on such a narrow scope is irresponsible and ignorant. I am not in any way stating that what we did was make good decisions or that it was even the right 'thing to do'. However, looking at it in the rear view mirror is sure a hell of a lot easier to confronting the realisms of the times these decisions were made.
    • VogonPoet, on 10/10/2007, -0/+11I'm confused. Are you being sarcastic or do you actually believe what you're saying? If you're sarcastic you could make it a little clearer. If you're being serious how did you figure out how to post a comment on the internet?
      • Wargalas, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Because I paid attention in college and I don't jump on every bandwagon there is. I think for myself and do and say what is right instead of what is popular.
        • dftpnkezln, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Did your college career not involve some introductory courses on US Foreign policy? The US (nor any other nation) does not go into situations to help out friends - it goes in to serve its own strategic (or in rare cases, domestic political) interests - if it cooincides with a set of circumstances which can be explained as a kindly gesture, so much the better.
  • govsucks, on 10/10/2007, -33/+1Its funny to see people taking this crap so seriously. First he is a freakin comedian, and while he may be a good comedian, hindsight is 20/20 for everyone. Its pretty silly to sit back a bitch about all the things that WENT wrong, but were the hell was his royal wise ass when the choices needed to be made in the first place....probably trying to decide what joke to tell that day, real important stuff. I know that this may be hard for liberals to understand, but sometimes the enemy of my enemy is my friend and all other cultures aren't filled with fruity trix and friendly bunnies, although some of these middle eastern nations might be interested in making some weak liberals dress like that and dance for amusement. Jon is talking about people and situations that he wouldn't know how to deal with even if he had some nuts AND a gun. So lets just move on eh?
    • hawkspur, on 10/10/2007, -1/+13You sir, are an idiot.
      • nblsavage, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4Hawk, you are a master of understatement :)
    • Vician, on 10/10/2007, -1/+9Actually, Jon's point is even more valid. While it's true that at times we aren't able to predict what will happen, the point of the piece was that are meddling in affairs of these countries has never once helped us - and eventually lead to us being attacked ourselves and embedded in a war that we will never win. Now, if hindsight is 20/20, why, dear invisible being that you pray to, are we ***** around again in the exact same way we've already done? If, as history and hindsight will show us, it's a stupidly awful idea and will only succeed in totally screwing things up even more than they already are?
    • harsh3r, on 10/10/2007, -1/+9Atleast he never claimed to be a 'Foreign Policy expert' and ran for President, you freakin idiot. He echoes the thought of the common American, albeit in a very funny way.
    • shadeOgrey, on 10/10/2007, -0/+14It doesn't take 20/20 hindsight to realize that spending billions to arm every enemy of your enemy is the worst way to promote stability anywhere. And I'm far from liberal.
    • Foghlai, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3It's actually sad that, with the current "news" we have to choose from, in order to get any sort of serious/intelligent discussion on current topics, the American people have to turn to a comedy show. Thankfully however, the comedy show does its job more effectively and accurately than Fox, ABC, NBC, CNN combined.

      As a side note: How many times a day do you address millions of viewers? I would be somewhat impressed if you could actually did. But sadly for you, it is obvious you do not share opinions with people other than diggers, since no one knows, nor cares, who you are.

      In conclusion, Jon Stewart has considerably larger balls than you.
    • waymaker, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Because "nuts AND a gun" are the only two things you need to solve a conflict, AMIRITE? Check your feet, your clownshoes are too tight. Then consider.. if America wants to help stabilize the middle east, perhaps, they should stop arming them to the ***** every decade... Or perhaps that thought is too "liberal" for you. Try this one on for size. A little over a third of American troops killed in Iraq since Shock and Awe, were killed by enemies armed with American weapons.
    • BlacklabelSAR, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0We are taking this seriously because THIS ***** MATTERS *****! It is just common sense. God damn you are stupid.
    • Flower2112, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0History is there so we can look back and not repeat mistakes. We're supposed to bitch and debate about it so we can learn from it. Sorry if the format of the discussion wasn't to your liking.
    • alterImperson, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1So if you gave a small child a nerf gun, he shoots you in the face, you take it away and punish him, and did the same the next day, and the next. How long do you think it would take you to figure out that every time you give the kid the nerf gun, you're gonna get shot in the face? So far it's been 3 decades and counting. That's Jon's point here.
  • kebwi, on 10/10/2007, -8/+7Look, I realize I'll be dug down for asking a stupid question, but here goes anyway.

    I watched The Daily Show last night (Wednesday) and didn't see this clip. Furthermore, I see references that this clip is from the episode with Obama, but that airs Thursday night (that would be tonight). What gives?

    What am I missing here?
    • Fieri, on 10/10/2007, -0/+14You watch the show too early. Stay up three hours later.
      • kebwi, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7Huh, there it is. I have always seen the later episode listed, but never checked it because it isn't listed as "new", so I always assumed it was a repeat from earlier in the evening. It is, in fact, a new episode...and furthermore the earlier show, which is marked as a "new" episode, actually isn't new, since it aired the previous night. It's a repeat. Ugh.

        I partially blame www.tvguide.com for having inaccurate episode labelings, and to a much greater extent, my own laziness for never bothering to check. Oh well.

        Right, bury the thread. Sorry.
        • gwhardyiv, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Bury the thread? You asked a question and somebody actually answered it without being snarky. Dugg as an exemplary exchange of information.
  • hawkspur, on 10/10/2007, -0/+13It's my personal view that our activities in the Middle East will lead to a new World War.

    Even if it doesn't, our "help and intervention" has only in creased instability 10 fold. We need to get out of there.
    • nblsavage, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6This quote haunts me when I think about that.
      "I do not know with what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones." - Albert Einstein
      • Vodka2389, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0You sure that's how the quote goes?
        • nblsavage, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1*shrug* that's the way I remember it and it came up on a google search.
    • rhylan, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Look into ww1 a bit more - it was germany wishing to get a trainline into iraq that was the real cause of ww1...
      • xTRUMANx, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1That's true, but it was not an aggressive action. Germany had no oil producing colonies and needed to get some if they wished to keep up with Britain's military, specifically their navy who had just switched from coal to oil.
  • yoshimaroka, on 10/10/2007, -7/+6Great segment, but… Obama!? horrible
    • WiseWeasel, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4Seriously, give the guy a hand job while you're at it... Not a serious tough question on domestic policies (other than a glancing blow at health care). Nothing on the North American Union, nothing on our tanking dollar, nothing on the wasteful and harmful War on Drugs, state vs. federal rights, or anything else of consequence. While Obama did a good job of answering the questions asked, I was sad to see Jon miss a chance to ask some important and difficult questions.
      • elliam, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6It's a friggin comedy show.
        • seeinpixels, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Couldn't answer that better myself.
      • 30thElement, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2"The show that leads into mine is puppets making crank phone calls".
        I butchered the quote, but you sound the exact same as Carlson and Begala.
    • brownr21, on 10/10/2007, -9/+1How is Obama horrible? You must be retarded...
  • thepaul, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5"oh billions of dollars is there no dispute you can't settle", that line had be ROTFLMAO. So true, so sad but true. American policy, "just arm everybody".
    • Koldkompress, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Kind of like the second amendment! AMIRITE?
      /Prepares to be dugg down
  • ElPachuco, on 10/10/2007, -3/+0Jeez, maybe I need to start killing people that have different faiths from me, then maybe the government will pay me so I can get some damn consoles...
  • Stoddard333, on 10/10/2007, -4/+0If you want to learn more about America's foreign policy (or lack thereof) i really suggest reading Crossing the Rubicon by Micheal Ruppert.
  • chiggah, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1I laugh. Than I got sad.

    Damn YOU JON STEWART!!!! Why did you have to remind us of factual historical events while I could just live ignorant life!!!!
    • BlacklabelSAR, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0Google video Bill Hicks (unless you are already aware of his comedy), you will enjoy it as well. He enlightened people to horrible truths while making them laugh. Like most great artists, he is more popular after his death.
  • RollFizzlebeef, on 10/10/2007, -1/+13WHy donnt yoo LIEberuls jus leaf this ***** if yoo don lik it? I love warr hero Bush he luves Jesus an kils Obama and Hitlery lol
    • 1337Einstein, on 10/10/2007, -5/+1I can't make you look like ny more of a moron, you've done the job for me. If sarcasm was your intent, you sir, are epic.
      • gwhardyiv, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Buried for use of the Olberman "Sir."
  • iamausername, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1this reminds me of a captain planet episode, where the bad guy sells weapons to both sides.
  • heystoopid, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2A very sad indictment indeed of all the national media chains , when comedians are forced to lampoon and be highly critical of any politician and their whacked out stupid greedy egocentric grandiose ideas and future dumb plans , whilst mainstream media reproduces propaganda as fact and ignoring all realities at the same time .

    Mind you , if these political idiots call any comedian unpatriotic , comedians can turn it around to bite their exposed political asses by making them look even more stupider for just opening their mouths , a truly powerful weapon is comedy !

    As for the Iran / Iraq war the US military complex lead by Colin Powell(as a two star he signed all the chits lodged at supply HQ or so it would seem for the price of 3 more gold stars) sold the Iranians weapons and spare parts and then used the funds illegally to fund all manner of scum , rapists , losers and drug lords in Nicaragua in chairman Ronnie's era , to remove a local government seeking to remove undue US CIA / United Fruit Packing inspired internal interference ! A minority of insiders made several small fortunes from that affair then , all for the price of one blind fool's military career!

    Let the lampooning continue !
    • Metman, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Wow.. some of your historical references are incredibly jaded. You might want to re-study that conflict, I think you will find there was a little more to that.
  • Barbarino, on 10/10/2007, -9/+2Monday Morning QB...

    • dftpnkezln, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2If your quarterback was consistently passing the ball to the opposition over a number of decades, would you consider doing some monday morning quarterbacking then? Or at least look for a different type of playbook?
  • DtotheC34, on 10/10/2007, -5/+0*random offensive conservative comment*
  • DtotheC34, on 10/10/2007, -5/+0*random offensive conservative comment*
  • blackeagle613, on 10/10/2007, -3/+0brilliant
  • fixedcoma, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Nice work and it's good to see someone pound the head of the nail on idiot ***** like this. how contradictory can we gat. And we allow people like this in office. We allow big corporate schmucks to take office and pull strings to help their best buds make money and make our innocent people get killed, mutilated and murdered all so their greedy asses can drag us and every other country through the mud. Well my hat is off to you all!!! Thanks for not standing up for what this country and the world really needs! !/3 of the country is going under water, thanks to the factories and pollutants, nuclear bombs, and chemicals, well there won't be too much ice in the poles soon enough. Our solutions to things are just going to degrade the eart even more. Instead we think that chemicals are needed to fight back weeds because we are to lazy to bend down and pull the ***** plant out of the ground. We still rely on gasoline when all the answera are here and now, but the corporate profiteers still wabt to make some more money that this country really has none of! Hmm , i feel the ***** about to hit the fan and possibly never stop!!! And the world has to suffer with the idiots consequences!
  • fixedcoma, on 10/10/2007, -1/+11 more thing "Jon Stewart for Presidernt, John Stewart for President" Something makes me want to destroy these crooked *****!
  • Sinistocrat, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1That segment could have been much, much longer. I suggest that anyone who enjoyed this clip do some of their own research about our meddling in the Middle East, you will be aghast.
  • Sputs, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1"Turn the whole place into a ***** glass bowl"
    • mr100percent, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Who are you quoting?
      • Halli, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0It's from CNNN, a satirical news show from the Chaser team. Basically they would ask the average American questions on the street about this and that. They asked some old guy about the Middle East and this is what he came up with. I'm sure you can find it on youtube. It's hilarious and sad at the same time.
  • thoughttrain, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0Many dollars lost...Many Americans and Iraqis dead...
    Thanks George Bush
  • marioae, on 10/10/2007, -0/+9Oy. His comedy is very painful to swallow. Because it's funny... the video at least.

    The reality is much, much darker.
  • ManJamimah, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1http://www.bustedtees.com/shirt/stewartcolbert/male
  • zachshmack, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Was about to submit this page myself, but it's already been submitted. Check it out if you want more info.

    http://digg.com/politics/A_brief_history_of_U_S_intervention_in_the_Middle_East
  • maurin, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1"The Great War for Civilisation - the Conquest of the Middle East" by Robert Fisk is an outstanding read on this subject. Raw and honest perspective of a the last 30 years in the area from an intelligent, unbiased journalist's point of view.
    • Putts335, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1Seconded!

      It's painful to get through at points (did that really happen? *****!), but amazingly informative.
  • conceptkid, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0Wow. Im laughing my ass off at that video and I dont know if its because its ridiculously funny or im starting to go insane
  • tengil, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Great segment. Easily one of the best ones of the past year, along with "Progress in Iraq" where Jon showed how great things were going in Iraq if you just reversed the course of time, the bit about arming the sunni resistance and John Oliver's bit about the war czar position, among others.
    Would've been even better if they had brought up the part about covertly selling arms to Iran as well during the Iran-Iraq war.
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