Saturday, 4 April 2009

Smackdowns via Colbert & Stewart.

While I no longer reside in the US, I still appreciate and give thanks for the wisdom of its founding fathers to guarantee the right of free speech to all citizens. It's the simplest line of demarcation for democracy: A country either grants this right, or it doesn't.

In today's US -- maybe more than any time since the 1960s -- an ocean-sized schism has formed between progressives and conservatives. Two of the leading conservative voices are media superstars Glenn Beck & Rush Limbaugh. The American tradition of free speech makes it possible for them to be handsomely rewarded for expressing what many would call seditious opinions to an audience unable to accept President Barack Obama's historic victory over John McCain.

Thankfully, free speech invites competition and, in the case of Beck and Limbaugh, vastly superior opposition. First, Stephen Colbert skewers nutbag Beck's exploitation of the horrors of Sept 11:
The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The 10.31 Project
comedycentral.com
Colbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical HumorNASA Name Contest

Second, Jon Stewart puts a ferocious boot to Limbaugh's big fat ass:
The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c
Rush Limbaugh Leaves New York
comedycentral.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesEconomic CrisisPolitical Humor

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