Jon Stewert: There is no more fight between left and right, only extremist and moderates...

I heard Jon Stewert on the Daily Show talk about it, and I found it rather interesting. He basically said that the fight is between people in the middle versus the crazies of both sides, who have moved so far apart in the political spectrum they have curved back around to be the same thing. You dig?

(P.S. The show was with this author of a book called Slander, who in my opinion is a crazy right-winger who thinks anyone who questions anything about the war to be an idiot. She's the idiot. But if she was here, she'd say I was the idiot. But really, she's the idiot. But if she were here, she would swear I was the idiot. No author of Slander, YOU are the idiot.)

 

Both sides have melded together to present the same point of view? I'm not sure about that, I'd be curious if you could explain further what he said.

The author of Slander is Ann Coulter, and she can be rather brash. Slander is the #1 best-seller right now.

 

For some issues, yes. Stewert's point was starkly, nakedly true last autumn and winter. I still have a big list of quotes uttered by idiots and extremists on Left and Right that draw my ire.

 

I think Jon was trying to think of something to say to counter her, without showing his true feelings cause it'd be bad PR (for both of them). I could tell he was holding back on alot of things. It would've been funny to see them get into it.

 

I think that there is some truth to the statement - while both sides do profess to espouse polar opposite views, in practice, they seem to more or less impliment the same agenda. Bipartisan politics seems to be almost a joke, if you ask me.

 

Obi-Wan McCartney:

Quite frankly, your comments about Ms. Coulter only prove her point - at least in my mind.

If you've got proof that she is wrong, I'd like to see it.

 

Extremist is a label of convenience, bandied around in order to discredit opponents, without having to go to the bother of actually debating with them.
From a certain point of view environmentalists can be considered extremists, but are they really to be equated with terrorists, or those in support of fascistic views?
In any case, it's a question of context, what would be considered moderate/extreme varies from country to country, and from one generation to the next. Most Brits, judging by opinion polls, election results, consider pure laissez-faire capitalism to be an extremist position. Only a tiny handful of politicians in Britain openly oppose the NHS, whereas in the US, only a small minority favours socialised medicine.
Pacifists such as Gandhi, and Bertrand Russell were extremists. If you were to take the new testament literally, then it's message is pretty extreme, very anti-materialistic, totally pacifist, not exactly popular views nowadays.

 

People use almost any term as a label for opponents they can't beat in a fair argument, "extremist" included. I would define "extremist" as anyone so caught up in a narrow view they've forgotten the big picture.

From a certain point of view environmentalists can be considered extremists, but are they really to be equated with terrorists, or those in support of fascistic views?

The group that attacked the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle a couple of years ago is insane - I think their agenda is part environmentalist, part humanitarian. Whatever, they are both extremists and terrorists. Because they vowed to blow up buildings and so forth until the WTO gives into their agenda, they were the first group that occurred to me when 9/11 happened (I had just gotten up, so it took me a few minutes to realize they probably lacked the resources).

So if you go group by group instead of using such a broad field, some environmentalists should be considered extremists, IMHO. The danger lies in branding anyone who thinks taking care of the planet is a nice idea as an "extremist" because of a few radical groups.

Like with the ACLU - they're pretty rabid in some of their tactics, but that shouldn't taint people who think everyone needs equal rights. The ACLU derailed from its original, noble purpose a long time ago.

And in the interest of fairness, I will now name two conservative groups I consider extremists.

One is the NRA. The First Amendment isn't absolute (you can't "express your opinions" loudly in a theater, for example) so why should the Second Amendment be absolute? Some gun controls are worth considering, and the NRA seems not even to consider any of them. That's missing the big picture.

Also, the Christian Coalition could be labelled extremist - they never seem to "think about" what's good for the nation, because obviously it's whatever their god tells them. Then someone like Jerry Falwell blames gays and feminists for 9/11, and - to their credit - the Christian Coalition backs away from him and realizes it might be possible to misinterpret God's message. So maybe there's hope for these guys, I dunno.

 

While I generally agree that the extremists on both sides merge into the same thing, we are no where near that in America.

The Red/Brown coalition in France is one example of that, but Republicans and Democrats are so close to the center relative to the rest of the world it is a ridiculus argument to take. I see them as too close to each other, not too far apart.

 

That lady seems really good at getting people mad. I watched that episode of The Daily Show tonight, and I loved when she said that some Republicans are bad, but all Democrats are bad. Then the entire audience starting booing her. That was great!

 

Jerry Falwell and his type of thinking represent all that is wrong with America .

His post 9/11 statements only prove that.

V-03

 

Ann Coulter is a fairly accomplished columnist and thinker. Alot of the stuff she says is pretty out there, but alot of the stuff she says is right on. I agree with her more often than not.

Either way, Jon Stewart is really no match for her. She'd clean the floor with him.

 

Yeah, but I bet she'd be no match for John Stewart

Unless she wore yellow

 

D'oh!

 

cydonia - Have you read Slander? If not, pick it up.

 

Well, with comments like "there ARE bad Republicans, there are no good democrats," you can see why someone like me would think her an idiot.

I'm a lot more moderate than I let on on this board, but the reason I side left is because whacko's like her who believe anyone questioning the government's methods is a traitor to the nation. Isn't this the same right end of the spectrum that believes in less government interference? I don't really see how these ideas jive, especially with this crazy notion that anyone who questions their governments actions is an idiot.

"No Ms. Coulter, YOU are the idiot." (I know nobody gets it, but I lifted this she's the idiot I'm the idiot bit from an old SNL DEEP THOUGHTS.)

 

I agree. I was really listening to what she said until the "there ARE bad Republicans, there are no good democrats" line. I'm sorry, but generalizations like that tend to reflect on a person's character.
Also, I've never heard anyone booed on the Daily Show before. That was funny.

 

Alan Colmes tried to stand up to her a few nights ago. She started a sentence by saying "This is why you liberals...", and Colmes calmly replied "I'm not 'you liberals', my name is Alan. You can call me Mr. Colmes."

 

Women seems like a yatch. See, it's not that powerful strong-minded women are looked down upon, it's just that no one likes arrogant people who insult you. I mean, basically, all she did was insult the left with nothing but her own biased view to support her.

 

Gee....thats exactly like you, except your on the wrong side.

 

Liberals are really some of the most intolerant people in the world.

 

Liberals are really some of the most intolerant people in the world.

I object to that statement.

 

Edit: Never mind.

 

They are just as intolerant as everyone else. I think people say they are more intolerant because they always claim to be the tolerant ones.

 

Conservatives are just as intolerant as liberals.