George Will vs. Stephen Colbert

[Dave From Canada]

Run time: 07:09 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1eTwDHYTkM   Posted on YouTube: June 05, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: June 05, 2008 By DU Member: Dave From Canada Views on DU: 2115

 
This is the closest I've seen to anyone besting Colbert.

[Hulk]

1. This helped me garner my dislike for george will with purpose...

I knew I didn't like they guy much, but I couldn't put a finger on why. Now, after listening to him with Colbert, I know why very clearly.....he's just another "me first, screw the next guy if he can't make it." I love to hate narrow minded, self centered, selfish sons-of-bitches like him.

Thanks Stephen.

[underpants]

4. Will fails to see the need for equality at the beginning of the excercise

but he is just an "ends justify the means" kind of guy I guess

[Hand]

11. Yep.

Strip out the cheesy Ivy League gloss and you've got Hagee screaming "STARVE!!! STARVE!!!!!!!!" :puke:

[Prophet 451]

2. Damn, that was impressive

George Will - One of the few conservative pundits who actually has a brain.

[stlsaxman]

3. Worth watching twice!

"... and you, Sir, are a formidable opponent!"

:rofl:

[ErtBob]

5. This clinched it!

After watching this interview, I have never been happier or more committed to being a liberal. George Will says that conservatives want a free market above all else and are willing to suffer the consequences of the resulting inequalities. Is he referring to how Enron was FREE to cause economic chaos and hardship to millions of people just so a couple of people could make millions? Is he referring to how the mortgage industry was FREE to burden thousands (or more) people with sub-prime loans that they may not have even understood and are now losing their homes? Is there really such thing as a free market? When corporations become so powerful that they control their markets, they MUST be regulated. The energy industry is a prime example. They will tell you that supply and demand dictates the price of oil and gas. They are deliberately limiting supply so as to elevate demand. This is not a secret.

Liberals love making money as much as conservatives. They just want to enjoy their money in a modern, civilized society that isn't divided between the ultra wealthy and the desperate poor.

I forget who this quote is from but it speaks to George Wills delusion: "Without law and order, man has no freedom". This "law and order" already applies to individuals, it also needs to apply to large corporations. We are slipping towards fascism in this country. Look it up!

[nachoproblem]

8. Conservatives seem to believe

that Liberals are deluded in thinking we can "build anything straight from the crooked timber of humanity," yet they think it is possible to build a system that defends everyone's freedom from such a timber. Does that mean our freedom should be protected by something crooked? And this is good, because it is pragmatic rather than ideological?

My brother-in-law, a libertarian, is always rabidly insisting that people need to be protected from ideology. It begs the question. By what? That people who are armed and empowered and sent out for their self-interest rather than any type of ideology will somehow do the right thing by default? The problem is that people in the last century, especially Americans, think because of their experience that "ideology" means some crap like Nazism or Marxism. I wonder if I'm allowed to blame it on the disappearance of classical education.

An unregulated econmomy is nothing but a power-vaccuum that will end up being regulated by the biggest fish. The idea that this is somehow more free than having it regulated by a popular vote is just silly.

[victordrazen]

6. Colbert had so many opportunities

that he squandered. Makes me wonder how "real" any of the corporate/military contract owned tv personalities are.

[Bozvotros]

7. Colbert having an off night...that's all

I agree, he could have mopped the floor with him from the opening exchange. If you let George Will make up shit, like state mandates are the reason health care costs are going up, then it is difficult to make him look like the clueless, kool aid glugging tool that he is.

[Hegemony Cricket]

9. How to gussy up a bad construct, George Will style...

...first start with two of the main principals our nation was founded on: Freedom and Equality. Then elegantly express the tension between ensuring both freedom and equality. Next, and this is a big step forward, conflate Freedom with Conservative and Equality with Liberal.

The coup de grace: Conservative = Republican and Liberal = Democrat.

What you are left with:

Freedom --> Conservative --> Republican

Equality --> Liberal --> Democrat

This is so wrong on so many levels, yet has the sound byte flavor that paints the black and white we desire as opposed to clearing up any of the mud we currently bathe in. It's also just academically sound enough to make one blink.

However, if we'd just keep the debate about freedom and equality we'd have the ongoing national dialog that is truly important.

Instead we're supposed to swallow that conservatives (and by right Republicans, because we all know there are no liberal Republicans and no conservative Democrats /sarcasm) value freedom above all.

In order to foster freedom you need equal protection. In order to make equal protection meaningful you need the demonstrable freedoms it engenders. This is the chocolate and peanut butter of our republic...to pit these two concepts against each other on the backdrop of Republican and Democrat is to demean both concepts.

However, Mr. Will trades on an antiquated Us vs. Them mentality which segregates the notions of freedom and equality into a Norquist-themed battle of small government versus big government. It gets us nowhere, it distances our citizens from each other even farther, and it essentially squelches any hope of non-partisan progress towards a better tomorrow amidst an increasingly destructive tribal mentality.

Not sure where I'm going with this at this point beyond ranting, but, pardon me for being provincial, George Will is a dick.

[underpants]

13. You had me at "chocolate and peanut butter of our republic"

Great post

I was going for something like that in my post above-his "end justifies the means" mentality fails (or more likely ignores) that there must be equality at the beginning of the excercise. The end is not the point and neither is the beginning it is the entire process.

But not making it black or white undercuts his purpose and that of all punditry (these days) and that is basically professional wrestling. No conclusion no answer and no keeping track of anyone's record.

Finally let me say that you are also correct in that George Will *is* a dick.

[mythyc]

15. outstanding, spot-on analysis. It should be committed to memory by anyone debating Conservatives...

Though a very formidable opponent, you're completely right that when it comes down to it George Will is a simpleton dick. Any so-called quote-unquote "intellectual" who reduces concepts this complex to labels and proprieties.

He was on Charlie Rose two nights ago, fascinating contest between these two as well. Charlie was too easy on him too, but at least held his own ground and made some substantive points that George Will quite conspicuously either glossed over or gave no reply to. I highly recommend setting aside the hour to watching it. Above and beyond the political stratagems and machinations, the interview offers a revealing overview of the ideals and ideologies orthodox conservatism espouses.

...

hey Hegemony Cricket, if you don't mind me asking, what do you do? yours is a post I think everyone on DU needs to read closely....

[NorthCarolina]

10. George Will obviously is clueless about Colbert style humor

eom

[RebelOne]

12. That's amazing. A conservative agnostic. Must be a rarity. n/t

[jgraz]

16. I'm convinced that most conservatives are atheists, and that includes the preachers.

No truly religious person could use religion as cynically as they do.

[Jefferson23]

14. George Will, a conservative yes, a neocon..no. George Will gave

the book Takeover, by Charlie Savage, high praise in his review. I give him credit for recognizing the outrageous maneuvers of the Bush regime.

[canichelouis]

17. You haven't read the guy much have you