Comic Jon Stewart attacks WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange

[Karmadillo]

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/dec2010/stew-d07.shtml

Comic Jon Stewart attacks WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange
By David Walsh
7 December 2010

Comic Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, the satirical US news program and talk show, went out of his way November 30 to attack WikiLeaks’ co-founder Julian Assange and the exposure of American government conspiracies around the world.

In the eight-and-a-half-minute segment, Stewart downplayed the explosive WikiLeaks material, cynically made fun of Assange’s name―of all things―and generally made light of revelations that have produced a major crisis for US imperialist diplomacy.

Assange is presently the subject of an intense international campaign of persecution spearheaded by US authorities. He faces phony sexual assault charges in Sweden and calls from the American ultra-right for his assassination.

That Stewart chooses this moment to broadcast a demeaning and dismissive routine at Assange’s expense is an act, if nothing else, of extraordinary cowardice. By his comments, Stewart solidarized himself with the US and other powerful states and the global media in their campaign to demonize and, if possible, eliminate, one troublesome individual.

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[inna]

1. seriously? i think i'm done with Stewart. it was good while it lasted.

[HipChick]

2. He's a comic..

It was hilarious :shrug:

[barbtries]

10. i'm going to watch it

before jumping to conclusions.

[AsahinaKimi]

14. me too

very disappointed. Sad.

[jpgray]

3. Comic makes joke. Ideologues' resultant hate/love conditional on next joke.

[SidDithers]

8. Yup...

Stewart's a hero until he skewers St. Julian.

Sid

[era veteran]

15. No kidding

That guy is a creep anyway. Not a hero. I smell a new schism @ DU.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

20. Or Code Pink.

[SidDithers]

21. Or Keith Olberman...

:hi:

Sid

[Hissyspit]

4. delete

[leveymg]

5. Stewart has been moving right, trying to distance himself from the coming network bloodbath

His interview after the rally was both telling and bizarrely reminded me of one of the mea culpas heard from former Leftists during the McCarthy era.

He knows which side his toast is buttered, and who's holding the knife.

[crikkett]

6. He's gone from telling us to think to telling us what to think

and I've gone from fan to critic

[KarenS]

7. +1 n/t

[Duppers]

16. yep!

:thumbsup:

[seabeyond]

9. good for stewart. maybe our, oh so, openminded du can digest, jsut cause some people see assange

as a piece of shit, doesn't make them assassinating rwers.

not everyone agrees with you all

[KharmaTrain]

11. FFS...It's A Comedy Show...

If Wikileaks rises and falls around Assange, then it's failed. The documents are more important than one person who has drawn a lot of attention and made himself a target of those who are cynical or just looking for a good laugh. Whether Assange is a criminal, pervert or a candlestick maker means nothing...it's the information others have given him that should be the focus and the scrutiny. Sorry...not into the Assange cult here...it's supposed to be about the contents of what he has. And this stuff of saying there's even more either as a form of "protection" or extortion means nothing as well until it's released.

[Poboy]

12. Stewart protects the establishment. No surprise here. He has a vested

in protecting his turf. Only Jon-jon can criticize. Its really pathetic though that he goes for making fun of Assange's name. How cheap is that? Third grade material I am sure.
Stewart makes no mention of the lies, deceit, and criminality Assange has exposed, because Jon-jon serves his master.


Colbert actually had Assange on his show last year. Quite a contrast.

[Fla_Democrat]

18. /swish

:spray:




:smoke:

[SemiCharmedQuark]

22. LOL @ criticizing Stewart for making fun of Assenge's name while calling him "Jon Jon"

[TBF]

13. Typical, Stewart is just another rich guy .... nt

[Erose999]

17. I agree with Stewart that there really wasn't a "smoking gun" in Wikileaks' document dump, but he is

definitely downplaying some of the meatier bits, such as the other nations who were pushing for us to attack Iran. I agree with him that the material that contains unflattering opinions of world leaders is pretty childish, but that was pretty much the entirity of Stewarts reporting on the cables.

I agree with other posters that he is moving right. I expect him to live up to his pledge and have George Bush II on his show and lob him softball questions any day now.

[DainBramaged]

19. Give up your TV's, dress in sack cloth and eat dirt, the world hates you

It doesn't stop. :eyes: