I forgot to include Chris Hedges in the getting it right department. As he said, these Christian Right folks pick and choose different parts of the Bible to support their insanity, ie their murderous and thievish intentions.

I am glad that I read the post and then watched the vid and then read the comments. Here’s a tip for all of the “take themselves much too seriously” pseudo-intellectuals that read this blog. Lighten up. Guys like one Colbert or one Stewart or Maher or Carlin have done more for public awareness than all of you put together. If you’re not smart enough to get what’s going on with their shows, watch Faux Noise or o’lie-lly. They’re ratings are plummeting and I’m sure they could use your help. By the way, in a recent survey done by an independent group, Comedy Central Viewers were found to be much more liberal-minded, more intelligent, better-looking and MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL scoring with the opposite sex than people that only read TruthDig.
True Facts.
Really.

What is missing in these discussions and writings about the neo-con fundamentalist christian movement is the simple fact that these folks are not Christians. They are “Old Testamentarians”. They pick and choose the craziest ideas and beliefs of small tribes that spent endless years in wars and conflicts over stolen sheep, women and grain and such; and then call it the word of God and go on to quote this drivel to support their own warped tribal outlooks.
If I hear them quoting anything from they Old Testament I know they are not coming from a Christian perspective. If they would at least quote Christ to support their positions I could give them credit for following their beliefs, but if all they offer as basis for their belief are quotes from the O. T. then they are something other than Christians.

Rae,

People don’t watch The Colbert Report to “buy it, hook line and sinker.” They watch it to laugh, especially since the shows tries to bring some kind of levity to these most troubled times in which we live.  It has to be noted that shows like The Daily Show or The Colbert Report are really of no social or political consequence.  The content these “entertainers” satire IS concerning and IS affecting the country we live in.  When pro-Bush Fox News and AM/FM talk radio hit the air they are actively engaged in propagandistic work that shapes votes and ultimately get Americans and foreigners killed.  The same can not be said of our entertainers.

As for Mr. Hedges, he’s no entertainer.  He’s a hard hitting journalist formally of the NY Times and straight out of Harvard Divinity School.  I wouldn’t turn to him to be entertained.  In fact, when I listen to him speak and read his work I get depressed.  Simply because he’s savvy enough to operate in the world of the 40 second sound bite doesn’t mean he’s a glossy Hollywood hipster.

Maybe I misread your posting and got the wrong idea, but it seemed to me that instead of arguing with Mr. Hedges stance, you attempted to trivialize his work by pairing him with some red herring of an entertainment culture. That’s all - TheEnd

Lou.  The Colbert Report is broadcasted on COMEDY CENTRAL which is maybe why ‘there must always be “comedy”.’

Lou,

Why we need Colbert’s comedy:

1)Colbert is more satire than comedy. He did not invent the notion that satire can expose folly and malfeasance in a way straight commentary cannot.

2) He offers a much needed counterpoint to the ridiculous Hannity/Limbaugh/OReily propaganda by lampooning their lopsided formats.

3) Before we noticed that maintstream media had become co-opted by corporate interests it took Stewart/Maher/Colbert’s comedy to slip dissent under the radar. Anyone in the straight media who cast a critical eye on the right got canned.

So, lament the loss of serious objective journalism. That is a grievous loss. But thank Colbert/Maher/Stewart for keeping the flames of dissent burning while the country took a 5-year hiatus from reality.

You’ve gotta hand it to both of them… they’re ENTERTAINERS, and very good ones.

In America the “message” MUST be professionally packaged, hyped and promoted before it will even be noticed, let alone understood or accepted.

In America, if it isn’t ENTERTAINING, it is not even noticed but being noticed doesn’t necessarily mean there’s anything of value contained therein.

I’m reminded of those “movie” libraries… where the shelves in the scene are full of book COVERS and LOOK GREAT. However, there’s no actual content between the covers. It’s all for show… and the people BUY IT, hook, line and sinker.

What is tiresome is that Steve Colbert finds it so important to try to be funny all the time.
I thank Truthdig for providing these clips to I can hear people like Chris Hedges without having to put up with tired comedy from the former Mr. Goodwrench.
He means well by having people like Hedges speak, but it typical of American television that there must always be “comedy”.

god bless Chirs Hedges.

and i don’t even believe in God!

oh and yeah. . . and some blessings for Stephen, too.

Every time I see, hear, or read something by or about Chris Hedges I like him even more.

This clip was delightful for a Monday morning read. Hedges held up well under Colbert’s absurdity!

C’mon Colbert ... “yes” may have three letters, but “no” is succinct and doesn’t need the third letter (i.e., “nay") to make the point.

Was this interview just to promote the book?