01-04-2009, 11:51 PM
Peter Presland Wrote:I've had a pretty good look around here since joining and haven't found a link to this video yet. Apologies if it's already been posted but it's such a classic it deserves another look anyway.
It's a demolition job on the CNBC network by Jon Stewart at Comedy Central prompted by an outburst from a well known 'analyst/commentator' - one Rick Santelli at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange early last month. It addresses many of the issues raised in this article and, whilst comedy might seem a bit out of place considering the epoch-defining seriousness of it all, in this case it does one of the best demolition jobs I've seen on the shills, shysters, crooks and banksters at the heart of the mess. It certainly gave me one of the best sustained bouts of hilarious laughter I've enjoyed for a long time.
Note especially: "I have to say I find ...... cheap populism ... oddly arousing" and
"If only I'd followed CNBC advice I'd have a million Dollars today ..... provided I'd started with a hundred million"
Be sure to watch to the end too because the Alan Stanford 'killer question' bit is something of a Coup-de-grace. It should have you spluttering coffee everywhere if you just happen to have taken a sip and are not quite ready for it.
Brutal but utterly hilarious
Humor is most definitely not out of place here Peter. That's why we have a Lounge. Not that humor is restricted to the Lounge.
We need the perspective humor affords.
Besides, Jon Steward and Stephen Colbert are The Great Ones. They transcend all boundaries and categories and labels. They're guests of honor everywhere.