Anyone watch Maher Friday? [View all]

[realmirage]

Last edited Sat Jun 11, 2016, 06:32 PM - Edit history (1)

A lot of Sanders supporters are mad because Maher went on a rant against the 2/3 of Sanders supporters that want free health care and college for only $1000 in extra taxes. He focuses on millennials specifically, insinuating that they know nothing about politics or life except that they are used to getting free stuff (music, porn, 1/3 living at home, parents paying their car insurance and phone). I agree with his point, but would add a footnote. The only part I disagree with, and I don't think he was making this point anyway, is that sometimes "free stuff" isn't about getting stuff free but about getting things we should be getting, like free health care (tax funded, not free). His point is that they don't know enough about government to know that you won't get those things for only $1000 in taxes. I think the main underlying implication here is that if all you know about government is that you want free shit, you're a terrible voter.

Another great moment - guitarist Tom Morello used the "lesser of two evils" phrase to say both parties are bad. Maher called bullshit saying that "in Florida there are hundreds of thousands of people that did not get Medicaid because the governor is a Republican. If the governor was a Democrat they'd be getting health care and not dying." The differences in the two candidates "make differences in actual people's lives, especially the ones who you purport to be most for - the poor people."

Another highlight - Maher said Hillary won fair and square and that Sanders voters can't say it's "fair when you win and rigged when you lose."

And one of my favorite moments - Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine said he was an anarchist and the whole system, including the Bernie movement is worthless and all of it should be burned down. No one agreed with him, including Maher who said "that's easy to say when you live a comfortable life." Today I saw some Sanders voters a bit freaked out by Morello. But what was interesting to me is that Morello sounded like GDP here at DU. What's the difference between an anarchist who wants to burn it all down and a non-voter or someone who votes for parties that can never win? Is there, effectively, a difference?