Bill Maher: Western culture isn't just different, it's better.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

On "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart relatively soft-pedaled his defense of fellow Comedy Central employees, "South Park's" Matt Stone and Trey Parker, against a group of Muslim critics. Over at HBO this weekend, though, Bill Maher wasn't holding anything back. On his show "Real Time With Bill Maher," the show's every-incendiary host opined during his segment "New Rules:"

"When South Park got threatened last week by Islamists incensed at their depiction of Muhammad, it served -- or should serve -- as a reminder that our culture isn't just different than one that makes death threats to cartoonists. It's better." In his defense of the First Amendment and other Americal civil liberties, Maher -- who made the film "Religulous" -- continued: "The Western world needs to make it clear: Some things about our culture are not negotiable. And can't change. And one of them is freedom of speech, Separation of church and state is another."

Completely spot-on observation about real differences in cultures, one that will not play well with PC police. Bill Maher is certainly no friend of religious people; and gives grief equally to Christianity, Judaism, Scientology, and Mormons as you will see. But he specifically singles out Isalm with the recent actions in Afganistan and the Taliban's attack on an all girls school.

Comments

Bill Maher on America

[verytwistedmind.livejournal.com]

Are we a great country or are we a stupid country? Is the only thing worth preserving in Mr. Maher's overly touted opinion; free speech?

He's like that old joke "Even a broken clock is right twice a day". He's overall opinion of the United States is one of contempt.

Re: Bill Maher on America

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Greatness is in stupidity, I assume :-)

Re: Bill Maher on America

[telemann.livejournal.com]

He actually commented at great length about that, after the bruhaha over that interview:

Re: Bill Maher on America

[mijopo.livejournal.com]

I don't see the inconsistency. Can't he laud the country for embracing free speech (although, as noted above, I think he should be less sanguine) and also denounce it for often acting irrationally. Why can't we be critical of one factor and encouraging of another. Does it have to be, "I love America and by definition everything it does or that its citizens do is great" (BTW, Did he even say that America is a great country?)

Doesn't the fact that people like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh or Sarah Palin enjoy huge popularity provide evidence that America is a stupid country? If not, what about polls that show huge segments of the population believe that the world is 10000 years old, etc., etc. Isn't it at least a coherent claim?

Re: Bill Maher on America

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

I only have watched his shows a few times, I don't get that opinion of general contempt for America, just a contempt for well, contemptable things.

I'd say we're a great and stupid country in near-equal measures.

Re: Bill Maher on America

[futurebird.livejournal.com]

He just wants to rattle people. I really can't take him seriously.

Re: Bill Maher on America

[medea34.livejournal.com]

i think it is possible to say that the United States is better than an Islamic theocray without saying the the United States is a great country and while saying it is a stupid country.

Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried.

- Winston Churchill