Stewart panders to anti-capitalists

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on September 26th, 2007

Jon Stewart famously declared to Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala on their show Crossfire, “I’m not going to be your monkey.” That was three years ago.

Last night, Stewart was more than happy to be Evo Morales’ monkey when the Bolivian president appeared on Comedy Central’s Emmy award-winning fake news program.

Looking a bit stiff and speaking through a translator, Morales did not seem at first to understand some of Stewart’s jokes, delivering serious responses. But he gradually relaxed under gentle questioning from Stewart and a crowd that delighted in the leftist leader’s indictments of Western capitalism and appeals for social justice.[…]

But when Stewart urged Morales to discuss his reforms, the president got free reign to extol his successes and drew wild applause with nearly every example.

One of the highlights of Morales’ standard after-dinner speech is his declaration that capitalism is “the worst enemy of humanity.” How does that square with Stewart’s position as the youthful face of the $17.5 billion behemoth known as Viacom? We suppose that is entirely compatible with “gentle questioning” and flirtatious interviews with a guy who champions coca farmers and is regularly photographed with Fidel and Hugo.

from → News • View 5 Comments • Print-Friendly • Back To Top