Jon Stewart interviews big dog Bill Clinton

I suppose one is not to expect much from this sort of thing. If pro wrestling is 'sports entertainment', the Daily Show is 'politics entertainment,' as it were. Clinton was hailed by the audience as a returning hero and the whole thing was sort of snugglebunnies, if you know what I mean. It's nice to see Clinton is trying to do some good in the world and (Lord have mercy on us all) empower people. Still, Clinton might ponder the old Marxist saw about charity being the bandaids of capitalism. As tragically misguided as their inverted Hegelianism turned out to be, they weren't wrong all the time. Clinton should also ponder the hand globalization has had in producing the poverty he describes - he was a huge supporter of globalization in office. The IMF and the World Bank have hastened the Rush to the Bottom of globalization, heightening Third World misery, not pulling them out of it. To what or to whom are these bodies responsible to, Mr. Clinton? They're fundamentally undemocratic, secretive organizations. As a Pope used to say about the Freemasons, if they have nothing to hide, why do they so fear the light? Stewart was gushing recently about Tony Blair's university course on globalization and its discontents - I wonder if Blair will discuss in class why the discontented are, in fact, discontented. If globalization were to raise the living standard of the Third World, as Clinton suggests, how could the world support the strain on resources and the resulting increase in pollution. Riddle me that, Mr. Clinton. As
progressives have noted before, Clinton is a moderate Republican in most of his instincts with some liberal social opinions here and there. Rumours of his liberalism have been much exaggerated, I think. Clinton gets an easy ride with Daily Show audiences because of the witch hunt surrounding his sexual escapades and the ridiculous accusations of murder bandied about by the more extreme right-wing. Because Clinton was tragically flawed in his libido, he repeatedly fell into the traps laid for him by his extremist enemies - I suppose this gives Clinton the aura of a tragic figure and results in him getting the sympathy of the Daily Show crowd. However, I would ponder the man's actual policies in office. He consistently undercut the position of North American workers with regressive legislation underming the achievements of the New Deal and the Great Society. In one free trade negotiating session, Clinton, to his credit, wanted to include something on the rights of workers. I guess someone told him what was what. Similarly, Harry Truman wanted to bring in Medicare after the Second World War, but he, too, was told what was what by the medical powers-that-be. This should show you how the business of running the U.S. really works - and it is a business. Clinton seems genial compared to the attack dogs and the Niedermeyers in the White House the last few years - but, good God people, consider his real record. Clinton suggests Obama is stumbling towards the right thing in regards to Medicare? Perhaps. Obama shows some inclination to think outside the box - but he's still inside the damn box. Something about Clinton's appearance on Stewart's show depressed me. Maybe I'm expecting too much from all concerned. Beats me. Greg Cameron, Surrey, B.C., Canada