World's Worst - Prager Claims "Equality" Isn't American

[AngeCord]

What is equality worth when you have the right, but not the means to be equal?

[poopstreek]

There is a difference between considering everyone to be equal, and forcing them to be equal.

We all are supposed to have equal rights, and protection under our laws, but in no way does that mean that we should all make the same amount--like true socialists want.

[RavingDissension]

Prager is right. America is not about equality. It is about equity. The only thing equal in this country that Americans truly value is the ability to show just how unequal we all are, or simply put, equity.

[alexandreleverrier]

Right wingers are completely out of touch with reality, they're either corporate whores or morons.

[michaelzigi]

Almost all, if not all, academics/professors/authors/s­cholars would agree with the philosophical distinction Prager makes here. The clear line between equality and equal opportunity/liberty has been explained adequately in some of the comments below. Equality is a distinctly French Enlightenment notion. I am a recent graduate of Political Science and International Relations at Tufts University, and I have never come across any student or teacher that has offered an opposing argument.

[joekiddlouischama]

@michaelzigi "What about "All men are created equal" and "equal protection of the laws"?

The reality is that both the American and French Revolutions drew upon Enlightenment values.

[michaelzigi]

@joekiddlouischama In crude terms, the French ideal rested on Rousseau's general will, and the English rested on Hobbes, Locke, and Smith's individual self-interest. These are very different philosophies.

"All men are created equal" means humans are born equal, and they must be treated with equal opportunity (equal protection guarantees this). "Equality," as such, is not guaranteed, nor has it ever been an American ideal.

[Rsett10]

Keith says that they have beat The OReilly Factor 5 out of the last 11 nights....

Uhhhh Keith, that means that The OReilly Factor beat you 6 times....

6 is more than 5....so I wouldn't be bragging. Dumbass

[drownoble]

actually if you listened to the video he said that both him and Bill-O were beaten one night. There ARE other new shows airing at that time.. you know that right?

[shovethissite]

I'm disappointed, he missed the point on #2. Why is it okay to demonize atheists? If anyone ran an ad saying that their opponent is a bad person because she's a Jew, they'd be out on their ass.

[nimlowyn]

I used to like Keith Olbermann. I'm disappointed. You can't take one sound bite and rail against it. If he took more than a split second to assess Prager's position he would know that he does not mean that we are NOT "created equal". Olbermann is insinuating that Prager believes that there are inherently superior and inferior people. That's just wrong and if he took more than two seconds to review his material he'd know that. Shame.

[bke274]

The good thing about YouTube is that you can actually find the WHOLE statement made by Prager, of which KeithO is just quoting a part.

[teltelamont]

I wonder what Olbermann thinks of his plummeting ratings now?

[TFRWGuy]

teltelamont, I agree 100%,

Everybody knows that people who disagree with Republicans are fascist socialist marxist communist leftist acornists.

What these unpatriotic enemies of America do not understand is that Republicans are always 100% correct, on every issue, every time.

DemocRATs, however, are consistently 100% wrong on every issue, every time.

It is common knowledge that ANYONE who disagrees with Republicans is unable to think for themselves.

Great Job, Republican Patriot!

[kefkaROX]

Hmm, where have I heard this "The Party is Always Right" talk...oh, that's right. THE SOVIET UNION!

Sheesh, get a brain.

[Ipetratz]

I think that Olberman is so radical that even Democrats in their pursuit for non-knowledge (what they believe to be facts) cannot bear to listen to this man speak. When this man is a major representative of the Democratic Party with his name calling and blatant misinformation, I think that even a few have stepped aside from him. Let us hope that the Democrats (though in their good intent) will soon open their eyes to find that everything that they have been spoon fed is false.

[guyjohn59]

"There is all the difference in the world between treating people equally and attempting to make them equal." -Hayek

Equality under the law is American. Inequality under the law to make people equal (and poor) is not.

[SilverFox466]

@guyjohn59 Equality will never be achieved "that is why it is not American". Obama has spread the wealth in order to promote equality - all it has done is made us less equal. Equality - all of us have equal protection under the law; however, affirmative action has made that equality null and void. Obama and Oberman believe equality means every US citizen is economically equal no matter what their skill level or education level. They love to make every one a victim.

[zeecee1]

The context in which Prager (& many on the Right) often refer to equality is in regards to higher productivity being REWARDED & higher skill levels being REWARDED, for example, if a person works harder and makes more money as a result, he/she shouldn't have to pay higher taxes as punishment (which is our current policy). People who work harder should be rewarded accordingly, not rewarded EQUALLY to those who don't work as hard. That's what the debate is over, NOT basic rights as Olberman implies

[grumpytosnowwhite]

Okay, I had thought I had seen it all, the dumbest, the most ill-informed, the most delusional, but "equality is not an American value?" WTF??????????????????? That's like saying....well, America is so, SO closely associated with equality that I can't even compare it to anything else.

[ktnoah684]

this country already pays the 2nd highest tax rate in the world. Let me rephrase that, only 50% of the people in this country pay the 2nd highest taxes in the world. When you tax those who work and dont those who dont, your promoting a system that favors lack of productivity and inginuity. Life isnt free of social innequality and the US has infinitely less than any other country in the world with LIBERTY remaining the primary value, not Equality!

[okplayer420]

@ktnoah684 Fail!

"When you tax those who work and dont those who dont..." Are you implying that people like firemen, teachers, police officers, military personnel, road workers, water treatment facility workers, plumbers and other construction workers do not work, and that bankers and douchebags on Wall St. do?

We need plumbers more than we need investment bankers... so why do investment bankers make so much more money? All bankers do is leech off of the work of people who ACTUALLY WORK!!!

[qanazir]

What's wrong with being an atheist?

[jeffzalonka]

nothing

[billiefan2000]

rick warren should be on here as a worst person for messing with high school musical 3 movie

and making high school musical 3 movie into a "bible study"

[twiedenfeld]

The thing I like about Keith Olbermann is that he doesn't invite people on his show to yell at them. But that's just me, some people enjoy that sort of thing. Hence the popularity of Bill O'Reilly and Jerry Springer.

[SmizAnL4Me]

yea, he just invites on yes men, and gives them hard hitting questions that usually start with, "don't you think" and "isn't this the case". At some point you have to ask yourself, why have I never seen Keith debate or at the very least had someone on who disagrees with him, ever?

[UnknownSpartan5]

someone might point out that he is a flat out liar, and that their is hardly a shred of evidence in all of his hate speech.

its just to risky

[SmizAnL4Me]

Now you sound just like Keith Olbermann. Come with an original thought or at least a 'shred of evidence' to back up your exaggerated bullshit. And please, when it comes to hating and being super fake angry about everything it's your hero Keith.

[UnknownSpartan5]

i was agreeing with you bud...

[SmizAnL4Me]

Cable News Daily Ratings for October 28 2008

8PM - P2+ (25-54) (35-64)

The OReilly Factor—4,419,000 viewers (1,113,000) (1,988,000)

Campbell Brown—1,330,000 viewers (468,000) (651,000)

Countdown w/Keith Olbermann 2,787,000 viewers (1,129,000) (1,511,000)

Nancy Grace 1,303,000

so....16,000 more 25 year old's beats 1.5 million more total viewers. I'm saddened this many people actually watch these divisive jerks. Just, Olbermann is clearly lying or at best vastly misleading his audience.

[LastOptionPils]

I think Olbermann missed something on the 2nd worst person, the fact that even if it were true that Hagan (sorry if I spelled her name wrong) were an atheist

[LastOptionPils]

there's nothing wrong with that.

[ObbiQuiet]

What does it matter if he's an atheist?

"Oh no! He doesn't make wishes to an invisible being!"

[alphacause]

I love the fact that the conservatives that like to tout themselves as the biggest loyalists to the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and our Founding Fathers, always seem to show an ostensible lack of knowledge about any of them.

[TheloniousThinks]

Stop calling them "Conservatives"... the Right Wing Wackos are promoting an agenda of radical change. There is NOTHING conservative about their views or their policies. Borrow and Spend is not conservative. Tax Cuts during wartime is not conservative. Changing social policy to outlaw homosexuality, stripping away bank regulation in force since the Great Depression is not conservative... look at it. Call them the Wacko Right Radicals, but do NOT honor them with the term "Conservative"

[bigbruthaman]

It doesn't surprise me at all that Republicans don't believe in equality. It's patently obvious that the higher ups in the Republican machine don't believe in much of anything except lining their pockets and the pockets of their buddies. I'm certain they consider themselves better than the great unwashed masses whom they manipulate with vitriolic propaganda and false patriotism. Let's all vote Obama and get rid of these assholes, huh?

[Hobinism]

first! yes