Debating Wingnuts w/ Daily Beast's John Avlon

[SketchyBack]

People who think that the government should balance its budget because people have to balance THEIR budgets are understandable ... and incredibly stupid. That's not how it works. If the government starts cutting back at the same time as people... you get what we have now - teachers, firefighters, and police - fired, states - bankrupt, demand - low => SUSTAINED LOW ECONOMIC GROWTH.

[ENCXBG1]

@SketchyBack - So you think think the government doesn't waste any money that could be put to better use and save the jobs of our Teachers, Police or Firefighters? Really? Why are we building new Multi-million dollar City Halls, Fire Stations, Schools and Police Stations if we can't keep them staffed? Could it be that our government likes to keep the money flowing to Union contractors while at the same time using cuts to core services as a wedge issue to try and push through new tax increases?

[bohemianwriter1]

A fun disagreement? That's an understatement. Maybe if John Avlon could get his head out of his ass, and do some travelling, he'd understand that his stance is complety off base.

In America, there's two ways to travel: By being rich enough to afford a plane ticket, or in a uniform... Being in a unifgorm, you get to see the world for free! You get to see old ancient cultures, and people, and then kill them,,,,

[myfirsaccount1234567]

When will people wake up to this nonsense and two party bullshit? You sure aren’t going to see it getting wet to idealogs, and hating their counter parts under the delusional idea that one is evil and the other is not. Glad to see we have people like John who are at least rational, and not one of the idealogs on both sides ranting on how they are the good guys; the other is evil, and that they are the center. Wake up

[vidz4funz]

I just wanted to say to you Mr. Uygur that I really hope you will pursue a career in politics, we of the Internet are behind you.

[danger0usknowledge]

Let's see, a little bit of inconvenient history: 1989, after 8 yrs of Reagan rule, 160 Billion of taxpayer $ to bail S&L's. 2002-3, Attorney's Gen. from 50 states AND the FBI report to Cheney that predatory mortgage lending is "out of control" 2008, after 8 yrs of Bush, TRILLIONS of taxpayer $ to bail out Banks. They typical republican response? "they're all Marxists"...how many times have you heard from republicans "they all do it". The 2 largest bailouts in history & U vote them back in.

[danger0usknowledge]

What John Avlon was forced to do with his book is to include hooks that will attract the widest audience. It also meant that he would have to go after those who compete with CNN, his employer. He waits until Beck goes from CNN to Fox "News" before he calls him politically extreme. Then, in order to satisfy & give equal time/ balance he includes Olbermann. The falseness of this equivalence is typical of books who criticizing the right while pacifying them b/c he knows they play rough.

[r3v3ng3ofthef4113n]

@danger0usknowledge Objectivity? Non-partisan? What crazy ideas! We all know the right are all wackos and the left are all sane! Talk about false dichotomy—er, I mean equivalency! That's right.

[danger0usknowledge]

@r3v3ng3ofthef4113n, Bad sarcasm?

Fox "News" is the WWE of politics,

same demographic except that FN is outdrawing

even the WWE. So glad that Linda McMahon is not

Senator McMahon. What a fine representative from

Conn along with Lieberman. HA! Wholly owned

subsidiaries of organized crime, steroid Mfg &

Insurance corporations.

[danger0usknowledge]

What John Avlon was forced to do with his book is to include hooks that will attract the widest audience. It also meant that he would have to go after those who compete with CNN, his employer. He waits until Beck goes from CNN to Fox "News" before he calls him a political nutjob. Then, in order to satisfy & give equal time/ balance he includes Olbermann. The falseness of this equivalence is typical of books who criticizing the right while pacifying them b/c he knows they play rough.

[marsCubed]

Left wing in USA barely exists.

If USA had a movement like the Tunisian revolution ATM, unions & population demanding fairness, democracy & an end to corruption. if that formed a party.. It could be similar to a left party like UK's Labour party.

Labour is reformist, not revolutionary. However it has similar roots & gives an idea of what the left comes from; the sigh of the oppressed, the will of the people.

Reagan smashed USA's unions, took that choice away from USA with corp junk.

[r3v3ng3ofthef4113n]

@marsCubed "Left wing in USA barely exists."

Of course they don't! Well, unless you include Obama, Biden, Pelosi, Reid, Grayson, Sanders, Bernenke, Olbermann, Maddow, Matthews, O'Donnell, Ratigan, Shulz, Ugyr, Chomsky, Krugman, Franken, and um...

What plane of reality do you live in?

[marsCubed]

@r3v3ng3ofthef4113n

I don't include Obama, Biden, Pelosi.. few would, saying Bernenke demonstrates little conception of the left is.

Regular working people. even whole populations, stood up for each other, against the nasty logic of mypoic profiteering, gross inequality & injustice. Chartism in the UK is an example, civil rights movements & anti war campaigns. etc.

Competing into low wage & skill loss is stupid.

Tax the ultra rich back to Earth orbit.

Invest in green power & high-tech jobs.

[bohemianwriter1]

@r3v3ng3ofthef4113n

None of them are leftist. Fact is that your country have moved so far right that sentrists have been labelled as leftists. The ones whom you mentioned would be centrists a few generations ago.

Tell you what: Churchill was a strong proponent for Public HC and National Insurance in the 20's. Is that the conservative that all RWers want to portray him as?

[bohemianwriter1]

@r3v3ng3ofthef4113n

Cont.

So how do you label Obama as a leftist? If he was a strong leftist, he would tell the corporations to kiss his ass and rammed through Universal HC without flinching.

[r3v3ng3ofthef4113n]

@bohemianwriter1 Yet he implemented Universal HC anyway. Sure, it took him about a year or so, but he managed to do it.

And what makes you so sure America is far-right? Who's to say Europe isn't far-left? Considering all the restrictions on free speech, that's only a safe bet.

[bohemianwriter1]

No, he didn't! If Obama implimented universal HC, then a lot more people would have been saved. And the doctors would be way too busy to even be able to think of protesting. They would be hired to actually do their JOBS instead of being too busy writing out bills for chicken to their disenfranchised patients. What you seem to not understand is that health, or HC is not a commodity like gold, oil or corn....

It's a human right! Unless you die out in the wilderness without access to anything.

[ENCXBG1]

@bohemianwriter1 - If it is a Human right then we shouldn't even need insurance! We should force doctors into servitude!

[bohemianwriter1]

@ENCXBG1

nobody is forced to become a doctor.

But I guess that if you cannot afford HC or treatment, than you should just die, right? Isn't that the GOP HC plan? Die quickly?

You RWers would much rather have some poor American Kid die from lack of HC than to use a crowbar on the wallets on Wall Street, the military or the oil industry1 You think that the oil industry should be rewarded for spilling out waste in your back yard and give your kids cancer whom the insurance companies...

[ENCXBG1]

@bohemianwriter1

I'm sorry but you are confused. By law, hospitals have to treat you. Not only that but every major city has free medical clinics that are funded with our tax dollars. My point was that you don't see doctors and hospitals trying to offer their services for free! What you see is government trying to funnel more money to doctors and hospitals by increasing the costs for the rest of us. Why not cut the costs of health care??? Not health insurance costs health care cost.

[bohemianwriter1]

@ENCXBG1

Really?

Moi? Confused?

You know what the difference between going to the doctor and to the ER? Doctors are supposed to give preventive care! Hospitals do surgeory, and bill you!

While you think you're on the team of docs and nurses, yopu are actually making a case for the insurance companies! Insurance is like a legal version of mafia enterprise. And you suckers bought into it!

[bohemianwriter1]

...can refuse treatment or coverage due to "pre-existing conditions!"

Isn't that the basic ideology of the Christian RW Republican party?

[ENCXBG1]

@bohemianwriter1

Insurance is a business. You can't buy auto insurance after you have an accident! You have to look at it the same way. Health care is expensive. If you don't think you would be able to pay high medical bills you need insurance. If Hospitals gave all their services away for free we wouldn't need insurance. Who is the bad guy? The insurance carrier for charging for insurance or the hospital for charging for medical care???

[bohemianwriter1]

@ENCXBG1

More life hating driveling BS from someone whom rather give insurance companies profits than actualy caring for youer own people! Since when did you get the notion that you are actually "pro-America" in the context that you so willinglywant to throuw millions of unisnured people under the bus for profit?

[ENCXBG1]

@bohemianwriter1

What are you talking about? Please be rational in your argument or you are just wasting people's time. You are making baseless accusations based on the fact that I believe Hospitals charge too much for their services and government is compounding the problem. How does that mean that I am throwing my fellow services under the bus? Who's profit am I protecting?

[bohemianwriter1]

@ENCXBG1

It's obvious that you think health is a commodity like gold and oranges. It's obvious that you care more about the welfare of vulture businesses than the healthcare of some black baby born in a poverty striken area. It''s apparent that you care more about HC industry more than you care about getting proper affordable HC for your grandma! That's why you RWers should never be in a postiton of power. You screw things up and destroy things for profit!

[ENCXBG1]

@bohemianwriter1

I don't THINK Healthcare is a commodity like Gold or Oranges, it is! That is a fact. Do I think it should be free? Sure! We would all like someone else to provide their services for free? Is that realistic? Absolutely not. The only way to get free healthcare is to force doctors and hospitals to give their services away? Is that your solution? The system is broken and you are arguing to make insurance companies fix it when they are not the one's that dictate the cost of care!

[ENCXBG1]

@bohemianwriter1

If you get rid of insurance all together you still have to pay for services from your doctor! My point is that unless you force doctors and hospitals to lower their costs you really have no argument. The healthcare reform bill has driven these costs even higher. If you haven't looked out your window lately hospitals are expanding at an astronomical rate. Are they doing this because they aren't profitable or because healthcare reform has sent a windfall of cash their way?

[bohemianwriter1]

@r3v3ng3ofthef4113n

Obama is a weakling. He got no guts, and have sold his soul to corporate bastards. Now, I am looking for a reason to strip him off his Nobel Prize, and send him to the same horrible prison where GWB and Cheney belongs in...

[sgentlemanjack112]

still the most fake alternative news source on the net.

TOTALLY CONTROLLED opposition.

In what way, other than your lack of professionalism,

is your show different from what we might see on TV?

[splicedenergy]

@sgentlemanjack112 # TYT isn't a news source. #2 It's the #1 internet show, # 3 Cenk is a regular on Msnbc. He fills in or has a guest spot almost daily #4 they arent controlled at all. They own themselves. Cenk made it what it is #5 the TYT army is larger than the "tea party" . Now how do you figure he's unproffessional? If you think he is then I wonder how you feel about rush,beck and savage's behavior compares. And he's not gonna to answer you, but you might get an answer at thier site

[r3v3ng3ofthef4113n]

Can’t help but notice how most of the comments are repeating the “Democrats are really centrist right-wing pussies while Republicans are ultra right-wing lunatics. There is no left-wing party. Everyone’s corporatist” spiel! I know TYT viewers were idiots, but this is plain retarded, if not unoriginal and trite.

A lie repeated thousands of times becomes a truth, apparently.

[galletta6121]

Reagan created 20 million jobs, Something Obama and the progressive left will never achieve. John Avlon is an honest guy and turks cant hold a candle to him...

Goodbye Lib's

[Useyno]

John Avlon seems like a very smart dude.

[swankrecords]

walnuts not wingnuts

[coogerbait]

You Tube: "BREAKING NEWS! President Obama's secret dealings with George Bush"

[davejoe75]

Right vs. Left, R vs. D...give me a break already. Cenk is at least correct that we're a corporatist state run by the banks, MIC and other global companies. He fails to see govt's role in this oligarchy especially the revolving door of politics and how regulations actually entrench these interests. It's ALWAYS the big govt types who say whatever the govt intervention is, it wasn't done correctly. Same argument goes for our nation-building fools on the right promoting war.

Wake up folks!

[r3v3ng3ofthef4113n]

@davejoe75 Do you wear a tinfoil hat by any means?

[davejoe75]

@r3v3ng3ofthef4113n No, do you? Or do you bury your head in the sand by not understanding economics and public choice theory. It's OK if you believe govt is out for you and not for themselves.

Innovators are always called crazy until they're called genius:-) Good luck.

[bushputz]

There's really not much difference between RINOs and DINOs.

10 years ago, they would both be considered mainstream Republicans.

As far as today's Democrats are concerned, lotsof them have moved past the center into center-right.

[TYTARMY]

Best interview. I could watch and listen to these two debate for hours.

[CENSOREDFORSEX]

Need help, my dad watches fox news 24/7 and thinks that Obama is 100% liberal and a socialist. How can I get him to realize this isn't true.

PS. My dad is really smart he has just been convinced by fox news that obama just wants his money and some crazy shit.

[yaimavol]

@CENSOREDFORSEX It'll be hard to convince your Dad Obama is not a Communist, because Obama himself declared himself to be a Marxist in the book he wrote. Maybe you should read it.

[WEBDREAMSS]

It is only looks occult because of Obama...his hiding Jesus head why he gave a spech.His saying he is helping us when he wants America to fall...So one world order can start. and he be one of the kings of it.There Dec and Rep...who think this now. Tea partyers only want the taxes and healthcare redone...Fix the healthy care we got not destroy America doing it.

[DWest174]

Anyone else sick of all this republican and democrat talk? Washington is so flippin' corrupt nowadays it's blatant and right in your fucking face. Who cares if you're a democrat or republican when we have a government so upside down as we have today.

[DarkWolfStudio]

"The far right and far left can be equally insane."

Truest words ever uttered.

[DawnPatroll1]

You've got the left that much like Ralph in the book Lord Of The Flies is thoughtful reasonable and concerned about others wanting only whats best to help people and the right that much like the Jack character from the same book are only concerned with power control fear and using the prehistoric tribal mentality of "they're different and therefore wrong" .

Then there are all of the other people who get caught in the middle and are forced to choose things based either on intelligence or fear.

[sulmagnificent]

cenk is so proud of his "moved to the right" arguments

he better come up w/something better or ppl will think he is daft

[maddenterror]

Avalon is an idiot. Calling everything even is intellectually lazy. This is the problem with the mainstream media. No one tells the truth anymore. It would be rude to Republicans insane. But if that's the truth shouldn't you say it?

[crasmane1]

The rightward movement of the political spectrum overall is spot-on.

In the Democrats, there are two factions:

Third Way and traditionalists. The Third Way democrats are corporatists right to the bone.

The traditionalists believe that the social conflicts in this country concerning labor, race, and class never ended. The Third Way pretends they don't exist.

[jonnanw]

It's so weird. It's like some article of faith that the right and left are equal; he can't actually provide an example of modern left wing extremism that's anywhere close to the same, then a sentence or two later he posits that you can't say the left doesn't do the same stuff as the right does.

And he does exactly that over and over

This man has it in his head on some level that the right being angry about imaginary things is the same as the left being angry about factual, verifiable things.

[up2trix]

@jonnanw i know it was so frustrating listening to him trying to balance it out all the time making sure he didn't attack just one side of the political spectrum. on the actual substance he didn't come near to justifying why the "far left" were extreme in any way. jesus it makes you think, how can these people delude themselves so much. i wonder if the debate had gone on longer, would cenk have pursuaded him he was wrong.

[BrightonContrarian10]

In Britain we say that Americans have the republicans which are like our conservative party and the democrats which are like our conservative party

[up2trix]

@BrightonContrarian10 the democrats are like are conservative party and the repulicans are like the people in our mental institutions lol

[wardydave]

@BrightonContrarian10 and are also the same as labour and the lib dems

[Asymmatrix]

Lol these guys can never resist blaming it all on the Unions.

[Asymmatrix]

It would be interesting to track how often the term 'Far Left' has been used over the years. Until the emergence of Faux News, it was rarely heard. Now it's perhaps the most used piece of scare-ganda there is. It's testament to the fact that Right Wingers/ Conservatives cannot deal with the Left a-t a-l-l on a rational, intellectual, or philosophical basis. 'Far Left' is O'Reilly's favorite go-to phrase to dismiss the Left or anyone who isn't far enough Right. Fairly pathetic.

[up2trix]

@Asymmatrix its so true. that's how he introduced the mccrystal report. damn i fucking hate oreilly and faux "news" so fucking much.

[danger0usknowledge]

Avlon knows that the amazing RNC/ Corp Spin machine set out to move the debate not to the right but further right. Keith Olbermann is, by his definition, far left. Really? Move On, far radical left. Very good slight of hand. Wash, rinse, spin, repeat & repeat. Compare KO with any commentator on FN. They are all biased to a degree but what about accuracy? Reality having a liberal bias is not an inconvenience for FN b/c PR creates/ Mfg it's own out of necessity & also thin air.

[PeakOilCountdown]

MASSIVE DEBATE!! Critical Thinking F T W ! ! !

[blunted1987]

Look i think he/they should for SURE have him back.

I think he makes sense on a lot.

Oh ya and Cenk for whatever office! :P

[Pinkybum]

John Avlon ddn't give ONE example of who is "far left", unions? Give me a break, already bought and paid for and corrupted from the leadership down.

One only has to remember this fact - conservatives are always on the wrong side of history.

[YOURINQUIRER]

The argument over what the "far right" verses "far left" is kind of reminds me of the whole "atheist fundamentalist" nonsense. Muslim fundamentalists fly planes into buildings. Christian fundamentalists blow up abortion clinics. Atheist fundamenatlists write books.

[eldogg4life]

Cenk pwned in the last 5 mins!!!!

[merryprank]

If only the American people could see discussions like this on a nightly basis instead of Beck's chalkboard romper room or Olbermann's woooorst people in the woooooorld.

[pinochet222]

Cank is getting better and better at this

[IntractableJ]

The fact of the matter is: Who cares? Democrat, Republican, both are wings of the Capitalist Party and all are pro-business.

[mahmooa1]

What the hell does John Avlon mean by the far left?!! There is no far left that is a myth.

[blasphimus]

@mahmooa1 His idea of the far left was Ron Paul who votes with the republicans most of the time. Ron Paul is not far left, he's always been far right and always votes that way.

[TheLogicalTheist]

This debate is so sensible, so well-grounded in well reasoned argument and fact-based exchange, I feel rather uncomfortable watching it. I forget what an intellectual debate couched in mutual respect and intelligent argument was all about.

[Shisho2k]

Political parties are bullshit. *Shrug* Debate over.

[Scorceror]

Break the left-right paradigm!

[audadvnc]

He lost me when he equated union action to corporate malfeasance. Mr. Avlon is a tool, a spokesman for the plutocrats, the PTB, the Military Industrial Complex. His argument that the Far Left and Far Right are equally dangerous is about like saying rabbits and wolves are equally carnivorous. Except they aren't. Which party is demanding lock-step fealty?

.

As for the 1960's far left patriotism gap? Most those radical groups were infested with FBI agitators. It was a backstage sting op by USA.

[audadvnc]

I'm all for robbing grandma & grandpa, if their last names are Rockefeller, Bush, Harriman, Gates, or Cheney. But that's not gonna happen because those families own the government.

[audadvnc]

"Opposite sides of the spectrum"? Hardly - the Dems and Reps are Janus, two faces of the same Beast that is Corporate USA. One side yells, the other one yells back, and they both collude to take money from the US citizenry for the benefit of the 1%'ers, the plutocrats, the Powers That Be. Barney Frank and John Boehner are one and the same, merely different moods of the Beast.

[CooperLordOfAll]

i hate the party system.

it just fucks everything up

[GennaSt]

Avlon didn't answer the questions about the far right not being in the center of the country. What does the 1960s preceived liberals have to do with today's racist fringe movement integrating with Republicans?

Where is the part about why the Republicans embrace them, their ideals, and have advocating for corporate policies that don't make sense?

[upplsuckimcool16]

Fuck your other stories Cenk when you are having a good convo like this don't cut it short so you can bring Ana on to talk about a gay cat using orange juice to shave.... come on!!!

[zokeman]

@upplsuckimcool16 I agree...more of these kind of clips..I wish he debated every show.

[naliuj]

@upplsuckimcool16 hey 23 mins isnt really cutting it short

[Ramel34]

What are yall doing TYT???? This was interesting and it stopped at the climax. I know it was a 23 minute interview, but come on! Cenk had him on the ropes and then the bell rings. Great interview, but you gotta do a follow post on good debates like this one.

[deathsminion25]

Cenk for congress!

[clownpenisfart]

Cenk was right. That is the most middle of the road political thinker I have ever seen. For sh*ts and giggles, he should guest co-host.

[aaronsande]

@clownpenisfart Too much rhetoric and too much belief in the myth of the far left.

[MopacMurtaza]

John Avlon has been brainwashed by the mainstream media about the far right and the normal (far) left!

[JustBusiness17]

Avlon loses. All he had was rhetoric...

[helgiingason]

There is no Left in the USA. Only far right (GOP) and center right (dems).

[TheNoble7]

Get more technical Cenk. Your starting to dumb down the broadcast and it resembles Glen Beck's Show. From a LONG time fan.

[P1ranh4]

One of the BEST interviews EVAH. Finally somebody who disagrees on basis of facts and is interested in engaging in a fair discussion. I'd love it if all people I disagree with would be like John Avlon, because they keep you in check and actually try to listen to you and try to understand your point. That's what I love to do with my discussion partners as well and that's why I think society in general needs more of discussions such as these. Thanks TYT.

[ShatterNWO]

Cenk says there is no extremism from the left. What about the SEIU thugs on 2 separate occasions assaulting black republicans, what about democratic congressmen Bob Etheridge assaulting those college journalists, or as admitted Marxist Chris Matthews called it, "ambush journalism."

[johnedwards1968]

@ShatterNWO Of course there are extremes on the left, but they have NO influence whatsoever.

The right wing in the US characterizes EVERYTHING to the left of FAR RIGHT as far left. It's a bit of a scare tactic and a joke. Do you really believe for 1 minute that the public option was a far left conspiracy? Only an idiot or a coward could buy that argument!

[CmdrTobs]

@johnedwards1968 I agree! Lol. I know people on the net who lived in the DDR, an actual communist state, and they laugh there ass of when they hear Americans calling right of centre Americans 'communists'.

[Leadman1989]

@ShatterNWO

he's talking about substance and ideologies some guy freaking out about being interviewed isn't a position held by people on the left how ever people on the far right continue to push through, water down, and flat out stop, bills with the aid of corporatist dems

[mrbadguysan]

@ShatterNWO

"SEIU thugs"

You mean like my middle-aged mother? Or that Maoist Etheridge who is taking a page right out of Marx by being "Pro-Growth" and trying to "Balance the Budget?"

For God's sake, could you just move to Russia or something? It's what's best for everyone. Russia's got a flat-tax, almost no debt, and a whole class of Oligarchs that will make you feel nice and economically unfettered. It's enough to make a conservative cream his jeans. Just fuckin do it!

[Gosu117]

There needs to be more people like John Avlon, that call the left and the right out on their bullshit.

[ShatterNWO]

John is wrong, you can be a communist and a corporatist. If you monopolize and then nationalize industries, you can have the same people running the nationalized industries that were running the monopolized private industries. It's actually a dream come true for the companies that become apart of the government and above the law. Government is a monopoly in itself. The new world order is all about corporate monopolies(selected corp.) and communism.

[evilblades]

@ShatterNWO "It's actually a dream come true for the companies that become apart of the government and above the law."

that is fascism, not communism. in the case you mention the workers are in no way in controll of either bussiness or goverment. the ideal of fascism is capitalism applied to the goverment, and the belief that you can apply bussiness stratergies to a nation as a whole.

the goal of communism is the absolute abolition of private property and the.

[mdey1970]

Avlon worked for Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign, so he's obviously not neutral and not a centrist.

[christmasdnc]

I TOTALLY APPRECIATE THIS VIDEO

[barriobrownent]

John Avalon has his head up his ass. One side is a bunch of Armed Religious Freaks and the other side is bunch of pussies.

[Wiiowner]

that man really "appreciates" an argument

[Shinius]

I hate how he keeps saying "I appreciate your answer" it's such a "HAHA, you're wrong". Annoying ><

[robinvan1983]

@Shinius yeah that is american hospitality... they totally agree with you... BUt.... if you don't agree... just say so... why lie

[18CaStRaDoMiS89]

@Shinius

Well, shit, Avlon IS wrong. Cenk is just trying to not be overly rude to his guest:P

[foureyes99]

Loved this interview. Actually a real open conversation rather than the shouting matches between talking heads you see on tv. TYT Forever.

[eternallord]

I've got plenty problems with Nike and most big business, but that's kind of an unsolvable structural issue, right now... In order for us to carry around our nokias, the Congolese have to endure massacres and extortion in mining areas, and Chinese workers have to be severely overworked and underpaid....

[wongdor]

i disagree with cenk's last point, it should be some of both: anti-bailout or pro-bailout, and IF pro, then how?

[maddenterror]

Cenk wins Avlon fails. We no longer have a democracy in this country our politicians represent corporations. Here's the real question where is my lobbiest. We need real campaign finance reform or this will always be the case. We need a real media that holds people accountable rather than parrots talking points. Why do we need a democratic or republican strategist on CNN? Lets get real people who are more concerned with the facts than access and power. Our nation depends on a well informed public

[Darkconis]

@maddenterror That is exactly why we'll never have state funded college education for everyone. It would mean the citizenship would be too hard to lie too. Lets talk education before we talk anything else. Because that is the key to a better ran republic.

[pucpimp]

this guy isn't living in the present time

[jaba987]

Cenk wins, Avlon fail, probably a corporist or lazy and uninformed.

[dEdGrimley]

Liberalism, because of its very nature, demands constant change and progress. Because of that, you're going to have multiple paths and ideas to debate, as to which one is the next priority. You're never going to get complete agreement out of anyone, but it's a 101% vital aspect of political philosophy. Conservatism, by its very nature, demands less change. It's just plain easier to be conservative. I don't mean that as an insult, it's just a fact. Everything is absolute, and nothing changes.

[ahabthewhaler]

anyone who thinks unions have too much power in america seem a little misinformed

[dEdGrimley]

@ahabthewhaler

The Unions went a little too far back in the day, getting a little too much compensation for the work they did, or sometimes they didn't do. But the retaliation and purge of the unions has decimated the middle class.

[Buergs323]

@ahabthewhaler

Tell me how they don't have too much power? I'd like to know...

[ahabthewhaler]

@Buergs323 the fact that their membership is tiny in comparison to what it is, the fact that american politicians clearly bow to the corporate powers far more than any people representing workers, the fact that that so many working people in america are anti unions when obviously it would be to their benefit to be pro union. that kinda thing

[Buergs323]

@ahabthewhaler

I don't think people have a beef with private unions, but its the public unions where political influence is too strong. Have you heard what these state workers are getting paid? None of what you listed are facts. Here is a fact: The avg government worker earns far more income than the avg private sector employee. Why? PUBLIC Unions. There is no denying that fact and if you do so you are just ignoring reality. Unions in general are good but the Public Unions have crossed the line

[TheGiantRobot]

I know Cenk is trying to include everyone, but... it is a left right issue. Corporatist is right wing. Centrist is just a new BS word for exactly the same thing. America's new center is by definition right wing.

Perhaps ironically, I think the best, closest to left president we've had since Carter was Bush Sr. He cut taxes for the rich the least, he shrunk military spending, and I think most of the Clinton era prosperity was due to Bush's moderate presidency.

[brokenyard]

Cool discussion.

[fret2424]

Right vs. Left is an illusion. We are in a class war.

The ants fight the mosquitoes, all the while we are burning down the forest they both depend on for survival. "We the People" are just ants and mosquitoes to "Them".

We are well past the point where we can expect our government to ever pass meaningful legislation that would really improve the lives of 98% of our nation, and really make our nation as a whole, a stronger nation.

Good point regarding social vs. financial issues Cenk!

[sinterics]

John Avlon is a republican ... trying to selling mid-western the republican center... lost in time... as the center... using this wingnut book as a platform. He is all about image...

[hyperboreean]

Why didn't Cenk ask about things the left achieved in the 60-70s:

- ending the draft

- ending the Vietnam war

- civil rights

- environmental legislation

[Buergs323]

@hyperboreean

Look at the voting record for the civil rights act. A greater percentage of Republicans voted for the civil rights act than did democrats. It's an illusion that the left achieved such a thing in the 60's. Both parties played a major role.

[kefkahkefkah]

@Buergs323

Its like saying the party of abraham linc is the republican party. Then, they where progressive, now, they are not. As its said in the video, the center has shifted way to much for anything 50 years ago representing where they are today. Republicans..are no way for any kind of progressive idea today.

[MrBoomable]

i kinda like this guy

[richkrack]

How does an interview radio show "run out of time"? Why would you continuously try and cut someone off and end the interview when you're having a good discussion?

[psynthpriest]

Get this guy back on! Seriously, this was an AWESOME interview!

[rud8420]

Cenk needs to start interviewing people that piss him off again...or more often!!!!

[clockworkscott]

fuck netenyahu