Donald Trump is the Orange Hitler

It was a great pre-election special on Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday November 4, 2016. The discussion was serious and the barbs against Donald Trump were biting. Here is a quick review of the show.

Bill Maher called Donald Trump "The Orange Hitler". 

An Interview with President Obama

The show began with an interview with President Obama. It was pre-taped because of Obama’s schedule. This was good for the show because it allowed the interview to go for about a half hour, with additional bits put on YouTube. [See the full interview on YouTube]

Obama defended the ACA (ObamaCare) saying he would have preferred single payer, but it wasn’t possible to start from scratch. He needed to build upon the existing institutions. He calledlikened the ACA to a "starter home." saying that it should be improved.  

Maher pointed out that the news used to be a loss-leader—it didn’t have to make money. Obama said that  it wasn’t possible in the environment we have today. He said that we need "to create a space where truth gets eyeballs" We must have "some common baseiline of facts." Did Obama give a hint about his post election plans? He said, "Maybe we could build some platforms where everybody says let's agree on the facts and argue about means after that."

Obama is optimistic about America and Americans. “I’m a glass half full kind of guy. A government is as good as the people.” He indicated that the problem is that information is not getting to the people. “If I could sit in every living room in the country, I would have the large majority of on my side.” He added, “If I watched Fox News, I wouldn’t like me either. This was a reference to his earlier comment that there is a “Balkanization of the media.”

The best part of the interview was about the upcoming election. Obama said, “The choice should be really clear.” He called out people who say because both parties have problems nothing will change. He enumerated all the changes he was able to accomplish: Reigning in some of the excesses of Wall Street, establishing a Consumer Protection Bureau, health insurance reform, protections for “The Dreamers” were among them.

Obama said, “Every single issue we have made progress on is on the ballot.” He praised Hillary Clinton. “I have worked with her. She cares about people.” He warned that a third party vote is a vote for Trump.

At the end, Obama told Maher, “I watch your show all the time.” I’m sure that Maher who waited eight years to get an interview with Obama was glad to hear it.

Fascism in America

Bill Maher repeated what he has been saying for months. “Trump could win this election.” Maher described it as “a slow-moving right wing coup.” The FBI becoming Trumplandia, doing things to help Trump. The Russians being in league with Trump.

Jennifer Granholm, the former Governor of Michigan was on the panel. She said, Trump would be an "authoritarian nightmare.”

Maher called Trump “The Orange Hitler.” He said, “We would have fascism in this country with Trump. There would be no rule of law.” He pointed out that the Republican dominated Supreme Court shut down the Voting Rights Act, and the states were quick to deny people voting rights by reducing the number of polling places and other tricks. [Fortunately, some state courts have pushed back and limited these attacks on democracy.]

Granholm added, “Trump is undermining democracy. He has said the election is rigged. He has said he won’t accept the results of the election.”

Another panelist, Martin Short, an actor and comedian, said that if you want to sell aspirin you have to tell the truth. We need a Consumer Protection Act for politics. The Trump campaign is filled with lies."

Maher reminded everyone that Hitler was elected to office.Then he declared an emergency to dismantle democracy and seize total power. [I’m sure Trump would try to do the same thing here. He is an authoritarian who says that “I am the only one who can fix it.” A republican Congress would let him do it.]

Maher said that the Republican Congress is already talking about impeaching Hillary. “First they decide you are a criminal, then they look for a crime.” He added, “We are where Rwanda was. Doing God’s work by eliminating the enemy.”

In his facebook special, titled "Whiny Little Bitch, Maher said “Hillary is like a black driver in a white neighborhood and the Republicans are the cops. They keep pulling her over and they keep having to let her go.” [Republicans have investigated her umpteen times, and every time they come up with nothing. Yet the Republican Congress is threatening continuous investigations. This is not how democracy is supposed to work. Please vote for Democrats up and down the ballot so we can have a country that works again.]

Maher said, “Once fascists get power, they don’t give it up.” He expressed concern that people would not take the threat that Trump poses to America seriously. “We cried wolf with McCain and Romney, but this is real.”

[I disagree about the "crying wolf" part.. McCain and Romney would have been very bad for the country and they were rightly criticized. It is just that Trump is a threat of such magnitude that the threats of previous Republican candidates seems minor in comparison. As Maher said in his facebook special, “This isn’t the choice between Coke and Pepsi, this is the choice between Coke and the tap water in Flint.”

Trump doesn’t want to “shake things up” as he so often says; he wants to tear it all down. In Maher’s facebook special on 11/2/16,  Maher said Trump would shake things up like a Great Dane at a toddler’s birthday party or like soccer played with handguns.]

Harking back to the Obama interview about the lack of information among the public, David Frum, a Republican on the panel who is currently editor of The Atlantic magazine urged everyone to “buy a subscription to a newspaper, and don’t rely on facebook.”

A Useful Idiot

Maher told us that “Russia is in collusion with the Republican candidate. He is an unwitting agent, a useful idiot.”

[This phrase “a useful idiot” has been in the news a lot. It is spy talk for someone who you don’t even have to convince to betray his country--He is just too stupid to know that the enemy is using him. It is why Hillary Clinton, in the third debate called Trump, Putin’s Puppet.”]

Bible Trumper

In New Rules, Maher said, “There is one good thing that Donald Trump did—He exposed evangelicals for the shameless hypocrites they are. Trumps Commandments are the regular ones with LOL added.”

“He is the world’s least godly man.”

 “Jesus Christ is his Personal Lord and Taylor.”

 “Jesus Christ is from the Middle East. Trump wouldn’t even let him into the country.”

He concluded with praise for the Mormons. Essentially he said they believe a lot of dumb-ass ideas, but they rejected the Orange Hitler.

Here are some other essays that address Bill Maher’s views about Trump and religion.

 Donald Trump: Move Over Jesus

 Donald Trump: I Love the Bible and Other Panders

It Can't Happen Here

CLICK HERE
for more info

Sinclair Lewis wrote"It Can't Happen Here" in 1935. The reprint of this novel is now on amazon’s best-seller list.  I guess a lot of people are worried about fascism in American.

The plot summary in Wikipedia says it all. The novel is about ”the rise of Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip, a populist United States Senator who is elected to the presidency after fomenting fear and promising drastic economic and social reforms while promoting a return to patriotism and "traditional" values. After his election, Windrip takes complete control of the government and imposes a plutocratic/authoritarian rule with the help of a ruthless paramilitary force, in the manner of Adolf Hitler and the SS.”

You could use the exact words to describe Donald Trump is you remove the words “United States Senator.”  Trump has never held elected office before.  

  

Thumbs Up for the Show Format

The show was great tonight. It began with a serious interview with Barack Obama I’m so glad Maher finally got to have Obama on his show. The interview was long so there was not mid-show comedy bit and no mid-show special guest.

The main reason I wanted to praise this episode was the quality of the guests. I wish every show would have one comedian, one Democratic politician and one thoughtful, intelligent, and polite Republican who does not tell lies. David Frum was that Republican on this show. Some weeks, I just can’t watch the show because the Republican is a loud-mouthed idiot who interrupts everyone, talks over the other guests constantly, and spews lie after lie.

I want to hear intelligent discussion of issues. I don’t want a bar brawl. Please give us guests who know what they are talking about and who can comport themselves like an adult.

P.S. The full interview includes a discussion of atheism. 

--By Catherine Giordano

Addendum: To you want to fight against fascism in America? Please join this facebook group: Blue America Fights Back 

Real Time with Bill Maher #336 11/14/14 "Revelations"

by Catherine Giordano

Obama is in Ninja mode.

It was a night of revelations on Real Time with Bill Maher, episode 336, which aired on 11/14/14 on HBO. I’ll reveal what I heard and learned from Bill Maher and his guests in this recap and review.

Obama as ninja

Maher began his opening monolog by revealing that “Obama went all ninja on them” and “He was like Pacino at the end of Scarface. He compared Obama to the idealist President Bartlett on the defunct TV series The West Wing. (I always wished we could have a real-life president like President Bartlett.  

Here is what Obama did that earned Maher’s (and my) respect.  

• He went to China and got a carbon-capping deal that can help reduce global warming.
• He came out strongly for net neutrality.
• Obama announced that he is going to use executive action on immigration. 

Obama will allow illegal immigrants who have close relatives who are citizens—this usually means the parents of children who are citizens because they were born here—to obtain green cards and will not deport them. This is a family-values policy because it keeps families together.

Republicans are going ballistic at the mere thought of this action. They are threatening to shut down the government and to stat impeachment proceedings in retaliation. Ninja Obama is fearless. He has nothing to lose and he has finally realized that Republicans will never cooperate with him on anything.  It’s a shame that it took the loss of majority control in the Senate for him to let his inner ninja out.

Maher also joked about “fake outrage.” The President was chewing gum.  And walking at the same time. Maher quipped, “It’s a blatant attempt to show up Bush.”
 

CLICK HERE

The interview with Rand Paul

Maher began the interview with Rand Paul by showing the cover of the Time magazine that featured Paul with the headline “The most Interesting Man in the World”. The introduction set the tone for the whole interview. Maher said he was open to voting for Paul if he ran for president.  (Maher began his political career as a libertarian.  He has since matured into a liberal, but he still sometimes has a weakness for libertarians.)

Rand acquitted himself well in the interview.  He said, “It’s a low bar” about his title as “most interesting man in the world.” 

 

Rand revealed his progressive side to us. He came out in favor of restoring voting rights to felons. There are 200 million people who can’t vote because they are felons.  He is also in favor of prison reform.  H objects to prisons as a for-profit business.  He also objects to the expense of keeping people in prison when it does not add to the public safety.

If Maher was going for a gotcha moment with a question on climate change, he didn’t get it.  Rand said he favored a “balanced solution.”  He said we should pursue renewable energy, but not shut down one source of energy [coal]. Darn. Why aren’t Democrats saying that? Of course, we can’t shut down the coal industry overnight; it has to be phased out while coal-miners are trained for new jobs in renewable energy.  I can’t imagine there are many coal miners who wouldn’t jump at the chance to earn a comparable wage without having to do the dirty and dangerous job of coal mining.

Rand is for ending the drug war and ending the shooting war in Iraq and the Mideast. He pointed out that every time we topple a secular dictator, things get worse.  

If he keeps talking like this, I might be open to voting for him. However, I’m hoping the Democratic candidate will take the same stands on these issues because Paul is wrong about a lot of other things. Also with common sense rational views like this, I doubt he can win the Republican nomination.   But you gotta give Paul credit--he tailored his message to his audience.  Let’s see what he says when he is talking to Republicans in the primary debates.

 

The mid-term elections

Maher bemoaned the fact that Obama waited until after the elections to reveal the good news.  If he had done if before the elections, he might have motivated some more people to vote.



CLICK HERE

Panelist Margaret Hoover, a Republican political commentator and author of American Individualism: How a New Generation of Conservatives Can Save the Republican Party was magnanimous. She said “The map was just not in your favor this year” because the majority of the elections were in red states. 



CLICK HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panelist Andrew Sullivan is Blogger- in-Chief at The Dish and author of six books.  (His most recent book is Love Undetectable: Notes on Friendship, Sex, and Survival.) He said, “Show that you believe in something. No one wants to vote for the guy mumbling and shuffling away.”



CLICK HERE

Panelist Jeremy Scahill, an investigative journalist and author of two books. (Blackwater and his new book Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield, said, “It is like an acting troop that comes out for the encore, but they never did the show.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Immigration

Hoover said that the Republicans are “quietly back-channeling” that they are will to move on this.  Maher retorted with disbelief, “VERY quietly.”  Sullivan was also skeptical. He said, “When have they ever won out over the crazies.”


The mid-East and ISIS

Maher said it would take 30,000 ground troops to defeat ISIS. Scahill said this war was a continuation of the war against Bushes troops and that the Bathists had joined a coalition with the Muslim radicals. Sullivan said we need a president to say “This is not our problem.” Maher agreed that we should just let them fight it out among themselves.  

Religion

Maher said that there are power struggles in the Vatican as Pope Frank (as Maher calls Pope Francis) tries to move the church into the new age.  He canned Cardinal Raymond Burke, a very conservative cardinal. (Actually, you can't fire a cardinal. The Pope just transferred him to some minor post.)

Pope Frank has to serve in the unusual circum stance of having another living Pope, the retired Pope Benedict. Maher said Pope Benedict was the Dick Cheney of the Catholic Church. Maher then launched into the mid-show comedy segment where he showed a mock war-of-words on twitter between the two popes. 

The conversation about religion continued when the mid-show guest, Martin Short—comedian, actor, and author-- joined the panel. Maher said the he and Short and Sullivan were all raised Catholic and the only one stuck with it.  “The gay one! “(Sullivan.)

Sullivan said, “We can leave room for doubt.  If you have never doubted, you have never really believed.”

Scahill said Pope Frank is trying to push for economic change.  Hoover said he is trying to go back to “the simplicity of Christ.”  Maher pointed out that after he does these things, he comes out for exorcism. “He’s a good politician, throwing a little something to the base.”

Maher brought up the Mormon religion. The Mormon Church has been trying to modernize by being honest about the history of the church.  They are admitting that Joseph Smith, who founded the religion in the 1930’s had 30 to 40 wives, one of whom was a 14 year-old girl and others who were already married. Maher called it “a sex-cult.”  Maher said, “They can’t hide the facts because this history is so recent.”    

Sullivan then tried to claim that the stories in the Bible wee history true.  There was a virgin birth and Christ did come back from the dead—it can’t be empirically disproved.  Maher said that none of the Bible stories about Christ were written until 40 years after his death.  “It is like no one noticed the Beatles until 2010.” 

Martin tried to end the discussion by saying that the truth of religion is not important: “Who cares if it gives you strength.”   

Maher had one more point to make.  He said that the Mormons have Revelators who get messages from God and that even the Mormon missionaries will no longer go to Syria and Iraq. 

CLICK HERE

Martin Short

The mid-show guest was Martin Short, an actor, comedian, and author of several books. Maher discussed Martin Short’s new book I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend.  Maher praised Short for his beautifully written memoir and for his honesty in talking about the losses in his life the death of his brother, his parents, and his wife of 36 years. In the book Short reveals a lot of personal details about his life and career including the fact that Gilda Radner was his first real love.

New Rules: The Importance of Voting

Maher was on fire about people not voting. He started with the little stickers that say “I voted” that are given to people after they vote. Why should people get a sticker just for doing what they are supposed to do? It is like getting a sticker for flushing the toilet.  Instead, there should be stickers for non-voters that say “I couldn’t be bothered.”


He castigated people like comedian Russell Brand who made a statement saying don’t vote because the system is broken. (It got broken because people didn’t vote.)  Politicians are all the same? Tell that to the 700,000 people in Florida who would have gotten health insurance if the Democrat had been elected governor. Obama didn’t deliver? Maybe you missed it because it wasn’t on TMZ.

 

President Mitt McCain

Maher asked us to imagine life if we had elected President Mitt McCain instead of Obama. (He morphed pictures of the two into one. It was very funny.)  Maher revealed what would have happened.

• There was no stimulus and the auto industry was allowed to die.  We are in the sixth year of Great Depression II.
• Paula Dean and Joe the Plumber is on the Supreme Court.
• The Attorney General is Dick Cheney’s head.
• The nearest abortion clinic is in London.
• There is no renewable energy but one trillion dollars was spent on an electrified fence on the Mexican border to keep out the one Mexican who still wants to get it.
• Homeland Security chairman Ted Cruz deported all 12 million Mexicans and now we have no fruit.

“No fruit, no jobs, your girl friend is having a baby you don’t want, no health insurance and your tap water is on fire!  But you didn’t dirty your hands in the gutter of politics.” I think the bit should have ended with this line. 

The last line seemed a little weak to me. Maher ended with, “If your hands are not dirty, it is not because you are pure. It is because you are not helping.” The writers should have battered that one around a little more. 

Yu cn read more about this and see the video clip at Bill Maher: President Mitt McCain

 

Martin Short

Bill Maher’s Guests: November 14, 2014
 

Rand Paul:  Senator (R, KY), and author (with Ron Paul) of Government Bullies: How Everyday Americans are Being Harassed, Abused, and Imprisoned by the Fed  

Martin Short:  Actor, comedian, and author of several books. His most recent book is I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend

 

Margaret Hoover: Political commentator and author of American Individualism: How a New Generation of Conservatives Can Save the Republican Party

 Andrew Sullivan: Blogger-in-Chief at The Dish, blog and author of six books.  His most recent book is Love Undetectable: Notes on Friendship, Sex, and Survival

Jeremy Scahill: Journalist and author of two books.  His most recent book is Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield 

HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher #268 "Easy Marks"

By Catherine Giordano

Bill Maher is back on HBO with “Real Time with Bill Maher”, but the show felt a little lame this week.  Was Bill (and staff) just a bit rusty from their eight week break, were the guests a bit lackluster, or is it because that now that the election is over Bill just doesn’t have as much to work with? 

I’ve titled this review “Easy Marks” because a lot of politicians and celebrities being hoist upon his rapier are just easy marks.  Making fun of them is just too easy.

In the opening monologue, Bill said John Boehner refers to next Monday, the day of President Obama’s inauguration for a second term, as “Black Monday.”

Also in the monologue, Bill mentioned that former Republican presidential candidate (and current governor of Texas) Rick Perry, said the real answer to school shootings is prayer. Bill skewered him by saying he would pay money to see Perry defend himself against a school-shooter with prayer. Then he added, “Who am I kidding—Perry in a school?” It was funny, but ever since Perry humiliated himself by amorously caressing a bottle of maple syrup, he’s just too easy a mark.

Mark Sanford, the former governor of South Carolina who became famous for giving new meaning to “hiking the Appalachian Trail” is planning to run for Congress.  He was the butt of the mid-show comedy segment—Bill had some campaign slogans for him such as, “More tail and less fat” and referring to Arnold Swartzeneggar (another easy target) “At least it wasn’t the maid.” (That was a twofer.)

Manti Te’O, who is looking a bit pathetic these days, is another easy mark who got a drubbing last night. He was a Notre Dame football player up for the Heisman trophy who claimed that his internet girlfriend, whom he had never met in person, had died. It was a hoax, but it is unclear if Te’O was the victim or the perpetuator of the hoax (or maybe both).

Bill commented that the United States is in love with torture. “The first 45 minutes of Zero Dark Thirty was all torture, the same with The Hobbit.” He pointed out that Ben Affleck, Claire Daines, and Jessica Chastain all won Global Globes awards for playing CIA officers. Then he took aim at Sarah Palin, an easy mark, and said Julianne Moore won for Game Change because Sarah Palin is a master CIA officer.

Bill picked on the easiest mark of them all, Glenn Beck. It seems Beck wants to build his own town for his followers. Bill said that Real Time has a segment about Republicans being in a metaphoric bubble, but now Beck wants to live in an actual bubble. [This would make for a great horror movie—a town where everyone was like Glenn Beck—maybe we could call it “The Horror at Becktown.”]

The interview was with Bob Kerry, a Democrat, and the former governor and senator from Nebraska. Bill teased him about being confused “with the senator married to the ketchup lady (referring to John Kerry married to Teresa Heinz). Kerry sheepishly admitted that it sometimes happens. 

The rest of the interview was serious. Bill commented on the fact that Bob Kerry is a Vietnam vet, as is John Kerry, Obama’s pick for Secretary of State, and Chuck Hegel, Obama’s pick for Secretary of Defense. They discussed how it was good to have veterans in these positions because they understood the real consequences of war, unlike McCain who always wants a war going. McCain opposes Hegel because Hegel will likely mess with McCain’s plans for war with Iran.

One of the panelists was Martin Short, the comedian and actor. He is liberal, intelligent and can usually be counted on for a few witty, but scathing, remarks. His liberal and intelligent views were on display during the show, but the wit—not so much.  

The other two panelists were Republicans, Michelle Caruso-Cabera, a CNBC correspondent, and Steve LaTourette, a former Republican congressman from Ohio who is currently--what else?--a lobbyist.  Both were well well-behaved and made reasonable comments—something we don’t see too often with Republicans on Bill’s panel.

Caruso-Cabera is more a libertarian than Republican. She favors conservative fiscal policy and small government, but feels that government should not intervene on social issues.  Un-fortunately for her, she became the star of the “the-egg-on-your-face“ moment of the week. During the discussion on torture, she said that if you knew you could save lives, it would be right to use torture. She looked stunned when everyone turned on her, including LaTourette, forcefully condemning her statement. 

The special guest was Rula Jebreal, a contributor to Newsweek and the Daily Beast, a novelist, and screenwriter. She made intelligent and insightful comments, and she was passionate about her opinions. Very passionate--but she managed to do it in a charming way.  Jebreal  is a Palestinian, and she educated the panel, and me (and probably you) about the Israeli—Palestinian conflict.. When Caruso-Cabera tried to score points and call Al Gore a hypocrite for selling his TV network, Current, to Al Jezeera (a favorite talking point lately among right wingers), Jebreal sprang to the defense of, not Al Gore but, Al Jezeera. She said that Americans misrepresent Al Jezera--without Al Jezera there would have been no “Arab Spring.”

Martin Short made some good points during the discussion about guns in America.  He pointed out that Canada, where he is from, has only 24% gun ownership, and a fraction of the rate of gun deaths compared to America.  When Bill scoffed at the idea that we would get any change in gun laws here in America, Short compared it to cigarettes. They were once ubiquitous, but first attitudes changed, and then laws changed. We have to begin somewhere.

I think Short has a good point. Once cigarette smoking was everywhere, now smokers have to take the walk of shame out to the alley if they want to smoke.  Maybe one day, no one will want to belong to the NRA and gun ownership will be a shameful secret.

Speaking about gun control, all I hear from right-wing gun nuts is that the 2^nd amendment is to protect citizens from the tyranny of the government. Stephen Colbert had a great line about that on his show the other night.  He said that the writers of the Constitution, like all constitutional writers said, “If you don’t like what we do, feel free to shoot us.” The 2^nd amendment includes the phrase “a well-regulated militia”--right-wingers always ignore that phrase.

The “militia” part is key to understanding the 2^nd Amendment. There was no standing army at the time and the “right to bear arms” was about every able-bodied man being ready to defend the country against foreign invasion. At the time, soldiers were often required to supply their own weapons. The constitution offers other ways to defend against tyranny—elections, checks and balances, and as a last resort, impeachment, which was meant to be used rarely and  only for the most egregious of crimes.

Bill devoted the last bit of his “New Rules” segment to the issue of guns, He said that gun-nuts think they need guns to protest their freedom, but they have already lost their freedom. The real threat to freedom is “Big Brother.” The government can look at our emails, can monitor our phone calls, can pry into our private life in all sorts of ways.  He said, “They think guns keep them free, but we have lost all our rights except gun rights.  “It’s like a strip club with a million bouncers and no strippers.”

Finally, I would like to award the first ever “Easy Mark” award of the week to Michelle Caruso-Cabera. She has evidently been living in the right-wing bubble because she looked startled when even fellow Republican, LaTourette, called her out on her statements.

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