‘There’s an old saying in Tennessee–I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee–that says, fool me once, shame on–shame on you. Fool me–you can’t get fooled again.’ — George Bush, Sept. 17, 2002
If you haven’t seen it, yet, I urge you to watch Jon Stewart’s interview with Jim Cramer of CNBC (link at bottom of this posting…) which in my view exemplifies well prepared, good interviewing skills, so very much lacking in today’s media world. Those who want to dismiss Jon Stewart as a ‘comedian with a variety show’ completely miss the mark. Certainly, Jon Stewart is a comedian and hosts a ‘fake news show,’ but he is so much more…and after bringing to the forefront the misdeeds of the financial network CNBC and the ensuing Jim Cramer interview, he certainly has catapulted himself into the category of serious and effective interviewers.
I consider myself somewhat of a political junkie, and try to catch the ‘Daily Show’ whenever I can. Even though they obviously try to make their points in a funny, often hilarious way, they most always hit the mark and point out the obvious, so often missed by the traditional media. And by the way, statistics have shown that people who watch programs like ‘The Daily Show’ can be counted among the politically best informed… Maybe there is something to mixing serious news with laughs…
In his interview with Jim Cramer, who now has become the poster child for the ills of CNBC, Jon Stewart pointed out that CNBC, instead of being cheerleaders for CEOs and their failed companies, should be in the business of informing the public about what’s really going on… And he showed in detail, how ‘financial experts’ like Jim Cramer, knowingly misled the viewing public, by telling them to buy a certain stock right before that company went bankrupt or had to be bailed out, and how they not only enabled fraud and market manipulation being committed, but actively participated in it, while people’s 401-k funds were used as market manipulators’ personal piggy bank. And that, as Stewart pointed out, is negligence at best, and bordering criminality at worst…
If you ask me, the likes of Jim Cramer and CNBC have done enough damage, and now, after some of them publicly attacked President Obama’s economic plan, have become flat out dangerous, and should be taken off the air. I have a feeling that a lot of people who feel misled, will stop watching, and the free market that CNBC loves so much, will take care of it and we’ll soon be rid of all the ‘experts’ who were so wrong about EVERYTHING … and that’s a good thing … 🙂
Thank you, Jon Stewart….. And message to CNBC: You can’t fool us again!!!
Here’s the link to the Jon Stewart/Jim Cramer interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwUXx4DR0wo
