Bill Maher calls U.S. a "Stupid Country"

In an interview with the CBC Bill Maher lashes out at the U.S.

Because you're being logical, dear. You're not thinking like an American. OK? Johnny Depp said this was a stupid country. And then he made me very mad and he took it back. Well, I say it. I don't take it back. It's stupid. Really stupid. It's about the marketing, don't you know? It's not about what's real. It's about what they market to people. I mean, they were able to morph bin Laden into Hussein. Do you think they can't give, make a little debt go away? That's something people don't even care about in the first place.

I've always liked Bill Maher's guts and conviction, you always know where the man stands. Knowing the flack Johnny Depp took for far milder statements, this sure took balls.
www.cbc.ca...
edit link

[edit on 23-10-2004 by deevee]

Well I have to agree with him, This country is stupid enough to actually belive things the gvmt says to them, and yet as soon as they smoke weed they get arrested for being a terrorist,.

Or how the govmt in Minnasota is doing mock drills of Homeschoolers being terrorists.. in it 1 place but a few places..

so yes this country is stupid, you tell them piss is good for them , and they will believe it... or better yet mecury.


and here is the link for mecury being good for ya..
www.prisonplanet.com...

[edit on 23-10-2004 by ThichHeaded]

I think Bill Maher hasnt been out of the states in years.

I'm currently in Wales and I KNOW that the US is a superior country. From the cheese melting techniques all the way down to the ethernet cords (and yes I do have examples), America is a great country

Yeah, I'll agree with Bill too.

He's setting out a pretty good case too.

Originally posted by Nerdling
Yeah, I'll agree with Bill too.

He's setting out a pretty good case too.

When's the last time you lived out the country?

Trust me, months ago i would be agreeing with you, but now I def. see the light. America is a great country, and i cant wait to go back for the summer.

Well I was actually just watching his program on HBO and he rocks, he got a point, people in US will believe anything that the government with the help of the media markets to them.

Does that mean we are only stupid, we are also gullible.

True, Us is a great country...but overall, we are a stupi country. I thing Maher has a point...why is it that other countries see the US as a great country but hate our politics? Because we advertise the land of the free bout promote the opposite.

I agree with Bill 100%

Originally posted by marg6043
Well I was actually just watching his program on HBO and he rocks, he got a point, people in US will believe anything that the government with the help of the media markets to them.

Does that mean we are only stupid, we are also gullible.

It means we are gullible, not stupid

Meh...the entire planet is actually stupid. The US is simply stupid and ridiculously powerful. So our stupidity affects others much more so.

I don't think it's stupid to try to remove a ruthless dictator from power over the worlds economy. I don't think it's stupid to spend 3% of our GDP on the military even if 3% is 420 billion dollars. I don't think it's stupid to support the only democracy in the Middle East. I don't think it's stupid to start a company so succesful that you will eventually be hunted down and called a monopoly.

I do think it is stupid to sue Mcdonalds when your eating yourself to death. I do think it's stupid to massacre 40 million unborn babies in 3 decades under protection of "choice." I do think it is stupid to have huge military bases in Europe when they obviosly don't want us or like us there. I do think it is stupid to not vote.

DISCLAIMER - what follows is not aimed at all Americans, only to some of the conservative ones.

I think it's stupid to hate and demean countries who don't happen to say "Sir, yes sir!" when you demand that they fall in line with your policy.

Well I'm a Bill Maher addict. I never miss a show and I usually watch the same show every time it airs all week long. Yes, I can't get enough of Bill Maher. My husband says, "are you watching that again, didn't you watch it last night"?

He calls is like it is. He also hits on the points that no one else stops to think about. Like this past week..........the environment. I am really glad to see someone finally talking about it.

He's right, some of us in the US are stupid. 50% of the US is brainwashed into thinking that Bush is the only one who can protect us. Well he damned well protect us since he started the stupid war in the first place. He has no choice, HE HAS to say that. Sad thing is some truely believe him. It's like a firefighter starting the fire so he can show how brave he is to put it out.

People need to wake up and take off the war goggles already.

Bill ROCKS!

I totally agree with him! After living in Europe and seeing how most people there take so much pride in being informed citizens, I can only come to the same conclusion.

The number one news channel in the USA is Fox News Channel, a channel so bias that it was actually banned in Canada. America is also poling just about 50/50 in the election, this means that 50% of the country actually WANTS Bush to win!

The French, Dutch and Germans are, in my oppinion, much better informed than their American counterparts. I'd trust the EU to choose America's president more than I would trust the Americans to do it!

I think it also shows how "stupid" America is that our government, elected by the citizens, has flown in the face of the rest of the world so blatantly and with such disregard for everyone else that we share our planet with.

I'll tell you what does give me hope though:

It's not stupid that we allow women the right to choose what to do with their bodies and men, who by definition will never have children, and other women do not dictate reproductive rights.

It's not stupid that we give massive amounts of aid to third world nations, saving millions of lives every year.

It's not stupid that we have a strong military in times of war.

It's not stupid that we liberated Afghanistan and began fighting Al Q after 9-11, begining to help a people that have not seen peace in years finally sleep without fear.

It's not stupid that we have a Supreme Court that is appointed and gives the government the strong oversight it needs, even though I do not always agree with them.

It's not stupid that we are having discussions such as this.


Maher makes a good point he's got the balls to say the truth! I, for one support him.

May Peace Travel With You
~Astral

I also agree with bill....obviously there is a very large contingent of Americans that are stupid....and he does make a good case, after all he still has a show.

Bill Maher is a puppet who feeds on racism to enrich his show.

Just ask me and I will give you examples.

Duelfer report

I think it is Stupid to take only one piece ot a story and base your offense on it. In the report that said Saddam had no WMD prior to invasion it also made much claim that Saddam had the capability and the will to make and use them. Saddam was going to comply with the UN to get the sanctions lifted then he will rebuild conventionally and unconventionally. America and the world couldn't risk waiting for Saddam actually had the weapons to act. We needed to act first before Saddam could rebuild his army and his WMD arsenal. Yes, "stupid" to think Saddam posed no threat to the worlds economy and his neighbors lives.

Just arrived from abroad and I have to agree, at this moment the U.S. is the best place to live, notwithstanding its terrified populace. Americans are not stupid. If they were, they would think Bill was funny (wait, maybe he's is right). Just kidding.

Bill cleverly mis-uses America's regulated free market system and consumer driven economy to make a mis-statement about America's intellectual and cultural capacity.

At the same time he is attempting to create publicity for a DOA television show; and in turn, attempting to increase his (Bill�s) share of the revenue created by the very same system and economy he is decrying.

What Bill is actually trying to do, and others are cleverly realizing, is comment on America's values. Bill and his immeasurable (because they haven�t yet registered on the ratings) viewers, being the intellectual giants they are, recognize he is actually commenting on America's morality and ethics (i.e. the manner in which America practices capitalism).

However, Bill is trying to make his point and while at the same time increase the personal revenue generated by the same unethical and immoral Americans. Just try to increase your Neilson's (ratings), and thereby your wealth, when you declare your audience to be without morals or ethics. Remember, some human morals and ethics teach if I die beheading you during this holy month, I enter the Champagne Room in heaven�s 72-Virgins gentlemen�s club.

You (yeah that means you) know others (not you) are stupid, but you (again that means you) also know you have had unethical and immoral moments (though you hope no one else knows about it). So if Bill calls Americans stupid, then he surely is not referring to you personally (he must be talking about the other stupid Americans).

Bill knows it is good business to declare Americans to be stupid (remember, that does not mean you) and thereby increase potential monetary benefit (to Bill), than to say Americans do not care about anyone else in the world (and thereby have no morals or ethics). American�s don�t like to be told they are immoral and unethical by immoral and unethical persons.

The problem with Bill's unspoken diagnosis is that, in the aggregate, American's (because of the quasi-free market system they live in) really believe they care about all of God's creatures and act for the benefit of mankind. But in reality, American's (again because of the quasi-free market system they live in) really act for their best interest. All of America's decisions make perfect sense if you are an American; and if you are a Darwinist, they make perfect sense for the survival of all humanity (though maybe not the humanity you visualize).

Darwinism predicts the demise of those within a species who cannot adapt to a changing environment (survival of the fittest). American's are not only adapting to a changing environment (political, environmental, sociological, etc.) but also positioning themselves to compete for the premier position in this new environment.

Now remember, Darwin did not say those with the best morals and/or ethics would live. Neither did he say the fittest could defer a species� ultimate demise and extinction.

So (I put it to you Greg), if Americans act in their own self-interest, are they not acting in humanity�s self-interest?

Well, I too, agree with Maher, but for completely diffenent reasons. Any country that can be convinced that they need to drive a two ton luxury truck that gets 8 miles to the gallon, just so the automobile industry can make a bigger profit margin and the demand for gasoline will cause gas prices to skyrocket can't be too bright.

His argument that the war on terror is being mismanaged is just his getting points with his target audience of those who are too stupid to remember what was said by the administration as the build up to Iraq took place and who can only remember what liars like Maher keep repeating everytime they get near a microphone.

Maher should stay in Canada, where he belongs.

[edit on 04/10/24 by GradyPhilpott]

some great things are stupid aren't they?

if bill were less of a confiscation-crazed anti-gun nut and a right-wing fanatic on certain other issues i could actually come to embrace him politically...... but right now that's like embracing a cactus. for me he's just an intellectual smart a$$

[edit on 24-10-2004 by victor was right]