Video: Jon Stewart's last bullshit rant on The Daily Show offers a lesson for Canadian voters

Update: If the video above fails to load, the monologue should be available for Canadian audiences at Comedy Central's website.

Jon Stewart went out in style last night on The Daily Show.

"Bullshit is everywhere," he declared before bursting into laughter.

"There is very little that you will encounter in life that has not been in some ways infused with bullshit," he continued. "Not all of it bad. The general day-to-day free-range bullshit is often necessary. Or at the very least, innocuous."

Then, he went on to talk about "the more pernicious bullshit", the "more premeditated institutional bullshit designed to obscure and distract".

He referred to the Patriot Act as the Are You Scared Enough to Let Me Look at All Your Phone Records Act, noting that this second name wouldn't sell.

"When anything has been titled Freedom, Family, Fairness, Health, America, take a good long sniff," Stewart said. "Chances are, it's been manufactured in a facility that may contain traces of bullshit."

It's a message that Canadians might want to think about as they get ready to go to the polls on October 19.

Here are the names of some of the Conservative government's most controversial pieces of legislation:

Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act  It criminalized the sale of sex, isolating sex workers and leaving them more vulnerable to predators.

Respect for Communities Act  It made it virtually impossible to create a second legal supervised-injection site in Canada.

Truth in Sentencing Act  It revoked judges' discretion around giving offenders credit for double time for being incarcerated in overcrowded remand centres prior to being convicted and sentenced. 

Fair Elections Act  This legislation made it impossible for the office of the chief electoral officer to investigate wrongdoing in association with elections.

Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act  This expanded police powers to obtain information without a warrant from Internet service providers about Canadians' use of the Internet. This bill died after the public erupted in anger.

The granddaddy of them all, however, didn't rely on the same degree of euphemistic language (or, as Stewart would say, "bullshit") to sell itself to the public.

It was simply called the Anti-terrorism Act, 2015, though it's better known as Bill C-51.  It authorizes judges to let law-enforcement officials violate people's charter rights in advance of conducting investigations.

Comments

7 Comments

Heave ho

Aug 7, 2015 at 10:24am

I am voting to get rid of the biggest Turd & Bullshit Government in Canadian history.

I hope to flush it away once and for all but this Turd may take a couple of Flushes.

0 0Rating: 0

tommy o'flanagan

Aug 7, 2015 at 6:03pm

Everything in life is just a question of time.
Harper's tenure seems to be coming to and end.
Mulcair may win with a minority and then Jason Kenney will come back as Leader and will effect a non confidence motion and will come in with a minority government as well.

Barry William Teske

Aug 7, 2015 at 11:28pm

"The Incitement Starts At The Top.
Always Has...Always will." - Unknown

0 0Rating: 0

Smells like oppression

Aug 8, 2015 at 11:42am

Apathy amongst the non voting 40 plus percent of Canadians gave Harper an open country to rape for profit. While everyone takes in their programmed network news filled with disinformation, propaganda and distraction over the last decade, the tyrant Harper has been very busy deregulating every Public Service built by Canadians for Canadians. Postal, health care, education and ENVIRONMENT.
Thank you Jon for speaking the truth.

0 0Rating: 0

Omero

Aug 13, 2015 at 7:30am

Welcome to Canada Mr. Stewart and stay as long as you wish. No one can cut through the Bullshit like you can and your timing couldn't be better

0 0Rating: 0

Congratulations Jon Stewart

Aug 13, 2015 at 8:27pm

YOU changed the world.

Your compassion will never be forgotten.

:)

0 0Rating: 0