Bill Maher says ‘battle for soul’ of America is not ‘right vs left’ but ‘normal vs crazy’
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In his 'New Rules' segment on the January 19 episode of 'Real Time with Bill Maher', Bill Maher delivered two straightforward assessments.
First, he asserted that Donald Trump "is going to be president again". Second, he declared that the ongoing struggle in America is not between right and left but rather between normalcy and irrationality.
Maher calls for a year of sanity and critiques extremities in politics
During this segment, Maher critiqued both the right and the left, deviating from his usual reliance on golden mean rhetoric.
The American comedian, writer, and producer called for 2024 to be dubbed "the year of sanity," emphasizing the need for a return to rationality in the political landscape.
Observing that many people he spoke to during his holiday break expressed a desire for "sanity" in the new year, Maher commenced his argument by asserting that the extremes on both the left and the right have garnered excessive attention.
He raised the question, "How do you suck all the oxygen out of the room and still not get any to your brain?" implying a criticism of the disproportionate influence of extreme ideologies.
Maher then humorously remarked on how cable news creates the impression that "this whole place was totally bats–t," contending that such a portrayal was not an accurate representation of America as a whole.
He jokingly singled out Florida, saying, "Florida? Yes, but not America. So, let’s examine what makes sane people feel this way."
Maher highlights perplexing behaviors
Maher contended that "sane people," constituting the vast majority, find certain behaviors perplexing.
He cited examples such as people wearing masks while driving, and he highlighted the Republican tactic of using the debt ceiling to hold the country hostage whenever a Democrat is president.
In a humorous tone, he remarked that due to the actions of Republicans, "congress isn’t a deliberative body anymore. It’s a rave without a permit in a burning paint warehouse".
The host then highlighted what he deemed the most significant lack of sanity: his belief that Trump "is going to be president again".
He expressed the surreal nature of being in court daily to prove Trump's attempts to overturn the election, while Trump, on the campaign trail, encourages the idea of overturning the election.
The political commentator, actor, and television host found it bewildering that Trump supporters seem unfazed by the fact that Trump was recently asked if he aspired to be a dictator, and he neither affirmed nor denied it, a sentiment echoed by his lawyer.
Further pointing out a disturbing revelation by Trump and his legal team, Maher gave a reference to their belief that the president has the legal authority to assassinate political rivals.
Trump's admission of an intention to rule as a dictator if he were to win reelection, emphasized concerns of what Maher sees as a departure from normalcy.
Bill Maher advocates for rationality
The host then discussed various topics, starting with a comparison between elite college presidents' responses to a congressional antisemitism hearing and their reluctance to outright condemn the call for the genocide of Jews.
He quoted, "When presidents of elite colleges were asked if it’s okay to call for the genocide of Jews, and they couldn’t just say f**k no. Can anybody just say f**k no?"
Addressing the extremes in public discussions, Maher expressed a desire for figures who are "socially liberal but not stupid woke, fiscally sane but not cruel".
After a transphobic remark, he quoted, "Maybe legalize pot but maybe stop giving drugs to hard drug addicts. Nikki Haley says America has never been racist. And social justice warriors and there’s been no progress since Amos and Andy."
He discussed a Middle Eastern terrorist organization invading Israel and criticized the support for the attackers in American streets, quoting, "That’s the literal standard for involuntary commitment when you’re a danger to yourself. The NRA are bad but after a school shooting they don’t march against schools."
Maher continued with criticism of activists misrepresenting terrorist groups as revolutionaries and expressed confusion about the obsession with celebrities' sexual orientations, quoting, "That’s so insane. I don’t even get it. If Taylor Swift is gay, what this is somehow a better country?"
Mentioning the far-left belief that men can have babies, Maher criticized persecuting pregnant women seeking abortions, quoting, "Far left now insists men can have babies if they just concentrate hard and don’t listen to the haters. Does that make us a better country? No. And neither does persecuting a pregnant woman who wants to get an abortion for a fetus doctor says will not survive."
In conclusion, Maher emphasized the battle in the country as "normal vs crazy," quoting, "Could everyone just stop being nutty, completely nutty for five f**king minutes? The battle for this country isn’t right or left. It’s normal vs crazy."
