The Un-Funniness of Non-Comedy

There's something comical about a reporter from FOX News, of all networks, complaining that someone on CNBC would allow political invective to go unchallenged.

But there's also something extremely comical about Janeane Garofalo. Recently she was confronted by Fox News' Griff Jenkins over her recent comments in which she insisted that all of those protesting Barack Obama's stimulus package with tea parties were motivated by racism alone.

When confronted by Jenkins, Garofalo put the rather dubious standard of evidence she used to reach that conclusion on display -- demanding to know where these individuals had been during the George W Bush Presidency when he was running the United States deeper into deficit and deeper into debt.

Although, one must point out, just as Sean Hannity does, that Bush was doing so at a quarter of the rate that Obama is now doing.

In actuality, this is actually stronger evidence in favour of suggesting that the Tea Parties were politically motivated out of partisan fervour -- a possibility that Garofalo herself previously rejected.

No. Apparently Garofalo's defining piece of evidence is a "What'chu talkin' about Willis?" sign held up by one of the protesters.

Yet Garofalo clearly overlooked the fact that "What'chu talkin' about Willis" is less a racial slur and more of a pop culture reference. For the uninitiated, Diff'rent Strokes was a show about black children being raised by a white family. For those familiar with Barack Obama's life story, the parallels are evident. Obama was raised by his mother -- a white woman -- who was aided by his grandparents -- who, also, are white.

It's generally uncouth to go after an elected official for the circumstances of their upbringing. But in terms of being evidentiary of racism, this sign is very thin gruel.

Garofalo actually backpedals when confronted, falling back to talking about the "racist element" at the Tea Party protests -- very different from labelling them all as racists, as she originally did -- only to backpedal on her own backpedalling.

One has to consider that these are actually the less inflammatory of her original comments -- her insistence that American conservatives are all mentally ill as a precondition of their political alignment is actually much more alarming.

Moreoever, they're clearly the kind of arguments formulated in an echo chamber, never intended to be defended. Garofalo's reaction to being challenged bear that particular observation out.

The utterly hilarious aspect of the entire affair is that, as a comedian, Janeane Garofalo has the ultimate back door out of the base stupidity of her original comments -- she could have just insisted she was joking.

But even if Garofalo were only joking, it still wasn't funny.

Meghan McCain Gets It (Mostly) Right

Sean Hannity, unshockingly, gets it wrong

With the question of whether or not Guantanamo Bay detainees should have their rights respected hanging thick in the air, FOX News' Sean Hannity invited Meghan McCain, amongst a panel of other commentators, on his show to discuss the issue.

Hannity -- along with most of the panel -- is stringently opposed to "granting" the rights of Guantanamo detainees.

"They declared war on us and we're fighting a war and we know there is about 60-some odd detainees that have gone back to the battlefield. Why for the first time ever would we give rights to enemy combatants?" Hannity asked.

"What competent person thinks this is a good idea?" McCain asked. "Literally when I think of my brother and his people and his platoon, the people I know over there fighting for this so we can let them go so they can attack us again? It's insane."

McCain is right and wrong about this.

When, as the segment itself alluded to, the Guantanamo detainees accused of helping plan the 9/11 attacks admit their role in the plot and insist they're proud of it, it's pretty clear what they will do if they're released free and clear from Guantanamo Bay.

However, the topic of discussion wasn't merely about the notion that these men could be released. It was also about whether or not those detained should have any rights.

Since the United States began taking prisoners in the War on Terror, the "enemy combatant" designation has been used liberally as an excuse to avoid designating them as criminals or as prisoners of war.

If charged as criminals, those detained at Guantanamo Bay would be subject to Habeus Corpus and would enjoy a collection of civil rights that would rule out the treatment they've received at Camp X-Ray, including torture.

If declared to be prisoners of war, these detainees would be subject to the full range of rights laid out under the Geneva Conventions. Once again, torture would have been strictly forbidden.

Now, mercifully, the Obama administration is putting an end to the designation of Guantanamo detainees as "enemy combatants".

Wether as criminals charged under US law or as prisoners of war, these individuals will finally enjoy the rights mandated under law -- be it domestic or international -- and will finally be subject to some manner of justice worthy of the name.

As previously mentioned, one of these rights is the right to not be subjected to torture -- something that Hannity apparently thinks is acceptable even as a Christian.

McCain, for her own part, disagrees.

"I think it's what separates us from the terrorists," McCain explained. "My father could never lift me up as a child because he can't move his arm. He can't ride a bike because he can't bend his knee because he was tortured. I think he knows better."

There's also a serious issue at stake in pretending that the United States would be "giving" these individuals rights. In fact, the rights of these individuals are established within both US and international law.

Although McCain's approach to the issue of rights leaves much to be desired, her denunciation of torture is as effective, prescient and welcome is any. With the issue of how Guantanamo Bay detainees should be designated soon to be resolved, the voice of anyone with an understanding of the nature of torture is dearly needed.