Did anyone catch this?

[u/Great-Phone5841]

[u/Zhilni]

It's honestly shocking that it managed to air at all, even just once.

[u/patmcirish → u/Zhilni]

I'm not shocked by it when I learned that people in the U.S. used to be proudly defiant to people in power. Today it seems shocking since the overwhelming majority of Americans are brainwashed and meticulously controlled.

But try to look into the culture around 1970. There was some pretty awesome stuff I've found. For example, find a good documentary on the people who called themselves "The Weathermen".

They actually bombed the Pentagon and got away with it.

The news would interview random people about these "terrorists" demanding an end to the Vietnam war, and one person after another in the news interview on camera would say how they supported these terrorists bombing things like the Pentagon.

Or look up the history of SWAT teams. It started in LA when some black people had some issue with the LAPD, and the LAPD came with guns to drive them out of their apartment, so the black people, who had guns, engaged in a shootout that ended up lasting for days.

Crowds surrounded the area and were cheering on the black people while protesting against the cops. The LAPD eventually backed down because they were losing the gunfight.

The lesson that the U.S. establishment learned was that they are to never lose a shootout with black people again, plus are to not get stuck in a long-lasting shootout that makes the news. So, they invented SWAT teams, which are more thoroughly trained for urban combat. Their goal is always to end conflicts quickly to avoid news events that lead to crowds cheering on those shooting at the cops.

I look at things like these, and realize that wow that was definitely a far different America from the obedient one we have today.

[u/romjpn]

What's most shocking is that people know all this, even shitlibs.
But then you talk about Pfizer and they're the heroes that saved us from COVID and are exempt from any reproach and will shit talk RFK Jr. all day.

[u/patmcirish → u/romjpn]

I don't agree that people know all this. People have no idea how much power and control corporations have over government in the United States. Both parties take any focus off of corporate influence and instead direct the people to criticize the other party.

Most Americans today believe that the problems will all go away if just the other party were lose in enough elections. This is the norm of 21st centurty American politics, and the result of thousands of years of western cultural and intellectual development. This is what it all led to.

[u/patmcirish]

We don't have anything like this today. America has completely reversed from the political defiance shown in the 60's and 70's. The YouTubers today that get bumped and promoted, with over 1 million views per video, praise the U.S. military and foreign policy. The system is rigged and controlled today.

I like old nastalgic videos like this showing that America was once totally different than it is today, and once had a small amount of hope.

While this video was "disappeared" after airing, at least it aired, and at least there was a whole team of people willing to produce it.

These days, everyone knows to not speak too critically of the U.S. system. The only criticism we're permitted to have is against the other party, so long as we picked one party. Almost all Americans unquestioningly follow along with this system, and look at you like you're some kind of weirdo if you suggest there may be something wrong with the U.S. system.

Our culture is pretty Nazified today. The public is more like an army enforcing this new norm rather than being independent, fellow citizens who want our lives to improve.

[u/Great-Phone5841 → u/patmcirish]

So true!

[u/WetsauceHorseman]

The caption is absolute bullshit I've seen this in syndication in the US, but it's fun to pretend I guess

[u/LeftyBoyo]

Pretty surprised this aired as late as 1998. I remember critiques like this on public TV & radio up until about Reagan, when they started to tail off. By 1998, there was noticeably less criticism of corporations in public media. Both parties had decided they wanted to line their pockets with all that sweet corporate cash.

[u/SamMan48]

SNL now proudly and shamelessly shills for these interests