"When is the last time you got good and angry" about the bank-fueled, economy-tanking 2008 financial meltdown? Jon Stewart asked to kick off Thursday night's Daily Show, a twinkle in his eye. "Want to?"
If you're not familiar with former AIG chief Hank Greenberg's lawsuit against the federal government, Stewart will give you the rundown. Not only that, he will probably convince you to despise Greenberg, grimace at the absurdity of this lawsuit, seethe about the federal bailout of the insolvent company, and make you laugh all the while.
Stewart mocked Greenberg's charge of "extortion," noting that while most extortionists demand money, the U.S. government poured $184.6 billion ($85 billion at first) into Greenberg's effectively bankrupt former insurance business. He derided Greenberg's complaint that the U.S. treated bailed-out banks better than AIG, summarizing that argument as: "Waaaaaaah! It's not fair!" Stewart pointed out that for insurance companies, "putting the screws to people in their lowest moments" is routine business. And he drove it all home with a delightful one-man show. Feel better? --Peter Weber
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Roasted squash and apple soup recipeThe Week Recommends Autumnal soup is full of warming and hearty flavours
-
Ukraine: Donald Trump pivots againIn the Spotlight US president apparently warned Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept Vladimir Putin’s terms or face destruction during fractious face-to-face
-
Autumn Budget: will Rachel Reeves raid the rich?Talking Point To fill Britain’s financial black hole, the Chancellor will have to consider everything – except an income tax rise
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
