On Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” host Bill Maher stated that younger people have fallen into a dangerous level of self-loathing about America and a significant part of this is because older generations “read about Communism and socialism” and today’s generation doesn’t.
While talking with Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan, Maher stated, “Another, I think big gap between generations, it’s something you get into [in] your fantastic book a lot is that the older generations just have a more positive idea of this country, America good. And you go into the fact that a lot of this is because [older people], we read about Communism and socialism. And kids today, I don’t know what they’re teaching them in school, it doesn’t seem like a hell of a lot, but they have this idea, that they live — not all of them, of course, but that they live in a bad country that has only done bad things and is probably the worst place in the world, if they could only find a way to get out.”
Noonan responded that while America is “not perfect. To say the least, it’s had an uneven history. But it is a great country, and, historically, has been a good country.”
Maher responded, “And it does self-correct. It does correct more than other places.”
Noonan then stated, “Self-criticism is good. Self-hatred is sick. Self-criticism could get you to a good place. Self-hatred is going to stop you dead.” And Maher agreed.
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
