Comedy Central funny man Jon Stewart makes a living bashing Republicans. But the “Daily Show” host injected a bit of conservatism into the opening segment of his show on Wednesday — likely without even realizing it.
In a segment aptly titled “A Bureaucracy of Dunces,” the funny man explored several recent scandals involving government agencies.
“For those of us who — while watching Congress continue to be unable to even bring an increase to the minimum wage to a vote — still believe in government’s ability to earn people’s trust, this next segment is probably not for you,” Stewart warns his audience.
Stewart begins his crusade against the government by discussing the results of a Department of Treasury Inspector General Report, which found that more than 1,000 Internal Revenue Service employees owed back taxes — and still received bonuses.
“By the way, you were saying the people at the pay-us-your-taxes place don’t pay their taxes,” he quipped.
Stewart then described a practice by the Social Security Administration that involved the seizure of citizens’ tax refunds to pay back debts their parents owed. Many of the checks the Department of Treasury seized — on behalf of Social Security — were to make up for clerical errors the agency itself made. After this came to light, the administration stopped the practice.
“Yes, yes. Nothing brings about the raising of consciousness like people finding out about the s**t you’re doing,” the “Daily Show” host said.
Stewart’s final scandal involved the Phoenix Veteran Affairs Health Care system and its secret waiting list, which delayed the nation’s veterans crucial medical care for months and, in some cases, years.
The negligence at the Phoenix VA enraged Stewart, as he grabbed a giant ‘scream jar’ and proceeded to curse and yell into it.
While Stewart’s rage is validated, he discretely pointed to the flaws of big government — likely inadvertently. The Comedy Central host is often a crusader of liberal policies, but he, himself, brought attention to the dangers of a government that grows to large proportions.
All three agencies Stewart discussed — the IRS, Social Security Administration and Veteran Affairs — have grown to sizes that allow for mismanagement, abuse and negligence. While the host is often a champion for government programs like welfare, he proved that a growing government can be dangerous and, ultimately, hurt the American people’s trust in government.
“The more power any government has, the more power it will abuse. The more money it spends, the more money it will mis-spend. Dysfunction and corruption grow on government like mold on otherwise perfectly good bread,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) wrote in an op-ed for Fox News last year.
In all three cases Stewart pointed to, each agency made Lee’s case for limited government. They were given unprecedented amounts of power which, in turn, they abused. And in the case of the Social Security Administration, its dysfunctional practice was quelled only when brought to light.
Stewart may not want to admit it, but his rage was directed at inept, growing bureaucratic agencies. And it just may be that the self-proclaimed liberal has a little bit of conservatism running through his veins.
Watch Stewart’s “Bureaucracy of Dunces” segment below.
