The French love serious debates and long discussions. It is rare, however, to see good long exchanges of substance in politics and economy between people of different opinons on American television these days. That's why Jon Stewart's conversation with the author of Unintended consequences: Why Everything You’ve Been Told About the Economy is Wrong last week is an absolute delight.
In his book, Edward Conard (the name sounds like an insult in French) claims that that economic inequality and allowing individuals to make risky investments are good things. (also read this article and/or this interview)
This is a great insight into the mind of a pro-Rommey Republican - Conard contributed to the Super Pac promoting Mitt Romney's candidacy - and a proponent of laissez faire economy including deregulation and lower corporation tax rates.
Jon Stewart has a great talen for those exchanges - his mind goes fast and he is able to come up with sound common sensical arguments and redirect the debate to a pragmatic perspective, even when faced with complex abstract claims.
Note how Edward Conard's arguments smack of hubris in his view of the rest of the world: Europe, Japan as well as immigrants, which Jon Stewart duly underlined. It is a view deeply rooted in the concept of American Exceptionalism.
See for yourself:
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