Clown Nose Off, Clown Nose On

Wading through these videos will take some time but consider it a teachable moment.

Jon Stewart would have been exposed as a fool and a knave to his audience by now were it not for the fact that they are more historically illiterate than he is. Let this then be a lesson about why it is dangerous to get your "news" from the "pseudo-news comedian" who in the process of crossing the lines between news and nonsense irreparably blurs them. In what appears to be a serious conversation about torture Cliff May and Stewart bring up the atomic bombings during World War II around the 5:50 mark. Stewart then professes that he thinks President Harry Truman was a war criminal.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Cliff May Unedited Interview Pt. 2
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

A few days later after presumably digesting the fact that he called President Harry Truman a war criminal and perhaps a couple of e-mails calling on him to do so, Stewart does the honorable thing and apologizes on air for his comments.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Harry Truman Was Not a War Criminal
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

And now the historical facts behind the decision to drop the atomic bombs courtesy of Bill Whittle. If Jon Stewart had a working knowledge of these facts he could have saved himself a great deal of trouble and would not have misinformed his audience.

But I doubt he would have been as hip and cool.