Jon Stewart kicked off the week by taking a look at the recent anti-U.S. protests and attacks in the Middle East, particularly noting the reaction from right-wing pundits. While they seem to now be rather critical and skeptical of the pro-democracy agenda in the region, it wasn’t always so, Stewart reminded us by taking a look at some of their past contradictory statements.

Stewart began with Sarah Palin and Sean Hannity — reminding us (and themselves) that back in the day, they supported an American agenda of promoting democracy in other countries. Yet now, not so much. Take Palin, who questioned how we can spill “blood and treasure” in promoting democracy in “places that do not have any values for civilized society.” Or Hannity, who previously said, “Through the prism of history we’ll look back at George W. Bush and see this shift toward freedom, liberty and democracy in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world, and he will be viewed as a great visionary.”

Ah yes, the “Hannity & Takes the Opposite Position When It’s Convenient, Slightly Younger Hannity” show. That’s a good one.

“We could go all night bringing up examples of pundits and bloviaters on the right who couldn’t do enough to promote democracy in the Middle East,” Stewart said, “as long as it was done at the end of George Bush’s gun.”

But now as the Middle Eastern countries choose leaders for themselves? “Lordy lord, the pearls can’t be clutched enough.” Stewart again ran through changing, conflicting assertions of “chaos” and “progress,” this time coming from Dan Senor.

“I can’t tell if these guys are cynical, clueless or in denial,” Stewart concluded.

The segment below, via Comedy Central:



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