Bill Maher, a seasoned comedian and commentator, recently likened extreme progressives’ obsession with race to the viewpoints of the Ku Klux Klan. Maher’s remarks came during an appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience” last Saturday.
Rogan made a point of categorizing Maher as a “90s liberal,” stating that Maher’s beliefs are more measured compared to the ultra-progressive stance prevalent today.
Rogan noted, “You’re like liberals back when they were more reasonable before they became leftists. And now every liberal kind of has to be a leftist.” He further added, “If you want to be on the team, you’ve got to subscribe to the most fringe ideas that the team is promoting.”
In response, Maher ardently defended traditional liberalism, emphasizing its distinction from the modern “woke” movement. He said he’s “always trying to make the case that ‘liberal’ is a different animal than ‘woke,’” and argued that wokeness overly focuses on identity and political correctness instead of truly addressing societal issues.
“You can be woke, with all the nonsense that that now implies, but don’t say that somehow it’s an extension of liberalism. Because it’s most often actually an undoing of liberalism,” Maher stressed.
Maher further delineated traditional liberal beliefs, stating, “I have always believed, as liberals do for example, in a colorblind society.” He added, “That the goal is to not see race at all, anywhere for any reason. That’s what liberals always believed all the way through Obama, going back [to] Kennedy, everybody, Martin Luther King.”
In contrast, Maher highlighted a concerning perspective of the extreme left: “They believe race is first and foremost the thing you should always see everywhere.”
He provocatively added, “That used to be the position of the Ku Klux Klan. Again, you can have that position, but don’t say that’s a liberal position. You’re doing something very different.”
Maher, known for his candid critiques, has also recently expressed concerns over the management of homelessness in Democrat-led cities. While conversing with guest Sharon Osbourne on his “Club Random” podcast, Maher touched upon the worsening homelessness situation in America as compared to England.
Osbourne, mentioning her move back to England, said London’s homelessness issue is “nothing like here.” She pointed out that in London, the homeless “cannot set up home in the streets.”
To which Maher replied, “That’s where it all went wrong for us.” He further differentiated between true liberalism and extreme progressivism, arguing that true liberals would seek compassionate solutions for the homeless rather than merely normalizing street living.
While Maher has consistently criticized Republicans and former President Trump, his critiques of extreme progressive views and President Biden’s competency have led to his estrangement from some on the left.
