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Politics

Tonight on The Independents: Red Meat Wednesday, With John Stossel, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Geraldo Rivera, and Two Minutes Hate!

Matt Welch | 8.27.2014 4:30 PM

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Tonight's episode of The Independents (Fox Business Network, 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT, with re-airs three hours later) will once again bat around the many policy issues raised by the advent of the Islamic State, and America's increasingly aggressive reaction toward it.

Fox News mainstay Geraldo Rivera will tackle the thorny question of whether families or countries should (or should be able to) pay cash dollar bills to free hostages held by Islamic terrorists. And Party Panelists Katherine Mangu-Ward (your friendly neighborhood managing editor) and Paul Mecurio (Wall Street lawyer-turned comedian) will discuss the new estimate of 300 U.S. passport-holders fighting with ISIL, and also whether the floated U.S. bombing in Syria is either legal or advisable. (The duo will come back later to weigh in on the important issue of Al Sharpton's fat-shaming.)

Eponymous Fox Business Network host, Reason.com columnist, and American hero John Stossel will tease his upcoming show on how the Environmental Protection Agency has run amok. The co-hosts will critique President Barack Obama's attempts to circumvent the United States Congress while forging a kinda-sorta climate change treaty, and then will sit stoically and suffer your abuse, relayed by Fox Human Resources scold Bernie Maxsmith.

Follow The Independents on Facebook at facebook.com/IndependentsFBN, follow on Twitter @ independentsFBN, and click on this page for more video of past segments.

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NEXT: Ukraine: Russia Is Invading Right Now

Matt Welch is an editor at large at Reason.

PoliticsThe IndependentsWorldPolicyISISSyriaWarWar Powers Act
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Hide Comments (109)

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  1. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    I better not see purple hair. This is Fox Biz, after all.

    1. GILMORE   11 years ago

      You’re talking about a show which has as its ‘expert guests’ either policy-zombies rented from the Bush Administration… or ‘lesser known’ Rappers.

      You’ll get purple hair and like it.

      1. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

        I’m telling Bernie on you.

  2. Heroic Mulatto   11 years ago

    [Greatest] American hero John Stossel

    1. GILMORE   11 years ago

      This, the A-Team, Miami Vice, The Fall Guy, Magnum PI, Riptide, and Moonlighting…

      *Television*

      Drops mic.

  3. PapayaSF   11 years ago

    the new estimate of 300 U.S. passport-holders fighting with ISIL

    Can’t those passports be revoked?

    1. GILMORE   11 years ago

      whoa whoa whoa there buddy. I mean come on now. You don’t want to rush things. I mean, they still might owe back-taxes.

  4. DK   11 years ago

    … the new estimate of 300 U.S. passport-holders fighting with ISIL …

    They were itching to join.

  5. GILMORE   11 years ago

    Here’s a thing =

    I found having to watch cavuto absolutely unbearable when he was being ‘subbed’

    Whereas, I liked Dobbs better without him.

    i think this says more about the replacements than the actual programs. Ashley Webster is pretty good. Cavuto’s understudies are like CIA torture-specialits.

  6. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    Prediction: Hate.

  7. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    If only that bow tie would spin when he got riled up over the Jews.

    1. Heroic Mulatto   11 years ago

      So that’s why Nation of Islam members wear them!

  8. Francisco d'Anconia   11 years ago

    Purple…yay.

    1. Rhywun   11 years ago

      I just caught that – OMG WTF. OMG.

  9. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    Pocket square with no tie is more a minus than no square at all.

    1. Rhywun   11 years ago

      Better than a bow tie, ugh.

      1. Heroic Mulatto   11 years ago

        Hey….hey….HEY!

    2. GILMORE   11 years ago

      I agree entirely.

  10. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    Blue jeans. They want blue jeans.

    1. Rufus J. Firefly   11 years ago

      Acid wash jeans.

  11. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    YEAH DEFEND THAT MECURIO.

  12. Rufus J. Firefly   11 years ago

    Katherine Mangu-Ward editor at Reason, eh?

    My letter to the editor:

    Please tell Matt to stop posting the topics for The Independents at 2:31pm.

    Thank you.

    /raises lighter.

  13. Rufus J. Firefly   11 years ago

    You have Progressive ghettos though!

  14. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    Isn’t Minneapolis America’s Muslim slum? ZING.

  15. Bobarian (dinosaur hunter)   11 years ago

    feed keeps crapping out on me…

    Best show ever?

  16. Francisco d'Anconia   11 years ago

    This guy is an idiot.

    1. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

      He said the same about you.

      1. Francisco d'Anconia   11 years ago

        What did I ever do to him?

  17. Rev-Match   11 years ago

    I hate “The Geraldo”.

    1. Bobarian (dinosaur hunter)   11 years ago

      Is that a haircut?

      1. Rhywun   11 years ago

        It’s a moustache-related dance craze.

  18. SIV   11 years ago

    11 minutes in and only 24 comments? I guess no one watches The Independents anymore.

    1. Bobarian (dinosaur hunter)   11 years ago

      And they promised to let our love shine through, tonight.

      Embarrassing.

  19. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    You’re back now. Get a haircut.

  20. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    Anna Nicole Smith? Way to be relevant, Geraldo.

    1. Winston   11 years ago

      Is there still something in Al Capone’s vault?

      1. Heroic Mulatto   11 years ago

        I remember watching that live.

  21. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    Put a die pack in your ransom bag.

  22. Francisco d'Anconia   11 years ago

    His stache has really gone downhill.

    1. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

      His stache said the same about you.

      1. Francisco d'Anconia   11 years ago

        Why does everyone hate me?

        1. Heroic Mulatto   11 years ago

          Because you have a ska band?

          1. GILMORE   11 years ago

            Ska bands would be a lot less lame if people didn’t dress up like assholes.

  23. Winston   11 years ago

    http://reason.com/blog/2014/08…..uce-conduc

    In that vein, Egypt, along with the United Arab Emirates, also recently conducted air strikes against radical Islamist militants making gains in Libya. That country has been sliding into instability since the West’s hit-and-run intervention in 2011 that helped an assortment of rebels overthrow the government of Col. Qaddafi, leaving that government’s massive weapons stockpiles for the taking of all kinds of miltiants, from Nigeria to Syria. Despite the Obama administration’s contribution to this chaos, the U.S. government appeared to lament Egypt’s “intervention” in Libya as an “escalation” of the turmoil, according to USA Today. Yet Egypt is far more staked in a stable Libya than the U.S. is, and their willingness to step up there too is more evidence that U.S. non-intervention can spur regional powers to take more responsibilities and not, as interventionists argue, create more chaos. In fact, that’s what interventions tend to do.

    Wait so air raids don’t count as “intervention”? And interventions are okay as long as the US isn’t doing it?

    1. GILMORE   11 years ago

      Don’t ask for it to make sense.

      The ‘logic’ of Non-Interventionists is to interpret any consequence of american ‘inaction’ (broadly defined) in the best of possible lights ; and anytime anything bad actually happens around the world, it is to be tied somehow to something the US ‘did’, no matter how passive (to include treaties, trade, or even ‘inflammatory talk’.

      Also = characterizing what’s happening in Libya as either ‘not chaos’ or ‘more positive now that we’ve STOPPED fucking around there’ verges on insanity.

      Ed is new, and FP is not his baliwick. i think he’s just reciting some talking points.

      1. Winston   11 years ago

        I find it extremely disturbing how many “anti-war” “non-interventionist” libertarians seem to think war and intervention are okay as long as TOP. MEN (e.g. not the USG) are doing it since that isn’t really anti-war at all and they are opening themselves up to the “humanitarian” “smart war” interventionism.

      2. GILMORE   11 years ago

        re: This “Ed is new, and FP is not his baliwick. i think he’s just reciting some talking points.”

        No – Ed has an M.A. in International Relations.

        My bad.

        That said – i still think his spin on how “US abandoning pretense of trying to prevent chaos in Libya” is a great thing because… uh, neighbors will bomb them now! is a little crazy and misguided.

  24. GILMORE   11 years ago

    The Independents Attire Review, 27 August 2014

    LBJ-Edition

    – Kennedy: This is the ‘Creamsicle’ jawns we love the mostest. I’m not sure what the real color-difference is between this thing and the crew-necked orange blouse we saw the other day, but this thing just goes full-nuclear and radiates on the TV screen in an extremely appealing way. Ron Paul’s Halo is jealous of her effect. Banging. It remains the signature Kennedy outfit.

    – Matt: Grey shirt(or is it blue) with the striped light-blue tie? Not bad at all. We tend to focus on Matt’s shirt-tie pairings mainly because his variety of shirt-collars (with the exception of his Disco-Stew Red #) is effectively nil. Since conversation with Kmele on the issue seems to be non-existent, we’d propose Matt try out a white button-down oxford, and a blue spread-collar to mix things up a little.

    – Kmele: We recall there being 2 previous type of bow-tie showings: a red one with blue shirt and navy jacket, which we rejected as ‘corny’ (the look said, “Chuck-E-Cheese Host’), and a second, which I think was closer to this = pretty dope. For some reason the match with the jacket is stronger, and it looks ‘higher end – as though this is ‘Ambassador Kmele’. We would buy him a martini and it would totally not be gay. It would be *respect*.

    Wado

    1. Rhywun   11 years ago

      I was waiting for your opinion on her orange smock.

      1. Francisco d'Anconia   11 years ago

        She’s going deer hunting after the show.

        1. Winston   11 years ago

          Is she going to play Russian Roulette with Christopher Walken?

          1. Francisco d'Anconia   11 years ago

            Put five in the chamber.

        2. GILMORE   11 years ago

          This was first called “Cabelas line of Shogun-Friendly Evening Wear”

          This was the thing that prompted the very first ‘attire review’ because it was so amazingly garish and ballsy. i still dig it.

    2. Heroic Mulatto   11 years ago

      I personally don’t like diamond point bowties, but it works with Kmele.

      1. GILMORE   11 years ago

        My reception has been jittery. I’m not even sure what that is? Are they the more narrow ones?

        Bow ties are such an eccentricity i think of them purely in the holistic way rather than by themselves. Jeff Tucker, for instance, has the “crazy ass”/Infomercial kind of look with them which i reject entirely. Kmele’s is more ‘literary critic’. its slick.

        1. Heroic Mulatto   11 years ago

          Here.

  25. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    Everyone hates Congress.

    1. Winston   11 years ago

      You Know Who Else wanted to get rid of the legislature?

  26. Rufus J. Firefly   11 years ago

    See what happens when you emasculate Europe by taking away their guns and armies?

    1. Winston   11 years ago

      You Know Who Else wanted Europeans to have no guns or armies?

      1. Rufus J. Firefly   11 years ago

        The Bride of Frankenstein?

  27. Rev-Match   11 years ago

    …it’s nukes…

    Make sure it has a pointy tip.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnQNWh4vqy4

  28. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    So Kennedy is just now realizing what being a leftist means?

  29. Heroic Mulatto   11 years ago

    They need a One Minute’s Love.

  30. Heroic Mulatto   11 years ago

    Kmele’s a panda-hating asshole.

    1. Grand Moff Serious Man   11 years ago

      Panda’s are vastly overrated. They’re a species practically begging to be selected for extinction given their indolent mating habits and incredibly inefficient eating requirements.

      1. Heroic Mulatto   11 years ago

        I’ll have you know that I resemble that remark!

  31. Rev-Match   11 years ago

    I don’t know if that’s right, but it SOUNDS right.

    “Journalistic Research”. What is it?

    1. Rhywun   11 years ago

      At least she admits when she’s talking out of her ass.

      1. Rev-Match   11 years ago

        There is that. For a moment, I was just worried she was turning into a budding prog. (substitute ‘sounds’ for ‘feels’)

  32. Grand Moff Serious Man   11 years ago

    GIANT FEMALE PANDAS ARE MANIPULATIVE WENCHES THAT FAKE PREGNANCY SO THEY CAN ABDICATE RESPONSIBILITY AND HAVE A MAN TAKE CARE OF THEM. THEY ALSO WANT TO BE RAPED. //John and Sudden

  33. Francisco d'Anconia   11 years ago

    Okay, I like Paul more now.

  34. Rev-Match   11 years ago

    *throws doughnut* (and retrieves it. I’m not gona waste the thing)

  35. Bobarian (dinosaur hunter)   11 years ago

    Holy shit, Mercurio said something funny and smart. End days?

  36. Rhywun   11 years ago

    Sharpton is like every ex-smoker with a pulpit – i.e. an asshole.

    Yeah, and that big head IS creepy.

  37. Rufus J. Firefly   11 years ago

    Sharpton eighth circle of hell awaits…

    Watching them drool over this opportunistic fraud is irritating.

    I will never shop here again!

  38. GILMORE   11 years ago

    Little Feat.

    RIP lowell george

  39. Francisco d'Anconia   11 years ago

    Now that’s a stache.

  40. GILMORE   11 years ago

    Stossell: Interesting tie.

    also, a good example of the kind of blue-on-blue combo that matt seems to never get right.

  41. Winston   11 years ago

    So crazy Mary is still around posting her hate of Rand Paul and love of Gary Johnson: http://reason.com/blog/2014/08…..cy#comment

    1. Rhywun   11 years ago

      Jesus, how many different handles is she using there?

    2. Rev-Match   11 years ago

      He’s also a phony constitutionalist (like his dad) both promoting States Rights under the guise of Federalism.

      Even if this were true (the sentiment being that they are “anti-rights”), it is entirely irrelevant. 1) They were/are both FEDERAL representatives. 2) They believe that the FEDERAL government was granted certain powers. 3) They believe that the rest of the powers remain with the States/People. 4) As FEDERAL representatives, it is logical to believe that they would not pursue power in areas in which the FEDERAL government was not granted power.
      The only way you can come away with “they’re ANTI-rights!” is if you believe that: 1) the federal gov’t should have complete reign over the states 2) the states would devolve into lawless chaos and infinite tyranny w/o the fed. gov’t and 3) the fed. gov’t is a benevolent protector of rights/freedom. (all of which are not true)

  42. GILMORE   11 years ago

    GET OFF STOSSELS LAWN!

  43. Rufus J. Firefly   11 years ago

    This guy is hilarious.

  44. Grand Moff Serious Man   11 years ago

    Made it ma! The TWO MINUTES OF HATE!

  45. GILMORE   11 years ago

    Bernie/Andrew = Nice suit-tie match!

  46. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    I don’t recall swearing.

  47. GILMORE   11 years ago

    FoR THE RECORD, OUR RAPPERS ARE VERY CONTENT RICH

  48. Derpetologist   11 years ago

    How do they not notice the same half a dozen commentators keep showing up?

    1. Rhywun   11 years ago

      First time I have seen the hate – hilarious

    2. Heroic Mulatto   11 years ago

      They know their audience.

  49. Francisco d'Anconia   11 years ago

    Serious
    Derp
    Fist
    TIT

    NO GILMORE!!!!!!

    1. GILMORE   11 years ago

      I am mortified, devastated, humiliated, gutted….

      meh. Although! i think i had a few nasty zingers over the past month. I need to highlight them better.

      1. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

        I am the cusp of catching you.

        1. GILMORE   11 years ago

          Good! Let the hate flow through you. Soon you will join me at the Emperor’s side.

  50. Rufus J. Firefly   11 years ago

    Kennedy is in denial about her interruption syndrome.

    1. Notorious G.K.C.   11 years ago

      Yeah, why doesn’t someone give her, say, old Firing Line tapes?

      1. Rufus J. Firefly   11 years ago

        She thinks we’re complaining about moving the show along when we’re asking to let the guests – ANY FUCKING GUEST – finish their thoughts or arguments.

    2. GILMORE   11 years ago

      its one of those “God help me to change the things I can, and accept the things I cannot”

  51. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    AH! Lou Dobbs.

  52. GILMORE   11 years ago

    AIEEE!! dobbs!

  53. Bobarian (dinosaur hunter)   11 years ago

    End of show, and we didn’t break 100 comments. WTF?

    1. Notorious G.K.C.   11 years ago

      Yeah, this is an abortion of a thread.

      1. Rhywun   11 years ago

        NO! That’s my cue to exit.

    2. Rufus J. Firefly   11 years ago

      Notorious made in 100.

      I’m 101.

    3. Rufus J. Firefly   11 years ago

      Next time talk about Israel. The responses to Kmele should be good for 10 more comments.

      1. Heroic Mulatto   11 years ago

        They didn’t use mine.

    4. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

      Well, the show isn’t even live.

  54. Tim   11 years ago

    My 8 year old wouldn’t go to bed so I put The Independents on and he gave up in less than five minutes.

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