Watch Matt Welch Talk Criminal Justice, Racism, and the Oscars on MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry Saturday at 10 a.m. ET

Tomorrow morning, after a protracted absence, I'll be on MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry program for a full two hours beginning at 10 a.m. ET, talking about federal hate crimes, the latest developments in Ferguson, Missouri; a slew of recent excessive-force controversies, flash-bang grenades, and no-knock raids. There will also be discussion about the Oscars, involving phrases like "anti-intersectionality feminism."

Among my co-panelists will be former Ohio state senator Nina Turner, Center for Policing Equity President Phillip Atiba Goff, former NYPD officer Eugene O'Donnell, Hands Up United Co-Founder Tory Russell, Pro Publica Senior Reporter Julia Angwin, Feministing.com Senior Columnist Chloe Angyal, and Feministing.com Executive Director Lori Adelman. I am confident that we will agree on everything!

Comments

[Winston]

Is Obama still a stealth libertarian, eh Matt?

http://reason.com/archives/201.....-libertari

[Matt Welch]

He is more now than when I wrote that column! (Which, when you click on it, reveals that the "stealth libertarian" wasn't an asssertion, it was appended with a question mark, and adorned with passages like this:

--
What if Barack Obama turns out to be the most libertarian president of the post-Cold War era?

Before you go screaming for the exits, let me quickly stress that "most libertarian" within a small group of people does not equal "libertarian"?just as being the tallest kindergartner does not mean you can dunk a basketball.
--

So my assertion was and is not that he is a stealth libertarian, but that he might have a *claim* on being the *most* libertarian president since the end of the Cold War, particularly if we see a Hillary or Jeb nightmare.

But I see I have already explained the joke....

[MJGreen]

Well if you limit it to post-Cold War, there aren't many data points. But at this point, I don't think Obama out-stealth-libertarians Billy C.

Extrajudicial killing of an American is enough to place him at the bottom of the list, I'd say.

[Matt Welch]

Yes, and his economics suck eggs, and so forth. I'd probably give the nod to Billy C., but Obama would have a *claim*, anyway. It's all terrible, terrible.

[SIV]

Busting PATCO and defeating Soviet Communism wasn't very stealthy.*

*(There's quite a bit more, particularly if you count the "bully pulpit")

[Careless]

Note that the claim in the article was not about "stealthy libertarianism" but "the most libertarian president of the post-Cold War era"

[Winston]

Except his title implies that "stealthy libertarianism" and "the most libertarian president of the post-Cold War era" are the same thing.

[SIV]

I kinda missed the "cold" part of "post--war". Still,on "most libertarian", I'd rank them in descending order.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

I would suggest that in light of where and how Obama has focused his efforts that the libertarian/liberty things that took place under his administration happened in spite of him, not because of him. Obama is nearly everything that was bad about Bush with extra toppings of economic insanity and media/whistleblower paranoia. I think that more credit is properly assigned to ballot initiatives and state legislatures than anything in the DC orbit.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

Also some good court victories, of course, though there have been some pretty awful decisions as well.

[MJGreen]

And so far, it looks like his final two years are going to make this very clear.

[Winston]

He is more now than when I wrote that column!

And why is that? If your argument is that Obama is so bad then his successor will be worse then "stealth libertarian" is pretty meaningless.

particularly if we see a Hillary or Jeb nightmare.

So if there is a good chance of Obama's successors being worse then doesn't that contradict the libertarian moment?

[Matt Welch]

I don't think the Libertarian Moment (TM) depends on the resident of 1600 Pennsylvania. In fact, almost all of the libertarian things that have happened on Obama's watch (which, again, is in the column), are things *produced* by the Libertarian Moment, that he mostly grudgingly acceded to.

[Winston]

In a libertarian moment I would think there would be at worst a President that sucks but is not as terrible as his predecessors.

[Paul.]

I don't think the Libertarian Moment (TM) depends on the resident of 1600 Pennsylvania.

Agreed. It seems to depend on thousands (tens of thouusands?) of nameless career bureaucrats that no one voted for or even can vote for.

[FUQ]

Mexicans, butt sex and pot overrides truly awful economics plus stomping all over the Constitution?

WTF

[Calidissident]

I don't think Obama is the most libertarian president post Cold War (and it seems Welch doesn't either) but considering the competition is the Bushes and Clinton, it's not like the bar is very high.

[FUQ]

We have been thoroughly fucked since FDR. Putting Obama and Libertarian in the same sentence just boggles the mind however.

[Calidissident]

FDR certainly added a ton of shit to the plate, but I think the narrative of "constant decline since year X" among libertarians is overly pessimistic and not historically accurate. It's generally been an up and down thing. FDR did do a lot of stuff that hasn't been reversed or has been expanded, but in other areas his actions were rolled back, and there have been many significant advancements of liberty in other areas since 1945 (as well as some declines).

As for putting Obama and "libertarian" in the same sentence, I think the title (and to a good extent the article itself) was definitely clickbait.

[Juice]

The most libertarian post WWII president? Jimmy Carter.

[Hyperion]

Well, if far left totalitarian nut job = libertarian, then Obama is one, otherwise, not so much.

[Lord Peter Wimsey]

This^^^^ And...

Well, if far left totalitarian nut job = libertarian, then Jimmy Carter is one, otherwise, not so much.

What about Jimmy Carter's best friend, Fidel Castro? Can he get a vote for most stealth libertarian Cuban leader in the 20th century?

[Quincy, of the 12th Dimension]

No, man, he was a stealth librarian. He will make sure all those documents are properly stored.

[Careless]

Is the IRS aware of this?

[Careless]

Fuck me, I did not expect to click on that and see that it had been written last year.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

I remember reading it and saying "WTF Welch?" out loud.

[SIV]

2 whole hours? Watch out for the Stockholm syndrome, Welch.

[MJGreen]

after a protracted absence

Take the hint.

And two feministing editors. I'm sure it will be a fair and measured discussion about the most pressing issues today.

[Matt Welch]

The "hint" was an exclusive contract with Fox barring me from going on. That contract is finished, and now I'm back on.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Never mind the haters, get yourself as much TV exposure as possible!

Corner the Feministing editors in the elevator and ask for their numbers!

OK, that last part wasn't exactly serious...wait, what are you doing?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

So the exclusivity contract has come to an end...what else has Fox ended?

Wait, don't tell me, it rhymes with "sunny."

[Warren]

Nah. Matt's still got a sense of humor.

[fish]

Corner the Feministing editors in the elevator and ask for their numbers!

Maybe back one into the corner ....rub up against them.

Yeah that always works!

[Paul.]

This is why Matt Welch can't have nice things.

[antisocial-ist]

I thought this was why there are no libertarian women?

[Dave C]

Fox was looking out for you 🙂

[MJGreen]

I'm just horsin' around here, we're all having fun.

I'm just jealous that you're a braver man than I. I'd only sit there facepalming and sighing.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

The ability for Welch (and other libertarians) to go on these shows and not shout "You are all fucking idiots" full voice after hearing them breathlessly run out the latest, statist talking points gets him oodles of respect from me. I could never do it.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

That's a nice non-apology

[MJGreen]

Thank you.

[Paul.]

Never do an exclusive, Matt. Always lease yourself.

[Matt Welch]

Well, when you're given the opportunity to co-host a show....

[antisocial-ist]

And I'm sure Matt won't be accused of being a rapist/ rape apologist, or accused of bigotry against 7 different genders that no one's ever heard of before.

[Careless]

He probably doesn't even know what a "genderfuck" is!

[d3x / dt3]

I think perhaps I shall skip Melissa "All Your Children are Belong to Us" Harris-Perry.

[Andrew S.]

And right after she put her foot in her mouth (again)!

(Seriously, tell her that Trayvon was whooping the shit out of George Zimmerman. Which is why he had to shoot.)

[Rhywun]

What a class act. Who wouldn't want to make a appearance with a lady of such verve and intellect?

[DesigNate]

Matt, make sure you don't let your kids near her, what with them belonging to the community and all.

[Migrant Log Picker]

Don't enter that Den of Derp, DON"T DO IT, Matt, you may be consumed by the Derp....oh wait, no one will be watching and MHP is sort of hot so go for it.

You really should have included a trigger warning, I had the misfortune of the MHP experience a few years ago and I'll never be the same, NEVER.
Why do you hate us Welch.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Break a leg Matt. I plan to sleep in and bring my skiing.

We'll always have The Independents.

[Calidissident]

Came across this event on Facebook (an International Women's Day march in LA). Some choice highlights from the event description:

"We are taking action because we have no other choice- women, particularly women of color, are being systematically obliterated due to patriarchy, white supremacy, transmisogyny, imperialism, and other intersecting systems of oppression, which harms the holistic health of people and our mother earth in the process. AF3IRM calls this the "genocide of womankind," occurring here and across/despite borders:

- There are 64,000 missing Black women and counting in the U.S.

- In Iraq, hundreds of girls and women, some as young as 9 and some in their 70s, have been arrested, abused, raped and tortured by U.S.-trained Iraqi police.

- Palestinian women are targeted and systematically raped by Zionists to obliterate their entire population.

- In Canada, there are at least 1,200 missing or murdered aboriginal women.

- From 2010-2014 at least 2,250 women were killed in El Salvador, while in Honduras, at least 4,000 women have been murdered since 2002, all because of their gender

- There are 2.5 million trafficked persons globally at any given time with Asian and Pacific Islander women being the largest group trafficked in the United States.

The women are shutting down Los Angeles because we refuse to continue to be killed off."

[Calidissident]

AND

"Disclaimer: As a response to the conversations about gender inclusive language for March 8th, we are in the process of choosing words and language that is inclusive of all identities, except cisgender men. We want to be transparent about the challenges and growth of our collective - we understand this process goes beyond words and language and is more about transforming our space."

https://www.facebook.com/events/538207992988172

[FUQ]

This just proves that peak derp can NEVER be achieved.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

It just may have.

[Pl?ya Manhattan.]

You're on the wrong part of Facebook, son.

[Calidissident]

I was scrolling through my feed and there was a post saying a friend of mine was going to the event, so I thought I'd check out the description to see if it may hold some comedic value (and lo and behold it did).

I hope my friend who clicked "going" just read the event title and didn't bother reading the description. She's definitely left-wing, but has generally seemed like a reasonable person in my interactions with her.

[d3x / dt3]

GET AWAY FROM HER!

THE CALLS ARE COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE!

[SIV]

That would be any of it. I really need to selectively harvest contact info and delete my account.

[FUQ]

Facebook and Twitter free for over 3 years now. Actually I have no social media accounts anymore. Friends and family are stunned I can function without them.

[Irish]

From 2010-2014 at least 2,250 women were killed in El Salvador, while in Honduras, at least 4,000 women have been murdered since 2002, all because of their gender

There are 8 million people in Honduras and they have a murder rate of 90 per 100,000. By my count, that's 7200 murders last year. Since 2002, their homicide rate has never been below 30 per 100,000, so even at the lowest level they would have had 2400 murders a year.

They've had like 45,000 murders in that country since 2002. So what they're saying is that men are 10 times more likely to be murdered in Honduras as women are, but for some reason Honduran homicides are primarily a problem for the women.

Got it.

[Calidissident]

The sentence is so badly written that I don't know if the figures are referring to all women killed over those time frames (and they're assuming they were killed due to gender) or if they're saying that that number of women were killed specifically due to their gender (but were not necessarily the only female homicide victims) over those time periods. If it's the latter, I'd be interested in seeing a source, and if it's the former, then it's ridiculous both for the reason you mention, and because it's stupid to assume that every female homicide victim is killed because of their gender.

[d3x / dt3]

I don't really understand why they don't just have an announcement that reads, "we're gathering anybody but men together because we hate men!"

They need to work on their delivery.

When I read their original description, the term "word salad" comes to mind.

[Mr. Anderson]

Math is a construct of the patriarchy.

[d3x / dt3]

"Math is hard!"

[Rhywun]

for some reason Honduran homicides are primarily a problem for the women

That's because the men deserved it and the women were targeted for their gender. Get with the program.

[Irish]

I personally think the best part of that description is that the Middle Eastern countries have all of their problems blamed on a) Jews or b) the United States.

Clearly women in Palestine would never be victimized if it weren't for the 'Zionists.' Hamas has a very progressive vision for Palestinian women, and if it weren't for the Israeli occupation, I'm quite certain Palestinian women would get along just fine.

And of course the women raped and tortured in Iraq are all raped and tortured by 'U.S. trained Iraqi police.' Rape is probably very uncommon in Iraq in the places where U.S. trained Iraqi police are most rare. I hear there aren't any Iraqi government police left in Mosul, so I'm sure the women are doing just fine there.

[Calidissident]

Yeah that was my reaction - Iraqi women getting raped is only a problem when done by US-trained forces? Why single out that specific group?

[SIV]

Because they love America.

[JeremyR]

What, you've never read a Richman article here? (Or Dalmia, for that matter).

Only Americans, Jews, and fundamentalist Hindus are capable of evil.

And women are most oppressed in this country, not like in India or the Middle East. Because of things like the glass ceiling and men saying hello to them uninvited. So much worse than frequent gang rapes, or having to wear a burkha (which is liberating by the way) or having acid thrown in your face for wearing makeup.

[Rhywun]

I personally think the best part of that description is that the Middle Eastern countries have all of their problems blamed on a) Jews or b) the United States.

I think it's amusing that a Leftist gathering that's ostensibly focused on "women" can't help getting a dig in on "Zionists". They just can't help themselves.

[antisocial-ist]

- There are 64,000 missing Black women and counting in the U.S.

- In Iraq, hundreds of girls and women, some as young as 9 and some in their 70s, have been arrested, abused, raped and tortured by U.S.-trained Iraqi police.

Lies.

- Palestinian women are targeted and systematically raped by Zionists to obliterate their entire population.

- In Canada, there are at least 1,200 missing or murdered aboriginal women.

Damn lies.

- From 2010-2014 at least 2,250 women were killed in El Salvador, while in Honduras, at least 4,000 women have been murdered since 2002, all because of their gender

- There are 2.5 million trafficked persons globally at any given time with Asian and Pacific Islander women being the largest group trafficked in the United States.

And statistics.

Also, whenever someone gives me a number which cannot possibly be known( like how many crimes go unreported or the above human trafficking figure)without making some kind of qualifying statement, I assume they're either lying or retarded. In this case, I believe it's both.

[Calidissident]

The black women statistic is false, because per this article, the total number of missing women in the US is about 40,000 (and the total number of missing black people about 27,000).

http://www.usatoday.com/story/...../16110709/

The Canadian statistic is technically true I suppose, because it counts "murdered aboriginal women" without specifying a period of time.

[np]

- There are 64,000 missing Black women and counting in the U.S.

Good.

- In Iraq, hundreds of girls and women, some as young as 9 and some in their 70s, have been arrested, abused, raped and tortured by U.S.-trained Iraqi police.

9 and 70? I think they're on to something, cuz you won't have to deal with pregnancy.

- Palestinian women are targeted and systematically raped by Zionists to obliterate their entire population.

I thought Jews were smarter than that. How they gonna keep on raping if they obliterate them?

- In Canada, there are at least 1,200 missing or murdered aboriginal women.

That's it?

- From 2010-2014 at least 2,250 women were killed in El Salvador, while in Honduras, at least 4,000 women have been murdered since 2002, all because of their gender

Like I said, if ya keep killing them off, there won't be any left for you to kill in the future! Sheesh, use common sense hombres.

- There are 2.5 million trafficked persons globally at any given time with Asian and Pacific Islander women being the largest group trafficked in the United States.

Sounds like a thriving business. How do I invest?

The women are shutting down Los Angeles because we refuse to continue to be killed off.

Ok, now this is pretty scary. Who's gonna make my sandwiches?

[MarkLastname]

Shut down LA? So, basically, professional men will have to answer their own phones, make their own sandwiches, and clean their own offices for a day. Oh the horror.

I think, being obsolete and oppressive and all, men should go and take off work for a say and shut down a city. Surely, it will be utopia for women, free from all the usual oppression. And from electricity, running water, cheaply manufactured goods, quality medical care, and all the other things primarily produced by men.

[Ayn Random Variation]

"- There are 64,000 missing Black women and counting in the U.S."

They're working at the DMV

[Slammer]

The closest I've seen to Peak Derp is the Americans Against the Libertarian Party facebook page. I don't know how Derpetologist does it.

[d3x / dt3]

Step aside; he's a professional!

[GILMORE]

"...on MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry Saturday at 10 a.m. ET"

Well that's convenient! I always wake up on saturday and rush to catch the MHP show.

/chugs whiskey laced with sarcasm

[Sevo]

I didn't know is was on, don't care that it is, and wouldn't watch it if the claim was a live feed of the resurrection of Junior.

[d3x / dt3]

I've found that heroin goes better with that.

[Tejicano]

I might consider watching as well. How much does it pay?

Oh Drats, I don't live in the US so it isn't broadcast here.

[Harold Falcon]

internet, brah.

[JeremyR]

Going from what the women look like on Fox News compared to what they look like on MSNBC, maybe you should leave your glasses as home?

[AlmightyJB]

Not a masochist

[Libertarian]

Mr. Grey has canceled his appointment with you.

[Fist of Etiquette]

They're not going to like any true non-leftist solutions to privacy.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I think she means that she believes and regurgitates everything Democrats spew.

[Fist of Etiquette]

"This might sound strange to your listeners..."

What do you mean you people?

[Fist of Etiquette]

"Whatever that takes" as long as it's not the free market.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ugh. We're going to talk about Zimmerman now?

[Fist of Etiquette]

And the people who committed those murders were convicted, no? Without hate crime statutes?

[Fist of Etiquette]

THIS JUST IN: HOLDER KNOWS HIS POWER COMES FROM RACE BAITING

[Fist of Etiquette]

So the problem is people aren't being lynched anymore?

[Fist of Etiquette]

There are too many laws on the books now, we have laws available that already handle violent crime, and federal prosecutors have too many options available to them as it is.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I can see why this former NYPD'er gets air time on MSNBC.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Florida law enforcement in the tank for Hispanic subjects. BRING MORE RACE INTO THIS! MORE RACE!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Yeah, Ohio hasn't been in the news on this very topic lately, has it? Be proud of the work you did, Nina.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Welch is informing MSNBC viewers about grand jury abuse.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Jesus. Philly police chief is advising Obama? Yeah, that's a good idea.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Up to seven times? How many times did the cops fire to get that many hits?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ha, yeah, technically everyone who gets shot by the cops did so by their own actions, daring to make police afraid for their lives by being in their line of sight.

[Fist of Etiquette]

They hate you for your freedom, NYPD.

[kingsda]

Start making cash right now... Get more time with your family by doing jobs that only require for you to have a computer and an internet access and you can have that at your home. Start bringing up to $8012 a month. I've started this job and I've never been happier and now I am sharing it with you, so you can try it too. You can check it out here...

http://www.work-mill.com

[Fist of Etiquette]

Curbs on liberty to make the lives of agents of the state easier? The state wouldn't do that!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Look, do you central planners want a strong enforcement arm necessary for central planning or not?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Two hours? I'm supposed to watch two hours of this? I have things to do!

[GILMORE]

"I have things to do!"

??

You've got to be kidding. You've just done an hour of Marv Albert-level play-by-play of the most aggravating television known to mankind.

What, there's suddenly a patient on the operating table? I don't think so.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I had to run into town before the post office closes. I can't have my mail held hostage for a week.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Any death knell for labor unions might be a wake-up call for said unions.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Suddenly we want presidents who follow the law?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Welch bring up pensions? That's not fair.

[userve32]

These guys know what the deal is.

http://www.GoAnon.tk

[Fist of Etiquette]

Democrats are on the side of the unions! (Remember that during the next campaign season, PLEASE!)

[Derpetologist]

I am so jealous of Matt. Just imagine all that derp!

Morons to the left him, morons to the right of him, morons in front of him
Into the valley of derp rode the noble Matt Welch

It is magnificent, but it is not news.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Aw, I missed the Walmart discussion but I got back to it just in time to hear the phrase "language of privilege". So there's that.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Seventy-seven cents on the dollar for woman. AND THAT'S JUST IN THE WHITE HOUSE.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ha, backing it up I see Welch hasn't had any air time since his talking about any Bush-Obama phenomenom. She didn't "let him get away with it."

[OldMexican]

Watch Matt Welch Talk Criminal Justice, Racism, and the Oscars on MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry Saturday at 10 a.m. ET

I bet it will get quacky!
Don't duck those questions, you mallard!

And like Daffy said: "You must realize I am dealing with inferior mentalities!"

Quack, quack!

[Fist of Etiquette]

A fashion segment getting catty? SAY IT AIN'T SO.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Yet are any of these women wearing the hair they were born with?

[Tony]

I agree with the point Matt was trying to make. Comedy shouldn't be politically correct. Fashion Police should replace Kelly Osborne with a person of color and then carry on trying not to get bogged down in the unwinnable struggle to be funny while not triggering anybody. Reasonable people can tell the difference between bigotry and ignorance, and bigotry and humor. Everybody loves fashion so nobody talks about how it's inherently sexist, and if Fashion Police can't make a patchouli joke about someone's braids at the Oscar's then we're so far down the road of hypersensitivity that we might as well never crack jokes about anything.

[GILMORE]

"Everybody loves fashion so nobody talks about how it's inherently sexist"

Its amazing how many wrong things you can fit into a single clause.

[MarkLastname]

Feminism: blaming men for women's choices since 1960.

[GILMORE]

nice.

I was thinking more that, if you reversed everything Tony actually just said, you might get close to something *accurate*

e.g.

""Everybody loves fashion"

If 'everybody' is menopausal women and gays

"so nobody talks about"

'what mainstream women's magazines talk about constantly'

"how it's inherently sexist"

...a subject that straight males have absolutely zero fucking to do with, and hardly know it exists.

pretty much the opposite of 'sexist'.

I think there's probably a 4th, meta-wrong thing in there too... because Tony manages to achieve almost-literary-levels of Stupid sometimes.

[Buddy Bizarre]

Wow, FoE putting his sanity on the line here. I bet there was a visible uptick in their ratings when he tuned in.

[James Anderson Merritt]

I missed this notice, and so will have to watch a recording online, if possible. I hope things went well. I am really missing "The Independents." Kennedy's new show has its (her) moments, but the you and Kmele balanced her out fairly well, and I miss your well-informed points of view.