S11 E12: Corn, Commencements & Germany: 5/19/24: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

John Oliver discusses the financial and environmental impact of corn in the U.S., recent commencement ceremony mishaps, and the rise of the far-right AfD party in Germany.
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[@AlanYoung-nr6sg]

As a Malaysian, Im glad to learn about the world news from this, so I'm glad for the full episodes. Bless this bird man. Edit: season 2 is gonna be full episodes for free here too. Hooray for the bird man.

[@Germania9]

Same here! PJ mari!

[@TheIqram12]

Eyy fellow Malaysian here

[@EMM7291]

Oh boy he should've how a parallel pathway shenanigans caused student protest as well

[@ssenssel]

As a Brazilian me as well. Bless the model for Sir Michal Gamon's Haberdashery for oddly long gentlemen.

[@muhammadazneel]

Malaysia was mentioned in one of the episodes regarding waste/recycling before.. I hope someday he might cover some stories from here (hopefully in a positive manner)

[@MarkoTheHead]

USA: We love capitalism and the free market. Also USA: I need the government to subsidize my 66 corn farms.

[@Mene0]

Spot on

[@azlanadil3646]

Also, I’m going to ban Chinese cars because… well they’re better.

[@KandeeKush]

but that's capitalism

[@HowToChangeName]

True individualist

[@alenasenie6928]

As someone who is from neither country I have to point out how similar "everything for germany" and "america first" sound to me.

[@ddbt342]

John Oliver is not a political show and only scrapes the surface in favour of the current powers. A disgusting spin for anyone with a bit more understanding. There are things he will never mention - that's his job.

[@ulisesxavier1116]

I'm just replying so the algorithm will place this comment just a bit higher

[@Awoken_Remmuz]

Consider I just saw a "fake news!" Post on here about AfD yeah that reporter talking about them being Trump like seems very spot on. So yeah very clearly cut from a similar right wing cloth.

[@NamelessONEMail]

Yeah... putting your country first is now a capital offence.

[@Awoken_Remmuz]

@@NamelessONEMail consider how many dictators took and held power via such rhetoric, honestly it should be. There has almost never been anything good coming out of such a stance and in the other end has been used as a cover to support some very morally wrong decisions.

[@chad9331]

As a German I'm very thankful that the rise of AFD is finally gaining international traction. We need to raise awareness as long as people still think this is just a normal conservative party. #neveragain

[@Emanon...]

Never again? Tell that to your government support of ethnic cleansing and genocide. You people always seem to be on the wrong side of history.

[@shtyry7150]

As a German, do you enjoy all the raping and criminality surge?

[@Ikkarson]

Meanwhile France’s far right steadily and low-key rises to 30% vote intents in the European Parliament 😭, also with pseudo-historians creeping the shadows.

[@PrincessYolda]

But how do you watch this? I had to go around a damn geoblocking to watch it in germany >__>"

[@crazyhistorian]

Tbh, it's something you need to fix by yourself. It's called democracy. You need to vote. We believe and trust in Germans they will make right decision. Viele Grüße aus Kroatien. 🇭🇷🇪🇺

[@EmmaPM2]

If someone is telling you that something is perfectly legal, it means they know it's wrong but they do it because they can get away with it.

[@yomajo]

in US, more like "...because they paid for it to be legal".

[@szuperrosszarcu]

@@yomajo someone somewhere (probably in the US) came up with the word "lobby" to make bribery legal

[@MonsieurKaizer]

We have to stop doing things that are legal now too?

[@DaDunge]

For the AFD segment my favourite german poem is the following banger by Niemöller „Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten, habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Kommunist. Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten, habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat. Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten, habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter. Als sie die Juden holten, habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Jude. Als sie mich holten, gab es keinen mehr, der protestieren konnte.“ Or in it's translated form "First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me"

[@RuthBhmand]

Yup, I was taught that very moral warning as a child. I often repeat it to people who claim they don’t want to intervene (saying “it’s fine and unproblematic”. ) We must protect ourselves by protecting people who are different from us.

[@DaDunge]

@@RuthBhmand Or in the words of a british thinker Burke, "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing".

[@Thorium_Th]

@@DaDunge Alucard said that. Jokes aside, I agree.

[@PiscatorLager]

When asked to at least name a poet, Chrupalla also couldn't remember one first, until he came up with Heinrich Heine, a 19th century poet well-known for his anti-nationalistic views.

[@Dukenukem]

@@DaDunge What it really says is, "Evil triumph"

[@tess_desuAK]

I'm American but I live in Japan. So many shows on so many streaming services just aren't accessible if you aren't in the US. VPNs are expensive and don't always work on streaming. Very grateful to get full episodes here!!

[@laci272]

I never had HBO, I was NOT pirating the show every time so making it free here, makes me feel much better with myself. Thank you.

[@synchromatik]

You never paid nor pirated it but yet, they are making money of you/us. And on top of it, you are even thanking them. Modern society, got a love it.

[@laci272]

@@synchromatik it's a tv show. It takes a lot of money to do.. I will watch 2 ads for it, yes...

[@jamirimaj6880]

​@@synchromatikYou just described EVERY TV show ever lol

[@shriram5494]

@@synchromatik Yeah how else will they get paid jack@ss?

[@Ehaeka]

Daddy John is filling up my knowledge hole again 😩

[@trevorthai1685]

Couldn’t have said it better 🎉

[@juanheloreloaded]

Necesitas a Jesus

[@Maelys_ACNH]

HEAVILY dislike that comment. Not the worst comment on youtube, but definitely in the bottom 10.

[@basicsimp8798]

Oh yeah 😩

[@jasonsmithy4247]

Wait till he posts this on web exclusives

[@alphabrainwave]

Me: "There's no way John Oliver is going to get me to care about corn." John Oliver: "Hold my non-liquid gold."

[@DrunkenHotei]

"Tricky Dick and Rusty Butz promoted corn" has to be the most innuendo-packed phrase I've ever heard.

[@franciscoalmanza9498]

I named my dog OPERATION CONDOR WAS A US-BACKED CAMPAIGN OF MURDER AND POLITICAL REPRESSION THAT TOOK PLACE IN SOUTH AMERICA FROM 1975-1983

[@iluVioletLink]

No way, me too. What a coincidence.

[@Ildskalli]

❤❤❤ I wish more people knew about Operation Condor.

[@gazaguyo]

As always Thanks to our dear leader John Oliver for this video. Love From South Korea 🇰🇷.

[@user-vs6jb3fj2q]

Glory to Leader, John Oliver!

[@Shut.Eye.Cinema]

Lol you're north

[@justinhamilton8647]

@@Shut.Eye.Cinemawhat

[@dondiezel]

Love from Philippines 🇵🇭

[@vaterunser3879]

All hail Kim Jong Oliver

[@notthegoodgirl]

I’m from Missouri, and what Big Ag and the gov’t has done to regular farmers is criminal. Big Ag is also to blame for the Colorado River running dry.

[@I.amthatrealJuan]

You're using a VPN aren't you?

[@notthegoodgirl]

@I.amthatrealJuan what are you talking about?

[@I.amthatrealJuan]

@@notthegoodgirl This full episode isn't meant to be visible on KZbin in the US. Anyway, I'm not condemning your presence here. I agree with your statement.

[@notthegoodgirl]

@@I.amthatrealJuan ah, got it. Yes, I love my VPN. 😊

[@catie1899]

Thanks for touching on Höcke. He is not the only Nazi in that party. They are a huge concern, and people don't care.

[@GothamClive]

But they are not all Nazis. Some are spies for China.

[@LSnicket]

A good thing about staying up till late is catching up with Daddy John. Thanks so much to the team for posting the whole episode for us outside the US. Lots of love from Brazil. Edit: thanks for mentioning operation Condor in one of your bits! We in latam suffered a lot bc of it.

[@dr.victorvs]

I just wake up at 4 😂

[@FelipeKana1]

Eu tô usando o programa pra gostar da segunda feira de manhã! Acordo cedo para lavar as louças/ ajeitar a casa ouvindo o John

[@MariaMartinez-researcher]

Chilean here. We agree.

[@LSnicket]

@@FelipeKana1 seus vizinhos não devem tá entendendo nada porque você tá sempre rindo segunda às 6:30h da manhã hahahah

[@LSnicket]

@@MariaMartinez-researcher yeah, you guys got it bad too. All love to you, my friend.

[@mmereb]

Thanks for mentioning "operation condor"

[@nirvanaheights]

it’s pretty iconic to report in the middle of a speech honestly 😂😂 like ‘idgaf about your lil speech, i’m talking now’

[@christinabackes9317]

As a German, from the first sentence it was clear that he wouldn't be attacked. The majority of AfD voters and supporters consists of either Nazis, elderly people (unhappy with their small pensions although they worked their whole life and disappointed with politics) or relatively uneducated (just upholding the views of their parents mostly). So they FOR SURE don't know English, especially not well enough to understand a BBC reporter while attending a meeting in German

[@Gillsing]

What was he saying though? Speaker was louder, so reporter was hard to hear.

[@lisore8432]

"C'est naturelle". A thousand of French teachers just died, screaming in horror, eyes bleeding.

[@simonetjulien6310]

And french speakers in general too :'p

[@Tohkar]

Yeah I was about to comment on the AFD, and how the same thing is happening in France (and most european countries), but THIS...I will not stand for THIS !

[@pynn1000]

I took the name to be a play on words: "Say naturelle", bit like hair salons called "Dans l'hair" in France.

[@Tohkar]

@@pynn1000 But it would be spelled "naturel" for neutral/masculin mode ;/ You can say it's a feminist choice i guess 😅

[@jmb3608]

@@Tohkar You mean, a bit like what John Oliver is doing here and throughout all his episodes? ;-)

[@Kkodii]

Hearing an American referering to smt largely profitable to the US as "Pearl Harbor" is almost refreshingly honest, because it's essentially acknowledging how immensily profitable WWII was for them. You tell any cold-blooded investor or entrepreneur that they can live thousands of miles from any of the nearest conflicts (Pearl Harbor is ~2500 miles off the coast of California, Europe (Portugal) ~3000 from New York's) and rack up huge amount of profit from them *without* having to rebuild anything in their aftermath like evey other country involved and their answer will definitely be "Sign me the F*CK UP !".

[@Kaparzo]

This. It's stupid to either not know how the USA benefitted from the events that followed Pearl Harbor, or to pretend that the USA did not benefit from it.

[@sooyan00]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but I don't understand how investors/ entrepreneurs can profit from living close to a conflict. Is it because the property value decreases or something?

[@Kaparzo]

@@sooyan00 No, the point is that investors/ entrepreneurs can profit by living far away from conflict. America was always far away from conflicts they profited from.

[@jdcje0292]

Funny side note about the AFD: Their leader (Alice Weidel) is a lesbian Swiss resident married to a woman from Sri Lanka

[@johnwinchester3915]

Thank you, John Oliver!

[@drakonyanazkar]

I recently learned that Coke in the US uses corn syrup instead of sugar. It's insane. Brazil uses a lot of ethanol, but we make it from sugar cane. And we don't have nearly as much dryland as the US. And even *we* are turning into a crisis in water supply (yes, ironically as we get flooded every year)

[@raulvelez2503]

I'm in Mexico, Coke here is delicious!!

[@etienne8110]

Brazil s water crisis runs deeper than just the farming issues. Climate change reached a tipping point a couple years ago, turning the amazonian forest to a steppes like environnement. The forest is slowly receeding and with it the unique local water system it sustained. The amazonian forest is supposed to be a desert (same latitude as all the other deserts)

[@scottallen3921]

Corn subsidies will never change as long as the Iowa caucuses stay early in the primary season.

[@theon_ean_donly]

As a farmer i appreciate this episode and can tell you low income farmers suffer profoundly to put food on everyone's table

[@LoveDiveChannel]

Huge appreciation for our The Great John Oliver for this video. Greetings from Indonesia 🇮🇩

[@gamepapa1211]

Salam juga dari Indonesia! 🇮🇩

[@LoveDiveChannel]

@@gamepapa1211 🇮🇩🇮🇩🔥🔥

[@hanifarroisimukhlis5989]

🙋‍♂

[@LeilaSafira]

🎉🎉🎉

[@notthegoodgirl]

If that reporter with the plastic bag over his head got the message across to viewers that fish are being deprived of oxygen, I ain’t mad. 😂 That was more entertaining than anything else I’ve seen on the news in a long time.

[@zumabbar]

it was definitely entertaining for John.......

[@dkaloger5720]

Don’t forget about algae blooms ! The Great Lakes are green because of organisms feeding on nitrogen fertilizer runoff (and manure from pig farms ). This also can create the dead zones mentioned since the decomposition of these organisms requires a lot of oxygen .

[@anne.andromeda]

Finally, the episode on the Corn Tax

[@CharlesRaines4946]

Make America Corn Again

[@kellsonmarcus]

Thanks, Daddy John, for releasing these episodes outside the US. It's the perfect way to end the weekend, getting my knowledge hole filled up 😩 🤤.

[@havcola6983]

9:18 Germans coming up with the Madagaskar Plan _again_ is terrifying when you consider that many justified the move to the Final Solution largely as a practical measure. The line of thinking was basically "We've already decided that we're going to purge Germany of Communists, Jews and other Undesirables. That was the moral choice, which has already been made. How we choose to do it now just a matter of logistics, and we should be as efficient as possible."

[@LetsGoGetThem]

I am so proud of Molena Zubat Car for graduating 🤧

[@gomitax92]

Finally, someone talks about the corn

[@HapticKJ]

I just realized that US has embraced the bad part of socialism while shunning the good aspects.

[@BB-pn2qv]

Maybe the worse health issue in the US, the goddamn corn subsidies that get corn jammed into every damn thing in huge amounts.

[@_asphobelle6887]

Yeah, I'm kinda disappointed John Oliver didn't say anything about corn syrup and its effects on health.

[@ianhomerpura8937]

@@_asphobelle6887 he discussed about HFCS in the Sugar episode back in 2014

[@ORRHART]

I guess it also help keeping non-americans abroad in line. If those subsideis went to shipping out, they might store extra dry corn foods for drought times. Reducing pressure to sell mining rights at current rates

[@_asphobelle6887]

@@ianhomerpura8937 Oh thanks, I'll watch that.

[@BB-pn2qv]

@@_asphobelle6887 same

[@JonoSSD]

Really wish I could've been born in a time in history when fascism isn't making a comeback almost everywhere.

[@mohamedbabiker6653]

So...... Never

[@melbla3609]

Same here. This is depressing.

[@JonoSSD]

@@mohamedbabiker6653 The future, maybe? If humanity didn't kill itself and we reached Star Trek? But you're right, I'm probably being too optimistic. I'll take that _never_ then. lol

[@ernestomarcos0103]

Here in Argentina we had issues not with corn but with soybean (which became so widespread due to the high price it reached in the 2000s as China expanded its pork industry and needed to import beans to feed them), basically taking over all the other crops and taking land that used to be for pasture/forests but I didn't know corn could get so tricky too. Also that nitrogen thing sounds way scarier than glyphosate--which could be linked to cancer but the amount was never outright stated since our waters have more dangerous carcinogens like arsenic.

[@rodrigoaguiar5208]

As a South American, thank you for that mention of Operation Condor. Never in the past had I seen an american outlet even mention it.

[@Hellkeith]

Everything for Mexico First!!! (Except corn, which even though our ancestors invented, we now buy from Nebraska)

[@PaTrick-cf6ev]

That teacher in the beginning was the real world female embodiment of Kay & Peele's substitute teacher, bless hear heart 😂😂😂😂😂

[@rbamba1731]

As a fellow Kop, I respect John Oliver to honor Jurgen Klopp

[@sympathetic_crustacean]

Gratias Kloppus indeed! YNWA

[@MSR_666]

😂 these full episodes posts have made my monday lunch break so much better!

[@juezna]

It's annoying to see how people deliberately ignore that Operation Condor existed

[@alexalbuquerquerodriguesal108]

Such an extremely important operation for the keeping of military regimes in South America is also one of the least talked about.

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

Because they see it as a "good" thing. For as long as the victims are Commies and "Commies", they won't shed a tear for them...

[@o.hernandez784]

Hard to keep up with the scandals.

[@patriciatapia1710]

loved the acknowldging of operation condor, that poor pup lolol

[@ninavolosinova8950]

As a Slovak, I'm always excited to see Slovakia mentioned like anywhere, but well, not this time...

[@Alex-fy7sc]

As always we start the video with a big thank you to everyone in the team and thank you for posting the entire show on youtube. (I'm a max subscriber and still watch it here)

[@37Dionysos]

John is simply the most consistent best!

[@perlyshell]

thank you john, for another dose of learning about what's wrong with the world 😃

[@rthrlyl]

Key and Peele most famous sketch became real.

[@wilfordbrimley3489]

O'Shag Hennessey

[@FelipeKana1]

What would be his most famous? Not sure I saw it

[@rthrlyl]

@@FelipeKana1 the substitute teacher one.

[@danielsegui1767]

​@@FelipeKana1A.A. Ron search it now, thank me later

[@welcometonebalia]

Thank you.

[@georgetaylor100]

Love this , long overdue , well said John as always. The hypocrisy of US free market thinking will never cease to astound me.

[@AndromedaKai]

Thanks for sharing your videos from Kazakhstan ❤🇰🇿

[@cuellar4500]

greetings from El Salvador, always enjoying the show

[@charl99ie]

As a German, I'm getting constantly more nervous about our next election haha

[@victorgernernielsen117]

The use of nitrate fertilizers in Denmark has actually caused the complete and utter eradication of plant and fish life in some inland waters

[@YoshiTheyosh123]

Afd also believe the eastern border with Poland should be "revised". Surprised to not hear it mentioned.

[@Sombre_gd]

Greetings from Poland!

[@sergio.ssantos]

The "Gratias Kloppus" on the intro 😂

[@primalconvoy]

And not one single "Children of the Corn" reference Mr Oliver, for shame.

[@chronosarcanos]

Here in Brasil, our Etanol comes from Sugarcane. Curious if its better or worst for the enviroment than Corn

[@pgking]

🤣 Awesome show. Top Education & World News Entertainment. Loughing out Loud from Hungary 👍 Thx

[@Ayay01]

HBO: So what is up with this huge bill for Corn Pla...nope nevermind ...do not want to know .

[@social.media.command]

Thank you for your report.

[@jii.]

"Off next week" now means get ready for a whole old season!

[@tee_es_bee]

Thank you for another episode. 🧡💛🧡

[@blade7fold532]

I was expecting the "Yeah corn" video of the guy screaming for Corn, saying is better than wheat xD

[@mikechiu9767]

8:57 Damn, I was totally expecting the kid just break into a German poem recital. What a shame.

[@nomadicroadrat]

No reference, even in passing, to the school kids disappearing in the cornfield as children of the maize?

[@FelipeKana1]

This is why I love Monday mornings

[@cjdingojames3715]

Always & ForEver 😂 J Oliver Profound topic hilarity, creatively crafted into solid facts. News I can dance to ❤

[@november5437]

honestly i'm shocked there was no appearance from that kid in the playground talking about corn in this one, with a reminder that maybe someday we can be as joyful as he is talking about corn

[@sonablahuta9814]

Same here. Started singing his love song about corn in my head immediately 😆.

[@juanlopez-qd1yh]

Love to daddy john from 🇨🇷 Costa Rica

[@theupshotproject]

Part of me is thanking the fact I am not American each time these videos roll out, but I imagine that Australia is not too far behind. Fingers crossed the politicians start looking towards the future of the people they represent rather than the money from turning a blind eye 🤷‍♂ I really enjoy the way complex topics are broken down, made entertaining, and then give me a slightly deeper understanding of the topic. Cheers John and the team 🤙

[@BW-CZ]

The whole political situation in Slovakia gets wilder and wilder once you start digging into it.

[@mhewwariya2395]

I hope Hogwarts never ever gonna stop sending him owls. 🦉✉️😆

[@CharlesRaines4946]

Maybe he will respond if the owl is carrying a corncob!

[@jaketepsa6523]

2:26 A true specimen of the ham sandwich race.

[@kaiserwilhelmii1827]

I'm fairly confident that like 95% of all the problems in the world can either directly or indirectly be traced back to greed and/or just money

[@jsnparc619]

Love the "in to the tall grass" vibe😂

[@jannetteberends8730]

Weasel had an adorable walk. That walk made my day.

[@BlakeTheDrake]

The fact that he went through a whole episode about US corn-production without even *mentioning* the sheer amount of High Fructose Corn Syrup that the average American consumes, or any health-risks associated with it, is both surprising and a little scary. Half of that stuff was news to me...

[@Deffinnition]

incredible episode as always!

[@perrodetokio]

"Non-liquid gold" sooo... ehm... gold. "We have sea lions on land too. We call them "land sea lions."

[@thesubhumancomedy]

USA fear subtitles as much as they do in Germany? Which has been better lately (last 20 years). I for one, like to hear what they say.

[@DerArvel]

Just a friendly reminder from Germany that we have a comedy rule about referring to Mr. Höcke only with his real name: BERND Höcke. Some would tell you it is something else, or Björn…. But he is … in fact… called Bernd.

[@AusAlien]

As a Kansas native, kudos to brining Wes Jackson on the show. Easily the best Kansas hero you could find.

[@Dmol8]

All that is missing from this episode is for John to name drop Jevons paradox.

[@varp4557]

Charles: I want my portrait to depic me being consumed by the fiery blazes of hell. Artist: ...

[@Surreality22992]

The Corn segment should just be called "The Great Delights of Local News."

[@jeysijeysi]

36:00 saw it a mile away, still had me rofl! 😂😂😂

[@Darkraid]

I'm looking for Randy Beavers tonight

[@andersandersen6295]

I really hope the excuse for the very bad reading of names on the graduation was a damn stroke.

[@k8g8s8]

I was hoping that she was intentionally reading the names of white people like that and then saying other names perfectly that would be funny.

[@alenamoravova921]

Kudos for correctly identifying Slovakia as a Central European country!

[@hullutsuhna]

"ethanol used to be knows as gasohol", except ethanol is literally the proper name of ethyl alcohol, i.e. the active ingredient in booze.

[@Jemppu]

This audience has some exceptionally good laughs throughout. Kudos :D

[@amirhamzahothman]

A nod to Klopp at the end of the intro, a true Kop.

[@kevinmcqueenie7420]

Sad that there won't be a new episode next week, but excited (if I understand correctly) for the full drop of season two in its place!

[@wilfordbrimley3489]

Gratias Kloppus...thanks for that John.

[@4RILDIGITAL]

The implications of corn cultivation on farming communities and our environment certainly creates a lot to think about.

[@blueskull1119]

Love that you added klopp to the intro 🔥🔥🔥

[@JonoSSD]

Imagine using less efficient and more polluting corn to make ethanol instead of the clearly superior sugarcane. _This meme was made by Brazil gang_