Comic George Carlin Predicted Televised Executions to 'Distract People'

Monday, October 12, 2026

Three decades before the Pentagon announced plans to livestream the execution of the Fort Hood mass shooter, legendary comedian George Carlin imagined an America where capital punishment became televised entertainment as a handy distraction from the country's problems.

Posted by reinheitsgebot at 06:33 PM | 4 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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Iran sometimes does public executions but I can't find evidence they've ever televised one. It seems like North Korea, China, and Saudi Arabia have also never televised or livestreamed any executions. Looks like the U.S. will be in a club of one if Pete Hegseth goes through with this.
-- Matt Novak (@paleofuture.bsky.social) 5:50 PM Â· Oct 8, 2026

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Well...to be fair: it was a pretty easy/reliable prediction.

#1 | Posted by Angrydad at 2026-10-11 01:12 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Of course he did. He ended up being a Old Testament-type prophet during his last 10 or 15 years.

What he was saying was often not funny at all, but people laughed because that's how people do.

#2 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-10-11 02:08 PM | Reply

Carlin saw the greed and moral depravity of the GOP decades before most people.

He saw the goal of the attacks on education, the dumbing down of the public to make them controllable. He saw the culture wars that dominate our election cycle and how they are used to divide the nation to make them sheep.

#3 | Posted by Nixon at 2026-10-12 09:26 AM | Reply

George Carlin - Politicians reflect the Public (garbage in, garbage out)

www.youtube.com

#4 | Posted by morris at 2026-10-12 03:45 PM | Reply