Jon Stewart reveals threat deadlier than Islamic State, Ebola combined

Anyone watching the news lately can be forgiven for assuming that everyone is going to be dead in a few weeks. Threats from extremists, threats from viruses, threats from all over the place are given wall-to-wall coverage.

But on Thursday’s episode of “The Daily Show,� Jon Stewart reminded viewers that the number of people who have died from those things, “can be counted on two Simpsons hands.� However, there is another threat that’s kills 600,000 Americans a year: heart disease.

“That’s like Milwaukee disappearing every year,� Stewart said. Or like “if you added all the Americans killed by ISIS and Ebola and added almost 600,000 to it.�

Conservative politicians have flooded the airwaves to drum up fear of attack or illness, he said, but when it comes to raising awareness of something that’s killing a lot of people, they’re dismissive of government’s role in protecting lives. They also resist expanding Medicaid, he added.

But then Stewart dived into an even touchier issue: gun deaths.

“The government has a sacred obligation to do whatever it takes to save American lives unless it’s through a law that criminals would break,� Stewart said.

And then climate change. Again, major pushback from politicans to do anything, he said.

“It’s like people are saying ‘When I die, I want to know my preventable death has a label on it that says ‘Made in America,’� Stewart said.

You can watch the whole segment here.

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