What This Comedian Said Will Shock You

In this chapter, Maher critiques what he sees as America’s real “deep state”: an overwhelming bureaucracy that slows progress and drives up costs across the country. He argues that excessive regulation turns even straightforward projects into prolonged, costly endeavors. Maher asserts that an obsession with endless permitting and consulting fees obstructs real progress on critical issues like green energy and affordable housing, often counteracting the goals those processes claim to support.

He shifts focus to the influence of corporate greed and inefficiency within essential services. Health care, infrastructure, and housing costs are inflated by middlemen, contractors, and loopholes that invite wasteful spending. Maher finds it absurd that a vial of insulin, which costs $12 to produce, sells for over $500 due to unchecked price gouging. Programs for the unhoused also fall victim to this, with funds diverted to “soft costs” rather than directly addressing the crisis. The chapter concludes with a mention of pandemic relief fraud, where billions intended to support struggling Americans were siphoned off through false claims, ineffective programs, and outright theft.

In this chapter, Maher examines America’s evolving dependency on substances like alcohol, opioids, and marijuana. He describes how alcohol has become embedded in everyday life—available in places ranging from grocery stores to movie theaters—and how the pandemic accelerated this trend as people turned to alcohol to manage stress and isolation. Maher suggests this reliance reflects a broader societal anxiety that has fueled an unhealthy dependence on substances.

Maher then turns to opioids, discussing how conservative, rural communities now contend with some of the country’s worst addiction issues after years of condemning drug use in cities. These areas, many of which supported Trump, now struggle with the challenges they once criticized, calling into question the effectiveness of prohibition-based policies and the need for a new approach to address addiction at its core.

Maher also critiques the inconsistencies in marijuana legalization across states. Partial legalization has led to contradictions, such as a veteran who can legally use cannabis in Colorado but risks losing custody of his children in Kansas. Maher argues for a national policy on marijuana, urging the country to adopt a more consistent approach that recognizes marijuana as a safer alternative to alcohol and opioids, making substance reform more equitable and effective.

In this chapter, Maher rejects the idea that Christianity is under attack, pointing out its dominance in American culture. He argues that while Christians claim persecution, atheists, and agnostics—nearly a third of the population—are the ones excluded from representation in government. Maher calls for secular Americans to be included in national conversations about diversity, noting how their absence leaves an unbalanced view of what modern America actually looks like.

He highlights the contradictions in religious thought, especially in creationism, which he describes as anti-science masquerading as education. Maher criticizes the Supreme Court’s religious leanings, with a majority of justices following Catholic doctrine, and he argues that personal faith should not influence decisions in a secular democracy. Figures like Amy Coney Barrett, groomed by conservative religious groups to overturn Roe v. Wade, are examples of how faith is being weaponized to shape policies that affect everyone.

Maher draws a connection between religious thinking and Trumpism, describing it as a movement that thrives on blind faith over rationality. He argues that the same mindset that embraces literal interpretations of religious texts also makes people susceptible to the fantastical narratives of Trump’s most fervent supporters. In this framework, Trump is not just a political leader but a messianic figure, elevated by his followers as a savior sent to battle forces of evil, often without any evidence to support these beliefs. Maher warns that this blending of religious fervor and conspiracy-driven ideology creates an environment where irrationality thrives, undermining critical thinking and healthy democratic debate.

Maher explores how America’s obsession with money has distorted its economy and society, fostering inequality and exploitation. He criticizes the commodification of essential services like healthcare, prisons, and war, arguing that the profit motive has corrupted these systems. The decline of the middle class is evident in the disappearance of mid-range stores like Sears, while both luxury retailers and dollar stores thrive. He argues that this shift reflects a shrinking middle class and an economy that increasingly caters to extremes of wealth and poverty.

Maher critiques the rise of the gig economy, where workers are praised for their “hustle” while struggling to make ends meet. He mocks the framing of precarious jobs like Uber driving or selling crafts online as liberating opportunities, arguing that this system exploits desperation while offering no real security or benefits. The pandemic only deepened these divides, with wealthier Americans working comfortably from home while others braved unsafe conditions to deliver goods and services. He also takes aim at corporate monopolies, focusing on Amazon as a modern-day “company store” that dominates online commerce. Maher likens Amazon’s practices to those of robber barons, accusing the company of crushing competition and exploiting local governments for tax breaks. Maher believes economic inequality and corporate greed have trapped many Americans in a system that exploits their mistakes. Late fees, hidden charges, and predatory loans are intentional strategies to extract money from those with the least. He ties this back to the erosion of the middle class, where jobs that once provided security and upward mobility have been replaced with low-wage work and debt.

Maher criticizes Republicans for misleading working-class voters, convincing them that immigrants and welfare recipients are the problem rather than corporate greed. He uses the example of Ashli Babbitt, a Trump supporter who died during the Capitol riots, to illustrate how such voters are manipulated into supporting politicians who do nothing to solve their economic struggles. At the same time, he faults Democrats for failing to address predatory practices like payday loans in states they control, leaving many voters feeling abandoned by both parties.