As usual, Glenn Greenwald has been catching heat all over Centrist Twitter, this time for conducting a brief interview for Russian state media outlet RT after a panel appearance in Moscow. RT, in typical fashion, titled the interview “Greenwald: I came to Russia to combat US’ toxic view on the country,” which, while technically an accurate reflection of part of something Greenwald said in the interview, also happens to make perfect retweet fodder for lying sociopaths like MSNBC’s Malcolm Nance.
Nance, along with US state media outlet Polygraph, helped circulate a completely evidence-free conspiracy theory that Greenwald is “an agent of Trump and Moscow.” Nance also smeared Greenwald for having appeared on Fox News with Tucker Carlson.
This is an ongoing debate that has increased in shrillness recently that I’d like to briefly address. The argument goes that antiwar journalists who are critical of the US power establishment like Max Blumenthal and Glenn Greenwald should not be making appearances on Fox News or RT, because it lends those outlets credibility. If people see a reputable journalist appearing on Fox News, the argument goes, they will assume that that lying propaganda firm is trustworthy, and they will give it more credibility than a more liberal-aligned outlet like MSNBC, which is theoretically (*cough*) closer to the antiwar left on the ideological spectrum.
https://twitter.com/MalcolmNance/status/1015603194557153280
And that argument actually holds some weight. Not the part about MSNBC being less of a lying warmonger network than Fox News (at this point in time it’s arguably worse), but the part about credibility being lent to outlets which will host principled antiwar leftists. If RT will have Max Blumenthal on to discuss opposition to longstanding neoconservative war agendas and CNN will not, RT comes off looking more credible than CNN in that respect for a lot of people. If Tucker Carlson will have Glenn Greenwald on to talk about the gaping plot holes in the establishment Russia narrative, then in some eyes that elevates Fox News above CNN in that respect.
But whose fault is that? Are antiwar leftists actually to blame for the fact that MSNBC and CNN shut them down at every turn? In his debate with James Risen about the Russiagate narrative, Greenwald made an interesting remark about the fact that Risen had been able to secure an MSNBC appearance after joining The Intercept.
“You cracked the code for how to be an Intercept writer and get on MSNBC,” Greenwald said. “Which is to write an article entitled: ‘Is Donald Trump a Traitor?’”
Indeed, Risen did just that: since his arrival at the publication he has contributed to The Intercept‘s “fearless adversarial journalism” by writing articles which would fit in just fine in the New York Times or the Washington Post, many of which feature the same sort of Russian collusion narratives which have become the bread and butter of MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. As a consequence, Risen got to share his ideas with a large television audience, whereas Greenwald does not.
Centrist pundits would have you believe that Greenwald should be shunned and reviled for going to Fox News to share his own ideas before a large television audience. They spin the narrative to falsely suggest that Greenwald chooses to speak at outlets like RT and Fox News because he hates America and love Trump and Putin. The responsible, respectable thing for an antiwar leftist to do would be to wait until MSNBC will have him on to talk about his antiwar ideas, and keep waiting, and waiting, and just keep on waiting until we all die in a nuclear holocaust.
https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1016085988089782272
It is not Greenwald’s fault that RT and Fox News will give him a platform to share his criticisms of the US war machine, the intelligence community and the new cold war but MSNBC and CNN will not. The fact that the antiwar left is completely deprived of a voice on Democratic Party-aligned media is the fault of those media outlets and those media outlets only. Centrist pundits think it’s perfectly reasonable to just tell anti-establishment voices, “No, see, what we’re doing here is that you shut up, just shut up and go away forever and never say anything to anyone, ever again.” They are wrong.
When centrists whine about an antiwar leftist appearing on Russian or right-wing media because it “lends those outlets credibility,” what they are actually doing is whining that those leftists are exposing the complete lack of credibility that outlets like CNN and MSNBC have. Their doors are always open to lying, depraved intelligence community insiders like James Clapper and John Brennan and Iraq-raping neocons like Bill Kristol, but to antiwar leftists that door is slammed shut except for the occasional Jill Stein appearance a couple times a year so that Chris Cuomo can wag his finger at her and publicly insinuate that she supports the Kremlin.
The blame for the fact that critics of the US power establishment are forced to find weird platforms to get their voices heard rests solely upon all the other outlets which slam the door on them. The fact that they would rather platform disgusting liars like Malcolm Nance than men like Glenn Greenwald is their fault, and theirs alone. They should worry less about RT and Fox News being given credibility and more about their own lack of it.
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11 responses to “Don’t Like Antiwar Lefties Going On Fox Or RT? Blame CNN And MSNBC.”
It strikes me odd that the Resist movement is a bit over-the-top ans involves some unsavory players.
The whole Russian thing seems transparently contrived – of course there are many who don’t want improved relations with Russia but is also directed rather weakly at Trump.
It dawns on me that a lot of this is intended to distract from the issue of the corruption of the DNC and to some extent Hillary’s complicity. I am not suggesting the RNC is any better only that the DNC was actually revealed as complete sham. Their supporters should be angry. In Cortez they may find an opportunity to focus that anger so this must be quickly diffused.
Caitlin, you are so right to point-out that are problem is with the uniparty (owned by entrenched interests) politics – it’s not that we have only two choices, but we have one choice. Until people wake to this there will be little progress. They provoke you to promote team loyalty, but thier is really only one team – its a club and you are not in it.
To continue the sham argument identity politics or red v blue is counter productive.
I voted for trump and am happy he one but I will vote for cortez (/gabber) in next election if that is an option. Tear their play-house down.
RT has leftys Chris Hedges, George Galloway, Watching the Hawks crew, Lee Camp, and formerly the late Ed Schultz.
RT has more or less centrists Afshin Rattansi, Mike Papantonio, and Sophie Shevardnadze.
RT has right-leaning Larry King, and Peter Lavelle.
RT gives a Russian perspective with Oksana Boyko.
RT has loose cannons Jesse Ventura, and Max Keiser.
What’s not to like –??
spot on, rapier-like analysis. 🙂 Although, I’m not sure that “loose cannon” quite describes the runaway train wreck that is Max Keiser. LOL !!
Spot on. Tucker Carlton is one of the few Fox shows that brings on creditable guests. That is why I watch Glenn Greenwald on Democracy Now.
RT IS more credible than CNN, Caitlin! American mainstream media is just a government propaganda machine.
RT IS more credible than CNN, Caitlin.
BDS… Stop Israel taking land, lives, and children from parents. The Dems and R’s are worthless. Wage Peace.
I care more about the anarchists vs. statists.
Only a few Jedi, in an ocean of brainwashed cannonfodder that believe they need at least *some* empire to build them roads. What they got was roads with a huge helping of economic slavery and perpetual parasites upon their back arresting change forever.
No, I support the anarchists… who would be considered, extreme leftists. The anarchists were right all along.
You don’t need any god damn government. You can lead yourself. And only you can defend your own freedom…
Not sure all those antiwar interviewees you reference are “Lefties.” Perhaps everyone else has shifted so far Right that they just look Left. Regulation of commerce is 100% consitutional. Keeping money-graft out of Congress — 100% consitutional. Returning war-powers to the legislative branch — 100% constitutional. Regulation of INTERSTATE commerce (re: pipelines, for example or the internet) — 100% consitutional. Equal access to digital infrastructure — 100% constitutional. I’m in no way — that I know of — a Leftie. We’re for economic liberty (entrepreneurship) same as any other sort of liberty, but HARD regulation at the top of the economic pyramid and maximum freedom at the bottom. We are the real Americans. We’re here. No one wants to acknowledge it, but we are. It’s good to see people standing up all over the world — you in particular. But remember: we’re on the ground here.
Divine mockery by the gods of destiny to have arrived at a period in history in America when Russian Media has more credibility than our own mainstream journalistic media!
Especially for children of the early fifties Cold War as myself who were brought up to think of Russia as amusing peddlers of kooky propaganda myths. What a reversal of fortunes, brought upon ourselves!
JRG … spot on. I remember as a kid hearing my pal’s dads and grandfathers say “damn, I’m sure glad we don’t live in a country where the leader is goddam KGB … ya know, like those COMMUNIST RUSSIANS!!” And then there was George Herbert Walker Bush …
Yeah, everything has gone upside down. The DEMOCRAPS are the ones screaming “RUSSIA! RUSSIA! RUSSIA!” now.
And I thought I’d seen everything ….