Glen Greenwald on why he covers what he does

Written By: - Date published: 6:21 am, November 24th, 2021 - 46 comments
Categories: journalism, us politics - Tags: ,

From the time I began writing, I focused on what was being under-covered, not echo what everyone was saying

Glen Greenwald

46 comments on “Glen Greenwald on why he covers what he does ”

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  1. millsy 1
    24 November 2021 at 7:50 am

    The guy has completely moved to the right recently.

    He has defended racist gunman Kyle Rittenhouse who gunned down civil rights protestors, and supports giving police more powers.

    [1 week ban for making yet another set of assertions about Greenwald without backing them up in any way. Mod note in OM – weka]

    • Adrian Thornton 1.1
      24 November 2021 at 8:25 am

      No he didn't, and no he doesn't.

      • arkie 1.1.1
        24 November 2021 at 8:44 am

        I will have much more to say on this verdict and the reaction to it, but immediately after the verdict was delivered, I went live on Rumble to provide my views of why, after having watched the entire trial, I believed this verdict was just, and why the media narrative was particularly deceitful and morally repellent.

        https://greenwald.substack.com/p/kyle-rittenhouse-acquitted-on-all

        • Millsy 1.1.1.1
          24 November 2021 at 8:53 am

          I don't think you lot have any idea about how close the civil rights against in the USA are to being completely rolled back. We are talking about a return to the days of Jim Crow, lynching, segregation and the KKK. All the commentors on that seem to support Rittenhouse and oppose civil rights.

          Rittenhouse is probably orgsnising to join the KKK as we speak.

          • arkie 1.1.1.1.1
            24 November 2021 at 9:04 am

            “Here you have a 17-year-old who illegally purchased a gun, traveled across state lines to protect property that was not his, for owners who did not invite him, and he put himself in harm’s way based on the rhetoric that he’s seen on social media platforms,” Johnson told CBS’s Face the Nation.

            He called the verdict “a warning shot that vigilante justice is allowed in this country or in particular communities”.

            https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/22/kyle-rittenhouse-fox-news-tucker-carlson-interview

            He's already been offered internships with some republican representatives. His career is secured as a well-paid fox contributor. The most disturbing aspects of the case is the politicisation of the court, the state supports 'property protecting' vigilantes. A worrying precedent.

            • RedLogix 1.1.1.1.1.1
              24 November 2021 at 9:10 am

              traveled across state lines

              A line that has been on high rotation right from the start – yet it has almost nothing to do with the case.

              It's been deliberately put there to carry a sinister undertone – and is a big fat clue that whoever wrote this piece is carrying water.

              • Adrian Thornton …
                24 November 2021 at 9:17 am

                "It's been deliberately put there to carry a sinister undertone – and is a big fat clue that whoever wrote this piece is carrying water."

                Exactly right.

                • RedLogix …
                  24 November 2021 at 9:37 am

                  The interesting question to ask is – how did they ALL come up with this meme ALL at the same time?

              • arkie …
                24 November 2021 at 9:20 am

                You don't think there is something sinister about travelling to a ongoing protest with a long gun?

                A voice that sounds like Rittenhouse's can be heard saying, "Bro, I wish I had my f—ing AR. I'd start shooting rounds at them."

                https://www.insider.com/prosecutors-say-kyle-rittenhouse-video-shows-wanted-to-shoot-people-2021-8

                The judge thought this was worth getting enraged by:

                Binger on Wednesday repeatedly asked Rittenhouse about whether he felt use of deadly force was appropriate to protect property. The prosecutor eventually asked him about the comments to shoot suspected shoplifters.

                Rittenhouse's attorneys immediately objected, prompting the judge to tell jurors to leave the courtroom. Binger was then scolded.

                "Don't get brazen with me!" Schroeder yelled as he told Binger not to continue the line of questioning. “I don’t want another issue," Schroeder added. "Is that clear?”

                https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/11/10/kyle-rittenhouse-trials-dramatic-moments-could-have-legal-implication/6376398001/

                • RedLogix …
                  24 November 2021 at 10:01 am

                  The notion of self-defense arises in two distinct themes in this case. The first which relates to Rittenhouse defending himself from lethal attacks – as was clear from the video evidence – and has been been confirmed in the trial. For the moment this question can be set aside.

                  The larger issue you raise is the question of 'defending your community'. The rights and wrongs of this are a lot harder to tease out – but it's worth asking at what point do people have the right to actively start defending themselves when they can see rioters, arson and intimidation in their streets? And the police apparently standing by and doing little to stop it.

                  Because if it was a black community under similar attack – and yes these things have happened in the past – then I'd imagine you'd be painting Rittenhouse as hero. Which of course he isn't – almost everyone regards vigilantes as the thin edge of a very dangerous wedge indeed – but then they generally don't arise in response to 'mostly peaceful, ongoing protests' either.

                  • arkie …
                    24 November 2021 at 10:20 am

                    A state has a legitimate organisation to deal with the 'defence of community', this is the police. The police are supposedly trained to deal with these situations and from the videos of the event we can see the police are present and dealing with the situation. There really isn't justification for inserting yourself into it, fully-armed, especially when you claim to be attending as a medic.

                    This was reported during the protests:

                    Armed militia groups put out a call online for vigilantes to converge on Kenosha, Wisconsin, to defend the city from “evil thugs” in the hours before two demonstrators were shot dead by a gun-toting Illinois teenager, according to reports.

                    Multiple posts on Facebook and Reddit urged militias and others to join in on vigilante patrols in the city of 100,000, which has been plagued by violent protests since the police shooting Sunday of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man, the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research said.

                    “At 10:44 a.m. local time, the administrator of the ‘Kenosha Guard’ page asked if any members were willing to ‘take up arms and defend out (sic) City tonight from the evil thugs,” the council said. “They continued, ‘Nodoubt (sic) they are currently planning on the next part of the City to burn tonight!”

                    Ray Roberts, a black Kenosha resident, said men from “rural areas got in big trucks loaded up with guns and flags and got into town.”

                    “You would see them driving into town after curfew and cops not stopping them,” he said.

                    https://nypost.com/2020/08/27/militias-called-for-armed-vigilantes-before-fatal-kenosha-shootings/

                    • RedLogix …
                      24 November 2021 at 10:55 am

                      A state has a legitimate organisation to deal with the 'defence of community', this is the police.

                      At the time of these 'mostly peaceful protests' there were also persistent calls from the liberal establishment to 'defund the police'. A message loudly heard in many communities – black and white – to leave them defenseless.

                      The police are supposedly trained to deal with these situations and from the videos of the event we can see the police are present and dealing with the situation.

                      I'm not sure those who had property looted or burned during these 'mostly peaceful protests' would agree with you on that.

                    • arkie …
                      24 November 2021 at 12:12 pm

                      calls from the liberal establishment to 'defund the police'.

                      This isn't true, those calls came from activist groups, the establishment was stridently against the campaign.

                      I'm not sure those who had property looted or burned during these 'mostly peaceful protests' would agree with you on that.

                      So therefore you think because the police were unable to prevent some damage during the containment of an out-of-control protest justifies non-state actors taking the law into their own hands? Sounds like an anarchic approach.

                      I note you ignored the reporting about militia groups, seems like it's fairly clear that the desire isn't to protect property but to punish protestors.

                    • RedLogix …
                      24 November 2021 at 12:19 pm

                      This isn't true, those calls came from activist groups, the establishment was stridently against the campaign.

                      /tears of laughter.

                      As for the rest of your comment – no. What I wrote and the sounds in your head are not related.

                    • arkie …
                      24 November 2021 at 12:33 pm

                      Again, why must you be so unpleasant, it's just a discussion.

                      I would like to know what you think the police should've done differently to better 'defend the community'.

                      As to your recollection of the recent past:

                      Bush is also the only candidate to formally run on a platform of defunding the police – a point many analysts say make criticism of the movement unwarranted.

                      …

                      The former president’s comments echoed other moderate Democrats who have taken issue and consider the phrase polarizing, prompting criticism of a progressive movement led by what some have called radical messaging.

                      https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/02/barack-obama-criticizes-defund-the-police-slogan-backlash

                      Progressives =/= Liberal establisment

              • AB …
                24 November 2021 at 9:45 am

                I suspect you underestimate the importance of the autonomy states to the American mind. But even despite that, it's a common rhetorical trick to add a dubious and superfluous point to several other basically sound ones. Everyone does it, and the superfluous point does not invalidate the sound ones. Still less does it cast the person making the argument into a realm of untrustworthy 'water-carriers'.

                • RedLogix …
                  24 November 2021 at 10:14 am

                  Everyone does it, and the superfluous point does not invalidate the sound ones.

                  Nah – not ALL of them using the same 'dubious trick' ALL at the same time. What this speaks to is an uncritical group-think speaking to a pre-determined agenda to make this case all about race.

                  As an aside I see the Ahmoud Arberry jury is now deliberating. In direct contrast to this case I'd expect to see a guilty verdict. The evidence in this does not properly support self-defense in my view.

    • Corey Humm 1.2
      24 November 2021 at 10:28 am

      Kyle Rittenhouse is a case in point in how disturbing media has become, MSNBC CNN and fox all were pushing narratives and proves Glens point.

      Most people only found out this week his victims were white, that he lived 22 miles away, that his gun wasn't illegal and yes theres hundreds of videos of the guys he shot reaching for his gun, one of the protesters pointing a gun at him and attacking him.

      Ohh and he's a BLM supporter.

      Noone should have brought guns to a protest. Period.

      But if you listen to corporate media he killed two black men, is a Nazi, who illegally carried a military weapon across state lines.

      Watching the court case was genuinely disturbing as I believed so many untrue things about this and yes if you're pointing a gun and charging at someone holding a gun them shooting you is self defense, if you reach for someone's gun, them shooting you is self defense.

      He's going to win hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in lawsuits like that kid in the red hat corporate media said was attacking native Americans when they were dancing together.

      Seriously. Whatever you think about the self defense you have to admit the coverage of that case was disturbingly biased and if this is true about this case what else are they pushing their narrative on that's not true.

      If not liking corporate media, and neoliberal democrats, neocons, makes you a right winger then most left wingers have suddenly become right wing.

      The Democrats are pretty much the act party and the republicans the new conservatives/nzpp. I hate them all.

      • weka 1.2.1
        24 November 2021 at 10:39 am

        choice comment.

        I haven't followed the Rittenhouse case, but Greenwald's explanations of his own work in the audios makes sense to me irrespective of whether I agree with his politics or positions.

        Your comment is pointing to something further I think, which is the merging of neoliberal politics with identity politics, a kind of bastard child that is getting out of control. Looks to me like Greenwald is arguing for a specific principle and there are too many liberals and on the left who can't even recognise what he is saying. That principle should be a high priority for all of us.

        • RedLogix 1.2.1.1
          24 November 2021 at 12:17 pm

          Your comment is pointing to something further I think, which is the merging of neoliberal politics with identity politics, a kind of bastard child that is getting out of control.

          I think I was saying this ages back – what happens when your opponents learn to play your own game back at you?

          Well for a start you fast learn whether or not the game you were playing was a good one or not.

        • Margaritte 1.2.1.2
          25 November 2021 at 10:43 am

          I have always seen identity politics as a form of neoliberalism so not personally surprised that they are finding each other now.

      • Adrian Thornton 1.2.2
        24 November 2021 at 12:05 pm

        @Corey Humm +1

      • gsays 1.2.3
        24 November 2021 at 4:59 pm

        Well articulated.

        I am another who hasn't followed the trial.

        There seems to be a tendency among some round these parts to make up their minds very quickly, sometimes with little info or from a source with an agenda and start waving their willies.

        Unfortunately, when more info emerges or the trial ends, because their willy is out, they have to double down, rather than change their opinion.

        Probably explains a lot about politics.

      • Puckish Rogue 1.2.4
        24 November 2021 at 7:14 pm

        100% agreed

  2. Adrian Thornton 2
    24 November 2021 at 8:24 am

    Well as Greenwald was one of only a tiny handful of Left leaning journo's who kept their eye on the ball (while taking masses of incoming flak from 'liberals' and all liberal press) during what has to be described as the biggest media led and US deep state fraud/ conspiracy of the past several decades; ie Russiagate…also he almost singlehandedly through his incredibly brave reporting, was responsible in getting Lula freed in Brazil,with Snowden completely exposed the US deep state,has been a vocal and unwavering supporter of Assange and more, so sure he has blind spots and I don’t agree with all his positions, that he nonetheless remains one of, if not the most important ‘left’ journalists working today, is of course indisputable.

    BTW also you might have noticed, he was immediately and completely disowned by all liberal press as soon as he questioned the Russian/Trump conspiracy, which exposed their bias and ties to US imperialism in a way that only the blind or the stupid could ignore.

    Now I know that many contributors to The Standard don’t like Greenwald, however over the past few years most of those same contributors have ,through their own comments made it quite obvious for us all to see, that they are infact Liberal Imperialists themselves, so of course their natural reaction to someone like Greenwald would be negative….just like the liberal MSM they most probably consume.

    Glenn Greenwald Took on the Authoritarian Right in Brazil — and Won

    https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/04/glenn-greenwald-securing-democracy-review-death-threats-journalism-leaks-lula

    Snowden and Greenwald: The Men Who Leaked the Secrets

    https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/snowden-and-greenwald-the-men-who-leaked-the-secrets-104970/

    Glenn Greenwald: "Professional jealousy" keeps media "silent on Assange"

    https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/561745-glenn-greenwald-professional-jealousy-keeps-media-silent-on-assange

    Journalists, Learning They Spread a CIA Fraud About Russia, Instantly Embrace a New One

    https://greenwald.substack.com/p/journalists-learning-they-spread

    • Tiger Mountain 2.1
      24 November 2021 at 8:35 am

      Well said Adrian. He exposed SirKey and the security harvesting from NZ to NSA with XKeyscore in this country too, not that many wanted to know at the time!

      • Adrian Thornton 2.1.1
        24 November 2021 at 9:06 am

        Yeah, media coverage gets worse and worse in what seems to be and endless downward spiral…what serious news outlets have we got left in NZ?, the producers at RNZ seem determined to turn it into the best radio station for smart teenagers in the country, their local news is poor while their international news is generally pointless at best, misinformation at worst.

        • RedLogix 2.1.1.1
          24 November 2021 at 9:15 am

          I have to agree with you there Adrian – at least here in Australia we get a healthy range of media biases and a lot more robust public debate.

          And otherwise yes Greenwald is one of the more reliable moderate left wing voices that can be depended on. I haven't stayed up to date with him recently so I will check your links.

        • left for dead 2.1.1.2
          24 November 2021 at 2:53 pm

          Very true AT ….Have a listen to"End of Radio" from Shellac,sad but a good video goes with that.

          Can not copie and paste,grrr

          • gsays 2.1.1.2.1
            24 November 2021 at 5:08 pm

            https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T22MTBhU4Zg

            I am always surprised by the music tastes of others. I saw Shellac at The King Arms a few years back. A long delay through gear issues but worth the wait. They played The End of Radio.

            Who woulda thunk the guy who wrote Kerosene would go on to record PJ Harvey, Breeders HDU and Nirvana's best album?

          • Adrian Thornton 2.1.1.2.2
            24 November 2021 at 8:04 pm

            Thanks for that link, I am not a huge fan of Shellac generally, though I do really like some of there tunes…and I really do like that one you recommended.

            Sadly the record of theirs that I would dearly love on vinyl is The Futurist, but it turns out that they only made copies of that record for their friends, so say goodby to at least $500 US if you want copy…but well worth checking out if you haven't heard it…

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxCS4EF3HHc

    • Molly 2.2
      24 November 2021 at 10:02 am

      Thanks, Adrian. I admire your fortitude.

      Exposes the problems of becoming tribal without retaining critical thinking and analysis skills.

    • Brigid 2.3
      24 November 2021 at 12:10 pm

      Whole heartedly agree. Thanks for putting it so concisely.

    • Jenny how to get there 2.4
      25 November 2021 at 8:57 am

      Adrian Thornton

      24 November 2021

      ……he nonetheless remains one of, if not the most important ‘left’ journalists working today, is of course indisputable.

      I would dispute it. Especially the claim that Glenn Greenwald is a 'left' journalist.

      Glenn Greenwald may be an accomplished journalist of record. But, what Greg Greenwald definitely is not, is a member of the Left. In fact he doesn't even know the difference.

      Glenn Greenwald Says ‘I Consider Tucker Carlson To Be A Socialist’

      Brandon Gillespie – Daily Caller, Media Reporter, March 03, 2021

      ….He went on to say that he “would describe a lot of people on the right as being socialists,” such as former White House strategist Steve Bannon and “the 2016 iteration” of former President Donald Trump as a candidate, “based on what he was saying.”

      “I consider Tucker Carlson to be a socialist,” Greenwald said of the Daily Caller co-founder….

      ….“I think the vision is, you know, you have this kind of right wing populism, which really is socialism, that says we should close our borders, not allow unconstrained immigration, and then take better care of our own working class people, and not allow this kind of transnational, global, corporatist elite to take everything for themselves under the guise of neoliberalism,” Greenwald said.

      https://dailycaller.com/2021/03/03/glenn-greenwald-interview-tucker-carlson-socialism-christian-datoc-omeed-malik-populism/

      ‘

      Ad Fontes Media:

      Glenn Greenwald Bias and Reliability

      Bias: Skews Right

      Reliability: Generally Reliable/Analysis OR Other Issues

      Overview

      Ad Fontes Media rates Glenn Greenwald in the Skews Right category of bias and as Generally Reliable/Analysis OR Other Issues in terms of reliability. Greenwald is a journalist and former constitutional lawyer. He previously worked for The Guardian and Salon before co-founding The Intercept in 2013; he resigned in October 2020. He now publishes an online newsletter via Substack, which records almost 900,000 visits per month. Greenwald has authored four best-selling books on politics and law. His articles on the National Security Agency and Edward Snowden in 2013 earned him many awards, and The Guardian received the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for his team’s NSA reporting.

      Overall Score

      The following are Glenn Greenwald’s overall bias and reliability scores according to our Ad Fontes Media ratings methodology.

      Reliability: 36.42

      Bias: 10.91

      https://adfontesmedia.com/glenn-greenwald-bias-and-reliability/

      To me, where Glen Greenwald most notoriously displays his Right Wing bias, is when he sides with the fascist style Assad regime in attacking the Left opposition in Syria.

      Glenn Greenwald’s Sympathy for the Devil

      Idrees Ahmad Posted on October 28, 2016 – Categories Propaganda, Russia

      After five years of equivocation on Syria, Glenn Greenwald has finally taken a stance. He is attacking Syria’s leading dissident who spent 16 years in Assad’s notorious prisons for his left-wing politics, whose two brothers were abducted by ISIS, and whose wife was disappeared three years ago….

      …..Sorry Glenn, but that common throat clearing preamble—”Of course Assad is bad but…”—will give you only limited protection when you devote your entire time to maligning and attacking the regime’s opponents….

      https://pulsemedia.org/2016/10/28/sympathy-for-the-devil-exorcising-greenwald-and-assad/

      • Puckish Rogue 2.4.1
        25 November 2021 at 10:59 am

        Tucker in his own words, defending truck drivers against automated trucking.

        • Jenny how to get there 2.4.1.1
          25 November 2021 at 12:12 pm

          So what?

          Tucker Carlson is not the first right winger to use workers fear of unemployment.

          This does not make him left wing, or socialist.

  3. francesca 3
    24 November 2021 at 9:00 am

    Good on you Adrian !

  4. Louis 4
    24 November 2021 at 5:47 pm

    Greenwald on NZ locking down over one Delta case

    "They seem demented, oblivious to the costs of sustained isolation"

    https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1427680517613395971

    Good response by Marc Daalder

    https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/18-08-2021/a-single-case-and-a-never-ending-nightmare-world-media-react-to-nz-lockdown

    • weka 4.1
      24 November 2021 at 8:55 pm

      lo,, had forgotten about that.

      • Jenny how to get there 4.1.1
        26 November 2021 at 2:41 pm

        Apart from going out of his way to lash out our government's world beating response to the pandemic.

        Some other reminders that might help you recall Glen Greenwald's firm right bias.

        Glenn Greenwald is Not Your Misunderstood Left Comrade

        Paul Street – Counterpunch, September 24, 2021

        ……For years now, the sly fascism-denier Greenwald has creepily thrown in with the white nationalist right. He downplays the seriousness of the fascist-putschist Capitol Riot of January 6, 2021…..

        …..He has joined the white nationalist right in warning against “endless hordes of people pour[ing] over the [US] border,” opining that “a nation cannot survive if its population lacks any common foundation” and is “characterized by scattered allegiances.” He derides the elementary observation that such nativist sentiments are “racist” as childish name-calling….

        ….the continuation of his ongoing GOP-friendly double standard on contemporary politics by ripping Democratic elites’ hypocrisy on masks while saying nothing about the GOP madness on masks and vaccines (madness he has sadly aligned himself with)…

        [deleted over long cut and paste]

        https://www.counterpunch.org/2021/09/24/glenn-greenwald-is-not-your-misunderstood-left-comrade/

        Yikes indeed.

        millsy

        24 November 2021

        The guy has completely moved to the right recently….

        I find it hard to disagree with Millsy. Speaking personally, I think Millsy comment was mild. In fact I find it hard to believe that anyone could possibly imagine that Glenn Greenwald is 'Left Wing'.

        Let the record speak for itself.

        Where Millsy is possibly wrong, is that Glen Greenwald has "moved to the right recently."

        • weka 4.1.1.1
          26 November 2021 at 3:22 pm

          seeing as how you addressed your comment to me, I'll be clear. People can post their opinions here (GG has moved right). If they post claims of fact, they have to back that up when requested.

          I'm less interested in whether GG has gone right, than I am in lefties misrepresenting what he says and does. Which is why I put up the post. Even if he has gone rightwards, his points in the audio still matter.

        • weka 4.1.1.2
          26 November 2021 at 3:23 pm

          I snipped out the over long bits of your cut and paste. Better to use shorter quotes and explain what you want people to understand.