Media Thriving on its Own Shit.

Written By: - Date published: 1:25 pm, October 29th, 2018 - 24 comments
Categories: International, kremlinology, liberalism, Media, Politics, Propaganda, Russia, us politics, useless, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: , , ,

This is from wikipedia and is offered as way of background on Chuck Todd.

Charles David Todd (born April 8, 1972) is an American television journalist who is the 12th and current moderator of NBC‘s Meet the Press. He also hosts MTP Daily on MSNBC and is the Political Director for NBC News. Prior to taking the helm of Meet the Press, Todd was Chief White House correspondent for NBC and host of The Daily Rundown on MSNBC. He also serves as NBC News’ on-air political analyst for NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt and Today.

So, a former Chief White House correspondent and a Political Director for a major US news network among other things – someone with a bit of intelligence then?

Well no. As some in the US get themselves in yet another conspiratorial lather, this time over pipe bombs and shootings, Chuck Todd made the following contribution with regards umpteen people getting those pipe bombs in the post.

Which…well it leaves me speechless.

Given that he proposed that nonsense following another’s suggestion that Trump blaming media for levels of hostility was all a bit Goebbelish….well, it does nothing to dispel the myth that Americans have no sense of irony.

Here’s an intelligent piece, published in The Guardian back in 2017 by Keith Gessen – a Russian born American, on some of the context that’s informing the Chuck Todd’s and the Rachel “Russia. Russia! Russia!!” Maddow’s of the world. If you don’t have the inclination to read through some some long thoughtful analysis, then here’s a link to a podcast (38 min) of the same article. If you have no desire to spend time on either the article or the podcast, then I’ll break it down as follows.

Basically, Gessen puts the case that, as a class, the liberal intelligensia is on the brink of (as he terms it) “a nervous breakdown”. Blaming anything and everything on Russia and Putin is more or less an infantile exercise in evasion – avoiding any and all talk on how the past 30 – 40 years have witnessed the liberal political class detach itself from the everyday concerns of ordinary people to abandon us to “come what may”.

As such, their exercise in evasion is also an exercise in moral and intellectual bankruptcy – and, I’d argue, madness.

 

24 comments on “Media Thriving on its Own Shit. ”

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  1. Gosman 1
    29 October 2018 at 1:34 pm

    It is an opinion panel news show. Noone sensible should take the views expressed as being anything more than talking points to stir up controvesy and ratings. It would be like taking talk back radio seriously.

    • Bill 1.1
      29 October 2018 at 2:11 pm

      It’s the opinion of a guy who’s pretty high up in his field/profession – not the opinion of some shock jock or ‘nobody’ on a panel somewhere.

      And if you click in to the Rachel Maddow link (here it is again), you’ll access analysis of her top rating show on MSNBC that shows coverage of “Russia!” was more than all other topics combined in the six weeks covered, and you’ll find further examples of mad cap conspiracies being peddled by these prominent and generally respected journalists.

      eg – It’s “impossible,” fellow anchor Lawrence O’Donnell told Maddow on April 7, to rule out that “Vladimir Putin orchestrated what happened in Syria this week – so that his friend in the White House could have a big night with missiles and all of the praise he’s picked up over the past 24 hours.”

      Maddow concurred…

  2. Philj 2
    29 October 2018 at 2:27 pm

    I recall challenging Jessica Much, as a reporter, who said on TVNZ NEWS , in the lead up to a GE, a few years back, that Labour had no chance in the up coming election! I contacted her Editor and was told she was entitled to her opinion! YES, Bill it it’s manure.

  3. Dukeofurl 3
    29 October 2018 at 2:39 pm

    The American guy who the FBi has arrested and charged with mailing explosive devices ( the actual crime) apparently ‘knew some russians’ from the suburb in Florida he lived in.
    Ah yes Hallandale Beach and Sunny Isles in North Miami with maybe 7% of residents with russian origin is known as ‘Little Moscow’.
    Too crazy

  4. WeTheBleeple 4
    29 October 2018 at 3:25 pm

    Reds under the bed!

    Ah, takes me back to the seventies.

    • In Vino 4.1
      29 October 2018 at 5:08 pm

      No, that one is out.
      The Russians are NOT red any more. Please keep up. The USSR is gone. Even their flag is now red, white and blue.
      The funny thing is that Russia is now something of a capitalist society rather like ours, but our leaders are relying on our old Cold War prejudices to keep Russia cast in a hostile light.

      • KJT 4.1.1
        29 October 2018 at 5:43 pm

        I know many Russians. The general theme seems that with the current rule by kleptocratic gangsters, “please give us communism back”. “At least people were fed and housed”. And you knew what you couldn’t criticise”.

        • Bill 4.1.1.1
          29 October 2018 at 10:06 pm

          At least people were fed and housed

          I suspect the same sentiments/nostalgia might be fairly common in many former “Eastern Bloc” countries.

      • peterlepaysan 4.1.2
        29 October 2018 at 7:30 pm

        You mean is Russia innocent of any misdemeanours? Really?

        Forget cold war. It is all about Wall Street/ mafioso (Russian and others) chasing global trade. There are, of course, minor side shows like China, Saudi et al. The rest of the planet is in there, somewhere.

        • In Vino 4.1.2.1
          29 October 2018 at 9:42 pm

          peterlepaysan – don’t be silly. Innocent?? I distinctly wrote that Russia was now something of a capitalist society. Surely innocence goes immediately out of the window?
          But our propagandists still want to use the Cold War attitude..

      • Kahu 4.1.3
        5 November 2018 at 3:56 pm

        Not capitalist western-style but more kleptocratic/oligarchic plutocracy.

  5. SPC 5
    29 October 2018 at 4:00 pm

    The wee poor small minded man is trapped in some groundhog day loop – where Russian involvement in domestic affairs is part of the narrative.

    He would laugh at himself if he was a character in a movie about 1950’s American journalism.

  6. soddenleaf 6
    29 October 2018 at 5:19 pm

    oh come on. Aljazia completely misses the ball by concentrating on kashoggo? as a journo. Not the much more news worthy story, that an embassy negotiated a diplomatic refuge and then turned round and premediatively used it to murder someone. Who can trust a embassadoral property again. The world needs a face to blame, or at least 18 quick executions and a few more slower ones, since that’s the form SA uses. but no the media goes all flaky on how he was aLao and firstly a journalist, no, that’s actually third on the list of transgressions.

  8. Jum 8
    29 October 2018 at 6:37 pm

    I’m more interested in the initial opinion on Lisa Owen at Radio NZ.
    She’s so busy trying to downgrade Labour, I want a progress report on her.
    She never mentions that issues like education in crisis and housing issues were caused by national. She just infers the current govt is to blame.
    Is she just a national party apologist? Is she an unbiased journalist – a rare beast in NZ or anywhere?
    What is the Radio NZ board up to? Are they still under the control of the right?

    • Bill 8.1
      29 October 2018 at 10:11 pm

      There’s a huge difference between being bias and spouting unhinged conspiratorial bullshit.

      No journalist is objective. That’s fine and as it should be – media types who attempt to present themselves as neutral or “balanced” are simply being dishonest.

      • Jum 8.1.1
        30 October 2018 at 5:03 pm

        Bill,
        https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/presenters/mary-wilson
        ‘Former Presenter of Checkpoint

        Mary hosted Checkpoint from 1997 until 2015.

        In that time the programme developed into one of New Zealand’s top rating news programmes, winning awards for best programme and best presenter.

        Her uncompromising tenacious style won respect from commentators, interviewees and listeners.’

        Mary Wilson does not fit your ‘dishonest’ comment, Bill.

        I remember listening to her and being equally cross and happy depending on what party she was questioning. I don’t ever remember thinking she was being soft on either party.
        Another question; why isn’t she still in her job? What happened in 2015? Was she pushed or was she happy to do something else? I asked at the time. I was so disappointed at her change in job. But, nobody told me ‘nuthin’.

  9. Adrian Thornton 9
    30 October 2018 at 8:10 am

    Wikipedia – A Tool Of The Ruling Elite

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