Print this post.Observe closely how this avatar of “progressive” reporting, this liberal champion, sticks the poison needle in Chavez’ image. The whole clip is loaded with innuendoes, and then Maddow brings on that ectoplasm of liberal integrity, Gene Robinson, whose official ties with the Washington Post alone should suffice to disqualify him, to deal the coup de grace. “Gene knew Chavez personally,” intones Maddow, as if that conferred legitimacy on his testimony. Picking his words ultra-carefully, like a high-wire artist without a net, Robinson declared ponderously that, yes, Chavez had done many things for the poor, BUT, his regime was not a democracy (sic), had attacked freedom of the press, bla bla bla. The usual garbage invented by the Western media to deface the credibility of socialist leaders.
This was hardly surprising. No high-ranking —or low-ranking—reporter for the WaPo can say anything true or fair about any revolutionary—ever. It’s follow that tacit line or lose your job and say good=bye to your career. Par for the course throughout all US major media anyhow, and that includes Maddow herself, naturally. Such people are smart enough to know what they are doing and still do it. Utterly revolting. —Patrice Greanville
Grade: D-
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11 comments
Maddow has lost me forever with this. Anyone with a scintilla of awareness would realize that the U.S. is not a democracy, nor a representative Republic. It’s a strong man murderer of those oil rich countries who won’t lay back and let it be raped by this detestable country. The militarization runup of it is so scary that to note it is an open invitation to be shipped to Gitmo. Why didn’t she mention the oil that Chavez made available to the poor in this country? Why doesn’t she mention the ongoing murderous attempts of international leaders it disagrees with, of cold-blooded murder. The attempts on Castro’s life are well-documented. So the idea that this is so, is ridiculous to her? Did the U.S. murder Chavez? Probably. Will the ‘justice’ system in this country continue to lock up more people than any other country in the world? Yes. Will the health, education, and agronomy still work against the citizenry? Yes. This country is shit, and if she can’t point that out, while repeatedly hitting Venezuela’s oil: she’s lazed herself into the horror that has become this vile, racist, cowardly, union of aggressively ignorant and economically violent hostilocracy. Congratulations, Maddow. Keep your shitty job and your eyes closed. That’s what you teevee assholes do anyway, isn’t it? Heckuva job, Rachel.
Hi Bill!
Kudos for a great comment!
You said it all–everything I wanted to say about this woman that for a while held my attention as a possible improvement in the dreary landscape of what passes for news and commentary in the obfuscated United States. She unfortunately confirms for many of us the uselessness of liberals mainstreamers, people who never seem to (a) get their minds around the fact that the current world crisis is radical in nature and mere reformist touches will do zilch, and (b) that centrists, by nature, will forever keep repeating the same superficial approaches to the symptoms of the problem without ever doing anything about the root.
Thank you again for your comment, it inspired me to file these disjointed but sincere lines.
Jane Belknap
Sacramento
PS/ Thank you to Mr Greanville for his great annotations, too. Some of us appreciate your work deeply.
Notice that Matthews, Maddow, Big Ed, and the Reverend never interview the US’ foremost intellectual and dissident, a guy by the name of Noam Chomsky. I have it on good authority that the Comcast/GE/ NBC production contracts forbid just such an interview. I got to know some of the MSNBC production people during the last New Hampshire Primary. Even NPR allowed Chomsky on, though just once, and then wouldn’t allow a live interview. They allowed him 120 seconds, pre-taped, and when Noam went to 127 seconds, NPR made him redo the whole interview. This country cannot be free when the outer limits of acceptable media are occupied by corporate shills such as Maddow, Matthews, the Reverend Al, and that supercilious Irishman Lawrence O’Donnell. They are just the flip side of the corporate coin, to keep us fixated on the goofiest Republican de jour or amused constantly by their gaffes. Maddow is the worst of all, because she wants to be in office, and is towing the corporate line so she can get its seal of approval when she decides to run. Matthew’s got the same motives, but Rachel is by far the smartest and the most cynical and knows exactly what she’s doing.
I don’t have anything useful to say except that this clip makes me want to throw up.
I made it a minute and fifteen seconds before I had to snap it off. I can’t afford to throw a brick through my monitor. She lost me forever years ago, but now I hope a drone gets her. Filthy, filthy, filthy.
My exact same feeling partner. And this woman is supposed to be on our side??? She’s a fifth columnist, that’s what she is. And Robinson, well, as the author says, his professional work for the Washington Post, one of the propaganda mainstays of the plutocracy, says it all.
Revolting bastards.
Phil Cummings
Atlanta
Why did you guys censor my post, the one I made earlier this morning?
No one here censored your comment, as you can readily see. Especially since we agree with your opinion 100% and have in fact spoken on a number of occasions about that.
The delay in posting comments is due to our small staff and the fact we get scores of comments a day, many unworthy of publication (including many insults from the usual wingnut quarters), and hacking attempts to disrupt publication.
Sorry; my bad, so let me contribute. I’m old fashioned, have to contribute by snail mail, so give me an address, please.
Thank you. You can send any assistance to PuntoPress/GreanvillePost, P.O. Box 943, Brewster, NY 10509.
Chavez wasn’t even radical, only mildly socialistic, like many of our NATO allies back in the 60’s and 70’s. He just broke the rules of Latin subservience to Yanqui imperialism and lived to tell about it. Look at the facts: Venezuela’s top marginal income tax rate is 34%, lower than ours. Capital gains are treated as ordinary income, and the estate tax mirrors our own, topping out at 55%. It has no aggregate wealth tax, which you sometimes find in Western Europe. The incendiary thing was when Chavez legislated that the huge estate owners sell their unused lands to peasants, repeated when Chavez demanded a 30% royalty (instead of the usual 14%) on the value of Venezuelan oil that the corporations were extracting and selling at $90 or $100 per barrel. Actaully, because most of his oil was near the surface and of higher viscosity, the Exxons and BPs of the world were actually getting a bargain. Chavez dropped royalties to 20% when the petroleum was in remote regions, was offshore, or was difficult to access.
Lastly, Venezuela has a privately held stock market that has tripled in the last 13 months. But, the Maddows, Matthews, Sharptons, and O’Donnell’s of the world won’t tell you that. Chris Hayes wants to, but that little boy always looks like he’s seeing a ghost. He’s afraid of just how far he can go, so he suppresses his best reporting and many of his journalistic instincts. He’s seen what happened to Keith, Cynq, Phil, Peter, Helen, and others before him, so he treads ever so lightly.