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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe 'Greenwald Left' Continues to Deny the Russiagate Story
While Trump and his minions on the right attack media attack stories regarding Trump's connection to Russia as Fake news, Glenn Greenwalfd, Ed Schultz and the TYT runs interference on the left. Of course, these talking points are the same as those made by Trump and his allies even though they come from folks who claim to be progressives.
http://thedailybanter.com/2017/03/the-greenwald-left-continues-to-deny-the-russiagate-story/
1) The "conspiracy theory" theory.
Despite the volumes of persistent and thorough reporting from The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, McClatchy, NBC News (Engel, Maddow, O'Donnell, Hayes), CNN and open source outlets like Pro Publica, not to mention concurrent investigations by the FBI, CIA, NSA, and the pro-Trump Congress, there are quite a few liberals claiming Russiagate is merely an unproved conspiracy theory.
* * *
2) The "we're mean, too, and we totally deserve it" theory.
This is a very typical Greenwaldian attitude: America meddles in other elections, so we had it coming. Okay, would these same people excuse or even forgive a foreign invasion and the installation of a hostile regime in Washington just because we've engaged in regime change and nation-building? I would hope not, but probably. Indeed, Putin appears to be working on that one. No amount of harm inflicted upon the United States is unacceptable to this crowd, as long as they can point to something similar in our national history. It's nearsighted deflection at its worst.
* * *
3) The "we never had a democracy in the first place" theory.
This is perhaps the most uniquely liberal reaction so far. Lacking anything of substance to say by way of either disproving or counterpointing the Russiagate reporting, these people would rather just go for the trite, overplayed, crowd-pleasing zinger. Is our election system in danger from gerrymandering, voter ID and voter purges? Hell yes. Are democratic elections a thing of the past? No way -- unless Putin and Trump did what many reputable experts believe they did. If these liberals were so concerned about democracy, they'd be completely on board with sussing out this story and its myriad repercussions. Instead, they're merely blowing it off with quick and mostly meaningless nods to their personal cynicism.
* * *
Bottom line: it's absolutely this level of defiant ignorance that allowed Putin to so-easily infiltrate our social media and news cycles in the first place, with his pervasive disinformation campaign and hacked documents. Every single one of these commenters proved the point of my article by illustrating how Putin was able to turn unwitting Americans into his personal invading army: each one sharing, "liking" and retweeting his message, willingly, enthusiastically, while stubbornly refusing to accept they were suckered by the largest scale foreign invasion on U.S. soil since the war of 1812.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,996 posts)They used to infest this site. If one argued with them long enough they unpeeled like onions and turned out to be Rand Paul sock puppets.
fleabiscuit
(4,542 posts)treestar
(82,383 posts)I wonder where he was during all this hacking by Russia.
sheshe2
(83,772 posts)treestar
(82,383 posts)sheshe2
(83,772 posts)scorned as a man who ran....
GWC58
(2,678 posts)I really use to like Schultz when he had "The Ed Show." I do know he was no fan of Hillary.
GoCubsGo
(32,084 posts)PBS News Hour interviewed some Trump voters in Michigan tonight. Talk about being in denial. They actually believe Trump's problems are caused by everyone else, rather than him creating his own messes. Everyone is being mean to poor Dumb Donnie.
TomCADem
(17,387 posts)nt
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)radical or far left reaction so consistent that their attacks on liberals/Democrats dependably identify them as different from liberal, to be at least leaning radical or extreme. The far left is uniquely wired to blame whatever groups they see themselves as unfortunately associated with for everything.
If mentioning troubled nations typically elicits accusations that evil American policies are to blame for all, no attention given to any other factors, you know you're talking to left-wing radicals or even extremists. They may deny they're even slightly radical/reactionary over several pages of complete sentences using impressive jargon, but it might as well be stamped on their foreheads.
If mention of Republican corruption and despicable actions to someone on the left always reliably elicits a segue to accusations of the corruption, stupidity, incompetence, weakness, etc., of Democrats, no passion left over for Republicans, the same. It's clear as a cartoon bubble over their heads saying "I'm a tedious, hostile anti-Democrat; if you ever finally do something right, it will be for the wrong reason. The only hope for our nation is to remove you from power."
Greenwald and the others have various reasons for denying Russia, but right up there, like a building frame holding everything else, is their need for everything to be the Democrats'/liberals fault for not being like them. They can't let us off the hook for anything because the basic frame through which all politics is viewed. A celebrated academic il-liberal is merely one who can push this asinine foolishness without sounding as intellectually silly as he is.
JHan
(10,173 posts)yurbud
(39,405 posts)Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)TomCADem
(17,387 posts)He is more than happy to take advantage of both the left and right. It is no wonder that Trumpsters and Greenwald sound like they are reading from the same list of talking points.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)... or maybe they actually have noticed, but each faction just doesn't care because they believe they're more clever than the other side.
FreepFryer
(7,077 posts)And our institutions, and the intelligence community, etc. with plainly fallacious Right wing talking points.
They are none so blind as those who will not see.
struggle4progress
(118,285 posts)pnwmom
(108,978 posts)JustAnotherGen
(31,827 posts)I never want to see or hear a word from these people ever again. POSUCS being defended by so-called letfists? He and they can go fuck themselves along with Sean Hannity and the rest of the enablers.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)JustAnotherGen
(31,827 posts)And other DUers - Trump is a Piece Of Shit Used Car Salesman.
If you can't write POSUCS at an opposition web site? Then where can you?
JHan
(10,173 posts)what is POSUCS?
treestar
(82,383 posts)In the infamous Will Pitt post where he thought Obamacare didn't cover his wife's drugs - he actually called President Obama that.
JHan
(10,173 posts)wryter2000
(46,049 posts)Refresh my memory, but didn't it turn out she was covered?
treestar
(82,383 posts)researched for him and found it was covered.
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)not going to get the medical care they need vs a serious illness, but an apology should have been posted.
alarimer
(16,245 posts)I don't believe it will for the simple reason that Trump is not smart enough to devise a conspiracy of this nature.
I really hate to see everyone spending all their time hoping for something that just won't happen. It reminds of the Bush Administration. Some here were so certain HE was going to be impeached, or that Cheney would have to resign. Remember Fitzmas? Yeah, that never happened.
The Russia story has a lot of parts to it, but mostly its smoke.
JustAnotherGen
(31,827 posts)It's so much smoke that Europe is watching their own polls and news sources. We are watching in NJ.
There's no smoke - the Russians have always been bad and always will be. And now it comes out Eric Prince met with a Russian official in Seychelles?
You are entitled to your beliefs - but this is why we had monthly meetings in Weisbaden in the 70's. They were evil then, they are evil now and I believe they have compromised this Administration.
This is a "thing"
MountCleaners
(1,148 posts)They don't even read leftist media, apparently. I don't think they have any loyalty to anyone. I've been doing a lot of reading for background, and it is beyond credible to accept that the administration is diddling with Russia. First of all, the right in this country is secretly enamored w. Putin. Just read Free Republic to see how conservatives really feel about democracy. A good leftist should understand and oppose the right first and foremost, so these people don't even understand their own politics.
George II
(67,782 posts)....the Russiagate Story.
Greenwald is closely aligned with wikileaks, Assange, and Snowden. And wikileaks was instrumental in the so-called Russiagate Story. Remember, they got all their Clinton email data and other anti-Clinton / Democratic Party data from the Russians.
Were it not for the Russian hacks and their feeding their data to wikileaks, Clinton would have won easily.
JI7
(89,250 posts)NastyRiffraff
(12,448 posts)Greenwald, Wikileaks, Assange, Snowden have been hailed as heroes here on DU.
By now, anyone who denies Russiagate is as stupid as the Climate deniers.
dalton99a
(81,512 posts)JI7
(89,250 posts)George II
(67,782 posts)BainsBane
(53,032 posts)synergie
(1,901 posts)Though, are we really sure he's a person that exists and not just a persona of some Putinbot? He shares all the traits.
BainsBane
(53,032 posts)a few months back, and it was superhuman.
synergie
(1,901 posts)BainsBane
(53,032 posts)synergie
(1,901 posts)I was really surprised when he started "debating" me on twitter. I was new, and was shocked that this guy was engaging me, and so badly. He finally blocked me for pointing out that his article contradicting something he claimed it said.
I don't think he read it, and I only did so because he was waving the link around. Didn't realize there might have been a language issue. The trolls on twitter get really upset with the slightest pushback and the English vocab and syntax is the first thing to fall by the wayside.
BainsBane
(53,032 posts)That's a red flag.
synergie
(1,901 posts)he was referring to didn't say what he claimed it did. He got mad and blocked me. I thought he was just one of those foamy misogynists, there were others who were posting such ridiculous nonsense, had no idea it might have been a created persona. I think cause he had some sort of video thing, there was a chance that it was some sort of performance art, and then it just kept going on and on in that fashion. Echoes of which were found in other sources, the TYT, various breathless outlets, some other journalists (white males) etc.
Who knew that the Russians were so ambitious in their propaganda? I see a lot of familiar sites that were bandied about on DU on this list that someone had posted,
http://www.propornot.com/p/the-list.html
I'm surprised that HAHA alone didn't put Salon on that list, their output was pretty disgusting, as people kept telling them on their FB page and in their twitter feed. I recall when one of their former authors commented on it and how she was attacked and swarmed as a result. Female and a POC, that was enough for many to attack and threaten her.
burrowowl
(17,641 posts)He is a right winger!
synergie
(1,901 posts)to sow the dissension, from Cenk to Schultz's co-workers at RT. They all spent their time attacking one candidate.
Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)synergie
(1,901 posts)and not very bright supporters who are all "shocked" that he's including them in all the things he said he was going to do?
Cha
(297,249 posts)that coming? LOL
Quixote1818
(28,941 posts)The only one that really comes to mind is Jimmy Dore.
synergie
(1,901 posts)Attacking Democrats and dividing the left. That whole "Justice Dems" thing is literally only about attacking Dems not working together against Trump, like the actual left. Their acolytes are busy attacking Hillary (still), and Chelsea and basically carrying on the fight against Democrats.
Quixote1818
(28,941 posts)synergie
(1,901 posts)and encouraging protest votes. This after virulent attacks reviving debunked RW garbage. Having done all that damage, their "support" doesn't amount to much, and their 3d party, write in nonsense is what prevailed among those who were their fans.
They had pretty much alienated a large hunk of liberals and progressives by then. The virulence of their anti-HRC tirades were a bit much even for those who supported Bernie the primary. People didn't loathe her and love him, they might have liked what he had to say, but they were on board after the primary was over. There has always been a difference between Bernie supporters and people like Cenk, Lee Camp and that Canova guy, those guys believed as an article of faith all that right wing hate they channeled.
Quixote1818
(28,941 posts)Charles Bukowski
(1,132 posts)while supporting Hillary in the most lukewarm manner possible.
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)librechik
(30,674 posts)I was wondering since my uncle was calling me un-American for sharing the latest confirmation of the Russian Dossier.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Accusation is not conviction.
It really is that simple for many people. No matter how much evidence is offered, the only proof will be if Trump resigns or people close to him are convicted.
Dealing with the 1,2,3:
1) All of this is theory. There has been no trial.
2) The US has interfered in elections for centuries. That is a fact that many would ignore and that many more do not know. It does not excuse interference.
3) Money rules. Money decides in many cases who can run and who will win. Pretending otherwise is silly.
TomCADem
(17,387 posts)It seems that you just repeated them. Don't you find it a bit ironic that a billionaire with a cabinet of billionaires is trying to sound populist by complaining about the influence of money?
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Given what has been unearthed so far, I would not be surprised if Trump is revealed to have depended on Russian money. THAT would explain Trump's admiration for Putin.
Trump is concerned with money.
BainsBane
(53,032 posts)When was the first one?
KingCharlemagne
(7,908 posts)the decade before World War I, where two imperialist blocs faced off against one another. I would describe myself as a Socialist-Internationalist who is watching two capitalist -imperialist scorpions circling one another.
TomCADem
(17,387 posts)Nt
still_one
(92,194 posts)about something
kimbutgar
(21,153 posts)And greenwald is his stooge. Never like the guy always thought there was something strange about him.
And I am so disappointed in Ed Schultz. That one hurts.
TomCADem
(17,387 posts)The fact that Snowden is acting as a tool of Putin while he tramples on the rights of Russians is pretty telling.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/26/world/russia-corruption-protests/
Moscow (CNN)Hundreds of people, including a prominent opposition figure, were arrested in Moscow Sunday for participating in unauthorized protests, according to state media and a human rights group.
The demonstrators were attending a large-scale anti-corruption demonstration in Moscow.
State-run news outlet Tass reported that 8,000 people attended the protest in Moscow alone. Similar protests were planned in 100 cities across Russia, according to organizers.
Russian human rights group OVD-Info tweeted that more than 700 had been detained in Moscow -- while state-run news agency Ria Novosti said 500 had been held.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)BainsBane
(53,032 posts)There is nothing "left" or "liberal" about these efforts to prop up Trump.
Fast Walker 52
(7,723 posts)and he pushes the meme that we are generating hate towards Russians and restarting the cold war, etc
He's really a disgrace.
Fast Walker 52
(7,723 posts)I can't believe how many lefties/left-leaning journalists say "oh, there's really no actual evidence showing Russia's role". It's all CIA lies.
Several people I used to respect, too.
But it's basically the same exact crowd as those who said Hillary Clinton was a neocon and as bad as Trump, etc.
caroldansen
(725 posts)Recursion
(56,582 posts)That explains a lot of it
mcar
(42,333 posts)VOX
(22,976 posts)These infantile dudes are completely into themselves and their own "exploits."
DemocraticSocialist8
(396 posts)That's the type of divisive rhetoric that isn't helping the Democratic Party.
TomCADem
(17,387 posts)Here she is attacking Rachel Maddow:
Here she is attacking the media for covering Russian election interference.
&list=PLs3WCRog6vhxYTudOyJ-3CLBZFCbLrZNc&index=7
She claimed she was a Bernie supporter until Bernie endorsed Hillary at which time she then attacked Bernie for selling out.
So, the Sane Progressive is an example of the Greenwald Left who parrot RW talking points, but from a leftist perspective while giving Republicans a free pass.
DemocraticSocialist8
(396 posts)MOST Bernie voters, like me, voted for Hillary Clinton. The ones that didn't stayed home. MOST didn't vote for Stein. There is only a small faction of Bernie voters who aren't taking the Russian Connection seriously and it's clearly becoming harder and harder for them to put their heads in the sand. Some of them like Tim Black and H.A. Goodman are CLEARLY playing both sides of the political isle...they won't be able to keep denying the truth forever because they got all worked up about Guccifer 2.0 who it turns out was Russian Intelligence. I think they know they have pie in their face and they're trying to save face and deflect.
Like I said though, they don't speak for me. I take the Russia story VERY seriously and I DEFINITELY think at the very least they influenced the election via a smear campaign. At the very worse, they actually hacked the machines...but it seems no one is really looking into that...which is very strange.
Gothmog
(145,273 posts)According to the idiots on JPR, there is no Russian scandal or hacking. It is really sad