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Related: About this forumThom Hartmann: Is America This Gullible About War?
Zoe Carpenter, The Nation Magazine, joins Thom Hartmann. Less than a week after President Obama's big speech - hawks in Washington are already demanding boots on the ground in Iraq and Syria. Is another Middle Eastern quagmire already inevitable - or can Congress prevent the start of another all-out war?
The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann on RT TV & FSTV "live" 7pm and 10pm check www.thomhartmann.com/tv for local listings
Veilex
(1,555 posts)"Is America This Gullible About War?" - Unfortunately, the answer to this is: Yes
Old Crow
(2,212 posts)I think a lot of DU'ers saw this coming--the calls for boots on the ground--after the president's speech last week. It's the same old same-old.
1. Media terrorizes the public with graphic images and blaring headlines about a new enemy.
2. President announce air strikes, while reassuring everyone this isn't a "real war." Nothing to get worried about. Just a limited response.
3. Opponents start observing that wars are never won by air power alone.
4. Media: "Is the President Weak? Americans Call for More Vigorous Response to Threat"
5. President announces combat troops, while reassuring everyone this won't be like other wars. Nothing to get worried about. Just a limited response.
6. Lather, rinse, repeat.
ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ... ENDLESS WAR ...
DavidG_WI
(245 posts)uhnope
(6,419 posts)Old Crow
(2,212 posts)Could you provide a link showing Hartmann acting as a "war apologist when it comes to Crimea and Ukraine," as you've stated in another thread today? I'm not doubting you (although I like Hartmann a lot); I'm just trying to learn more and see if what you're claiming is true.
uhnope
(6,419 posts)Besides Hartmann's near-total avoidance of the issue of the actions of the Russian dictatorship in general and specifically concerning the invasion, there is this
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/10/1283668/-Thom-Hartmann-Sticking-with-RT-despite-Resignations-over-Putin-s-Actions-in-Ukraine
Hartmann did not address the crisis in Ukraine on his television program, but during his radio program earlier in the day he discussed the situation with Stephen Cohen, who has written recent pieces in The Nation magazine entitled "Demonizing Putin" and "Distorting Russia." During the interview, Hartmann and Cohen accepted as fact the conspiracy theory that snipers on the side of the new anti-Russia government fired on their own side in the main square in Kiev so that the now-ousted president Viktor Yanukovych would be blamed.
Hartmann and Cohen also referred the new anti-Russian Ukrainian government as "extremists." "The extremists came to power sharing, they are sharing power now," Cohen said, to Hartmann's agreement. "Obama unwisely keeps declaring the government in Kiev as legitimate," Cohen added.
The Ukrainian governing coalition involves power-sharing between several parties, one of which, Svoboda, is ultranationalist with fascist roots.
Hartmann suggested that the new anti-Russia government in Ukraine were neo-Nazis. "If you listen to the words of these guys in the cabinet, if you listen to the words of the party, they are openly antisemitic, they are openly nationalistic, they are open aggressive," Hartmann said. "Some may think calling them Nazis is a slur, some of them wouldn't refer to themselves that way, but some of them embrace swastikas."
Hartmann has in the past defended Russia on issues like gay rights, saying that Russia is not as bad as Saudi Arabia in terms of gay rights while pointing out that the United States did to give women the right to vote until 1920.
I don't listen to Hartmann anymore so I can't tell you what other Russian apologia he has presided over, but this was bad enough. I mean, my god, Putin has systematically dismantled democracy in Russia and made it a hell for gays and literally deadly for independent journalists and whistleblowers, but Hartmann fine with getting a paycheck from them and then soft-peddling/ignoring their warmaking.
newthinking
(3,982 posts)You do see that your voice is the minority now. People's eyes are open and they are becoming better read, especially in Progressive media. It is not just Hartmann, but there is a heavy debate and progressives are questioning the entire war propaganda effort.
uhnope
(6,419 posts)and pushing your deranged view that only the "minority" see Putin for what he is--a vicious dictator taking over other countries for Novorossiya "new russia" empire fantasies as the ruble crumbles and decent Russians despair
newthinking
(3,982 posts)You should feel ashamed of yourself if you are a liberal.
The reasons my posts are as they are is due to:
1. My personal experience and knowledge of that part of the world.
2. This is one of the most biased news coverage I have ever seen. There is no reason to post the predominant narrative, the neo-cons and current Ukraine government are doing that well. I post what is not covered or purposely not given time in the press due to political censorship.
As I have linked before. Project Censored has this up for inclusion in the 2014 list of most poorly covered stories.
That alone should give people pause to only listen to the predominant narrative.
University researchers have verified that the narrative is not showing the truth:
http://www.projectcensored.org/category/validated-independent-news/
uhnope
(6,419 posts)since just like your politics you have no idea what you're saying
newthinking
(3,982 posts)about my post above. It was you that resorted to nastiness not me.
My point was not that Putin is great, but that the media narrative is being heavily questioned in progressive circles. And I "showed up" here because I like Tom Hartmann . He is a man of integrity and you are way out of line to armchair criticize someone who has devoted much of their life to covering the truth as told from the common mans point of view.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)snappyturtle
(14,656 posts)And, "Yes", America is that stupid. imho