204 Comments

Thanks, Matt. Why are the smart people I know and used to like because of their liberal values so dumb now? I don't even understand what's in it for them to go along with this totalitarian regime. All I come up with is that they're like abused cult members with Jim Jones as their leader. For four years I asked my friends who believed in Russian collusion why they believed it. They had no answer and cut off talking to me instead. Other friends I asked why they hated Trump or thought Biden was a great choice. They never - not one - could answer and would hang up on me. I grew up in CA during a time of cults. I could never reason either with friends in cults. Eventually I learned they had to do it for themselves. Many did. Others just went on to become YUPPIES and forget they ever worshipped a baby guru. And that's how I see these current Totalitarian media believers. I think many will come to their senses, but I also worry that's why the Soros/Obama/Biden administration is rushing so fast to secure their power and take away any right we have to vote them out before their followers do come to their senses. But I ordered extra copies of both your and Glenn's books to distribute at local libraries.

Expand full comment

“Securing Democracy will someday be taught in journalism schools because it’s a guidebook for how to carry an explosive story from the moment of receipt across a distant finish line.”

Shows a level of optimism about the future in general and journalism schools/profession in particular. I’m finding it harder and harder to maintain such an optimism, and to what extent I can, it is coming, more and more, only after some level of horrific collapse and rebuild.

Expand full comment

Journos have gone so deep into advocacy on the left that they wear blinders ignoring critical analysis. The bullhorns of the left media rush to blast out an agenda to folks who aren't willing to invest their own time and analysis to find a balance. Just the other day, an MSNBC talking head refused to accept the Texas GOPer Rep's responses wanting him to repeat/acknowledge her position on "voter suppression." She plows over his attempt at explaining the issue as they see it. An average Joe like myself just flips off channel. She does not want to be replaced for not following the network's left leaning track to maintain ratings/revenues from Adverts. I look for depth and analysis and that's why I follow Matt and Glen.

Expand full comment
founding

O, this. ---being willing to be the object of intense public loathing is now a pre-condition of most serious investigative reporting---

Expand full comment

Exactly Matt. I find there are two kinds of people on the left. Those who really see just had corrupted press has become and those who don't. Those who don't will continue to see Glenn as a suppressive person not because of what he thinks or writes but because he refuses to play the game of we're on this side and they're on the other side. We are the side of good and they are the side of evil. He doesn't do that. He appears on Tucker Carlson. He'll talk to Megyn Kelly (as will you) - he does things that are considered verboten by the strident left. Considering just how rare that is now he's a hero of mine for life. I know with Glenn (and you) I will get the closest thing to objective truth as can be found in news in 2021. It's funny and striking to me that they see him as such a threat simply because he refuses to adhere to the tribal code of conduct. We need journalists who will be brave enough to tell the truth and corporations who will back them.

Expand full comment

Very courageous is Glenn Greenwald...and you too Matt...

Expand full comment

In effect, major media outlets are now outsourcing the process of developing and releasing a story to government agencies and representatives. That is a much more cost effective model even if it is dishonest.

You can reduce the cost of hiring because candidates no longer need critical thinking skills. Universities are churning out activist journalists at an all time high. They are perfect for the job. You hand them a script, they add a little personality to it and publish.

The communications and marketing plan is part of the package. They can probably include some legal counsel through the DOJ as well. From a cost and productivity perspective, pivoting to a propaganda outlet is, in the short term, just good business.

Expand full comment

Jonathan Chait is an interesting example of a smart guy who's degenerated into a raving loon (most but not yet all of the time) because of his rage and narcissism. A sad case study.

Expand full comment

Sadly GG continues to refer to these people as journalists instead of paid propaganda peddlers.

Expand full comment

I have been a huge fan of Glenn since long before Snowden. I once was one of his 5000 Facebook friends. And I share his work with others whenever I can. Which his always been problematic. His stint as a media darling was brief. But he is unfailing right.

Expand full comment

As you state first sentence of your sixth paragraph, "Times have changed . . . ." I would like to hope Glenn's new book would be assigned reading in today's journalism courses, but I doubt that will happen for the many comments you offered regarding how Glenn is regarded by American "journalists" in the corporate media mill. They are products of another mill, academia. How do the purveyors of "journalistic integrity" at Columbia University regard Mr. Greenwald, I wonder. I would be very curious to know. Regardless, your review/commentary was, as usual, excellent reading. You offered new insight to Mr. Greenwald. I will purchase both books you referenced through a non-Amazon source. "(I)ntense public loathing is now a pre-condition of most serious investigative reporting." I fear for, envy, and highly respect your and Mr. Greenwald's strength, courage and dedication.

Expand full comment

Great article Matt. People with integrity like yourself, Glenn, Assange and Snowden help continue my faith in people.💗 Know that you have people who are right with you. Left and Right are regardless, its faith in people-- not systems.

Expand full comment
founding

"....that’s the second history-altering scoop of Greenwald’s career, two more than me, and two more than pretty much everyone else in this business, with one or two living exceptions (they know who they are!)"

What a magnificent and witty review - thank you Matt. Despite of Glenn’s, Aaron’s, Max’s and yours years of debunking the scam of the century – the Russia-gate now 5yj-year hoax -- there is another major scoop coming – hopefully very fast. The suspense is:

Who will be the first current or former Democrat Congresswoman/man or Senator to publicly acknowledge and confirm the scam of the century -- the Russia-gate conspiracy – concocted by Hillary-Obama-Biden?

There is no "unity and healing" in the US until that. Most of them are millionaires, some even billionaires, especially among “hidden” but controlling DNC oligarchs – some might be tempted to confirm the obvious truth, many of their family members or close friends/lovers might provide detailed testimonies, etc. My personal hope is that truly high-integrity and heroic Tulsi Gabbard might state it, now that despicable Trump has defeated himself and is gone. Her epic response after Hillary criminally called her -- “Russia’s asset” is still ringing in my ears:

“Great! Thank you @HillaryClinton . You, the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long, have finally come out from behind the curtain. From the day I announced my candidacy, there has been a concerted campaign to destroy my reputation. We wondered who was behind it and why. Now we know — it was always you, through your proxies and powerful allies in the corporate media and war machine, afraid of the threat I pose. It’s now clear that this primary is between you and me. Don’t cowardly hide behind your proxies. Join the race directly”.

By far the highest interest of Biden government and its oligarch cabal is that Russia-gate immense hoax – the scam of the century -- will NOT / will NEVER be exposed. The entire anti-Russian fairytale is a deliberate fabrication -- the worst scam in US history is neoliberals’ Russia-gate hoax. They lost to a TV host and instead of reflection, they latched onto a moronic conspiracy theory -- this includes the completely (proven) false accusations that Russia gave WikiLeaks Hillary's emails (hence the total silence on Assange torture). Assange must be silenced -- all the plotters/players agree...

There has been collusion between media, Democrat party, Hi-Tech companies and the deep state for now five years. The Russia-gate hoax and Ukraine-impeachment “entertainment” was concocted by Obama, Hillary, Biden, Pelosi, Schumer, Schiff, Maxine Waters, Jamie Raskin, etc. and their intelligence and DNC executives on behalf of their Wall Street and military industry donors. That lying team is now back in power – note that Kamala Harris (and her sister) and Neera Tanden are Hillary's protégés; Pete Buttigieg was promptly rewarded for his role of election theft in Iowa, etc.

Remember, Clapper, Brennan & Hayden trio were among former 50 intelligence officials stating that Hunter-laptop is classical “Russian disinformation”.

-- They were also key promoters of the by now five-year Russia-gate hoax.

-- They were also key intelligence executives in Obama/Biden/Hillary government – the government which hunted Snowden (forcing Bolivian plane with Bolivia’s president to land to search it) and armed Al Qaeda (including brazen “white helmets” hoax) and staged ALL chemical attacks in Syria to remove its government.

When asked about Hunter's corruption laptops - Pelosi brazenly stated "All roads lead to Putin"; commenting on Capitol invasion Schumer said - "worse than Pearl Harbor and 9/11"...

Lying Russia-gate team is fully back in power working at full speed -- massive censorship is mandatory for them preserving power..

So -- WHO among Democrat politicians will be the first whistleblower, demolish the MSM censorship and silencing barrier and confirm what most of the population already knows for years.

Expand full comment

Nice job MT. Can anyone explain how the previous journalists Woodward and Bernstein have become mouthpieces for all the corporate narratives currently being pushed on cable news? After looking at their Watergate reporting it seems obvious that they were really a conduit for a Deep State vendetta run by the FBI. For their own reasons the FBI were against Nixon and Deep Throat along with others chose them to expose the political behind the scenes crap that morphed into a criminal cover-up. Nixon was NEVER involved in the day to day campaign business but the stories printed strongly implied that committed crimes during that stupid foray (criminal burglary) into the DNC.

Nixon fell hook line and sinker into the "cover-up" mode and was duly run out of an office he was overwhelmingly elected to in 1972. That election was overturned by Nixon's own paranoia, his many haters and the nascent deep state operatives who dogged him since the 1940's and his successful election against Helen Douglass. No defense of Nixon but just wondering about the useful roles that celebrity seeking egotistical journalists might play in the never ending struggles of political parties.

The two W.P. young naive hero journalists seem to have evolved into very establishment celebrity oriented mouthpieces for every conspiracy based crock of crap put out by the power wielding DC political class. The lies reported by this Burnstein guy were so easily de-bunked that he is either a willing tool or a moron. Was that true even in the 1970's or did he "evolve" into a jackass with fame and hubris?

Expand full comment

The people that go after Greenwald simply realize they are no match for him and thus are made to feel inadequate, which of course their fragile little personae can't handle.

Expand full comment

I will be very interested to see which journalism schools can weather the outrage of the trans promoters in order to assign Greenwald's book. Trans promoters are a weirdly barracuda bunch of cancel demanders. It's like they themselves are surprised at their new status as darlings of the progressives Dems who now compete, in "can-you-top-this?" fashion, to demonstrate who is wokest of them all. Accordingly, they will not allow anyone who has questioned their castration crusade to ever sell another book. It's enforced like a blood oath.

Expand full comment