(noon. – promoted by ek hornbeck)
I do not discount the opinions of Arthur Silber & Chris Floyd in the least with respect to the fact that the billionaire P. Omidyar is funding the new investigative journalism venture at First Look. My basic understanding of Arthur’s objection is that Snowden, Greenwald et al have no right to declare themselves gate-keepers of information.
That criticism is unassailable in a true democracy. I let it stand, pretending that we live in one.
At the same time, should Greenwald’s, Scahill’s, Wheeler’s, Poitras’s and Taibbi’s integrity hit rock bottom simultaneously, as a result of being funded by a billionaire patron, as Bob Woodward’s certainly did, I will be publicly kissing many asses on the courthouse lawn.
Arthur, if you’re right (and I’m not certain he isn’t), I will kiss your ass on the courthouse lawn and consider it a privilege.
With Love,
CF
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fragments of light in broken glass, or something.
I do admire their work, and a flat-out, frank ass-kissing may be in order. If so, I require that my buddies here hold me to it.
The most amazing betrayal would be from emptywheel. That would make me physically sick, ralphing on my own lap.
I have a hard time believing it could happen. Let’s see what actually happens.
but I read the Floyd, and Silber piece and found that the critique of Greenwald et. al. in joining a billionaire somewhat absurd and a tendency of the far left to not understand elementary politics. Floyd, Silber and others believe we live in a world where all you have to do is tell the truth and everything is hunky-dorry–which is true enough maybe in our personal lives, but in politics it is simply not anything that is taken into consideration.
Greenwald and the rest of them must, in order to survive into the future align themselves with powerful forces–which usually means people who can hire their own private army and provide protection to those who are vulnerable to not just character assassination but actual assassination. We live in an emergent neo-feudal world where you are at the mercy of thugs if you aren’t allied with someone powerful the idea that the black ops guy would hesitate to assassinate Snowden or Greenwald if they were totally open is absurd. The will release whatever info they can given whatever their bargaining position is–if they release everything they will die so they had to make a deal with the guys that hold the guns.
I know we’re all friggin’ jaded at this point and time and for absolute and damn good reason! Nonetheless, there are some “millionaires” that ACTUALLY have good intent (reminds me of something a friend once said . . .”after they get rich, they get religion!) Of course, how did they get there in the first place? In years gone by, I really think some made it by their sheer guts and determination . . . !
Anyway, I think there may be an offhand chance that Pierre Omidyar Provides Initial Funding of $50M to Establish First Look Media may be honestly intended.
I know we’re all friggin’ jaded at this point and time and for absolute and damn good reason! Nonetheless, there are some “millionaires” that ACTUALLY have good intent (reminds me of something a friend once said . . .”after they get rich, they get religion!) Of course, how did they get there in the first place? In years gone by, I really think some made it by their sheer guts and determination . . . !
Anyway, I think there may be an offhand chance that Pierre Omidyar Provides Initial Funding of $50M to Establish First Look Media may be honestly intended.
We have media conglomerates like the Murdoch empire who closely control the narrative. I know both Glenn and Jeremy Scahill. I trust that whatever deal they cut with Pierre, they have editorial control. That said, I think we need to keep the focus on the issues of the uncontrolled intelligence that may be causing a constitutional crisis, the violation of our rights and the industrial spying that is being conducted by these agencies in the name of national security.