John Hewko’s Chicago Tribune op-ed “With Vladimir Putin interview, Tucker Carlson Proves To Be the Walter Duranty of Our Time” is an unfortunate attack on free, responsible journalism.
Those of us in the peace community welcomed Tucker Carlson’s lengthy interview with Russian President Putin. It was a greatly needed counterpoint to US coverage of the Russo-Ukraine war which prohibits any information which might crack open America’s one sided war narrative. All concerned with the endless war destroying Ukraine and US dominance in Europe along with it, would benefit from obtaining the Russian perspective.
But rather than let viewers decide, Hewko offers a thousand word attack that likens Putin to Stalin and Carlson to a 14 year long New York Times Moscow Bureau Chief who Hewko claims was a Stalin propagandist 88 years ago. Both characterizations are primarily designed to stifle any discussion which might inform the public, the preeminent role of any journalist and the Chicago Tribune as well.
Hewko may have provided one benefit from his effort to snuff out any alternative view on the war. It might inspire concerned readers to view the 2 hour interview online and judge for themselves.
Walt Zlotow became involved in antiwar activities upon entering University of Chicago in 1963. He is current president of the West Suburban Peace Coalition based in the Chicago western suburbs. He blogs daily on antiwar and other issues at www.heartlandprogressive.blogspot.com.
“All concerned with the endless war destroying Ukraine and US dominance in Europe along with it, would benefit from obtaining the Russian perspective.”
Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wc89Xf8h68
I dislike Tucker Carlson and Vladimir Putin but see nothing wrong with Carlson interviewing Putin.
We are brainwashed into believing the US only spreads goodwill and sunshine throughout the world and it only declares war if it’s been provoked, to defend another nation that’s been provoked or if there is genocide going on there.
Ukraine persecutes the Russian Speaking Regions of the nation and that’s why they want to join Russia. NATO should have been dissolved long ago.
I think Tucker is still controlled opposition from his days at FOX and other networks. He can’t seem to break out of that mold entirely.
There has been no free and responsible main press and media in the US for a long while now.
Since W was the POTUS, the US has slowly but surely become less and less democratic and more autocratic.
“slowly but surely”
Surely, yes, but not really so slowly.
“ There are few American journalists who so transparently embody the United States’ pompous and demeaning approach to Arab and Muslim lands and peoples as Thomas Friedman, the foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times since 1995.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/2/17/thomas-friedman-dehumanisation-par-excellence-amid-a-genocide
“The further a society drift’s from the truth, the more it will it will hate those who speak it.“ George Orwell
Jan 20, 2023 Julian Assange and the war on whistleblowers w/Kevin Gosztola
13 years ago WikiLeaks pulled back the curtain on a host of documented US government crimes. This year, Julian Assange is expected to stand trial. His case is emblematic of how far the US government will go to hide the truth.
https://youtu.be/QOC-c0QdfEo