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On a false equivalence

 


Vladlen Tatarsky is nothing at all analogous to Evan Gerschkovich, the latter is a journalist; the former is a mostly-unlamented corpse who was a mouthpiece for terrorists.

Glenn Greenwald has been saying that it is unfair for free-press oriented activists in the United States to complain about EG's imprisonment by Putin when they stay silent about Tatarsky's death.

Actually, it is not mysterious at all.

That GG doesn't see the difference is a problem, not an insight. He is just parroting Putinesque talking points. Argh.

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  1. HenryApril 25, 2023 at 3:24 AM

    What has happened to Greenwald? Until about a decade ago, he was "the American left’s most fearless political commentator," according to Rachel Maddow, and he worked with Edward Snowden. Subsequently, he "appeared on Fox News 72 times from December 2017 to June 2021, including 40 times on [Tucker] Carlson's program and 14 appearances with host Laura Ingraham." The preceding information is from Greenwald's Wikipedia entry. Decades ago, some American communists became neo-conservatives, but Greenwald's switch seems unusually abrupt. I do not read his work anymore and have no insight into his reversal.

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    1. ChristopherApril 28, 2023 at 5:17 AM

      Well, I guess Laura can call on him more often, unless he's going to follow Tucker over to NewsMax or wherever. As to what happened: I agree that the neocon analogy doesn't work. Sidney Hook and Irving Kristol were figures of some intellectual heft -- Greenwald seems simply vapid.

      Delete
    2. HenryApril 28, 2023 at 5:38 AM

      Hook was a philosophy professor, but Kristol was a journalist -- a public intellectual, but not an academic. Greenwald was a lawyer who litigated constitutional cases and became a journalist, and, for a few years, I viewed him as the best in the nation. He brought his legal acumen to his writing, and, most importantly, I agreed with him. ☺

      Delete
  2. Paul D. Van PeltApril 26, 2023 at 5:34 AM

    I have an essay on genius, cleverness and public intellectuals. I may share bits of it here, by way of comparison. Been trying to decide whether to set up a blog for such projects

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    Replies
    1. ChristopherApril 28, 2023 at 5:21 AM

      I'll offer you an occasional gig as Guest Poster here if you like. I'm thinking a "but" of more than 300 words, probably less than 700.

      Delete
  3. Paul D. Van PeltApril 29, 2023 at 5:18 AM

    Christopher: I would appreciate the opportunity. Let me know how and when. Sorry I don't have a word count---edit as you find necessary, it is under 1000, I think.

    ReplyDelete

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