"Most journalists are meek and obedient stenographers to power and mere bookkeepers of corruption."
And we saw them in that room with Sam and Max, didn't we? Has anyone got a list of the names of the journalists and their media outlets who were present at that press conference who kept their heads down and didn't challenge Blinken on his lies? I'd love to start a boycott of all their postings and outlets. Hitting them in the wallet is the only way to get through their bootlicking heads that We the People don't care for their cooperation with genocide.
Excellent comments on the cnn feed thanks for the heads up to check them out. So the mainstream knows, they just keep their heads down and lie on behalf of the genocide hoping for decorum in the press box of democracy!
Yes, one must be polite when dropping bombs on schools, hospitals and children huddled in tents. It's a process that -- as Mr. "Bloody' Blinken observed -- needs to be respected and (very) selectively documented by the media. I think of it as more of the (op)press box of demockracy. But, please, be polite and always, always observe the process.
As someone who spent decades as a journalist, there is a process with press conferences. I am not sure it helps anyone for journos to disregard that process when they are trying to condemn others for a lack of process and humanity.
This is my reply to your other comment, which applies as well to this comment:
Sam Husseini has been 100% ignored by State Department officials in press briefings from day one of the genocide. This was Blinken's swan song farewell and Husseni's last chance. He just saw what happened to Max Blumenthal being forced out for asking questions after Blinken lied saying he appreciated getting tough questions from the press. He knew he would be ignored AGAIN.
The State Department has regularly lied throughout our genocide in Gaza. Matt "Count Smirkula" Miller said they would get back to the press to address the murder of Hind Rajab ... and never did. Over and over, they defer reasonable/necessary questions saying they needed to review a situation or would check with the Israelis or consult with our War Department ... and never do. They never follow up.
Speaking as a former journalist, the media in that room should have been doing what Sam and Max did long, long ago. When Blinken says "Respect the process" he's demanding compliance with genocide. Screw that. Blinken -- and Miller -- are sociopaths. Liars. War criminals. And people should have been up in their faces calling them out long ago.
THAT is the correct process for such criminal times in the government. Remember, when they lie or refuse to answer a question they are doing that not to the reporter but to we the people.
Remember that one; it's going to come back in spades. Once the question of whether one is an American or an Israeli because one can't be both starts being asked, Israel's days are literally numbered.
It's just one short step from that to equating Zionism with treason, and where will Israel be then? I don't think the Zionists see this coming, but it is, and it will be even more effective because American Jews will be making the case for it.
Notice how Blinken waits till Max Blumenthal is removed from the press conference - if it can still be called such a thing - then he announces that he has a few more things to say and will be happy to answer any questions.
1) It’s my understanding reporters are protected by freedom of press, unless a crime is committed , they cannot be removed in a public setting. What crime did Husseini commit?
2) The Constitution overrides any directives curbing first amendment rights in public settings.
3) I believe Husseini has a solid case to sue the State Department , hopefully he does.
4) Not a single reporter defended the aggrieved, this is how freedoms are lost.
5) Matt Miller vindictiveness in full display, by calling Diplomatic Security on Husseini, after he stopped asking questions, I infer it’s conclusive evidence Miller hates Palestinians, targeting the sole Palestinian, gaslighting him for the last six months, and shamelessly covering Israel’s transgressions for over 15 months.
Matt "Count Smirkula" Miller has played a direct role in facilitating the murder of a couple hundred thousand Gazans ... and Lebanonese ... and Syrian. A disgusting little man.
I might have this wrong but watching it a few times it seemed to me that Husseini did not wait for question time so of course they were going to throw him out. If he had waited that would not have happened and we might have had even better footage.
Sam Husseini has been 100% ignored by State Department officials in press briefings from day one of the genocide. This was Blinken's swan song farewell and Husseni's last chance. He just saw what happened to Max Blumenthal being forced out for asking questions after Blinken lied saying he appreciated getting tough questions from the press. He knew he would be ignored AGAIN.
The State Department has regularly lied throughout our genocide in Gaza. Matt "Count Smirkula" Miller said they would get back to the press to address the murder of Hind Rajab ... and never did. Over and over, they defer reasonable/necessary questions saying they needed to review a situation or would check with the Israelis or consult with our War Department ... and never do. They never follow up.
Speaking as a former journalist, the media in that room should have been doing what Sam and Max did long, long ago. When Blinken says "Respect the process" he's demanding compliance with genocide. Screw that. Blinken -- and Miller -- are sociopaths. Liars. War criminals. And people should have been up in their faces calling them out long ago.
THAT is the correct process for such criminal times in the government. Remember, when they lie or refuse to answer a question they are doing that not to the reporter but to we the people.
I really do understand all that. But just trying to clarify, was it question time or were they heckling. As a former journalist you know that is not what happens, where many journalists speak up, well, not for a very, very long time, particularly since there is no independent mainstream media. What journos should do is boycott such briefings but of course then they would be sacked. Which is why citizen journalism, of which you are a part, is so important.
I think Blinken's hollow blather about appreciating the media giving him tough questions -- which is the last thing the US media has done in the past 15 months -- may have sparked Max, who has had friends killed in Gaza. Again, both Max and Sam have been frozen out of being able to ask questions in these State Dept. events.
You are absolutely right on what the other journalists should have done ... and what would have happened to them back in the office. I know because a similar thing ended my political cartooning gig at the old Albuquerque Tribune/Scripps Howard News. I do not know if any of them asked questions later about what happened to Max and Sam.
Years ago -- decades ago -- the NYTimes columnist Anthony Lewis wrote interesting satire columns. I remember him telling the story of his career, how early on he was a politics reporter in DC and one day realized he and other reporters spent much of their days sitting on the floor in hallways waiting only for members of Congress to get out of hearings only for them to lie to the reporters. That's when he began doing satire.
Given the state of DC and the govt., a column like that couldn't be written ... things have zoomed far beyond satire now.
Frankly, I have absolutely no respect for or faith in the corporate media or the US political process. We're in the Fall of Empire stage and a whole new world is being born. I refer to that in my post tomorrow, the last day before the world as we've known it changes forever...
Yes, I relate to what you say. In Australia we had a journalists association although I think that is now gutted. But Journalists need to join together and form some sort of union in the US and elsewhere to combat the system. They may not be able to change the policies of their newspapers but they can, united, have a stronger voice for independent journalism.
Just as ordinary people often do not understand what freedom of speech means for them as individuals, neither do many understand that a free and independent press, at least perhaps half of it, is critical to our freedom and our future.
Agreed. It is amazing to see what happened with online/alternative media, though that can be silenced with a tap of Elon's finger. I'm keeping my eye open for an old mimeograph machine at a garage sale.
"Most journalists are meek and obedient stenographers to power and mere bookkeepers of corruption."
And we saw them in that room with Sam and Max, didn't we? Has anyone got a list of the names of the journalists and their media outlets who were present at that press conference who kept their heads down and didn't challenge Blinken on his lies? I'd love to start a boycott of all their postings and outlets. Hitting them in the wallet is the only way to get through their bootlicking heads that We the People don't care for their cooperation with genocide.
Excellent comments on the cnn feed thanks for the heads up to check them out. So the mainstream knows, they just keep their heads down and lie on behalf of the genocide hoping for decorum in the press box of democracy!
Yes, one must be polite when dropping bombs on schools, hospitals and children huddled in tents. It's a process that -- as Mr. "Bloody' Blinken observed -- needs to be respected and (very) selectively documented by the media. I think of it as more of the (op)press box of demockracy. But, please, be polite and always, always observe the process.
As someone who spent decades as a journalist, there is a process with press conferences. I am not sure it helps anyone for journos to disregard that process when they are trying to condemn others for a lack of process and humanity.
This is my reply to your other comment, which applies as well to this comment:
Sam Husseini has been 100% ignored by State Department officials in press briefings from day one of the genocide. This was Blinken's swan song farewell and Husseni's last chance. He just saw what happened to Max Blumenthal being forced out for asking questions after Blinken lied saying he appreciated getting tough questions from the press. He knew he would be ignored AGAIN.
The State Department has regularly lied throughout our genocide in Gaza. Matt "Count Smirkula" Miller said they would get back to the press to address the murder of Hind Rajab ... and never did. Over and over, they defer reasonable/necessary questions saying they needed to review a situation or would check with the Israelis or consult with our War Department ... and never do. They never follow up.
Speaking as a former journalist, the media in that room should have been doing what Sam and Max did long, long ago. When Blinken says "Respect the process" he's demanding compliance with genocide. Screw that. Blinken -- and Miller -- are sociopaths. Liars. War criminals. And people should have been up in their faces calling them out long ago.
THAT is the correct process for such criminal times in the government. Remember, when they lie or refuse to answer a question they are doing that not to the reporter but to we the people.
"Are you compromised by Israel?"--Max Blumenthal
Remember that one; it's going to come back in spades. Once the question of whether one is an American or an Israeli because one can't be both starts being asked, Israel's days are literally numbered.
It's just one short step from that to equating Zionism with treason, and where will Israel be then? I don't think the Zionists see this coming, but it is, and it will be even more effective because American Jews will be making the case for it.
The sooner the better.
Free Press. Just wanted to write down those two words.
And 'Free Speech.'
Notice how Blinken waits till Max Blumenthal is removed from the press conference - if it can still be called such a thing - then he announces that he has a few more things to say and will be happy to answer any questions.
Such a considerate mass murderer.
"It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets." ― Voltaire
However if I understood his oath of office correctly then it’s treason that comes to mind.
I found several issues disturbing :
1) It’s my understanding reporters are protected by freedom of press, unless a crime is committed , they cannot be removed in a public setting. What crime did Husseini commit?
2) The Constitution overrides any directives curbing first amendment rights in public settings.
3) I believe Husseini has a solid case to sue the State Department , hopefully he does.
4) Not a single reporter defended the aggrieved, this is how freedoms are lost.
5) Matt Miller vindictiveness in full display, by calling Diplomatic Security on Husseini, after he stopped asking questions, I infer it’s conclusive evidence Miller hates Palestinians, targeting the sole Palestinian, gaslighting him for the last six months, and shamelessly covering Israel’s transgressions for over 15 months.
Matt "Count Smirkula" Miller has played a direct role in facilitating the murder of a couple hundred thousand Gazans ... and Lebanonese ... and Syrian. A disgusting little man.
He’ll live a miserable life, as well as Blinken . Times have changed and wherever they go they’ll be harassed.
Let's hope so.
I might have this wrong but watching it a few times it seemed to me that Husseini did not wait for question time so of course they were going to throw him out. If he had waited that would not have happened and we might have had even better footage.
Sam Husseini has been 100% ignored by State Department officials in press briefings from day one of the genocide. This was Blinken's swan song farewell and Husseni's last chance. He just saw what happened to Max Blumenthal being forced out for asking questions after Blinken lied saying he appreciated getting tough questions from the press. He knew he would be ignored AGAIN.
The State Department has regularly lied throughout our genocide in Gaza. Matt "Count Smirkula" Miller said they would get back to the press to address the murder of Hind Rajab ... and never did. Over and over, they defer reasonable/necessary questions saying they needed to review a situation or would check with the Israelis or consult with our War Department ... and never do. They never follow up.
Speaking as a former journalist, the media in that room should have been doing what Sam and Max did long, long ago. When Blinken says "Respect the process" he's demanding compliance with genocide. Screw that. Blinken -- and Miller -- are sociopaths. Liars. War criminals. And people should have been up in their faces calling them out long ago.
THAT is the correct process for such criminal times in the government. Remember, when they lie or refuse to answer a question they are doing that not to the reporter but to we the people.
I really do understand all that. But just trying to clarify, was it question time or were they heckling. As a former journalist you know that is not what happens, where many journalists speak up, well, not for a very, very long time, particularly since there is no independent mainstream media. What journos should do is boycott such briefings but of course then they would be sacked. Which is why citizen journalism, of which you are a part, is so important.
I think Blinken's hollow blather about appreciating the media giving him tough questions -- which is the last thing the US media has done in the past 15 months -- may have sparked Max, who has had friends killed in Gaza. Again, both Max and Sam have been frozen out of being able to ask questions in these State Dept. events.
You are absolutely right on what the other journalists should have done ... and what would have happened to them back in the office. I know because a similar thing ended my political cartooning gig at the old Albuquerque Tribune/Scripps Howard News. I do not know if any of them asked questions later about what happened to Max and Sam.
Years ago -- decades ago -- the NYTimes columnist Anthony Lewis wrote interesting satire columns. I remember him telling the story of his career, how early on he was a politics reporter in DC and one day realized he and other reporters spent much of their days sitting on the floor in hallways waiting only for members of Congress to get out of hearings only for them to lie to the reporters. That's when he began doing satire.
Given the state of DC and the govt., a column like that couldn't be written ... things have zoomed far beyond satire now.
Frankly, I have absolutely no respect for or faith in the corporate media or the US political process. We're in the Fall of Empire stage and a whole new world is being born. I refer to that in my post tomorrow, the last day before the world as we've known it changes forever...
Yes, I relate to what you say. In Australia we had a journalists association although I think that is now gutted. But Journalists need to join together and form some sort of union in the US and elsewhere to combat the system. They may not be able to change the policies of their newspapers but they can, united, have a stronger voice for independent journalism.
Just as ordinary people often do not understand what freedom of speech means for them as individuals, neither do many understand that a free and independent press, at least perhaps half of it, is critical to our freedom and our future.
Agreed. It is amazing to see what happened with online/alternative media, though that can be silenced with a tap of Elon's finger. I'm keeping my eye open for an old mimeograph machine at a garage sale.
You made me laugh. I kept my old typewriter but doubt I could ever buy new ribbons for it.
There were only two journalists in that room. The rest are lazy, amoral sycophants.