Carlson is as bad as you can get, the cash cow for Fox. No way will he be let go. From Eric’s piece, it seems that all sides of the Australian political spectrum agree about the poison spewed by Murdoch and minions and the danger his media company holds for Australian democracy. Not here in the world of capitalism where money, power are everything; morals, ethics are for suckers, losers. Is there nothing or no one who can/will extinguish the power, misery and intellectual arsenic being foisted by Fox on the American psyche?
Too bad the US media hasn’t given more coverage to the pushback against Murdoch in Australia, especially the fact that two ex PMs from differential political sides have spoken out. Turnbull called Murdoch a threat to democracy there as well as in the UK a and US. Most people have no clue about Murdoch’s international influence.
I have heard that yelling "FIRE!" in a crowded theater is not legal under the first amendment. If this is even remotely true, I'd like to know why carlson hasn't been sued out of his pants.
Carlson has already gotten away with it by using the “hyperbole for entertainment” excuse to evade a slander conviction:
“ Now comes the claim that you can't expect to literally believe the words that come out of Carlson's mouth. And that assertion is not coming from Carlson's critics. It's being made by a federal judge in the Southern District of New York and by Fox News's own lawyers in defending Carlson against accusations of slander. It worked, by the way.”
Rush Limbaugh holds the patent on that "I'm just an entertainer" defense. Courts wrongly (naively?) assume that everyone knows rightwing media figures are all gaslighting BS artists and grifters.
In the early 2000s I watched Tim Russert interview Rush. I was thrilled when Russert challenged Rush about all the lies he told his listeners. Rush used the “I’m just an entertainer” excuse and Russert — the man admIred for his agressive interviews — didn’t say a thing.
They haven't any choice but go quiet. Under the current (postmodern, post-truth era) rules of "only logic is reaaoning", with the problem of induction and epistemological uncertainty making good reasoning (which unfortunately is not really logic) impossible, their options are to start melting down or trying to "dunk" on their subject instead of interview them, or move on to a different issue. You in your armchair safe on the other side of the screen might fantasize to yourself that pounding tables or being condescendingly snide and smart and going with the "dunking" approach would work out just as well in real life as well as it does when Aaron Sorkin writes the dialogue, but, no, it really wouldn't. Postmodernists all focus on emotional manipulation and bullying (snark and "dunking", mostly, but there's more)
but the ones that lie and cheat and steal in public are MUCH better at it. That's why they can gaslight and we can't. The interview would fall apart, the interviewer would look like a biased and childish fool, and the interviewee would come out looking mature and intelligent. That's real life.
Murdoch should be in prison. Of what consequence does a billionaire face when his corporation is responsible for destroying our democracy? None, okay, just asking.
Not only our democracy but the blood on his hands for all the disinformation on covid that that p.o.s. on fake news keeps spewing his hatred and lies. To my way of thinking they all should be arrested for crimes against humanity.
Great song by a great band. I have always loved The Beach Boys original, as I did most of their middle period after their surf board/hot Rod Chuck Berry lifts phase. But Los Lobos is just a tremendously under rated and wonderful band.
I always liked that band, (and that particular song) but I saw them live in 2008 and they really impressed the hell out of me ! Recorded is one thing, live is a whole different thing sometimes.
It saddens me to even think of Tucker Carlson's audience but I sure do love this new Los Lobos record. Those guys are just amazing. I first saw them in LA at the Olympic when they opened for PIL in 1980. Lucky to be friends with them since their first EP came out. I think David Hidalgo is the best musician of my generation.
I love Los Lobos. The new covers release, Native Sons, is characteristic of the great band. They chose to do covers of music that was important to them (and to many of us) without trying to do "their version" of those great recordings. They succeeded, but the covers, though each a precise homage to the originals, still sounds like Los Lobos. And I love Los Lobos.
For the record and for the sake of accuracy, Australia lags behind developed countries in terms of vaccination rate. Much of the global south still has little access to vaccines. And yeah, Carlson is a toxic waste site. Not to mention Murdoch.
The thing is, as a Sydney-sider it’s always been surprising that the Daily Telegraph has always supported vaccination and some other social health programs. Of course they do have to carry many of the Murdoch columnists and headlines, so I don’t bother buying the paper.
As an Aussie, I need to point out that the Evil Murdoch was born in this lovely country, but thankfully lived in Britain for years, and then became a Yank. Good riddance.
By the way, the situation is not all lost here - we have the ABC (the Australian Broadcasting Corporation) and SBS (Special Broadcasting Service) - both publicly owned and both very centrist and unbiased. They are much loved by a good swathe of the educated population.
But I concede that meat-heads like Alan Jones do have large audience among the lower classes ... who just like in the US totally and utterly get everything upside-down, and vote against their own best interests every time.
The reason Murdoch let Alan Jones go is the Australians generally require their media to consider facts in their reporting. The Supreme Court has interpreted the 1A to mean facts are optional in U.S. media reporting. Ole *ucker is taking full advantage of that.
Eric, please write a column on Jane Mayer’s “The Big Money Behind the Big Lie.” Her investigation and expose of big money donors behind the Arizona “audit” and their support of voter suppression and efforts to undermine democracy in other states amounts to a takeover of our government that will ensure the control of Repuglicans in 2022, 2024, and for years to come. This story should be the front-page and top online news story on every media outlet.
If you haven’t already, please read the link below, from Mother Jones. I’d love to see you do an entire post on this. As I’m sure you know, Fox News has been spouting and promoting lies since its inception in 1996, which have become increasingly outrageous. Tucker Carlson is probably the most dangerous Fox pundit because of his millions of followers. This week he’s broadcasting from Hungary, where he has also met with Orban, who wants to turn Hungary into a “Christian” nation, just like extremist Christians here want to do with the US, falsely believing that our nation was founded on Christian beliefs and principles. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/07/american-anger-polarization-fox-news/
I was ready for just such a long(ish) form read. The point that struck me with the most resonance is that Fox has has created a "positive feedback loop that has no obvious braking system." I've lived through the throwback examples he uses back to the McCarthy era which claimed my father's employment and the Birchers' heavy influence on the Goldwater campaign which was the dawning of my interest in politics. Drum lays out a meticulous case that didn't begin with "so on Monday Tucker said..." Excellent.
I can't even watch MSNBC when they roll clips of Tucker. (Mute!) What an odious bag of gas.
Carlson is as bad as you can get, the cash cow for Fox. No way will he be let go. From Eric’s piece, it seems that all sides of the Australian political spectrum agree about the poison spewed by Murdoch and minions and the danger his media company holds for Australian democracy. Not here in the world of capitalism where money, power are everything; morals, ethics are for suckers, losers. Is there nothing or no one who can/will extinguish the power, misery and intellectual arsenic being foisted by Fox on the American psyche?
Too bad the US media hasn’t given more coverage to the pushback against Murdoch in Australia, especially the fact that two ex PMs from differential political sides have spoken out. Turnbull called Murdoch a threat to democracy there as well as in the UK a and US. Most people have no clue about Murdoch’s international influence.
I have heard that yelling "FIRE!" in a crowded theater is not legal under the first amendment. If this is even remotely true, I'd like to know why carlson hasn't been sued out of his pants.
agreed. He’s clearly operating is if there are no consequences
Carlson has already gotten away with it by using the “hyperbole for entertainment” excuse to evade a slander conviction:
“ Now comes the claim that you can't expect to literally believe the words that come out of Carlson's mouth. And that assertion is not coming from Carlson's critics. It's being made by a federal judge in the Southern District of New York and by Fox News's own lawyers in defending Carlson against accusations of slander. It worked, by the way.”
https://www.npr.org/2020/09/29/917747123/you-literally-cant-believe-the-facts-tucker-carlson-tells-you-so-say-fox-s-lawye
Clearly that is bonkers. The evidence is clear that people believe Carlson.
Who was it said, "There's a sucker born every minute?"
Rush Limbaugh holds the patent on that "I'm just an entertainer" defense. Courts wrongly (naively?) assume that everyone knows rightwing media figures are all gaslighting BS artists and grifters.
In the early 2000s I watched Tim Russert interview Rush. I was thrilled when Russert challenged Rush about all the lies he told his listeners. Rush used the “I’m just an entertainer” excuse and Russert — the man admIred for his agressive interviews — didn’t say a thing.
It's like they just go quiet with these people who lie,cheat and steal the public.
They haven't any choice but go quiet. Under the current (postmodern, post-truth era) rules of "only logic is reaaoning", with the problem of induction and epistemological uncertainty making good reasoning (which unfortunately is not really logic) impossible, their options are to start melting down or trying to "dunk" on their subject instead of interview them, or move on to a different issue. You in your armchair safe on the other side of the screen might fantasize to yourself that pounding tables or being condescendingly snide and smart and going with the "dunking" approach would work out just as well in real life as well as it does when Aaron Sorkin writes the dialogue, but, no, it really wouldn't. Postmodernists all focus on emotional manipulation and bullying (snark and "dunking", mostly, but there's more)
but the ones that lie and cheat and steal in public are MUCH better at it. That's why they can gaslight and we can't. The interview would fall apart, the interviewer would look like a biased and childish fool, and the interviewee would come out looking mature and intelligent. That's real life.
Murdoch should be in prison. Of what consequence does a billionaire face when his corporation is responsible for destroying our democracy? None, okay, just asking.
Not only our democracy but the blood on his hands for all the disinformation on covid that that p.o.s. on fake news keeps spewing his hatred and lies. To my way of thinking they all should be arrested for crimes against humanity.
Great song by a great band. I have always loved The Beach Boys original, as I did most of their middle period after their surf board/hot Rod Chuck Berry lifts phase. But Los Lobos is just a tremendously under rated and wonderful band.
Glad you like!
I always liked that band, (and that particular song) but I saw them live in 2008 and they really impressed the hell out of me ! Recorded is one thing, live is a whole different thing sometimes.
It saddens me to even think of Tucker Carlson's audience but I sure do love this new Los Lobos record. Those guys are just amazing. I first saw them in LA at the Olympic when they opened for PIL in 1980. Lucky to be friends with them since their first EP came out. I think David Hidalgo is the best musician of my generation.
I love Los Lobos. The new covers release, Native Sons, is characteristic of the great band. They chose to do covers of music that was important to them (and to many of us) without trying to do "their version" of those great recordings. They succeeded, but the covers, though each a precise homage to the originals, still sounds like Los Lobos. And I love Los Lobos.
such a great album from A+ band
Mr. Boehlert, Good reasons all though you forget Carlson's viewership. Carlson gets the ratings which impact the rates charged for advertising.
Not quite the "Golden Rule" but, "He who makes the Gold makes the rules".
Though I suggest the real answer is some combination of all the reasons you suggest as well.
oh absolutely , being Fox’s top-rated host means different rules for him
For the record and for the sake of accuracy, Australia lags behind developed countries in terms of vaccination rate. Much of the global south still has little access to vaccines. And yeah, Carlson is a toxic waste site. Not to mention Murdoch.
The thing is, as a Sydney-sider it’s always been surprising that the Daily Telegraph has always supported vaccination and some other social health programs. Of course they do have to carry many of the Murdoch columnists and headlines, so I don’t bother buying the paper.
As an Aussie, I need to point out that the Evil Murdoch was born in this lovely country, but thankfully lived in Britain for years, and then became a Yank. Good riddance.
By the way, the situation is not all lost here - we have the ABC (the Australian Broadcasting Corporation) and SBS (Special Broadcasting Service) - both publicly owned and both very centrist and unbiased. They are much loved by a good swathe of the educated population.
But I concede that meat-heads like Alan Jones do have large audience among the lower classes ... who just like in the US totally and utterly get everything upside-down, and vote against their own best interests every time.
Ah Tucker meeting his idol Viktor Orban...
The reason Murdoch let Alan Jones go is the Australians generally require their media to consider facts in their reporting. The Supreme Court has interpreted the 1A to mean facts are optional in U.S. media reporting. Ole *ucker is taking full advantage of that.
Eric, please write a column on Jane Mayer’s “The Big Money Behind the Big Lie.” Her investigation and expose of big money donors behind the Arizona “audit” and their support of voter suppression and efforts to undermine democracy in other states amounts to a takeover of our government that will ensure the control of Repuglicans in 2022, 2024, and for years to come. This story should be the front-page and top online news story on every media outlet.
If you haven’t already, please read the link below, from Mother Jones. I’d love to see you do an entire post on this. As I’m sure you know, Fox News has been spouting and promoting lies since its inception in 1996, which have become increasingly outrageous. Tucker Carlson is probably the most dangerous Fox pundit because of his millions of followers. This week he’s broadcasting from Hungary, where he has also met with Orban, who wants to turn Hungary into a “Christian” nation, just like extremist Christians here want to do with the US, falsely believing that our nation was founded on Christian beliefs and principles. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/07/american-anger-polarization-fox-news/
I was ready for just such a long(ish) form read. The point that struck me with the most resonance is that Fox has has created a "positive feedback loop that has no obvious braking system." I've lived through the throwback examples he uses back to the McCarthy era which claimed my father's employment and the Birchers' heavy influence on the Goldwater campaign which was the dawning of my interest in politics. Drum lays out a meticulous case that didn't begin with "so on Monday Tucker said..." Excellent.
The First Amendment does not protect against reckless endangerment or treason. And everyone at Fux Noise should be indicted for both.