The following represents my latest attempt at something called Constructive Criticism:
Dear Mike,
While I enjoy your show and often agree with you, I am overall disappointed by THR’s reports for what they lack.
[Subtle, right? Note how I first butter him up with compliments… two whole compliments!]
Please consider covering progressives (Dr. Jill Stein/the Green Party, Democratic Socialists of America, Nick Brana/Movement for a People’s Party, CODE PINK, Black Lives Matter, The Electronic Freedom Foundation, the Standing Rock Sioux, et al.)… at least a third as much as you do the Kabuki theater that is the GOP/Democrat Shuffle… which the corporate MSM already blares at us 24/7.
I appreciate that you present a consistently progressive view when covering the Dog & Pony Show… but you almost make it seem like all of our focus should be on reforming the Democratic Party — as if that “decrepit” and moribund party were progressives’ only hope.
But if these Pentagon-engorging, CIA-Dems are our Ben Kenobi, we are SO fucked.
As the world continues sleepwalking toward WWIII and climate catastrophe, thanks to the actions of Democrats every bit as much as Republicans, I hope you will make an effort to interview the following people:
Col. Ann Wright, Medea Benjamin, Chris Hedges, Kshama Sawant, Glen Ford, Dr. James Hanson, Rhiana Anthony, Margarita Simonyan, George Galloway, Stephen F. Cohen, Coleen Rowley, Mehdi Hasan, Mahmood Mamdani, Phyllis Bennis, Eva Bartlett, David Talbot, Michelle Alexander, Arundhati Roy, Alfred McCoy, Randall Robinson, Caitlin Johnstone, Vanessa Beeley, Rania Khalek, Max Blumenthal, Jeremy Scahill, Ray McGovern, John Pilger, Frances Moore Lappe, Aaron Mate, Lori Wallach…
In my opinion, adding the perspectives of such people will help THR break out of the two-party narrative and consider a more global perspective — at a time when the world is dramatically shrinking.
At a time when such coverage is desperately needed.
My criticism of your show boils down to this: In its present form, THR helps the Democratic Party by consistently reinforcing the LOTE trope and duopoly thinking.
And what are some of the consequences of duopoly thinking in the Trump era?
Trump, the ultimate man-child/buffoon president (in way over his giant, pea-brained head) has been bludgeoned relentlessly, since his election, by the deep state, particularly through our CIA-dominated political-media establishment.
Consider the results: Instead of Flynn, we have Bolton. Instead of Tillerson, Pompeo. And Gen. Mattis is being sidelined.
The neocons have clearly won.
And it’s the Democrats, “liberal” media, and a traumatized left that have helped propel the neocons back into power, better positioned than they’ve been since the Bush days.
Stunned at the 2016 election result, a severely rattled left unthinkingly facilitated the (election-nullifying) return-to-power of the neocons — the worst global mass-murderers since the Nazis.
“Donald Tiny Hands/Pee Pee Trump vs. The Mueller Investigation” is a xenophobic, pornographic sideshow for tabloid news followers, at best.
“Stormy” whatnot.
But beyond the lurid sideshow, there is an establishment-coopted Trump.
Broken in, like Obama before him.
There is danger in that, of course: a neoconservative Donald Trump.
But there is also opportunity for progressives. An establishment-coopted Trump gives what remains of the true left something to rally against.
The neocons’ wars and neo-McCarthyism are increasingly Trump’s own. They will drag him down as much as they did Bush/Cheney… as much as they’ve dragged down the Democratic Party.
The left has an opportunity here, which the deep state foresaw. That is why they opposed Trump: unlike Barack Obama, Donald Trump is an atrocious front man for empire.
It’s time to admit that #DemEnter has proven to be a fool’s errand, and “Justice Democrats” are worth no more than the “Progressive” Caucus. Both factions, however pleasing their rhetoric, perpetually ignore corruption at the highest levels, refusing to aggressively take on the warmongers, neocons, primary-riggers, and Russiagaters pushing the country toward WWIII.
So far as #DemEnter, good progressives, like yourself, have made an admirable effort — which in January of 2017, I too endorsed — but that effort has failed.
The Democratic Party has demonstrated that it will continue rigging primaries and cheating progressives at every opportunity: Levi Tillemann was cheated, just as Tim Canova was cheated, just as Bernie was cheated, just as CADEM Chair election-winner Kimberly Ellis was cheated, just as Keith Ellison for DNC Chair was cheated… and on and on it goes.
And now we learn that the DNC is still, in 2018, funneling money to the Clintons!
And that Bill Clinton told DNC Chair, Tom Perez, to use his office to prevent progressives from rising within the party.
Pelosi and other Democratic leaders now openly admit that choosing nominees — before voters do in a fair primary — is desirable, fine, only natural in the real world.
Now, that is corruption beyond redemption.
This neoconservative, neo-McCarthyite Democratic Party — well to Trump’s RIGHT on several issues (at least back when he was elected) — no longer has a place for liberals, let alone progressives.
The closer we examine these Democrats, the more we see them as mirror images of Trump and the Republicans. They are institutionally racist, sexist, warmongering, hostile to democracy and the rule of law – all that we can say about the GOP, in spades.
Democrats have told us that we can vote for them, but no more. We can expect no meaningful role in their party, which belongs to Wall Street, plutocrats, fossil fuels, and modern fascists.
They have demonstrated that they will blatantly rig elections before allowing anyone remotely liberal to hold office.
It’s time to stop giving them so much of your heart and soul, Mike.
It’s time to move on.