When Pro-Putin "progressives" attack: the latest

[uhnope]

Jame Kirchick, a frequent critic of Russia Today on the subject of gay rights, has put out a piece on the berzerk reaction he's getting since Putin's invasion of the Ukraine (and anchor Liz Wahl's on-air resignation), especially from a certain Kevin Gosztola. Gosztola was representing himself as being on staff of First Look Media (not accurate), but he is a mainstay at the leftie blog FireDogLake, and has blogs or webpages on The Nation and Salon.

I will again ask:
Are they stuck in obsolete anti-US-so-pro-Russia thinking? Does their anger over US actions in Iraq totally cloud their judgment, and they project? Or does this have something to do with Snowden, like Snowden-in-Russia-so-Russia-good?

Or in the case of Gosztola, is there a Kremlin paycheck involved, or does he just have the hots for RT's Abby Martin?

(Don't forget Thom Hartmann.)

Over the past week, I have been the recipient of a deluge of attacks on Twitter from RT fans alleging that I was somehow behind Wahl’s resignation. This afternoon, a gentleman identifying himself as Kevin Gosztola, who writes for the left-wing website FireDogLake, left a message on my cell phone. He claimed to be working on a project for First Look Media -- the high-profile investigative journalism start-up that employs, among others, Glenn Greenwald. (First Look's top editor says the Gosztola has nothing to do with the outlet. More on that in a second.)

...

The call’s threatening tone is appropriate, though, for someone determined to defend the reputation of the Kremlin. What’s less understandable is why First Look Media—a new journalism venture that’s supposedly dedicated to investigating the excesses of government and corporate power—would join in.

That's because First Look is not, in fact, involved. "Kevin [Gosztola] doesn’t work for First Look Media. He apparently spoke to Glenn [Greenwald] about the possibility of doing a story for [First Look], but Glenn hasn’t given him an assignment or a contract," Eric Bates, executive editor of First Look Media, told The Daily Beast in an email. "Glenn let Kevin know that he shouldn’t be representing himself as acting on behalf of First Look."

Greenwald isn't exactly a RT critic, it should be noted. Last week, when RT host Abby Martin (a 9/11 Truther who believes that water fluoridation is a government plot to poison Americans) briefly spoke out against Russia’s invasion of Crimea, Greenwald took to the website’s blog to defend RT’s editorial integrity, citing her act of pseudo-dissidence as evidence of the network’s editorial independence from the Kremlin. Greenwald even compared the network favorably to American media outlets.

[geek tragedy]

1. one wonders how much payola is involved with all of the rt.com love

on certain liberal websites, given that rt.com is the oligarchical fascist government of Russia.

Certainly, some of it is just knee-jerk anti-Americanism, wherein the enemy of their enemy is their favorite website.

[polly7]

2. Just curious, has Jame Kirchick made any mention of this?:

But Yatsenyuk, who leads "Fatherland" in the absence of jailed leader Yulia Tymoshenko, revealed that he rejects gay marriage because his personal beliefs stand in the way of any political position.

"I can tell you about this separately as a Christian and a Greek Catholic," he said. "I do not support gay marriage."

His reply has disappointed the LGBT community in Ukraine, which has looked to the Opposition for accommodation on social issues.

Yatsenyuk's stance will also surprise western European gay rights groups, which had warned gay football fans last year that they could experience hostility while travelling to Poland and Ukraine for the Euro 2012championship. By the end of the tournament there were few reported problems.

Last month Ukraine's foreign minister Leonid Kozhara announced that Ukraine will introduce a law prohibiting discrimination against gays, which will afford them protection in line with European Union nations.

"The issue of homosexuals is now generating strong controversy in Ukraine, but our government has already prepared a draft law and will soon submit it to the parliament," he said.

http://www.sott.net/article/274321-Leading-Ukraine-opposition-figure-Arseniy-Yatsenyuk-surprises-supporters-by-denouncing-gay-marriage

[geek tragedy]

4. speaking of whom . . . nt

[polly7]

5. Wtf are you going on about?

I asked a question. Do you know the answer?

[geek tragedy]

7. it is a very strange question, given the subject of this thread.

it almost seems as if you're trying to impeach his criticisms of Putin's anti-gay propaganda law by suggesting he's a hypocrite.

certainly, if that is not your intent, you will let us know.

[polly7]

9. No, it's not a strange question at all.

I don't know this person other than he is a frequent critic of Russia Today on the subject of gay rights, (from what I've just read here). I'd just like to know if he's expressed an opinion on the newly selected Yatsenyuk's stance on gay rights, as it's an important issue for many there, as well as millions of others who have to deal with the changes that will come with the new 'leaders'.

[geek tragedy]

10. the Ukraine has not enacted discriminatory legislation aimed at persecuting

GLBt people, so the situations are not the same. Yatsenyuk sounds like circa 2008 Obama, which is still light years better than Putin & Co.

[polly7]

11. I'm not defending Putin's homophobic laws - they're disgusting and horrible, but I also hope

Yetsenyuk and his motley crew of fascists who've already threatened Crimeans with making their language illegal don't also make things worse for gay and every other people in Ukraine. I haven't even seen mention of this, so am curious why it doesn't seem to be an issue.

[geek tragedy]

12. "have already threatened Crimeans with making their language illegal"

let me guess, you read that at rt.com.

[polly7]

13. Nah ... I read it at about half a dozen places. nt.

[geek tragedy]

14. then you will have no trouble to linking to a credible site establishing that fact nt

[polly7]

15. No trouble at all ...

Because of the influence wielded by the nationalists in both centers of power—the parliament and the Maidan—a true government of national unity, as was proposed under the accords of February 21, was never considered. Instead of trying to convince the population in the east and the south of Ukraine that their interests would be taken into account, the parliament has moved in the opposite direction:

• One of its first acts was to repeal the 2012 law allowing Russian and other minority languages to be used locally. While the speaking/acting president has promised to reverse this, its passage was one of the main irritants between the predominantly Russian and the predominantly Ukrainian speaking regions of the country.

• It introduced a resolution to outlaw the Communist Party of Ukraine, which received 13 percent of the vote in 2012, and which, after the collapse of the Party of Regions, is the country’s last major political opposition party. Both the Party of Regions and the Communist Party have already been declared illegal in several Western regions by local legislatures that continue to function independently of Kiev.

http://www.thenation.com/article/178619/threat-military-confrontation-grows-ukraine

Russians living in Sevastopol and Simferopol were mainly concerned that their right to be able to use Russian as a regional language will be preserved. On Friday (28.02.2014), Ukraine's interim President Oleksandr Turchynov overturned parliament's decision to repeal the law.

http://www.dw.de/pro-russian-crimeans-welcome-moscows-decision-to-send-troops/a-17467545

So when the forces of the revolution took over the national parliament on Friday, pledging to rid Ukraine of Russian influence and integrate with Europe, the people of Crimea panicked. Some began to form militias, others sent distress calls to the Kremlin. And if the officers of the Berkut riot police are now despised throughout the rest of the country for killing dozens of protesters in Kiev this week, they were welcomed in Crimea as heroes.

http://time.com/9243/the-russian-stronghold-in-ukraine-preparing-to-fight-the-revolution/#ixzz2upQsd8u7

There were more, I just don't have time to find them.

[geek tragedy]

16. "Ukraine's interim President Oleksandr Turchynov overturned parliament's decision to repeal the law"

Derp.

Note that no law ever banned the Russian language, it merely (briefly) stopped giving it official status.

[msanthrope]

8. Why would he?? That pro-Russian minister was removed last month. As for the Opposition,

are you aware of any anti-gay legislation they have filed?? I hope they are able to shake off Russian homophobia and Anti-Semitism and move forward. Alliance with the EU should help that.

[Capt. Obvious]

3. et tu Salon and The Nation?

Dead to me! Unsubscribing and will declare every Salon piece a fail.

[Whisp]

6. FDL right on cue for shitstirring before the midterms like last time. fuck them.

and how conveeeeeeeeeenient the hero Snowden and his accomplice Greenwald have got themselves inadvertently caught up in this. fuck them all.

[cloudythescribbler]

17. I am familiar w/Kevin Gosztola and believe that the rt telephone message was a spoof

he had a retweet on his twitter feed that suggested that clearly

I know there are a lot of left-bashers on DU, including the notion that somehow FDL and others will or intend to weaken the Democrats in the midterm elections

that latter concern is also barking up the wrong tree -- focus on what the elite of the Democratic Party are doing to get the Repugs going strong, not lefties unlikely to influence the election outcomes, even a single Congressional seat