"I Had to Leave the Country" -An Interview with Greg Palast

[kpete]

October 10, 2006 at 14:45:16
"I Had to Leave the Country" -An Interview with Greg Palast
by Michael Causey
http://www.opednews.com


Q&A with Greg Palast

By Michael Causey, Washington Independent Writers President (http://www.washwriter.org)

By fans he's been called "a cross between Sam Spade and Sherlock Holmes." He's been called a lot worse by opponents. But muckraking journalist, author and TV reporter Greg Palast wouldn't have it any other way. His new book, ARMED MADHOUSE: Who's Afraid of Osama Wolf?, China Floats Bush Sinks, the Scheme to Steal '08, No Child's Behind Left and other Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Class War, is a recent New York Times bestseller. Palast swapped e-mails with WIW in early October to discuss a wide range of issues including why he had to leave the U.S. to get published and what motivates him to keep at it.

How hard has it been for you to get your work published given that much of it goes against the status quo and mainstream media?

I had to leave the country. Couldn't get a damn thing published in the USA. I faxed an article to The Guardian-they printed it, it was debated in Parliament, on BBC.

I'm best known for uncovering how Katherine Harris and Jeb Bush knocked off tens of thousands of Black citizens off the voter rolls of Florida just before the 2000 election. They were supposedly felons, but their only crime was Voting While Black.

much more at:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_michael__061010__22i_had_to_leave_the_.htm

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

1. Palast is High Quality

and his books reflect this.

freedom.

[Red Right and BLUE]

2. I love Greg.

He's a truth seeker and speaker.

[jarnocan]

3. me too, on of our heros. here is his flickr link

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpalast/ I was looking for him on myspace, but as usual got distracted.

[magellan]

4. Palast is a hero

His having to report on American issues from the UK says a lot about how corrupt and biased our corporate news media is.

The truth is out there. The Republicons have just made damn sure that most Americans won't find it unless they look at sources outside the USA.

[az chela]

5. I have this book and I recommend it to everyone

If you want a great book that finally tells the truth,this is a must read

[MissWaverly]

6. I am the proud owner of Armed Madhouse

:-), I also recommend it, it's a keeper!

[Nikki Stone 1]

11. Me too!

:kick:

[MissWaverly]

15. I quote him all the time here

like the fact that we sent 363 tons of US currency to Iraq

that's from page 75 of Armed Madhouse by Greg Palast, Dutton Books, 2006

[Nikki Stone 1]

17. My favorite is Osama's website which states his un-populist goals

about oil.

Makes me wonder...

[tblue]

7. Palast Rocks! Read his books if you REALLY want to know how the world

works.

I was reading Armed Madhouse just today, about the multinationals that are running everything. Chilling, but it explains everything, absolutely everything. Why we went into Iraq and why we 'hate' Hugo Chavez and wtf James Baker is up to. I will always be grateful to Palast for exposing Katherine Harris and what she did to all those poor black people in FL 2000. He's a bonafide hero.

And ladies, Greg Palast is ADORABLE in person. :thumbsup:

Married, tho. :thumbsdown:

[bonito]

8. Sounds like a must read winner. Thanks n/t

[SlavesandBulldozers]

9. Palast is awesome. great sense of humor too.

[RadiDem]

10. Thanks K&R

[mod mom]

12. He's a rock star!

[civildisoBDence]

13. All we frustrated authors at DU can relate to Palast...

...saying he couldn't get jack shit published in the US.

Meanwhile, books were published by literary giants like Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie.

My online vanity press!

[autorank]

14. KR Greg Palast is the Theodore Dreiser of our time ...

He should have received the Pulitzer Prize for this. When you read about election fraud, remember this and keep in mind that it is almost always a race/class crime:

50,000 black Floridians were taken off the registration rolls before the 2000 Presidential election. Remember this when people talk about sour grapes. etc. The hanging chads, etc. were a bullshit excuse. This and the 100,000 "spoiled" ballots in mostly minority precincts were the reason. The Help America Vote act to correct the "problems" of Florida NEVER went near the discrimination in the election system. It was co-sponsored by two Democrats who missed the point, the Republicans "missed" the point. It will happen in 2006 - watch Cleveland, Southern California, anywhere large minority populations are voting on the new voting machines, the supposed solution. In particular, watch those areas that have large minority populations but are controlled by Republican county governments.

"I m best known for uncovering how Katherine Harris and Jeb Bush knocked off tens of thousands of Black citizens off the voter rolls of Florida just before the 2000 election. They were supposedly felons, but their only crime was Voting While Black." Greg Palast

[Karenina]

19. Those voters, to my knowledge,

have NEVER been reinstated...

[earth mom]

16. Recommended! Sounds like a must read! nt

[in_cog_ni_to]

18. I'll never forget the story he told about the 2000 election fraud.

When he uncovered the fraud...purging the voter rolls, he was on CNN to talk about it. There was NO OTHER COVERAGE by the MSM. Eventually, CBS called him and asked if they could do a show on it and asked for the story and evidence. Palast filled them in and they told him they would get back to him to set up the time and date for the show...he never heard from them. He decided to call them and he was told they had decided NOT to do the story because they had called JEB BUSH(*&^%$#%^! and HE said it wasn't true! Pathetic. Our media is so damn pathetic.

Palast rocks! :thumbsup: