GLENN GREENWALD vs FRAN TOWNSEND WIKILEAKS DEBATE

[EFerrari]

Run time: 11:15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XInz4i6AV8M   Posted on YouTube: December 28, 2010 By YouTube Member: MOXNEWSd0tCOM Views on YouTube: 305   Posted on DU: December 28, 2010 By DU Member: EFerrari Views on DU: 3412

 
In which Glenn Greenwald destroys two bobblehead lapdogs.

lol

[snot]

1. GREENWALD ROCKS SO HARD!!!

while Fran spews one lie after another.

And Glenn is so right, CNN is NOT journalism -- it's pure propaganda.

But I think you're wrong to say he destroys them. The charade of a debate, in which one side was allowed to spew lies without adequate time to rebut them all and ending on the uncertainty re- the "rape" charges, actually gave the net impression of a tie or worse.

[EFerrari]

9. The "moderator" was a joke, whoever she is.

He won the argument, he can't win the staging. That's true.

How he talks to these people over and over on purpose, I don't know.

[molly77]

20. Glenn Greenwald is brilliant

He thinks on his feet, has the facts and never loses his temper. The Progressive community is fortunate to have him. This CNN interview was different from sooo many that I have watched. In the past...the conservatives talked all the time. The Progressives only had seconds to get their point across and were so often talked over and shouted down. So I have to appreciate CNN here too.

[krkaufman]

24. The so-called "moderator" was Jessica Yellin.

Totally in-the-tank for the Bush Admin view.

[Enthusiast]

17. "CNN is NOT journalism -- it's pure propaganda."

It couldn't be any clearer. Nearly the entire media is now pure propaganda. It has morphed into one gigantic smoke screen. Where do corporate/government interests and media interests begin and end? It has become indistinguishable- one and the same.

[truth2power]

2. Those two morons shuld know better than to take on Glen Greenwald...

That was sweet! He really did destroy them.

[hulka38]

6. +

:rofl:

[EFerrari]

25. This is what Glenn says about the interview and about all the interviews he's done

on this topic:

The video of the CNN debate I did last night about WikiLeaks with former Bush Homeland Security Adviser (and CNN contributor) Fran Townsend and CNN anchor Jessica Yellin is posted below. The way it proceeded was quite instructive to me and I want to make four observations about the discussion:

(1) Over the last month, I've done many television and radio segments about WikiLeaks and what always strikes me is how indistinguishable -- identical -- are the political figures and the journalists. There's just no difference in how they think, what their values and priorities are, how completely they've ingested and how eagerly they recite the same anti-WikiLeaks, "Assange = Saddam" script. So absolute is the WikiLeaks-is-Evil bipartisan orthodoxy among the Beltway political and media class (forever cemented by the joint Biden/McConnell decree that Assange is a "high-tech Terrorist,") that you're viewed as being from another planet if you don't spout it. It's the equivalent of questioning Saddam's WMD stockpile in early 2003.

It's not news that establishment journalists identify with, are merged into, serve as spokespeople for, the political class: that's what makes them establishment journalists. But even knowing that, it's just amazing, to me at least, how so many of these "debates" I've done involving one anti-WikiLeaks political figure and one ostensibly "neutral" journalist -- on MSNBC with The Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart and former GOP Congresswoman Susan Molinari, on NPR with The New York Times' John Burns and former Clinton State Department official James Rubin, and last night on CNN with Yellin and Townsend -- entail no daylight at all between the "journalists" and the political figures. They don't even bother any longer with the pretense that they're distinct or play different assigned roles. I'm not complaining here -- Yellin was perfectly fair and gave me ample time -- but merely observing how inseparable are most American journalists from the political officials they "cover."


http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/12/28/cnnn

[molly77]

37. EFarrari

It's called "state media". I find it so boring that I don't own a TV anymore.

[EFerrari]

40. I never watch. This was an exception and I barely got through

the whole segment.

It is state media, for real.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

50. +1 (n/t)

[Voice for Peace]

3. Glenn is excellent, thanks for posting this.

And I'm glad this was on mainstream news even though they're idiotic. I mean, really. Idiotic.

[hlthe2b]

4. Oh, my... he had Townsend barely able to speak at the end...

Did you hear her mutter her "thank you" to the CNN bobblehead? Greenwald is really something. I am so glad he is taking on this BS>

[butterfly77]

5. I haven't looked at it yet but...

Townsend needs to be shown for the no nothing she is,they started throwing her ass up on CNN as soon as Obama won the Presidency to start so she could start lying her ass off and setting up the framework and talking points for the media,and as usual they all fell in line like they do on every issue. They follow the same bullshit lies that got us where we are today,they still don't get it..

[EFerrari]

10. She's Fox material. Which goes to show that CNN can be every bit as terrible. n/t

[butterfly77]

11. As I watched the tape..

I began saying bush is a criminal and he isn't in jail at the moment Greenwald,was saying the same to this lying....

[molly77]

38. I don't see too much difference in CNN and FOX

except framing. CNN spreads propaganda by asking questions. Fox makes declarative sentences. They present the same message. Corp. govt. good...people selfish and bad.

[bbgrunt]

7. ...especially as any journalist should know, this

is what true journalism is about. SWEET.

[EFerrari]

8. For the win, right?

LOL

[bbgrunt]

13. yep. It is truly inspiring to watch someone so good--but

his booking numbers will go down. "Journalists" these days aren't looking for truth or one who can state it so plainly.

[molly77]

21. bbgrunt

SWEET

[Smarmie Doofus]

12. First time I've seen Greenwald.

Talk about clarifying an issue.

If I'm ever in court.... I want him on my side.

[Truth2Tell]

14. You should check out

the show he did with Bill Moyers...

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/12122008/watch.html

[Smarmie Doofus]

16. Thanks. Just read his entire wiki page.

A revelation. I had no idea.

And a great interview w. Moyers.

I like this guy.... *mucho*.

[JDPriestly]

15. That woman from CNN represents what is wrong in news reporting

today. She simply is not very intelligent.

She cannot identify issues, review facts, distinguish between those issues and facts that are similar and dissimilar or even important and unimportant. She has no ability to reason, to think critically. She has a pitiful intellect. But there she is, a TV star, spouting inconsistencies, repeating inanities about things she does not understand.

She uses big words that she does not understand.

And the other woman, the one from the government, is even worse. She keeps talking about how Assange is a criminal, but she cannot identify anything he has done that is illegal.

Publishing information that is delivered to you by someone who works for the government and who has obtained the information legally is not a crime. It may be that the person who had legal possession of it and gives it to the New York Times either via Assange or someone else committed a crime. But the person who receives the information and PUBLISHES it is not committing a crime. That is because the press in this country enjoys the greatest freedom under the First Amendment to our Constitution. Publishing information other than certain prurient information is almost above the law.

As Greenwald pointed out, we have not seen any evidence that Assange came by this information through any illegal act on his part. If what he (Assange) says is true, and assuming I have correctly understood what he has said, his technology prevents him from even knowing who is providing him the information. If that is true, he is "cleaner" about dealing with his sources than the NY Times was (especially if you think of Judith Miller).

The woman from the government is just spewing propaganda.

As for Biden, it looked to me like he was reading a statement that had been prepared for him. I believe he made remarks at an earlier interview that suggested he did not think the Wikileaks were such a big deal. He was probably forced to make a statement more in line with what the military brass and CIA want the media to say.

CNN needs to replace its pretty faces with some intelligent journalists.

Greenwald was great.

[Ramulux]

31. Agree 100%

"And the other woman, the one from the government, is even worse. She keeps talking about how Assange is a criminal, but she cannot identify anything he has done that is illegal."


That right there is so key. Both the correspondent and host kept making the claim that hes a terrorist and a criminal yet were unable to name what crime he has committed. The debate was over as soon as Glenn made that point, and what was crazy was how the Bush lackey kept saying the same thing over and over without acknowledging what Glenn was saying. Glenn repudiated their basic assumption and they both just ignored him. Its like they just refuse to listen when they realize they have been outmatched and humiliated.

[molly77]

39. Right wingers think the steam roller effect works.

[disndat]

18. It's not about law, it's about power.

Assange has checkmated official power with Wiki-leaks, the new people's power. Assange has achieved an unbelievable bloodless coup for all time. Watch for big heads to guillotined! Assange seems to be very responsible in that he is only revealing a threat to established power. He doesn't want to create a power vacuum that would de-stabilized and generate chaos, as happens in most revolutions. IMHO.

[FlyByNight]

19. Well done Mr. Greenwald

:applause:

The CNN hack is a cipher. I hope the paychecks are worth her "soul". (Fran Townsend is barely worth mentioning.)

[sabrina 1]

22. He is one of the best journalists in the country today.

I always appreciated his blog but he is getting better as time goes by and good for him for remaining independent, not attaching himself to some of the bigger blogs where he would not be as free to publish the facts when they are not helpful to the government.

Thanks for posting, EFerrari :kick:

[stockholmer]

23. as a European, Greenwald gives me hope for the USA n/t

[sabrina 1]

26. Lol, those two women were totally destroyed by Greenwald.

I give him credit for remaining calm as he listened to the lies they told.

As for the Bush woman, the very idea that she could sit there and point fingers at anyone for simply publishing news, when she cooperated in some of the crimes of the last Century herself. There are many who believe that people like her should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity.

She also lied when she stated Wikileaks never contacted the government the way the NYT does. Wikileaks DID contact the Pentagon and asked them to redact any information that would harm individuals and they refused.

Greenwald was superb. I doubt CNN will invite him back the next time they try to discredit Assange.

:applause: for Greenwald, who delivers facts even in the face of some of the worst journalistic practices conducted by those two 'bobbleheads' Lol!

[pauldp]

27. CNN is basically Fox News Light.

corporate nonsense news

[EFerrari]

28. It's unwatchable except in a case like this, when a person with a brain

shows up and illustrates the difference. lol :)

[sulphurdunn]

29. To CNN's and the moderator's credit,

Jessica Yellin let Greenwald speak every time he failed to rise to her establishment narrative bait. In fact, Greenwald had more speaking time than the conservative, which is a very rare thing. Even Townsend allowed him to complete his statements without interruption when she realized she was outclassed. Considering that Greenwald is not a huge celebrity, neither his being allowed to rebut the corporate mouthpiece or to finish his statements without endless interruption by the moderator and the conservative would have ever happened on FOX.

[EFerrari]

32. That's true and Yellin does get credit for that. n/t

[Ramulux]

30. I'm in love with Glenn Greenwald

The dude is such a badass. He absolutely dismantles the argument that both those corporate stooges are trying to make and really fucks up their train of thought. This video is a perfect example of EVERYTHING that is wrong with the news nowadays. As someone else pointed out Yellin is simply not a very intelligent woman and Greenwald is a fucking intellectual powerhouse, what did she expect was going to happen.

Another thing that I always notice whenever anyone has on Glenn, is that I really dont think either of these people had any idea who he was or what he does, because if they did they would not have had him on. He humiliates everyone he has a debate with and all that either of these of these women had to do was go on youtube and watch any of his past TV appearances to know that they were not going to get away with talking bullshit. I think this gets at a very important point about cable news and that is that, these people who go on these shows do not expect any pushback on their beliefs and are totally unprepared to deal with someone who holds a counter-viewpoint and is able to make their case intelligently.

[EFerrari]

33. I started following Greenwald when I noticed we were interested

by the same stories. And by the collapsing media in this country.

[WillyT]

34. HUGE K & R !!!

:kick:

[90-percent]

35. I like Glenn

I recall in the last couple of months he had a pretty heated argument with Lawrence O'Donnell at MSNBC. Larry seemed to nail him on that Senate Parliamentary stuff he knows so well, having served on the great Pat Moynihan's staff, I think?

Could somebody research this and come up with a DU ruling on who won/lost and was right/wrong, lying/truthing, etc.

Thanks

-90% jimmy

[valerief]

36. Great clip!!! nt

[underpants]

41. Townsend - on e of the best Bush era quotes. This is all you need to know about her.

HENRY: You know, going back to September 2001, the president said, dead or alive, we're going to get him. Still don't have him. I know you are saying there's successes on the war on terror, and there have been. That's a failure.

TOWNSEND: Well, I'm not sure -- it's a success that hasn't occurred yet. I don't know that I view that as a failure.


http://crooksandliars.com/2006/12/29/denial-aint-just-a-river-in-egypt-folks

[EFerrari]

42. Omg. Perfect. Thanks, underpants.

[underpants]

43. He dominated that conversation without being in any way inflamatory

The hostess let him go (the first full 5 minutes) but notice how many times she said "go to jail" - he is clearly being convicted in public without a trial.

That was impressive by Glenn especially since he didn't have make-up and looked like he was in a sauna.

[wundermaus]

44. Glen Greewald is a true professional...

And a true American patriot.
They never knew what hit them.

[barbtries]

45. i love him

glenn greenwald you're the best.

[pmorlan1]

46. Greenwald put these two to shame

Fran Townsend lied her you know what off and the media talking head allowed her to do so. This woman is not a journalist she's nothing but a corporate hack. It was shameful.

[progressoid]

47. Wow, they were pathetic.

Why didn't they get it over with and call him "UN-AMERICAN" and cut off his mic.

[rhett o rick]

48. My rec was cancelled. nm

[ProfessionalLeftist]

49. Greenwald kicked their butts alright.

Well done!

[democracy1st]

51. K & R

[Cowpunk]

52. GO GO Glenzilla!

That was beautiful.

It's just too bad the host cut him off before he could explain that major newspapers had vetted and redacted the documents released by Wikileaks.