And who better to provide the pulpit of truth for this enlightening exchange? Why, Tucker Carlson, of course – now operating his own TV channel following his abrupt exit from Fox News last year.
Carlson is hardly a paragon of journalistic integrity and geopolitical expertise. He is both a stalwart Trump ally and defender of those who laid siege to the U.S. Capital. His Fox News comments fuelled the 2020 presidential election fraud claims. And he is a longstanding Russian apologist.
Perfect, then, for Mr Putin!
What followed was a masterful performance from the Russian President. Indeed, it was Trumpesque.
The West has Russia all wrong.
With a straight face, Putin regaled the uncritical Carlson with tales of Russia's historical grievances, starting in the 9th century, and its divine right to reclaim lost territories. Ukrainians, it seems, were always Russian. (With their early medieval Anglo-Saxon heritage, maybe someone should try telling the British they’re really German?)
According to Putin, Russia's invasion of Ukraine was but a noble quest to rid the world of Nazism – conveniently ignoring the fact that Ukraine's President is Jewish. An on-to-it interviewer might have challenged the Russian President on the Nazi stuff but not the intrepid Tucker.
But Tucker did ask if Russia also plans to invade Poland. Putin quipped he would only do that if Poland attacked Russia first. The irony that that is exactly what Hitler claimed at the start of WWII was lost on both of them.
And then came the Russian President’s bizarre claim that the West's crisis of confidence was to blame for his country’s tyrannical delusions. Apparently, it's the West's fault for not believing in Russia's divine mission to spread peace and prosperity across the globe. Silly West!
No Putin interview would be complete without a healthy dose of paranoia and conspiracy theories. Putin painted a picture of Western encirclement and aggression, conveniently ignoring Russia's history of annexations and military interventions.
It was a masterclass in deflection and projection – provided convincing the unconverted wasn’t a goal. Putin cast himself as the misunderstood hero standing up to the bullying tactics of the West, with Carlson egging him on.
Speaking truth to power? Forget it.
If only we had journalists of Tucker Carlson’s quality in New Zealand.
Roger Partridge is chairman and a co-founder of The New Zealand Initiative and is a senior member of its research team. He led law firm Bell Gully as executive chairman from 2007 to 2014. This article was first published HERE
Perfect, then, for Mr Putin!
What followed was a masterful performance from the Russian President. Indeed, it was Trumpesque.
The West has Russia all wrong.
With a straight face, Putin regaled the uncritical Carlson with tales of Russia's historical grievances, starting in the 9th century, and its divine right to reclaim lost territories. Ukrainians, it seems, were always Russian. (With their early medieval Anglo-Saxon heritage, maybe someone should try telling the British they’re really German?)
According to Putin, Russia's invasion of Ukraine was but a noble quest to rid the world of Nazism – conveniently ignoring the fact that Ukraine's President is Jewish. An on-to-it interviewer might have challenged the Russian President on the Nazi stuff but not the intrepid Tucker.
But Tucker did ask if Russia also plans to invade Poland. Putin quipped he would only do that if Poland attacked Russia first. The irony that that is exactly what Hitler claimed at the start of WWII was lost on both of them.
And then came the Russian President’s bizarre claim that the West's crisis of confidence was to blame for his country’s tyrannical delusions. Apparently, it's the West's fault for not believing in Russia's divine mission to spread peace and prosperity across the globe. Silly West!
No Putin interview would be complete without a healthy dose of paranoia and conspiracy theories. Putin painted a picture of Western encirclement and aggression, conveniently ignoring Russia's history of annexations and military interventions.
It was a masterclass in deflection and projection – provided convincing the unconverted wasn’t a goal. Putin cast himself as the misunderstood hero standing up to the bullying tactics of the West, with Carlson egging him on.
Speaking truth to power? Forget it.
If only we had journalists of Tucker Carlson’s quality in New Zealand.
Roger Partridge is chairman and a co-founder of The New Zealand Initiative and is a senior member of its research team. He led law firm Bell Gully as executive chairman from 2007 to 2014. This article was first published HERE
8 comments:
Roger Partridge’s comments confirm that he has been totally captured by the West’s propaganda and would receive a rousing accolade from our corrupt MSM.
However, following his piece, Partridge must have been appalled that Putin’s critic, Alexis Navalny, was Jeffery Epsteined by the Russian President.
Superbly put. And now we have the Trumpists in the U S House wanting to suspend aid to Ukraine and Trump saying that what is tantamount to letting Putin do what he wants. The ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza are the cause of the greatest global anxiety.
Really?
Once you get angry enough and finally realize how toxic our media environment is .. (and take action by turning off your TV) .. 'news' takes on a new meaning.
If you look hard enough and carefully enough, you'll find hundreds of independent journalists exploring these things in minute detail.
All I know is, the ones focussed on the Ukraine conflict, are in agreement about the way the conflict unfolded, Russia's motivations and the actions of the 'collective west.'
Just as Putin describes it.
Tucker Carlson is not exactly a quality journalist as you point out, but if you think he's irrelevant you have your head in the sand.
200+ million views on his own platform alone. At least 10x the reach of the legacy media.
My advice .. turn off your TV, your ego and dump your 'learned prejudice', and start figuring it out for yourself again from scratch.
We're all being played here.
Not much different from the so called truths that Maori did not cede sovereignty and that they have always been independent from the Crown and that the colonials are subject to Maori because Maori were in NZ ahead of them. And furthermore the Treaty of Waitangi spells this out in words and principles.
Don’t be too smug NZ.
'If only we had journalists of Tucker Carlson’s quality in New Zealand.' - we do, Tova O'Brian being a typical example.
Or do we only denigrate those on one side.
This clown lost me after the first six paragraphs. Obviously either a paid MSM shill or a brainwashed ignoramus …. or both.
Can I add a thought for those who read this article.
1/- It was Iosef (Jo) Stalin, in his 1930's purges decimated the then Nation Of Ukraine - something that survivor's did not forget nor forgive.
2/- Putin's claim to ridding (the world of Nazism) - but in reality Ukraine is a revenge "strike" based on the fact that male Ukraine citizens during the 194o's joined the German Army/ mainly an SS Brigade to fight the Russian Army - hence a Military sleeve emblem that can be seen on (some) Ukraine Military Units Uniforms today.
3/- when Russia moved against the German Army (1944) and into Ukraine they exacted a 'revenge upon the citizens' for their alignment with the Nazi Empire. This has not been forgotten.
4/ - if one looks at the History of Ukraine since 1945, and it domination under Russia, with Local Males being "voted into the Ukraine Govt' to be the 'lap dog of the the Russian Govt'-one will see why - again - the Ukraine citizens sort of got upset - evidenced by rebellion's against specific Govt officials & Presidents (the last one had to be rescued by a Russian Military unit).
5/ - Since Mr Putin's emergence in St Petersburg and later as President (1st time) - he has been "reported as being sad at the demise of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - USSR -and it was his intention (note words) to restore those 'wayward Nations back into the FOLD of that former Empire'!
Not kidding - it is black & white and recorded in International MSM - but you will not read it in Stuff/Sunday Star Times, NZHearld, ODT, or Spinoff -
and it was those "words" that had NATO Nations literally "soil their collective underwear".
And YES, the US was considering reducing manpower etc in the Germany, around that time.
Donald Trump when President "hit the nail on the head, when he said NATO Nations need to up their Military ability & money into NATO" - now why would he say that - was he briefed. Oh Angela Merkle thought that "statement" funny especially when now Germany has a Military crisis-!
Oh on Poland. One minor facto that is overlooked, when Germany invaded, they had signed a pact with Iosef Stalin (on Poland) who at the same time invaded Poland from Russia - something the Poles did not forget - this angst arose with a certain - Lech Walesa _ President of Poland 1990 -1995 - but can anyone recall his background and how he became President and why?
Historical clue - at the time had had the backing of a Polish Catholic Cardinal - who late became a Pope.
So because Tucker Carlson agrees with a lot of what Trump says, defends people's right to protest ---"laying siege to the US Capitol" which has now been proven to have been a set up by Pelosi and co and the Intelligence Community, he asks questions about the 2020 election and supposedly he is a Russian apologist --this makes him lacking journalist integrity and has no understanding of geopolitical expertise.
In short he does and believe things you disagree with so he is not a good journalist. It is the equivalent of me saying you are not a very good lawyer because I disagree with your views.
Are you are aware of the coup organised by the US, lead by Victoria Nuland, to over throw the elected leader of the Ukraine in 2014? What about the Minsk Agreements (version 1 & 2) which the Ukraine signed but basically immediately violated. In fact Merkel said about 12 months ago they were only signed to allow Ukraine time to build up it's armed forces. In the mean time the Russian speaking Ukrainians, in a couple of areas were extremely badly treated (to put it mildly) by the leaders in Kiev, in the intervening years.
Unlike you I found the chat Tucker Carlson had with Putin enlightening. No I did not agree with everything but it put a balance to the propaganda we are fed from the MSM.
I think Tucker Carlson will go from strength to strength if he continues to ask the questions no others will ask and delve into issues other are not prepared to look at (or more likely are paid not to look at)
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