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| Photo by Ashlee Attebery on Unsplash |
Walter Cronkite was a lifelong Republican. In his day, Cronkite ‘told it like it was, and America trusted what he reported. Richard Nixon was watching Cronkite in the jungles of Vietnam, decked out in a green army uniform complete with helmet and microphone, as he grimly reported to millions of citizens that the Vietnam war had become an unwinable quagmire. President Nixon said, “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America.”
While she may never have the stature of Walter Cronkite, Rachel Maddow has become a force, a journalist who dares to tell it like it is …and goes the extra mile to tell Americans what they may be afraid to hear. I am quite aware that Ms. Maddow, a former Oxford Rhodes Scholar, is often painted by some on the far right as a raging liberal, so biased that she cannot be trusted to tell the truth. Some think this is true of all MSNBC hosts — even Nicole Wallace, a former Republican and John McCain’s former communications director.
To my way of thinking, a scholar is a person of integrity and dedication to their studies— in her case journalism. On that both Cronkite and Maddow have much in common. Ms. Maddow has proven in her previous work Drift to be a thorough researcher, a fine writer and, whether one agrees with her or not, a seeker of the truth as it pertains to the subject of her investigation.
Ms. Maddow lays out her case with precision and just a touch of humor…albeit dark.
For the open minded and curious, this essay is a snapshot of some of her most salient themes in what is a dense well footnoted and heavily sourced new book entitled: Blowout: corrupted democracy, rogue state Russia, and the richest, most destructive industry on earth. Ms. Maddow lays out her case with precision and just a touch of humor…albeit dark. So here goes:
· Putin: The Russian kingmaker is a thug of the first degree. Opposition is destroyed. His ‘people’ are poor; however, nary a peep comes from them or else they faced an ‘unfortunate’ demise. There is little he does not control and exploit for his own financial interest. This includes the plentiful, but extremely difficult to reach Russian Arctic oil deposits. He backed himself and his nation into an economic corner — oil and gas are all they really have to offer economically. Enter Rex Tillerson…
· Rex Tillerson and Exxon Mobile: There was a reason Tillerson is Putin’s comrade. After figuring out that Russian industry couldn’t extract oil because they were so incompetent, multinational corporations were called; they had the technical know-how to bust through the Arctic ice. BP, Shell and other competition didn’t offer the rosy deal that Tillerson’s Exxon Mobile offered. Putin kept a king’s ransom, but Tillerson’s shareholders would be quite happy with their cut. There was only one little problem…
· Ukraine, Crimea and United States’ Sanctions. Putin wanted expansion badly. He felt Ukraine was rightfully his…er, I mean Russia’s. Putin’s forceful invasion of Crimea and then his attack on eastern Ukraine (killing thousands of Ukrainian freedom-from-Putin fighters), caused the US Congress and the Obama administration to act in a bipartisan manner to put powerful sanctions on Russia. Specifically, multinational companies (i.e. Exxon Mobil) were ordered to stand down and stop sending drilling materials, etc. to Russia. This did not make Tillerson happy. Why?…
· US Foreign Policy: This means little to the Exxon Mobil bottom line: Profitability ‘trunps’ all. So Rex and Co. needed a new administration to step in to the Oval Office. No one was a bigger fan of Mr.Trump than Putin. There was only one catch, getting Trump elected. Hmm…
· John McCain to the Rescue: Here is a little known nugget. Most Americans know McCain thwarted the McConnell plan to kill the ACA (Obamacare), but few are aware ( I was not) that McCain made sure that the sanctions were not removed by the Congress. Ms. Maddow explains the specifics. McCain famously said that when he looked into Putin’s eyes he saw a cold blooded KGB agent. But the story is not over…
· Russian Propaganda Machine: Maddow’s closing chapters (26–29) detail the Russian disinformation campaign. I’ll leave all the juicy details to the reader; however, suffice it to say a 24/7, all hands on deck, no holds barred campaign was established circa 2014. There were Facebook ads, websites that seem entirely ‘American made’, and cyber-spies abound. Their purpose: to make sure Americans do not know whom or what to trust. Disinformation is the most powerful weapon that Putin had. For one example, the organization called “The Heart of Texas” was a Russian created web-world. Many Americans bought it and its propaganda hook-line- and stinker. And so who rides to the rescue?…
· Constituents: I wish Ms. Maddow had a better answer for the darkness and polarization that has clouded our nation, but honestly, she argues that comes down to constituents’ effort to find out the truth despite the haze of ‘alternate facts’ and then each citizen making the commitment of voting.
Maddow hones in on these facts that to some may find debatable, but as she makes clear in her own way (and time) science has her back: Fracking causes earthquakes (notably in Oklahoma). Fossil fuel dependence leads to global warming and extreme weather (from the polar ice melt to tornadoes tearing across the nation’s midsection). These scientific facts are coupled with the expert knowledge of distinguished reseachers Maddow takes pains to footnote.
As I said, Rachel Maddow may not be your cup of tea, but she makes a compelling case for understanding Putin’s motives, the mission of Big Oil and Gas, and the Disinformation War that beguiles so many Americans of goodwill. I sincerely hope that the cynicism that runs rampant today’s jungle does not blurr the facts. Walter Cronkite used to remind us as he looked into the camera, “That’s the way it is.” If you didn’t know about these issues, now you have a preview. The book may just light the flame.
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