Peter Relph
Annalee Newitz 🍜What the actual fuck. One of my favorite political commentators, Mehdi Hasan, has been speaking out very eloquently, with his usual evidence-based arguments, in favor of Palestinian rights. And as a result, MSNBC canceled his popular show. This is a terrifying sign that so-called free speech in this country is anything but free. https://presswatchers.org/2023/11/msnbc-cancels-mehdi-hasan-a-truth-teller-in-a-time-of-crisis/
Roadskater, Ph.D.@annaleen Always remember, freedom of the press only applies to the one who owns the press.
ShadSterling@annaleen really want to know where to find him next
@ShadSterling same. His book, "Win Every Argument," has been so helpful to me in my own writing.
Jasper 🍉@annaleen @ShadSterling he writes for -at least- The Intercept https://theintercept.com/staff/mehdihasan/ and also in their podcast.
Rachel A. Rosen@annaleen Oh no. I don't really watch American news but I saw some clips of his shows and I was surprised at how insightful he was allowed to be on air.
Phi Φ@annaleen probably his statements on Daily Show that aired yesterday got too much heat
Jeff R@annaleen You obviously misunderstand what "free speech" means. While we may not be happy about it, free speech does not mean free from consequences or repercussions.
Zorro Notorious MEB 😡@annaleen I haven't watched Mehdi recently, but yeah, this is bad.
The Gray Witch@annaleen There is a huge lobby of people who cry antisemitism any time the truth about how Israel is treating the Palestinians. They try to silence anybody who tells the truth.
Read this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Historians
In light of this quote: "We must do everything to ensure they [the #Palestinians] never do return. The old will die and the young will forget," -- David Ben-Gurion, first Prime Minister of Israel
justicesandwichAnd you should look up #antisemitism
Because finding excuses to continue to be prejudiced towards Jews because of any reasons is immoral.
If you can't manage that deal with the fact that you justify harm for certain members of humanity.
@justicesandwich @annaleen LOL You are the one who brought up Jews. Are you feeling a bit guilty about false accusations?
I'm still waiting for the IDF to present the babies Hamas was supposed to have cooked. The ripped apart settlers look to have been done so by Israeli tank shells, not Hamas.
You do not get to redefine the language of hate used against #jews
Carry on hating Isreal/Jews but don't think you can pretend it's not #prejudice and #antisemitism
Just deal with the fact that you assume I am tied to #Israel despite just being a father in #Canada who wants his child to attend public school, and sports without fear.
You see Jewish citizens as belonging to something they aren't, and treat us differently.
Double down? Hold my beer? I expect your rage 😡
@justicesandwich @annaleen By persecuting the Palestinians and steeling their land, Israel makes all Jewish people less safe.
None of us are safe unless all of us are safe.
None of use are free unless all of use are free.
By marching in the streets with calls for the genocide of Israel, and by insisting a foreign country is the only solution to safety of Canadian Jews you are actively making it less safe, and a more hostile world for my family.
You have a choice outside of Israel to treat your neighbours equally, and to show by example.
Don't pretend it's someone else's responsibility.
Where have I called for genocide of Israel?
These are two tenants of my life:
1: None of us are safe unless all of us are safe.
2: None of use are free unless all of use are free.
Israel has been practicing oppression of non Jewish ethnic groups. I can't abide by that. Not only does it make my Jewish lover and relatives less safe, but it gives license for those who may want to treat me as an other too.
I know what it is like to have no recourse to the law.
@annaleen I'm not sure that your final sentence follows from the rest. I assume he'll be started somewhere new tomorrow, I'll follow him there, and from my point of view nothing will have changed.
Martha@amoshiashwili @annaleen
What will have changed is that MSNBC have shown us what controlling supporters of Zionist Israel they are. People with caring hearts and minds now know to regard anything MSNBC promotes with critical eyes.
What will have changed is that MSNBC have shown us what controlling supporters of Zionist Israel they are. People with caring hearts and minds now know to regard anything MSNBC promotes with critical eyes.
@Island_Martha @annaleen you're telling on yourself.
SpeakerToManagers@annaleen
What excuse has MSNBC given for this action? Or are they just going to keep quiet and let us guess what rationales they might come up with?
What excuse has MSNBC given for this action? Or are they just going to keep quiet and let us guess what rationales they might come up with?
Grumble@annaleen MSNBC doesn't want their advertisers to treat them like Twitter's advertisers treat Musk.
Ether Diver@annaleen Hasan is one of like two things worth watching on MSNBC. Absolutely appalling move.
CautionWIP (he/him) 🏳️🌈🇨🇦🕎@etherdiver @annaleen Out of curiosity, what’s the other?
@Caution @annaleen All In with Chris Hayes is usually solid. That's the other thing I had in mind. There's one other host, whose name I absolutely cannot summon at the moment, who's okay as well. (UPDATED: I remembered!)
EDIT: Ari Melber is okay as well, but they're both at least a step or two behind Hasan for my money.
Garrett Wollman@annaleen To be honest, it's a surprise MSNBC as a whole has survived its varying near-death experiences, considering that its ownership is politically on the opposite side from most of the marquee hosts.
okanogen VerminEnemyFromWithin
jz.tuskWhat bullshit.
Nicole ParsonsMehdi Hasan is also an excellent author.
I really hope he gets another show soon!
He's like Tiffany Cross, a valued truth teller.
Ivey Janette McClelland@annaleen Fired on orders from Comcast. Hopefully he'll land a podcast or something online where he's not subjected to censorship.
KilleansRow 🇺🇲 🇺🇦🍀@annaleen To be fair this is troubling in that very real sense that whenever and wherever there is regional armed conflict people that simply cannot get out of the way fast enough become *sacrificial lambs* who's voices at best are put on mute such that we do not know the magnitude of horror until after the fact. It's not a transaction we should be making. Of note also is the #Biden administrations courageous attempts to bridge what is admittedly a chasm. They are aware and not ignoring issues
@annaleen Another observation of note regards that previous maleficent turn of events at #CNN where ownership delineated a sudden, if not outright #Fascist right turn, but then failed. By that measure if #MSNBC had a mantle to defend they may have already taken the long walk , in which case we're merely once again seeing the post facto resultant that there is no moral or ethical compass immune to sale if the price is right
@annaleen I love his 60 second rant!
the Amygdalai Lama@annaleen Good Lord 😳
Ginny Bee (she/her)@annaleen Terrifying is definitely the word. MSNBC isn't the enclave we'd like it to be.
... also, I hate that this outcome is right in line with one of the most pervasive anti-semitic tropes about the media and who controls it. Not sure what's worse.
Go func(yourself) 
@fixiemama @annaleen americans have been shielded from the injustices happening to the palestinians wether in the media or the political discourse for decades, nothing new here
@hicham Yes. My husband (now divorced) was raised mostly outside of the US and so I was awakened to how siloed we are in my twenties. The thing is it's so obvious. Like they didn't even try to hide the fact that he's been de-platformed bc too many people are super biased to pro-Israel-only content. It makes it a lot harder to argue that a certain group does not control the media.
prunella@annaleen Wow. Shameful!
andrew@annaleen haven't watched in a while, but Medhi's Peacock show, which I think is still a thing, was a lot better than his MSNBC show. Though as a universal rule, friends don't let friends watch cable news.
Adeptus Alexus@annaleen liberals dont care for freedom of speech if you dont agree with their centrist takes. they abhore everything thats a principled leftist position
Adlangx@annaleen wow. That's some bullshit
Celia Nancy Foster@annaleen Typical western media knee jerk response. I'm disgusted.
Joe ❌👑@annaleen They fired Phil Donahue over his opposition to the Iraq War back in the W days, he had their top rated show at the time.
kb@annaleen Yo, mind adding a uspol cw? I want to boost this but can't.
coderipper@annaleen MSNBC has long favored corporate sellouts to real journalists.
sandywb14
underflo@annaleen Immediately noticed he went MIA after the conflict went off. They still have Ayman but I like Mehdi
Jonathan HendryJust like when they canceled Phil Donahue's show just before the Iraq war, supposedly for low ratings, but it was their most-watched show.
Steffen Christensen@annaleen Dammit, Annalee.
Just when I was starting to have some respect for Microsoft.
Just when I was starting to have some respect for Microsoft.
Jennifer Slack@annaleen
Oh no! Mehdi Hasan is absolutely the best!
Oh no! Mehdi Hasan is absolutely the best!
Ivan Jarmoluk@annaleen Regardless of the issue or political leanings of the individual, a corporation choosing not to put you on TV is not a matter of free speech. The 1st amendment is about the U.S. government hindering free speech. Private companies can choose not to allow people on their networks all they want. It's literally not even at all related.
Shitty? Sure. Free speech violation? Not even a little. Let's not let this bad faith talking point take hold in left wing politics as well.
TransitBiker@annaleen meh. All these major networks are tied up in some bullshit or another. Sad still, though.
Adam R. Wood@annaleen The Onion once again proved prophetic. https://www.theonion.com/the-onion-stands-with-israel-because-it-seems-like-yo-1850922505
‘The Onion’ Stands With Israel Because It Seems Like You Get In Less Trouble For That
The past week has shown humanity at its worst: A horrific terrorist attack left at least 1,300 Israelis dead, among them peace activists and even innocent children. The fates of many more kidnapped civilians still lie in the balance. Meanwhile, statements from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggest retaliation…
https://gigatexal.blog -he/him@annaleen bad look for MSNBC a bad look indeed
William B Peckham@annaleen One can be against Hamas and pro-palestinian. (in fact that describes most Palestinians!). You can be pro Israel but anti Israeli apartheid. (And most Jews are!). You can want the created state of Israel to succeed, and still understand that they're taking control of the Gaza strip and the way they've managed that have created a terrorist recruiting and training ground. They created the problem and then point to the problem and say " see this is why we get to kill people!" and continue making the problem worse. There are four sides here, Israeli terrorists and Palestinian terrorists, and Israeli innocent victims and Palestinian innocent victims. If you only pick one of the four sides to hate, then you don't stand for the innocent or their protection.