Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Cable news analyst quits and sends final message to his Fox News peers.

Courtesy of Buzzfeed: 

On March 1st, I informed Fox that I would not renew my contract. The purpose of this message to all of you is twofold: 

First, I must thank each of you for the cooperation and support you've shown me over the years. Those working off-camera, the bookers and producers, don't often get the recognition you deserve, but I want you to know that I have always appreciated the challenges you face and the skill with which you master them.

Second, I feel compelled to explain why I have to leave. Four decades ago, I took an oath as a newly commissioned officer. I swore to "support and defend the Constitution," and that oath did not expire when I took off my uniform. Today, I feel that Fox News is assaulting our constitutional order and the rule of law, while fostering corrosive and unjustified paranoia among viewers. Over my decade with Fox, I long was proud of the association. Now I am ashamed. 

In my view, Fox has degenerated from providing a legitimate and much-needed outlet for conservative voices to a mere propaganda machine for a destructive and ethically ruinous administration. When prime-time hosts--who have never served our country in any capacity--dismiss facts and empirical reality to launch profoundly dishonest assaults on the FBI, the Justice Department, the courts, the intelligence community (in which I served) and, not least, a model public servant and genuine war hero such as Robert Mueller--all the while scaremongering with lurid warnings of "deep-state" machinations-- I cannot be part of the same organization, even at a remove. To me, Fox News is now wittingly harming our system of government for profit. 

As a Russia analyst for many years, it also has appalled me that hosts who made their reputations as super-patriots and who, justifiably, savaged President Obama for his duplicitous folly with Putin, now advance Putin's agenda by making light of Russian penetration of our elections and the Trump campaign. Despite increasingly pathetic denials, it turns out that the "nothing-burger" has been covered with Russian dressing all along. And by the way: As an intelligence professional, I can tell you that the Steele dossier rings true--that's how the Russians do things.. The result is that we have an American president who is terrified of his counterpart in Moscow. 

I do not apply the above criticisms in full to Fox Business, where numerous hosts retain a respect for facts and maintain a measure of integrity (nor is every host at Fox News a propaganda mouthpiece--some have shown courage). I have enjoyed and valued my relationship with Fox Business, and I will miss a number of hosts and staff members. You're the grown-ups. 

Also, I deeply respect the hard-news reporters at Fox, who continue to do their best as talented professionals in a poisoned environment. These are some of the best men and women in the business.. 

So, to all of you: Thanks, and, as our president's favorite world leader would say, "Das vidanya."

Okay that last remark was right on target.

The above is a message from now retired Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters, and former Fox News "expert."

There has been virtually no time in the past where I have found anything admirable about this guy, but apparently there is an ethical line that even HE will not cross.

Now let's watch and see if any other Fox News folks reach there limit in the next few months. 

18 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:38 AM

    it's good to see fox having REAL people and not just talking heads.Peter's has not been some one i d watch. i salute his ability to stand up for the right thing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. They didn't reach their limits with Roger Ailes but this is where they draw the line.

    Not with Glenn Beck.

    Not with Bill O'Reilly.

    Mulligan after Mulligan on Trump's adultery, bigotry, racism, hate speech, embracing of Nazis. etc.

    But NOW the line is drawn?

    Why now? Why this line? Could it be Trump has asked this guy to replace McMaster?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:21 PM

      Mulligan, "in a game, happens when a player gets a second chance to perform a certain move or action; usually due to lack of skill or bitter luck.
      A "DO-Over". Like getting an "EXXXtra pLAY" in pinball due to sinking the ball before obtaining an arbitrary amount of points"
      'even though this is against the formal rules~ of LAW'

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:27 PM

      HONEYPOT$

      Delete
  3. Anonymous12:32 PM

    Cambridge Analytica linked to Blackwater’s Erik Prince — who allegedly sought back channel for Trump and Putin

    https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/cambridge-analytica-linked-blackwaters-erik-prince-allegedly-sought-back-channel-trump-putin/Something that Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg said years ago could haunt him amid the Cambridge Analytica scandal

    ...“Yeah, so if you ever need [information] about anyone at Harvard, just ask,” Zuckerberg said to the unidentified friend. He added, “I have 4000 emails, pictures, addresses, [and] SNS.” The friend sounds surprised in response and asks, “What!? How’d you manage that one?” Zuckerberg replied, “People just submitted it. I don’t know why. They ‘trust me.'” He then said, “Dumb f***s.”

    https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/something-facebooks-mark-zuckerberg-said-years-ago-haunt-amid-cambridge-analytica-scandal/

    https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/facebook-founder-mark-zuckerberg-finally-just-addressed-cambridge-analytica-fiasco/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:14 PM


      https://www.politicususa.com/2018/03/21/mark-zuckerberg-cambridge-analytica-statement.html

      "Zuckerberg’ statement said he would direct Facebook to provide notices to all users of the social media platform if their data was given to Cambridge Analytica .

      He said they would also do the following:

      — Investigate all apps with access to Facebook data, and demand audits of any app with “suspicious activity”

      — Restrict developers’ data access even further to prevent other kinds of abuse

      — Launch a tool at the top of the News Feed that will show users which apps have access to their data and allow them to revoke those apps’ permissions

      Zuckerberg will be on CNN at 9:00 EDT this evening to further discuss the situation."

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2:16 PM

      FB Excerpt Last 1/2 Statement>"Last week, we learned from The Guardian, The New York Times and Channel 4 that Cambridge Analytica may not have deleted the data as they had certified. We immediately banned them from using any of our services. Cambridge Analytica claims they have already deleted the data and has agreed to a forensic audit by a firm we hired to confirm this. We're also working with regulators as they investigate what happened.
      This was a breach of trust between Kogan, Cambridge Analytica and Facebook. But it was also a breach of trust between Facebook and the people who share their data with us and expect us to protect it. We need to fix that.
      In this case, we already took the most important steps a few years ago in 2014 to prevent bad actors from accessing people's information in this way. But there's more we need to do and I'll outline those steps here:
      First, we will investigate all apps that had access to large amounts of information before we changed our platform to dramatically reduce data access in 2014, and we will conduct a full audit of any app with suspicious activity. We will ban any developer from our platform that does not agree to a thorough audit. And if we find developers that misused personally identifiable information, we will ban them and tell everyone affected by those apps. That includes people whose data Kogan misused here as well.
      Second, we will restrict developers' data access even further to prevent other kinds of abuse. For example, we will remove developers' access to your data if you haven't used their app in 3 months. We will reduce the data you give an app when you sign in -- to only your name, profile photo, and email address. We'll require developers to not only get approval but also sign a contract in order to ask anyone for access to their posts or other private data. And we'll have more changes to share in the next few days.
      Third, we want to make sure you understand which apps you've allowed to access your data. In the next month, we will show everyone a tool at the top of your News Feed with the apps you've used and an easy way to revoke those apps' permissions to your data. We already have a tool to do this in your privacy settings, and now we will put this tool at the top of your News Feed to make sure everyone sees it.
      Beyond the steps we had already taken in 2014, I believe these are the next steps we must take to continue to secure our platform.
      I started Facebook, and at the end of the day I'm responsible for what happens on our platform. I'm serious about doing what it takes to protect our community. While this specific issue involving Cambridge Analytica should no longer happen with new apps today, that doesn't change what happened in the past. We will learn from this experience to secure our platform further and make our community safer for everyone going forward.
      I want to thank all of you who continue to believe in our mission and work to build this community together. I know it takes longer to fix all these issues than we'd like, but I promise you we'll work through this and build a better service over the long term." Z

      Delete
    3. Anonymous2:35 PM

      https://www.buzzfeed.com/tariniparti/cambridge-analytica-republican-campaigns?utm_term=.eeVz7Ong5#.rmxbOeKoj

      "A Maryland woman who said she was “frequently targeted with political ads while using Facebook” during the 2016 presidential election filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Facebook and
      Cambridge Analytica"

      https://www.buzzfeed.com/lamvo/facebook-cambridge-analytica-lawsuit?utm_term=.qdAM96qjX#.mi5GjPpYJ

      Delete
    4. Anonymous3:36 PM

      https://www.politicususa.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/bd180321.jpg

      'Editorial Cartoon: Facecrook'

      Delete
    5. Anonymous3:44 PM

      http://www.fbnewspost.com/how-to-block-and-see-all-the-apps-on-facebook-tracking-your-personal-info/

      Delete
  4. Anonymous1:07 PM

    Lt. Col. Peters rode the Fox news gravy train a long way before he got off. Sorry to mix metaphors, but me thinks this rat is just deserting a ship when he sees it's sinking.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous2:50 PM

    Damn fucking time one of those crazed Faux news assholes come to their senses.
    Trump is a disgrace to all the immigrants that fought hard and long to make this country what it was, until last year when he got elected.
    We've been going down the shithole every since. Faux news in on Russia's payroll. Gotta be. There's no way anyone would be so damned determined to see a jerk like Trump succeed.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous3:18 PM

    FB>"The role of Fox News in shaping, inciting, provoking, and manipulating our current political environment will be the topic of many a future historian's study. As President Trump basks in an alternate reality, he has been both abetted and encouraged by Fox News. He makes rash policy pronouncements based on what he hears on the network and Fox's prime time stars do his bidding in gaslighting America.
    The result is real damage to our democracy. That is not only my judgement or that of the so-called media elite who continue to insist we live in a world of facts and reason and truth. It's the conclusion of one of Fox News' own stars - longtime guest on the network Ralph Peters. A retired Army lieutenant colonel and author Peters was one of those reliable voices who railed against President Obama during the time of his tenure in office - even using such derogatory language that he was suspended from Fox News for a two weeks.
    But apparently Mr. Peters has had enough. And in a blistering email to colleagues he quit the network, writing in one spection:
    "Four decades ago, I took an oath as a newly commissioned officer. I swore to "support and defend the Constitution," and that oath did not expire when I took off my uniform. Today, I feel that Fox News is assaulting our constitutional order and the rule of law, while fostering corrosive and unjustified paranoia among viewers. Over my decade with Fox, I long was proud of the association. Now I am ashamed.
    In my view, Fox has degenerated from providing a legitimate and much-needed outlet for conservative voices to a mere propaganda machine for a destructive and ethically ruinous administration. When prime-time hosts--who have never served our country in any capacity--dismiss facts and empirical reality to launch profoundly dishonest assaults on the FBI, the Justice Department, the courts, the intelligence community (in which I served) and, not least, a model public servant and genuine war hero such as Robert Mueller--all the while scaremongering with lurid warnings of "deep-state" machinations-- I cannot be part of the same organization, even at a remove. To me, Fox News is now wittingly harming our system of government for profit."
    The entire email and its greater context are worth reading in full. I am sharing the link from Buzzfeed News, which broke the story."<Dan the Man Rather

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous3:24 PM

    " residual feelings about Lipinski’s politics — as an anti-abortion Democrat who has opposed marriage equality and Obamacare, he’s one of the most CONservative members of the caucus "

    https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/21/lipinski-illinois-democrats-liberals-479338

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous3:49 PM

    https://thinkprogress.org/20000-illinois-republicans-voted-for-nazi-7bbeeb7631fd/

    NAZI^

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous3:52 PM

    FYI >T-coup?
    "BBG provides independent news coverage around the world, running Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and whistleblowers say they’re concerned top staffers are plotting to undermine that independent reporting."

    https://thinkprogress.org/broadcasting-board-of-governors-fear-pro-trump-coup-1dccf247012e/

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous7:34 PM

    I don't know what this guy is after, or trying to stay ahead of, however, he spent all this time helping to create this monster, now he wants to quit? Somebody tell this POS to shut up and slither out.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous11:44 PM

    I am still (more so now) glad I have not yet joined the Fece-book lemmings...

    ReplyDelete

Don't feed the trolls!
It just goes directly to their thighs.