Media Platforms Sell Out America by Hosting Steve Bannon’s ‘Insurrection TV’
Why are mainstream media aiding and abetting Bannon's attack on democracy?
Steve Bannon failed to drain the swamp during his brief stint in the Trump administration, but he perfected the art of lurking in the moral sewer. The Washington Post reports that Bannon is now peddling an anti-democratic television show that airs on Real America’s Voice, a shady right-wing network. While the name of Bannon’s gig is “War Room”, a more accurate description would be “Insurrection TV”.
The network advertises itself as “No more fake news coming your way …” But a former Real America’s Voice producer describes the content as bogus and bombastic propaganda designed to radicalize MAGA extremists. “We were told fairly regularly we were Trump propaganda. That is what our role was. That was the message from the top: ‘We’re a Trump propaganda network.’ That’s where the money was.”
Bannon’s show unabashedly peddles the Big Lie and spins the January 6 coup against democracy as a patriotic event. In Bannon’s perverse worldview, the real crime against America occurred on Election Day, when voters had the nerve to stand in line and vote. He now fancies himself the leader of the “3 November movement,” directing the MAGA mob into future elections, which he calls the “valley of decision”.
The Post explains that after the 2021 presidential election, “the show became a clearinghouse for false claims of mass voter fraud”. Bannon’s show acts as an ideological enforcer, “turning allegiance to Trump’s assertion of election theft into a litmus test for Republican candidates.” The day prior to the Jan. 6 coup attempt, Bannon told his viewers, “All hell is going to break loose tomorrow.” Hmm, it seems like Bannon had inside information on the overthrow of the United States government and used his media platform to help promote the mayhem. How is this ok?
Steve Bannon’s moral depravity and unpatriotic behavior isn’t news. After all, in 2020 Bannon was indicted on charges of defrauding donors who gave him money to build Trump’s doomed wall. Bannon was accused of funneling almost $1 million of the $25 million raised for personal use. He pleaded not guilty, but was ultimately saved by a sleazy Trump pardon.
Robert J. Sigg, the CEO of Real America’s Voice, also has an inauspicious past. The Post found that his “criminal record includes a federal conviction for bank fraud.” Colorado court records show an alarming rap sheet “including drug, assault and harassment charges, as well as civil claims involving disputes over money. Between 1997 and 2010, he amassed more than $235,000 in unpaid federal taxes, according to a lien filed against him in January 2012 and withdrawn within weeks.”
Given the disreputable records of Bannon and Sigg, why have American content distributers eagerly crawled into their flea-ridden and moldy bedroll at the expense of the country? It’s difficult to believe, but “Insurrection TV” is widely available on leading media platforms including Dish, Pluto TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV and Google Play.
A Dish spokesman justified the slimy arrangement by saying their platform provides a “broad range of content that will appeal to the many different interests of our customer base.” Pluto TV rationalized their partnership by claiming, “We do not partake in any editorial decisions or moderation.” Oddly enough, YouTube, which is owned by Google, removed the War Room, but it remains available on Google Play through Real America’s Voice.
It is beyond disgraceful that these platforms have elected to air a network that is an unpatriotic, toxic wasteland devoid of the most basic journalistic standards. What Bannon represents is not just another viewpoint. No one would be objecting to War Room if Bannon were simply offering conservative opinions. However, he is using his perch to undermine faith in democracy, sow division, spread white nationalism, delegitimize the duly elected government and serve as “The General” for the next coup attempt.
It is despicable and wholly inexcusable that the greedy cowards who run these platforms are helping mainstream and normalize sedition as just another “interest” or viewpoint that must be respected in their quest to make money.
As for Bannon, the former Breitbart website publisher, he fully recognizes the boost that these platforms have given his dangerous cause. “Breitbart was very powerful,” Bannon cooed, “but this is five times more powerful.”
Bannon has been clear from the beginning that his radical goal was “deconstruction of the administrative state.” Nearly five years later, the damage his nihilistic ideology has wrought on our nation’s institutions is self-evident. The question is, why are mainstream platforms selling out America by giving Bannon and his MAGA goons the means to complete the job they failed to finish on January 6?
I’m sure the executives at these companies are enjoying the money from this vulturous venture. However, they should be more concerned about the price democracy is paying for their reckless and irresponsible decision to air “Insurrection TV”.
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