Inside Tenet Media, the pro-Trump ‘supergroup’ allegedly funded by Russia

 Washington Post: Inside Tenet Media, the pro-Trump ‘supergroup’ allegedly funded by Russia

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The RT Indictments are not an Assault on the First Amendment.

by Rod Williams, Sept. 5, 2024-  I have not seen it yet, as I have been engaged in other activity rather than reading news today, but I bet it is out there. I would bet that the Trumpinistas are going to frame the indictment of two employees of RT as itself an assault on democracy. They are going to allege that this is part of the weaponization of the Justice Department to intimidate and silence conservatives.

Yesterday two employees of RT, formerly Russia Today, where indited in a $10 million plan to create and distribute pro-Russian content to U.S. audiences on conservative media.  The conservative media organization involved is Tenet Media which creates content or is associated with several fringe conservative bloggers and influencers. The two RT employees are charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted they could serve prison terms of up to 30 years.

I can understand why Russia would use conservative media to spread their message. Large parts of what passes for conservative today is pro-Russian. Trump has had nice things to say about Putin and has said he would end the Ukraine War on day one. The only way Trump could end the way is by forcing Ukraine to capitulate. It is in Russia's interest that Trump win this election. 

While the commentators involved are people I have never heard of before this, they have large followings on media like Tic Tock and YouTube, and their viewers tend to be young men. Unfortunately, this alternative media is where a lot of people, especially young people get their news. Young men is a demographic that has been receptive to the most radical or right-wing messaging and most ready to believe weird conspiracies. This is a demographic in which Trump leads. With a very close election, small slices of the electorate matter a lot.

Many Trump supporters are going to see the inditement of the two RT employees as an attempt to tie Trump to Russian spies and as a smear. They are also going to allege that it is an attack on the First Amendment and a free press. It is not.

None of the political commentators involved have been charged with a crime. No one is prohibited from praising Putin. However, if you accept Russian money to do Russia's bidding you must register as foreign agent.

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Tennessee Right-Wing Influencer Network Tenet Media Allegedly Spread Russian Propaganda

by Andrew Couts and Tim Marchman, Wired, Sep 4, 2024 - A Tennessee-based media network that produces shows for high-profile right-wing influencers such as Benny Johnson and Tim Pool was largely funded by Russian state-backed news network RT, according to a federal indictment against two RT employees that the US Department of Justice unsealed on Wednesday. The DOJ claims the US company—which WIRED, along with other news outlets, was able to identify as Tenet Media but goes unnamed in the indictment—posted hundreds of videos on social media that pushed Kremlin-approved talking points.

... Tenet Media’s network includes online creators known for their right-wing politics, including Johnson, Pool, Dave Rubin, and Lauren Southern. ... In addition to the followings of the network’s individual creators, which collectively number in the millions, Tenet Media itself boasts more than 315,000 followers on YouTube and thousands more across Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. ... Tenet allegedly received some $9.7 million from RT, according to the DOJ. Of that, $8.7 million went to the production companies of three unnamed commentators, the indictment claims. ... Tenet Media allegedly included instructing the company to post pro-Russian viewpoints, such as pushing a conspiracy theory that Ukraine and the US were responsible for a March terrorist attack at a music venue in Moscow. (read it all)

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Nashville Republican Women Host Steve Gill, Sept. 11th.

 

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Bastiat Society Meets Thu. Sept 5. Topic: Is Capitalism Sustainable?

 

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The Constitution’s Enemies Swing and Miss Again

 By Dan McLaughlin. National Review, September 2, 2024 - The New York Times is at it again. Book critic Jennifer Szalai published a long essay with the inflammatory title and subhead of “The Constitution Is Sacred. Is It Also Dangerous? One of the biggest threats to America’s politics might be the country’s founding document.” It’s the usual collection of gripes about the functioning of the Electoral College and the Senate, of the sort that feature regularly in Democratic and media tantrums when they don’t get their way; willful misunderstandings of the motivations and methods of originalism; and arguments that the Constitution is hopelessly tainted by slavery — arguments that rest on a fair amount of mythologizing about how we got the Electoral College. (read it all)

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Bellevue Breakfast Club Welcomes Congressman Mark Green, Sept 7

 

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AFP-TN Mid-TN Presidential Debate Watch Party

by Rod Williams, Sept. 2, 2024- My social life has taken a nosedive since I came out as a never-Trumper. 

I used to go to almost every Republican or conservative event taking place in Nashville. Now, I often feel like a whore in church when going to such events. I now am much more selective.

However, I am going to go to this one. After all, it has free food. I expect every childish insult Trump hurls will be met with laughs and cheers, but I want to actually see the reaction of the room myself. If I get there and just can't take it, I can always leave. 

If you decide to go, look for me. I will be the one not wearing a red baseball cap. 

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First Tuesday Host Republican Candidates, Wed. Sept. 4th.

 

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Regarding Trump and Trumpism and the Power of the Strong Man

by Richard Upchurch, Aug. 31, 2024- Trump and Trumpism seem something very remarkable in the large picture of American politics. We have seen the fanatical zeal he is able to elicit, and does elicit, to a widely varying extent among about half of our fellow citizens--- a wild devotion that produced the mass action of Jan. 6, '21. It is not his policy proposals or judicial appointments, carefully propounded to entice traditionalists and conservatives, that have to concern those of us who want to keep our constitution, but rather it is the absolute and unquestionable political power he has achieved in so short a time, and the total transformation of the Republican Party, such that his thumb down can end immediately what had been a long and productive career. A power that has transformed senators formerly of at least middling integrity into fawning sycophants lest they be primaried out of their offices by an electorate who seem totally carried away by the personal charisma of this man. In world history this is no novel phenomenon. 

We saw something like it in Europe a century ago. We saw what the power of the Strong Man and the neediness of the masses for the kind of leadership he seemed to offer could produce. We may want to think such things could not happen here. But I'm afraid such things could. And even a small chance such things might happen here is far too big a chance to take.

 seems a master of using the modern media---media of new and extraordinary power and pervasiveness--- to persuade, and of tailoring his message so that for many, including people like me who hold to some traditionalist or conservative views, he seems to be making us an offer we can't refuse. 

What is dangerous, it seems to me, is his apparent intent to challenge any institution or authority that lies in his personal way, and even more dangerous, the willingness, even the fervent desire, of such a high percentage of the electorate to follow him, even when challenge means defiance of the law. To challenge the validity of the electoral system, framed so carefully and with such profound wisdom and accurate foresight as it was by the founders, and to challenge the validity of the judiciary including many judges he had himself appointed, and to challenge the constitutional transfer of power, as Trump clearly did by allowing his followers to disrupt traditional congressional ceremony of the transfer of power, and to be followed or at least approved by so many of the pubic---these certainly express a kind of strength, but not strength in supporting the Constitution. 

If our Constitution, our congress and our judiciary were indeed corrupt and in need of being changed, we might need to be revolutionaries, as our Declaration lays out so vividly that we should be if such were the case. But I do not see any evidence whatsoever to support Trump's rebellion against our electoral, judicial and legislative systems. I don't see any evidence, not even the least bit, that his rebellious gestures and rhetoric are an any way justifiable. It now seems fairly clear to me that Trump is indeed a leader of strength and charisma, alright, but that he uses his strength and charisma not to support the Constitution but rather to support his own personal appetite for power. Scariest of all is the great numbers of citizen voters who seem to want to follow him, and give him what he wants.

Richard Upchurch is a scholar and a philosopher who lives in Nashville. The above essay is from a Facebook post. To see the full thread of this discussion including comments justifying Trumpism from some Trump supporters and replies from Richard and other Trump critics, follow this link.

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The August Urbanism Meet-up is August 31st.

by Rod Williams, Aug. 25, 2024- If you care about local government or are interested in topics like planning and zoning, crime and public safety, transit and traffic, affordable housing, public safety, local taxation, urban sprawl, parks and public art and amenities, or other topics relating to "urbanism" you may be interested in attending this monthly get together.

I have been attending these meetings for about five months. I am really impressed by the depth of knowledge of those participating. Some of the participants have professional experience or education in the fields being discussed and others are self-educated experts. A wide variety of informed opinion is on display at these gatherings. 

If this sounds like something that may interest you, please join us. The Copper Branch is the cafe in the Main Library building. Discounted parking is available at the library public parking garage. 

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Trump is Getting Worse, Reposting QAnon Memes and calling for a Military Tribunal for Barack Obama.

by Rod Williams, Aug. 29, 2024- Donald Trump is getting worse and he is no longer trying to hide what he is or what he plans to do.  He is no longer speaking in code or making ambiguous statement open to interpretation.  Early on and for a long time, a lot of Trump's more offensive utterances could be excused as just his schtick.

When I would express concern about some of Trump's more bombastic or offensive utterances, my Trump supporting friends would simply dismiss it with a comment such as, "Oh, he was just being funny." Or, "Surely you know he was just exaggerating; don't take him so seriously."

When Q-Anon took part in the January 6th attack on the Capitol or otherwise showed their support for Trump, my Trump supporting friends would dismiss any Trump connection and say that Q-Anon was weird but would assert that Trump had nothing to do with Q-Anon. 

When Trump said he would be your retribution and would launch investigations of his opponents, this did not concern a lot of Trump supporters because they saw the Trump prosecutions as politically motivated and thought Trump getting even was justified. 

I visit Donald Trump every day on his Truth Social. He has always posted a lot of offensive stuff, such as name calling and outlandish claims of his critic's malfeasance. Now, he is reposting Q-Anon memes. Now is calling for jailing his critic.

"Nothing Can Stop What is Coming," is a Q-Anon phrase signaling that it is inevitable that the Deep State and its collaborators will soon be arrested and punished. Trump repost several variations of this message.

Trump is also reposting memes calling for military tribunals aimed at Barack Obama and the meme calls on viewers to repost if they agree. 

Trump also post a meme calling for imprisonment of his opponents and a meme calling for the inditement of the January 6th committee members for sedition. 

This should scare you. This cannot be excused. This is not funny. This is not normal. This is a call for an end to democracy. 

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