Moderate Rebels

Latest Episodes:

US govt-backed social media companies blatantly meddle in Nicaragua's elections Nov 05, 2021

Show notes

Remember Russiagate claims of "Kremlin meddling"? Well, the US government is blatantly interfering in Nicaragua's elections.

Ben Norton and Max Blumenthal discuss how, mere days before Nicaragua's November 7 elections, Meta/Facebook/Instagram, Twitter, and Google/YouTube purged thousands of pro-Sandinista journalists, activists, and media outlets. Meanwhile, the US Congress voted for more crushing sanctions.

We address the gaping holes in Facebook's bogus report falsely claiming the Sandinistas it purged were "government-run troll accounts," which was written by former Pentagon-funded NATO press officer Ben Nimmo, a symbol of how social media corporations have effectively merged with the US government.

Read Ben's report "Meet the Nicaraguans Facebook falsely branded bots and censored days before elections" here: thegrayzone.com/2021/11/02/facebook-twitter-purge-sandinista-nicaragua

How US-imposed austerity and privatization schemes are crushing Puerto Rico Oct 30, 2021

Show notes

Ben Norton speaks with Ángel Rodríguez Rivera, president of the Puerto Rican Association of University Professors, about the devastating neoliberal economic policies forced on Puerto Rico.

Washington imposed an unelected fiscal control board, called the junta, to control Puerto Rico's finances. Now it is pushing through so-called "debt restructuring," in law PC1003, that will slash social benefits, defund public universities, and crush working-class people in order to pay off foreign corporate debt vultures.

Meanwhile, the US-imposed privatization of Puerto Rico's electrical grid in a neoliberal public-private partnership has caused chronic blackouts, while executives at LUMA Energy make huge salaries.

Super Imperialism: The Economic Strategy of American Empire with Michael Hudson Oct 16, 2021

Show notes

Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton speak with economist Michael Hudson about his book "Super Imperialism: The Economic Strategy of American Empire."

Professor Hudson just published a 3rd edition that updates his analysis for the 21st century, discussing the new cold war on China and Russia and the ongoing transition from a US dollar-dominated financialized system to a "multipolar de-dollarized economy."

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Uiz934HVZjY

Michael Hudson's website: michael-hudson.com

Are US spies behind the Pandora Papers? Why are no American politicians included? Oct 08, 2021

Show notes

Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton discuss the Pandora Papers, how zero US politicians or oligarchs were implicated, and the CIA's growing use of "hack-and-dump" operations.

The group behind the Pandora and Panama Papers, the ICIJ, is the anti-WikiLeaks. It is funded by regime-change organizations and billionaires, while working with US government front groups.

We show how the Washington is increasingly weaponizing so-called "anti-corruption" efforts against Official Enemies as a form of lawfare (judicial warfare) and hybrid war.

Shady Facebook 'whistleblower' wants more censorship and crackdown on US adversaries Oct 08, 2021

Show notes

Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton discuss shady Facebook "whistleblower" Frances Haugen and how her testimony only helps US spy agencies, justifying further government censorship while demonizing Washington's Official Enemies, from China to Iran, Myanmar to Ethiopia.

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ilOl9bLfFgc

CIA plotted to kidnap and kill WikiLeaks journalist Julian Assange Oct 01, 2021

Show notes

Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton discuss the CIA's plot to assassinate or kidnap WikiLeaks journalist Julian Assange, which was first reported by The Grayzone in 2020.

Debunking 'Havana Syndrome' propaganda: CIA mass hysteria plus crickets Oct 01, 2021

Show notes

Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton discuss the absurd media propaganda about "Havana Syndrome," claiming without any evidence that Cuba, Russia, China, Vietnam, and Official Enemies of the US government are supposedly attacking CIA spies with microwave energy, or sonic weapons, or ray guns, or... something.

In reality, scientists say it is most likely psychogenic, or psychological, a kind of mass hysteria for coup-plotting spooks.

Biden's UN speech shows further US commitment to war and meddling, not 'diplomacy' Sep 22, 2021

Show notes

Ben Norton analyzes the lies and misleading claims in US President Joe Biden's speech at the United Nations, and shows how the corporate media coverage is very misleading.

VIDEO: https://rokfin.com/post/53970/Bidens-UN-speech-shows-further-US-commitment-to-war-and-meddling-not-diplomacy

Is Bolsonaro's Brazil planning a far-right military coup? Sep 17, 2021

Show notes

Ben Norton speaks with journalist Brian Mier of independent news website Brasil Wire about the fascistic Jair Bolsonaro government in Brazil, the far-right's attacks on democracy, and the rumors of plans for a military coup to prevent popular leftist former president Lula da Silva from returning to power in the 2022 elections.

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=BiVixfNIfSs

Check out Brasil Wire: https://brasilwire.com

Follow Brian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianMteleSUR

20 years after 9/11, millions of victims of 'War on Terror': Reflection with Prof. Asad AbuKhalil Sep 11, 2021

Show notes

Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton discuss the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks with Professor Asad Abukhalil, and the millions of victims of the "War on Terror."

We speak about US imperialism's constant meddling in the Middle East, and Washington's hybrid wars on Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and more.

We also addressed how Bush-era neocons have been rehabilitated by and even merged with the Democratic Party and liberal "humanitarian interventionists."

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Oca3UvG2HPA

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