Reprinted from Anti-Imperial Nexus
We badly need good journalists to hold them to account
If every journalist acted like Liam Cosgrove, there would be no genocide in Gaza and we wouldn’t be talking about Lebanon or Iran. It’s precisely because most journalists aren’t doing their jobs that our leaders feel they can get away with violating international law.
Liam Cosgrove is the Grayzone journalist who said to Matthew Miller what every decent person has been waiting for a journalist to say. While corporate journalists have acted like genocide support is a respectable position so they don’t lose access, Cosgrove had the courage to do his damn job. It was like a breath of fresh air wafted into the sewer of US politics.
Cosgrove delivered this epic question to Miller and was somehow allowed to finish without being dragged out by security:
“Israel is still poised to strike Iran, and in July, Blinken said Iran is one to two weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon, so I guess they might have one by now. Meanwhile, in Ukraine they’ve struck deep within Russian territory several times, as deep as 300 miles from the border… and we know Russia has the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet, as many as 6,000 warheads, and so one of the risks of arming militaries that are striking in the territories of nuclear powers is that one of those [nukes] gets deployed, and things could escalate quickly from there.
“It’s rarely discussed, but it’s important to address, the nuclear risk is real and it could very abruptly mean the end of what humans have worked for thousands of years to collectively achieve. Us today are very lucky to live with the fruits of that achievement and I feel like we’re treating the risk kind of brazenly.
“We often hear in response to these concerns, ‘Well Putin, Khameni, they’re war criminals, they’re terrorists,’ as if they’re too inherently evil or immoral for us to negotiate with, but meanwhile, this administration has financed genocide in Gaza for the last year, and every day you’re up there denying accountability for it, so what gives you the right to lecture other countries on their morals?”
Isn’t it a relief to hear a journalist make the point that our actions are significantly increasing the risk of nuclear war? There is nothing more important to discuss, and yet if any journalist mentions the risk at all, it’s only to tell us how crazy the other side is. There is never a serious attempt to hold our leaders accountable for their role. Just imagine the difference it would make if every journalist asked the right questions. But they don’t and that’s why Miller felt comfortable dismissing Cosgrove by saying:
“If you have a policy question for me, I’m happy to take it. If you want to give a speech, there are plenty of spaces in Washington where you can give a speech.”
Miller might not have been in the mood to be challenged, but Cosgrove was not in the mood to be dismissed and said:
“People are sick of the bullshit in here. I mean it is a genocide, you are abetting it, and you are risking nuclear war…”
It’s interesting that Cosgrove suggested the other journalists are sick of the bullshit. That’s good to hear, but in that case, we need them to find the courage to speak up. Well-intentioned cowards are no more useful than corporate sell-outs.
Note how journalists from publications like the Grayzone are treated like extremists, and yet they’re the ones saying what desperately needs to be said. Now stop and ask yourself who is really on our side. The Grayzone are targets because they do good work, and if you doubt that, watch their documentary: Atrocity Inc: How Israel Sells The Destruction Of Gaza and never tell me it’s “too complicated” again.
If you want a sign of what is to come and what the likes of Miller would love to do to Grayzone journalists, look no further than another Grayzone journalist, Jeremy Loffredo, who was arrested in Israel yesterday. So far we have few details, other than his phone was confiscated and he was allegedly beaten. A number of other journalists were arrested with him, but they have since been released. I understand Loffredo is the only one still locked up.
A journalist called Andrey X posted on Twitter:
Today I was beaten, kidnapped, blindfolded and taken to a military base by the Israeli Occupation Forces, together with 4 other journalists. Two of us were held for 11 hours without charges, my phone was confiscated (stolen), and one of us is still in custody. Full story soon.
Who the hell blindfolds and beats someone they’ve just arrested for doing journalism? Why the hell is Israel always allowed to get away with this crap? Loffredo might be an American citizen, but unfortunately, it seems he is the wrong kind of American citizen. The Biden administration likely cares as much about him as they did about Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. You can guarantee that if Loffredo gets tortured and imprisoned for doing journalism, his government will abandon him like they abandon people in hurricane zones.
If corporate journalists weren’t all imperialists or cowards, they would show solidarity with arrested journalists and hold the warmongers to account. Thankfully, there are a handful of journalists outside of the Grayzone who are still fighting the good fight and they should be appreciated.
For example, Ryan Grim of Drop Site News challenged Matthew Miller on Netanyahu’s insane threat to destroy Lebanon, unless the Lebanese population somehow destroy Hezbollah.
The IDF is unable to defeat Hezbollah in a ground war so Netanyahu demanded a civilian population do this for him. He knows this is impossible so it was not a serious ultimatum, it was a declaration of intent. He was simply broadcasting his excuses for the next genocide.
Ryan Grim said to Miller:
“You said earlier that Israel has a right to attack Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation. I wanted to ask if you had seen the Israeli prime minister’s video that he put out in English to the people of Lebanon last night.
“He said: ‘You have an opportunity to save Lebanon before it falls into the abyss of a long war that will lead to destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza. I say to you, the people of Lebanon, free your country from Hezbollah so that this war can end.’ That seems like a blanket threat against a civilian population. Is that terrorism?”
The answer is of course it’s terrorism or certainly the threat of terrorism. Terrorism is the use of violence against civilians to achieve political goals and that is exactly what Netanyahu is threatening, but Israel is allowed to do terrorism. Israel’s terrorism even has a special name: the Dahiya Doctrine.
I was expecting Miller to come out with the “Israel has a right to defend itself” crap, but his answer was slightly better than expected, suggesting he might be feeling the pressure, even though few are holding him to account.
“First of all, let me say we cannot and must not see the situation in Lebanon turn into anything like the situation in Gaza. That would, of course, not be acceptable.
“In response to your other question, no country in the region should dictate who the Lebanese leaders are, not Israel, not the United States, not any of the other countries in the region…
“And I’m making it clear that there should be no kind of military action in Lebanon that looks anything like Gaza…”
My question is why not? Before you think I’ve lost my mind, let me explain….
If it’s not necessary to carpet bomb Lebanon to take out Hezbollah, why was it necessary to carpet bomb Gaza to (fail to) take out Hamas? Surely, this is an admission that Israel’s actions over the past year have been disproportionate and the US has supported them anyway.
Remember Miller’s words because if Israel destroys Lebanon, he will revert to saying “Israel has a right to defend itself” and forget he ever objected. It’s not long ago that Biden was saying Rafah would be a red line and we know what happened there.
Surprisingly, Miller was asked another good question and this time by a Reuters journalist… I know, it’s a triple whammy of good journalism today, so maybe journalists are finally finding their courage. Maybe it’s dawning on them that World War III would affect them too. I would love nothing better for them to prove me wrong.
Miller was asked by Simon Miller if Israel is blocking aid and said:
“We haven’t made that assessment at this time, but it’s urgent that they correct the situation and allow humanitarian aid to get in.”
Why would it be urgent Israel allows aid in, unless it’s not allowing aid in? This was an inadvertent confession and it highlights the importance of journalists asking the right questions. A bad journalist will let Miller off the hook. A good journalist will give him enough rope to hang himself.
Miller was asked good questions by three journalists and by the end of it, his perma-smirk was gone. Now imagine the difference it would make if the talking heads on TV started calling out the bullshit. Imagine if voters refused to lend their votes to politicians unless they changed their positions. In my headline, I might have put the blame on cowardly journalists, but this is on everyone who is unconditionally voting for genocide. For the love of god, use your leverage.
Miller’s admission confirms the US is not allowed to arm Israel in accordance with its own laws, never mind international law. Good luck waiting for the courts to hold the US government accountable though. The only way this stops is if the public refuse to vote for it, but red and blue voters are showing they have no red lines and treating those who do like the enemy.
It’s so far beyond farcical at this point. All we’re asking is our leaders obey the law, but they would rather put us on a terrorist watch list for caring about human rights. They would rather do to us what Israel is doing to Jeremy Loffredo. And the way MI5 is warning about an incoming attack, there is a better than average chance of a false flag to drag us into war. If that happens, you can guarantee anyone who objects will be given the Loffredo treatment. Personally, I can’t wait for my government-issued beating.
We live in a time when it’s bad to be a good person. It’s wrong to care. Maybe World War III would be for the best after all. Maybe we don’t deserve better than nuclear annihilation.
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