The Grayzone

I'm going down to the Dew Drop Inn
See if I can drink enough
There ain't much to country living
Sweat, piss, jizz and blood
Sweet Home Alabama
Play that dead band's song
Turn those speakers up full blast
Play it all night long

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I can't more highly recommend Max Blumenthal's and Aaron Mate's Grayzone:

I've known Max for about 20 years. When we first met, he was covering the Middle East, focus on Palestine and Israel. I started regularly listening to the Grazyzone as the US launched our now ongoing Gaza extermination campaign.

At at time when journalism is an endangered profession, Max is exceptional. His reporting is first rate. I have nothing but respect for his living in this space, most especially as the vast, vast majority of Americans care not to look at the ravage sowed by an empire that helps provide their lifestyles. Whether Gaza, the greater Middle East, or put a map of the world on the wall and throw a dart. For any good American, ignorance is bliss.

I've known a lot of journalists over my life, liked some, respected a few. In recent years, I've met and got to know several younger people, pretty much everyone's younger me than these days, who consider themselves journalists, all exceptional people in many ways. However, I've said to each, you couldn't have journalism if you have a dysfunctional politics. Telling the story, no matter how well, does nothing if it is not followed by political accountability, and all power in America is completely unaccountable at this point.

I suppose I watch Max and Aaron, who by the way is an American hero for his superb coverage of the Russiagate fiasco for which he took endless shit. There ain't no more empty, desperate feeling than being right in American politics when the elite is bound and determined to be criminally wrong and everyone else wants to go along. But I suppose over the last couple years, I've watched the Grayzone out of some perverted sense of witness. That said, the reporting can be stellar, both have great insight, more than a little humor, and an essential sense of the absurd.

In the show above, near the end, Max states, "I could be out, it's a nice day outside. I could be out there, but in addition to me bringing you the facts, and analysis, and news, it's therapy." Lord, I understand that.

So watch and listen to a show about Gaza, Syria, Ukraine, L'affaire Epstein, the haplessness of the Reps and Dems, and the complete pitifulness of most of what calls itself "left" in this country. You might even give them some money.

Speaking of giving quality thought and analysis money: