Interview With Black Agenda Report

READ HERE: https://www.blackagendareport.com/syr... Syria, Corporate Media Lies, and the True Face of Imperialism: An Interview with Richard Medhurst Syria, Corporate Media Lies, and the True Face of Imperialism: An Interview with Richard Medhurst If independent media want to be a real counterweight to establishment media, they must challenge the status quo in its entirety. “The question isn’t why am I cursing and angry, the question is why isn’t everyone else?” Youtube is the second largest search engine worldwide and has become a popular platform for progressives and the left to conduct political education and debate. Few voices on the platform, however, meaningfully engage the questions of war, white supremacy, and U.S. imperialism. That cannot be said of Richard Medhurst, who is the subject of the following interview. Danny Haiphong: Can you please tell readers of the Black Agenda Report a little about your background and the history behind your YouTube show? Richard Medhurst: My name is Richard Thomas Medhurst. I was born in Damascus, Syria in 1992. My mother (Syrian) and father (British) served in United Nations Peacekeeping and Observation Missions in Angola, Lebanon, Syria, India, Pakistan (Kashmir), meaning we moved around a lot. They were among the UN Peacekeepers awarded the 1988 Nobel Peace Prize. Their work and these experiences directly shaped my life and outlook on international affairs. Additionally, I was lucky to have a good education – my entire high school education was completed in French and I am fluent in four languages: English, French, Arabic and German. I started my show in late 2019 to cover US politics and international relations. There are a number of great indie channels out there that I admire, but not many cover foreign policy. Even fewer cover foreign policy from an anti-imperialist viewpoint. I think one of the reasons people gravitate towards my channel is due to its explicit nature. I don’t have time to sugarcoat war crimes, murder and corruption. The question isn’t why am I cursing and angry, the question is why isn’t everyone else? I can also put on a blazer, speak in a high register BBC accent. There is nothing nice about politics. This is a vile, nasty business filled with suffering and anguish. They’re too afraid to talk about Syria because YouTube will demonetize them. Fuck that. That’s pathetic. You’ll see them call out Israel’s barbarism against Palestinians once in a blue moon, and that’s it. They want to play it safe while also pretending to be an alternative to indie media. That’s unacceptable. Danny Haiphong: You are very critical of the corporate media on your show. What role can independent media play in countering the narratives presented in mainstream news outlets? Richard Medhurst: They should grow a spine. A lot of people in independent media do good work, but I’m tired of hearing “lefties” either completely ignore foreign policy or repeat CIA talking points about the Global South. You cannot be an American journalist or pundit, and then proceed to ignore international politics when your country dictates world affairs. Foreign policy is not a backburner issue, it is the issue. Anyone can say “I support universal healthcare and a wage increase”. There’s nothing brave or controversial about catching up to the rest of the industrialized world. But how many will expose and stand up to American imperialism? Or the Zionist occupation in Palestine? How many will call out the Western-backed coup in Syria? The UK’s theft of Venezuelan gold? A handful, at best. If independent media want to be a real counterweight to establishment media, they must challenge the status quo in its entirety. Many will advocate for Medicare For All, a Green New Deal -- things that are already mainstream -- but won’t touch anything else because they’re afraid of catching flak. They’ll talk a bit about racial inequality, they’ll mention Palestine once in a while, but they won’t challenge US hegemony and imperialism when it matters. Danny Haiphong: What do you find most troubling about the mainstream media’s coverage of the recent mass demonstrations in the United States? Richard Medhurst: The mainstream media is a tool, an arm of the establishment and ruling elites. When the ruling elites feel threatened, they send the police and military to crack skulls and keep the workers in line. When it really counts, there is no free speech or first amendment. If you criticize America or the foundations upon which it was built (slavery, settler colonialism, genocide), then there is no first amendment for you. Support the show►https://www.patreon.com/papichulomin Support the show►https://www.rokfin.com/richardmedhurst Support the show►https://www.paypal.me/papichulomin Twitter►https://www.twitter.com/papichulomin