Great piece by Andrea Pitzer on how lost Ezra Klein is in this current moment, newly relevant because he interviewed fascist activist Christopher Rufo on his NYT podcast (JFC!) “If you don’t know what your core beliefs are, you’re going to get played.”
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Chris Rufo has said, over and over, that his goal is to lie enough that the NYT is forced to mainstream his propaganda to the masses. Giving in this shamelessly to a full-throated propagandist is so clearly and obviously beyond the pale that I'm genuinely dumbstruck.
https://bsky.app/profile/jeffjarvis.bsky.social/post/3mpirwgetqc2c
I'm sympathetic to the idea that mainstream publications giving opinion space to MAGA types has some marginal value. But Rufo is a white supremacist and a liar. He should be shunned, not only because his views are despicable but because we know he will say whatever he has to to radicalize listeners.
Grossly irresponsible of Ezra Klein and his team. Astounding behavior from ostensibly smart people.
Unthinkable. Rufo is a white nationalist explicitly engaged in a fascist campaign. Klein is repulsive for agreeing to this
https://bsky.app/profile/nateo.bsky.social/post/3mpisxo5x622a
Doesn't mean shit to say it, but this is just disqualifying. Repulsively.
Rufo's whole gig is laundering fascism through the Times. And if Klein can't see that or is WILLING to help him do this, he should be retired or sent to the Phantom Zone of Matt's Substack.
https://bsky.app/profile/emptywheel.bsky.social/post/3mpj4e3c3vc2r
Jesus, Ezra. That isn't what happened at all.
Rufo did not "try to figure out if" it's true." He gleefully amplified the lie, then offered a bounty to anyone who could retroactively "prove" it.
It spurred death threats. Thousands will soon be deported because of it. Many of them will die.
https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:c7ozmxoc5b2ky4iam2o36uic/bafkreig3orpa45ucni73j3j6y4e6qjm5sebcnqd64bu5tkdtk7f4frqb6i
The text of Klein's question that he's talking about:
This probably should have been a whole post...just got more and more irritated after posting the link. Gonna go touch some grass now.
I'm sorry to say this but NYT editors will look at the thousands and thousands of tweets on here about the Rufo interview and the only thing they'll conclude is: "This kind of thing is provocative, it gets talked about, let's do more of it."
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