Fake News! Fake News!
Thought the miracle of modern investigative journalism, The Daily Beast brings an amazing story of how rightwing “news media” got suckered by some foreign nationals.
Conservative sites like Newsmax and Washington Examiner have published Middle East hot takes from “experts” who are actually fake personas pushing propaganda.
The Beast isn’t just making claims, they have proof. And, it’s not just those two – there are others.
It’s a complicated story with lots of players.
One of the main virtual players is a guy named Raphael Bedani …
Badani is part of a network of at least 19 fake personas that has spent the past year placing more than 90 opinion pieces in 46 different publications. The articles heaped praise on the United Arab Emirates and advocated for a tougher approach to Qatar, Turkey, Iran and its proxy groups in Iraq and Lebanon.
Following this article’s publication, the Washington Examiner removed its article written by “Badani,” leaving only an editor’s note: “This op-ed has been removed after an investigation into its provenance and authorship.”
Remember: the things they accuse you of doing is exactly what they are doing.
Thanks to Judy for the heads up.
The Moving Finger flips; and having flipped Moos on: nor all thy Pithy Bullsh**t Shall lure it back to cancel half a Lie, Nor all thy beers drown it in a bathtub.
~ Grover Norquist
Mea culpa, Omar Khayyám
1Also known as projection. I’m pretty sure that a lot of them know the difference and know what they’re saying. It’s just that they depend upon their fellow travelers *not* knowing the difference, and they’re usually right about that…
2Turnabout is fair play, and when fooling conservative publications it’s apparently pretty easy too.
3I guess Conservatives spreading Lies these days have to be more sneaky. Heck in the old days the Bush Crime Family’s KKKarl Rove, would just pay (bribe/threaten) someone to plant a phony story in some hick nowhere town newspaper, Fox ‘Hate’ News would pick it up and run with it, then every Republican Politician and MSM would repeat it to death as a Truth.
4Worked like a charm, the Dems got blamed once again!
To quote Frank Zappa: “I knew you’d be surprised”…
5I have a hard time believing any opinion piece could get Americans to care about Qatar.
6