Tucker Carlson Rallies to Defense of QAnon Conspiracy Theorists
Category: News & Politics
Via: john-russell • 3 years ago • 39 commentsBy: Justin Baragona (The Daily Beast)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
'YOUR MIND BELONGS TO YOU'
The Fox News host pandered to the violently unhinged conspiracists who believe that Trump is battling a deep state cabal of cannibalistic pedophiles.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Monday night pandered to and seemingly defended QAnon, the violently unhinged conspiracy theory whose adherents believe that a deep state cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiliac cannibals is plotting against former President Donald Trump.
After an insurrectionist mob incited by Trump stormed the Capitol in order to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's election victory, social media companies cracked down and purged thousands of QAnon accounts and pages from their platforms. In a statement, Twitter said the accounts violated its rules on "coordinated harmful activity."
"We've been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behavior that has the potential to lead to offline harm, and given the renewed potential for violence surrounding this type of behavior in the coming days, we will permanently suspend accounts that are solely dedicated to sharing QAnon content," Twitter added.
On Monday night, Carlson devoted much of his opening monologue to breathlessly telling his viewers that Democrats are trying to ensure one-party rule over the country. Besides complaining about social media bans and de-platforming, Carlson blasted a proposed bill by Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) that would bar QAnon conspiracists from holding a federal security clearance.
After mocking Democratic lawmakers over the Russia investigation, calling it a "conspiracy theory that hurt our country in immeasurable ways," the Fox News star then turned to his audience and said that Murphy's bill is "designed to protect them from your criticism."
Grousing that the bill isn't raising eyebrows among "traditional civil liberties people," Carlson guessed that is because the law was aimed directly at the "media's sworn arch-enemies—people who went to state schools and other undesirables!"
In an increasingly derisive tone, the conservative primetime host then ridiculed extremism reporters for not focusing their energy on "Chinese hegemony" or "hyperinflation" but rather on the increasingly dangerous conspiracy, which he mockingly referred to as "the single biggest threat to this country."
"The real threat is a forbidden idea," he sneered. "It's something called QAnon."
After airing a montage of reporters expressing concern about those who have been gripped by the conspiracy theory, which has been described as a domestic terrorism threat by the FBI, Carlson mocked New York Times columnist Tom Friedman for saying it is "frightening" that so many people believe in these crazed theories.
"We're watching a profound change taking place in American society, and it's happening fast," Carlson said. "The stakes could not be higher. There's a clear line between democracy and tyranny, between self-government and dictatorship, and here's what that line is. That line is your conscience. They cannot cross that."
While governments "have every right to tell you what to do" via laws, he said, they can never "tell you what to think."
"Your mind belongs to you, it's yours and yours alone," he added. "And if they succeed in controlling what you believe, you are no longer a citizen, you are not a free man, you are a slave."
The Fox News host then linked the crackdown on QAnon conspiracists to growing criticism of Fox News and other right-wing media, pointing to a Washington Post column that called the network a "hazard to our democracy" as an effort by "stupid" people to have Fox "eliminated by force."
This isn't the first time a Fox News personality has expressed sympathy for QAnon. Last July, for instance, Fox News host Jesse Watters lauded the extremist movement, saying it has "uncovered a lot of great stuff when it comes to Epstein and when it comes to the deep state." (Watters later walked those comments back.)
Tags
Who is online
456 visitors
Is there anyone left on the right who can get a grip?
Nope. Mike Lindell just got booted from Twitter for being bat shit crazy
( and continually violating Twitter rules )
Some stores are now refusing to sell his product. He's going to go broke and go back on the drugs. I feel bad for the good people he employed
There are two so far that I have heard of...Bed Bath and Beyond and Kohls. More will follow bet on it. His employees know what kind of person he is and continued to work for him so if they lose work, it is on them.
and H-E-B.
Wal-Mart says they will honor the current contract...
I am not familiar with H-E-B but kudos to them. As far as WM goes, MEH.
That is just not true. Here is a link to the segment . QAnon is talked about in the clips he shows - not by Carlson, but by the liberal outlets in the clips. The only thing Carlson defends in the segment is free speech. He passes no judgment at all on QAnon. The segment is not even about that.
Since I dont watch him, I had forgotten what a vile piece of shit Tucker Carlson is. Thanks for posting that clip so I could refresh my memory of him.
His basic point about Q Anon is that it is unfair for people to put them down because "freedom of speech".
Republicans and Fox News types and all right wing media is so deep up to their necks in disinformation , nonsense and conspiracies that someone like Carlson has to defend it all as free speech or he wouldn't be speaking to any of his audience.
Just a few weeks ago Fox News paid the family of murdered DNC staffer Seth Rich millions of dollars as a settlement to the Rich family's suit accusing Fox News of spreading untrue conspiracy theories about their son's death. I guess Carlson would defend his own network's lying about a murder because they have "free speech" too.
I didn't have to watch the clip to know that it equates to them both being a steaming pile of horse shit.
Tucker Carlson specifically mentioned Q Anon as unfairly coming under criticism by liberals. It doesnt matter how many times he said it.
It is free speech unless it is found to be something that isn't protected, like defamation, incitement, or any one of the other exceptions to the 1st Amendment. And if the speech does fall into one of those categories, we already have legal remedies for that.
Tacos, I watched the whole video you posted , and I just re-read the seeded article. There is nothing inaccurate in the article.
If you think there is, please point out a specific sentence or sentences in the seeded article that you think are inaccurate about what Carlson said.
I already did. The title. And I explained why I think it is inaccurate. Carlson's segment is about government overreach and free speech. It is not about QAnon. He makes no call as to whether they are right or wrong.
CORRECT
That title is false
The entire seed is misleading
Its not misleading at all. It accurately describes his show. Tucker Carlson is actually evil.
It's a blatant lie. It wasn't about QAnon nor has Carlson ever promoted QAnon. It is all about the left now in power trying to suppress free speech & thought.
Smack dab in the middle of the video we see Q Anon mentioned by Carlson, as an example of the type of "speech" Democrats want to "cancel". Sorry Vic, Carlson is defending their right to be nuts, dangerous, and conservative.
That comment is false. The title says "Tucker Carlson Rallies To Defense Of QAnon Conspiracy Theorists" which he does in that clip by claiming those in the clip he played which included Qanon conspiracy theorists free speech is being threatened. The title does not claim "Tucker Carlson Rallies To Defense Of QAnon Conspiracy Theory" as that would be false, he does not defend the theory itself but he clearly defends the conspiracy theorists.
Smack dab in the middle of the video (which I saw when broadcast) we have Carlson defending free speech. It's the speech that bothers us most that tests our beliefs in free speech. The commentary of Dwight Eisenhower isn't going to be in jeopardy, it's that of Malcom X or in today's times - anything that the left doesn't like!
That's another way of saying he defended free speech. You got it!
Vic, Carlson brings up Q Anon, by name, as an example of a group or a mode of thought being picked on by the evil liberals.
All your spinning can't change that fact.
Tucker Carlson is a vile piece of dogshit. Since I dont watch Fox other than on video clips I had forgotten that overwhelming truth.
John, he could have brought up the Black Panthers. The message is the same - we all have a right to speak and think what we believe. The Black Panthers are not currently under attack, Q Anon (whoever the fuck they are) is under attack and being used as representative of other speech the left wants to suppress.
That is the fact of the matter!
No you evidently watch the two cable news stations that keep babbling about Q Anon.
He could have brought up Q Anon and the Black Panthers, but he brought up Q Anon, by name . Only.
No group such as "liberals" can end or even suppress free speech. Free speech is a legal concept decided by courts.
Tucker Carlson spends 20 minutes non stop attempting to mock and attack "liberals". That is what that video shows. No one on MSNBC acts like that with conservatives. No one.
Let's face it JR, there's a large element of TV viewers that think Don Rickles is alive and well
coaching Tucker & Sean how to do entertaining insults.
They certainly can't be watching to learn anything.
Yeah, except Don Rickles was funny.
No. Tucker is attempting to use "free speech" to defend Qanon and other conspiracy theorists. And interestingly, he's completely misusing "free speech" to do so since the 1st amendment protections do not apply to these privately owned social media companies.
And that is irresponsible as hell on his part, he needs to flat out tell his audience that the Q stuff is total bullshit. He knows his idiot viewers actually believe the things he says, even though his lawyers had to admit in court that basically he shouldn't be taken seriously. Fuck Tucker Carlson
"After an insurrectionist mob incited by Trump stormed the Capitol in order to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s election victory"
We now know that the attack on the capitol was planned in advance and took place as the President was still speaking:
I thought antifa did it.
Is that supposed to mean something?
That was many right wingers first attempted defense of the indefensible.
probably.