Thread by @frodofied

I would understand some organization like @NewYorker wanting to feature or interview Bannon if they took him to task regarding any of his dangerous and, frankly, deplorable beliefs about race, culture, the role of government, and what he believes about American democracy.

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This man is a central architect of Trumpism and has been given access to power at the height of the American government.

And yet I've yet to see Bannon get up & walk out of an interview. Because, at this point, if Bannon is still seated at the end, you haven't done your job.

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This is a man who upset his own daughter's wedding day because he was infuriated by the presence of three Jewish attendees. WTF?

That incident alone should have barred him from any position, key or not, at The White House.

Bannon is a proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing.

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Everytime I've watched an interview with Bannon I have come away terrified by how reasonable and charming he appears.

This makes him even more dangerous, and that is good his ideas but very bad for America.

Hell, it's bad for the world.

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Steve Bannon identifies as a Leninist, but even that's pure subterfuge meant to appease the far left in hopes of forming coalitions that he would cast off at his convenience.

It's also a further way to stir controversy and controversy brings attention. A thing Bannon craves.

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Leninism is a political theory developed by Vladimir Lenin, the Bolshevik leader during the Russisn Revolution who went on to head the first Soviet Russian government.

But Bannon only uses Leninism. It provides him the philosophical buttress he needs to sell his ideas.

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And it's only the destructive first & intermediary stages of Leninism that Bannon admires.

Those stages call for the complete eradication of an existing political system to be replaced by a central authoritarian state that will exist until certain defined goals are met.

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One of those goals is the reeducation of the population which is usually attained by through the use of propaganda, lies, and threats of violence.

But Lenin only intended Leninism to be a mechanism of force that ultimately led to the birth of an ideal Socialist state.

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That, obviously, is not Bannon's goal. Instead, his ideal state would be one that purged diversity and insisted on racial purity.

And his reeducation plan would not be centered around the economic struggles of the proletariat in relation to the elites and bourgeoisie.

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"Darkness is good, Dick Cheney, Darth Vader, Satan. That's power. It only helps us when they get it wrong. When they're blind to who we are and what we're doing."

-- Steve Bannon

Aside from confirming all of our worst fears about Cheney this quote is also a window.

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And, the irony. This is not the first nor only time Bannon has spoken of Satan as a misunderstood force worthy of admiration.

Ironic because the preposterous Qanon mythology is full of tales of Witchcraft & Satanism, but its lead practitioneer in that lie is @HillaryClinton.
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But in many ways this example illustrates just how profoundly disconnected Trump's supporters are from his actual plans, the true impact of them and, the people who helped formulate them.

Steve Bannon is, like his quote suggests he might be, a dark force.

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But his darkness is so much greater than Cheney's as to be unrecognizable.

Bannon looks today like a much more satisfied man than the one I first became aware of a few years ago. And that satisfaction comes from the knowledge that his vision of America is coming into focus.

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His efforts only gain traction when highly respected media institutions like @NewYorker and @TheEconomist provide platforms to extend his reach & normalize his message.

Evil stole our Presidency & the American narrative 664 days ago, but it did not steal our consciences.

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We have a right to demand better of those who we have entrusted to protect & defend us against such evil, and one of those we have entrusted is the 4th Estate.

Note: As I was writing this the announcement came that @NewYorker ed. David Remnick has rescinded Bannon's invite.
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But the Fourth Estate has shrugged off its duties continually during the last three years.

For us, it's that point in the Lord of the Rings when our heroes have reached the woods of Lothlorien and Frodo is summoned by the great Elf-Queen Galadriel.

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She warns him, rightly "The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true."

In our company is the Fourth Estate, but sadly it is Boromir and it wants only power.

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Hopefully, for us, the media will come realize its place in our story and will finally wake up to its own sins and run out to save no matter what.

Even is that requires it throw itself on the sword.

I do not applaud Remnick for merely bending to public will.

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Cancelling that which should never have been scheduled is the easy was out.

I was going to challenge Remnick to do that which has so far not been done, his job.

Forget niceties and ridiculous fluff. Ask every tough question. Ask them from question one and don't relent.

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Putting Bannon on notice publicly and letting him know that we will no longer allow him use of our media institutions to act as bully pulpit would have served both the interests of its readers and the interest of our country far better.

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But let this be a warning to all other media outlets. Your actual American audience, you know, the portion of us who have not abandoned you as fake news, are certainly woke.

And we see you.

This normalization must end.

My friends America "stands upon the edge of a knife..."

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