I’m no fan of #Cenk Uygur, to say the least, so it’s hard for me to defend him. But this whole episode is both revealing and depressing.
First off, Uygur’s comments about women and beastiality strike me as the kind of nonsense you’d hear from a freshman edgelord at 3 AM in the dorm. It’s gross and stupid, but who really cares?
The first significant revelation is that Bernie is simply weak; he’ll roll over to “woke,” “cancel culture” pressure. I know it’s one instance, but how can you expect him to pass something as groundbreaking as “Medicare for all” if he clearly lacks heart and guts?
Uygur wasn’t just some guy. Through his show, he probably indirectly raised millions in donations and awareness for Bernie. Yet Bernie won’t stick up for him, even by saying “those comments are terrible, but he’s apologized, so we’ve moved on.” It’s pathetic.
Also, note that Linda Sarsour remains a “surrogate” for Bernie (whatever that means; she’s not, apparently, on his staff), despite her support for BDS and criticisms of Israel that would not be accepted elsewhere on the left. Is it female privilege? Or Muslim privilege?
Most importantly, I’m disgusted by the fact that Uygur is being attacked for simply interviewing David Duke, with the false insinuation that it was a puff job, which it clearly was not. (The NYT later corrected this, but only after the damage was done).
A huge problem with what was known as the AltRight is that it’s now (and perhaps permanently) inner-directed, isolated, solipsistic. Put simply, we’re talking to ourselves. Despite my distaste of the Groypers, they should be given credit for engaging beyond their clubhouse!
The lesson that many in old line and digital media will take away is “never interview a heretic,” because you’ll be smeared for it down the line, unless you’re literally punching or screaming at him the whole time.
I’ve never been interviewed by TYT, but I certainly would go on, despite its hostility, and especially since the long-form format allows for discussion and not just sound bites. Smears like “Cenk interviewed David Duke!” make it harder to actually engage with the world.
Unless the AltRight actually engages with the world, then the critique of “intellectual masturbation” is, at some level, valid.
