Did you catch that segment on MSNBC’s The ReidOut between Joy Reid and Mehdi Hasan as they discussed the Israel-Hamas War? You’d need a strong stomach to swallow their chatter. Their discussion was a dizzying blend of illogical allegations, political bias, and twisted historical interpretations.
Reid rolled out the show by mocking those comparing President Joe Biden’s decision to withhold arms from Israel with Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial. She also took an uncalled-for jibe at Senator Tom Cotton, painting his historical facts as somehow ludicrous. Cotton, in fact, was alluding to the reality that our Founding Fathers faced two choices, both unpalatable – one nation with independence and slavery, or multiple nations with slavery but without ideals. It’s clear from history which choice they made. Reid also airily dismissed the significant charges that led to Trump’s impeachment, trivializing it to simply Trump thirsting for dirt on Joe Biden.
The absurd commentary escalated further. Hasan entered the scene not only honoring Biden’s questionable decision of restricting aid, but celebrating it as good politics. Claiming moral high ground, he essentially pegged those disagreeing with him as supporters of killing children. He conveniently forgot or perhaps dismissed international law which permits a country under attack to retaliate, even if the enemy hides in populous urban areas.
The duo, reveling in their bias, then painted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a war-hungry leader who thrives on conflict, carelessly ignoring the political complexities and rampant terrorism faced by Israel. Netanyahu’s reticence to Biden’s idea of preparing an elaborate plan before responding is conveniently twisted to interpret his supposed love for war. This claim supported by their conjecture of Netanyahu’s motivations based on his desire to stay in power, eerily sounding like Trump.
Netanyahu’s traditional critics were presented as definitive proof of his failure. It escaped their consideration that leader of the opposition, Benny Gantz, played an active role in the war cabinet. Their narrative conveniently skirts around the question of how a peaceful solution can be reached when Hamas is still wielding power.
In essence, Reid and Hasan offered their viewers an hour-long roller coaster ride of half-baked facts, historical inaccuracies, and inadequate political analysis. They handpicked instances, ignored broader context, and significantly amplified their political bias. No viewer could have been more enlightened at the end of this segment than at the beginning. The discussion, stripped of its dramatic flair, was nothing but a theatrical display of skewed interpretation and an unhealthy dose of political partisanship.
Sensational talks like these bear no fruit. We need to delve into the complexities of the political scenarios, the historical realities, and the strategic decisions before jumping to conclusions. It’s high time we demand a more balanced, detailed, and responsibly informed journalism. Knowledge is power, but only when it’s based on truth and understanding.
