Murdochs, FoxNews, Tucker Carlson, Anglo Conservatives and Hungary

Fox owner Rupert Murdoch allegedly fired FoxNews’ Tucker Carlson which may be plausible, but not credible if one observes other allegations apart from Christian beliefs that have emerged? 

In addition to allegations that Carlson was too Christian, now he went on an unapproved trip to Hungary? Further, other people related to Murdoch including journalists, former politicians and grifters still visit Hungary and attend events including support from MCC Mathias Corvinus Collegium and the Danubius Institute (called out by conservative Anne Applebaum)?

While Fox presenters and guests praise or support Putin, Trump, Hungary etc., without sanction from Murdoch, it’s unclear why he sacked Carlson except maybe ‘getting too big for his boots’?

‘Tucker Carlson’s ‘Unapproved’ Trip To Hungary Could Have Led To His Fox Firing

Fox News executives were reportedly unsettled after Carlson openly praised Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán during a 2021 visit to the country.

Tucker Carlson’s rogue trip to Hungary in 2021 could have contributed to Fox News’ decision to can the controversial commentator this spring.

New accounts of Carlson’s prime-time ouster emerged in excerpts from journalist Brian Stelter’s forthcoming book, “Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy,” which were published by The Daily Beast on Monday.

Stelter’s reporting suggests that Carlson was in hot water with his Fox News bosses for years before his exit in April.

According to what The Daily Beast described as “an executive involved with the situation,” Carlson deliberately usurped his superiors when he took “Tucker Carlson Tonight” to Budapest, Hungary, without their permission in 2021.

The week abroad concluded in a cozy chat with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in which Carlson praised the autocrat for his anti-immigration, nationalist approach. During the trip, Carlson also spoke at the far-right political conference MCC Feszt.

Carlson’s “unapproved” trip may have been a tipping point for Fox executives, who already felt like the pundit was heavily flirting with authoritarianism.

“A tug-of-war was underway between people of good faith and all parties who wanted to protect American democracy, and those on the other side of the rope who tugged in an authoritarian direction,” Stelter wrote.

“Carlson’s unapproved trip to Hungary in 2021 was surely in the latter category. Carlson whipped his show up into an infomercial for Viktor Orban’s increasingly autocratic, patriarchal nation.”

The former Fox News headliner almost returned to Hungary for CPAC Budapest in 2023, but instead sent a video message after a Fox higher-up reportedly “reined him in.”

Despite ongoing tension between Carlson and execs, Fox News didn’t dismiss the anchor until after reaching a $787 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems earlier this year.

While Carlson repeatedly used his show to push baseless claims about Dominion interfering in the 2020 presidential election, private texts found during pre-trial discovery revealed that he had actually balked at the conspiracy theories that former President Donald Trump and his team were pushing.’

‘Why Australia’s conservatives are finding friends in Hungary

When Tony Abbott gave two speeches in Hungary last month, it prompted an outcry from his usual progressive critics. They were alarmed by the former prime minister’s talk of migrants “swarming across the borders in Europe”, invoking the dangerous old notion of immigrants as pests or vermin.’

‘Greg Sheridan’s Grand European Tour

Hasn’t Greg Sheridan had fun this past month? The Australian’s foreign editor junketed to both Poland and Hungary, coming away with only sympathy for their conservative political figures so unjustly maligned by the liberal-left media.’

‘Greg Sheridan, Australian conservatives flirt with Orban’s fascistic politics

Senior Australian “conservative” figures continue to attend conferences backed by illiberal Hungarian leader Viktor Orban. The Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) hosted its 2023 London Summit in late June, featuring Alexander Downer and Greg Sheridan as two of the five speakers. Australians must focus on connections between our Right and Hungarian fascistic politics.

Peter Browne of Inside Story recounted in early June that Greg Sheridan had just spent a week in Budapest again as a visiting fellow to the Orban-backed Danube Institute. This stay was followed by an effusive celebration of Orban’s illiberal Hungary in The Australian (3/6). Sheridan has previously appeared on the Orban speaking circuit, and was a notable part of its first appearance in Melbourne in 2016.

The MCC is superficially an educational institution that fosters conservative students and thinkers.

In fact it functions as a key part of Orban’s efforts to establish a Western and Christian bulwark that proclaims itself a staunch defender of “traditional” values. These nouns are dogwhistle codes meaning white, anti-Muslim and staunchly anti-LGBTQIA+. It is also antisemitic. George Soros, Hungarian expat and Jewish Holocaust survivor is demonised as public enemy No.1.

The MCC is part “think tank” aiming to push anti-EU and far right positions in Brussels. A Hungarian opposition party member described it as a key part of Orban’s “alt-right intellectual universe.” It is also part indoctrinator of conservative youth.

Frank Furedi, director of the institution, described a goal in 2022 to be the publication of an annual “Fear Barometer” measuring “What European people fear.” Orban’s Political Director chairs the MCC’s Board of Trustees.’

Related articles and blogs on ageing democracy, Australian politics, conservative, demography, EU European Union, Evangelical Christianity, immigration, Koch Network, media, populist politics, Russia and Tanton Network click through

US or UK Sanctions on Murdoch’s Fox News Support for Putin’s Russia?

Anglosphere News Media – Objectivity – Political Interference – Fair & Balanced

Nigel Farage – Julian Assange – Wikileaks – Trump Campaign – Russian Influence

Conservative CPAC Event – Hungary – Who Pays for Influence?

Koch Industries – Putin – Russia – Ukraine – Koch Network – Think Tanks

Conservative CPAC Event – Hungary – Who Pays for Influence?

Recently the infamous US GOP Conservative CPAC event was held in Budapest, Hungary, with a conference and meeting of minds whether related to the far right, Fox News, ‘the great replacement’, anti-semitism, anti-immigration, Christian nationalism, anti-EU, anti-human rights etc.

Then links to the Kremlin and Putin, from Politico: ‘In Hungary, whose government is overtly pro-Kremlin, documentaries made by state-owned (and supposedly banned) RT and Russia-1 media outlets about the war are being shared widely in multiple local Facebook groups, according to Szilvi Német, from Hungarian fact-checking organization Lakmusz.

CPAC questions of money may not be so relevant as many participants no doubt pay to participate but the other question is not just who may support financially, who is involved with spreading the paranoid white Christian nationalist message globally, from the US and/or Anglosphere through Europe, Russia and elsewhere? 

Further, the article misses fossil fueled libertarian Koch Network think tank links including Hungary e.g. Danubius Institute, and the influential US Tanton Network, while according to John Le Carre (David Cornwall):

‘“There are oligarchs in the West who are so far to the right that they make a kind of natural cause with those on the other side of the world. Both of them have in common a great contempt for the ordinary conduct of democracy.

They want to diminish it. They see it as their enemy. They see – they’ve made a dirty word of liberalism – one of the most inviting words in politics. …. so they’re closing in on the same target from different points of view.”’

From the article are excerpts from comments offering suggestions or a taste of the presumed global architecture of influence and usual suspects:

‘‘Just as far-right militant groups sought to internationalize their movements during those days, CPAC conservatives found new appreciation for international autocrats like Vladimir Putin’

‘they’re Christian dominionists who are only ‘pro-Israel’ because they want their savior to return & slaughter all the Jews’

‘Putin without question.’

‘‘ Viktor Orban is the same figure of revealing envy to the right of today that Augusto Pinochet was when he was ruling Chile with an iron fist.“No rubles” pledge, and demand Republicans do the same, starting with NRA’’

‘BIG OIL and MINING are promoting this crap’

‘Just depends on whether they rely on people like the self-loathing Peter Thiel or the late Sheldon Adelson for 💰💰💰 or believe 🇮🇱 is key to The Rapture as to whether 🇺🇸 is a Judeo-Christian or Christian nation’

‘Rupert Murdoch & family are major sponsors of the downfall of democracy. They have been re-globalizing fascism for decades through their media/propaganda outlets; CPAC is just another “live” astroturf media event (like the “Tea Party” or the truckers convoy) which they invest in to sell their products. Advertising for white supremacy.’

‘CPAC seems to be on-board with the rise of many “little-Hitlers:” Trump, Erdogan, Orban, Bolsinaro. They didn’t get Marine LePen to turn France. Apparently, Boris Johnson has been very much in bed with the Russians. Manafort was supporting Poroshenko, a Putin ally, in Ukraine. ‘

‘the international efforts of Steve Bannon, who links “conservatives” with a slightly different agenda:  Showing a bit of the split in the RWNJ universe, Bannon was once funded by the Mercers, helping them with Cambridge Analytica, and leading Breitbart’

The article starts here: CPAC is boosting the antisemitic Hungarian right. Who’s paying them to do it?

The people who run CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference meetups that feature top Republican elected officials intermingling with the movement’s most notorious conspiracy cranks—but I repeat myself—have been attempting to expand internationally with conferences in Brazil and Hungary in recent years. The premise has been to attach themselves, suction-eel style, to autocratic nationalists in other countries. Whether this is an earnest attempt to promote their hoax-dependent fascism abroad or just another very gaudy grift is debatable.

In either case, the American far right has been falling over itself with admiration for the emerging Hungarian autocracy, with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson in particular promoting far-right nationalist Viktor Orban with a vigor that far eclipses his praise for any Republican here. CPAC Republicans are open in praising Hungary’s autocratic descent as being the road America itself should travel, but have been slightly vaguer in explaining why. That is because the Hungarian fascist movement is Extremely F–king Nasty, full of the same bigotries and conspiracy theories that animate neo-Nazi movements here and actual damn Nazis where they still exist elsewhere.

……Recent CPAC events in Budapest, Hungary, boasted a notorious Hungarian antisemite, one who has publicly declared Jews to be “stinking excrement,” among their featured speakers. “Stinking excrement” is just one of the xenophobic and genocide-supporting rants that Hungarian television screamer Zsolt Bayer is known for. As reported by The Guardian, Bayer was a featured speaker at the allegedly conservative conference, holding forth as part of a speakers list that included Donald Trump, Mark Meadows, Carlson, and others…

….That has been a pattern. Carlson and other Republican would-be strategists have been experimenting to find what human targets American conservatism can be most riled to panic over. It might be more surprising if Carlson and his writers were not looking to European fascist groups for a supply of new genocidal tropes…

…We previously speculated that CPAC’s new international push could be a genuine attempt to promote fascist thinking abroad; that is probably the most charitable interpretation of their moves, even if it isn’t the most likely one. Even before the Trump era, CPAC conferences were a dodgy blend between ultra-powerful Republican elected leaders and absolute conspiracy cranks. …

…..Just as far-right militant groups sought to internationalize their movements during those days, CPAC conservatives found new appreciation for international autocrats like Vladimir Putin. They allowed their existential panic over what would happen to suit-and-tie white racism in a nation in which white conservatives held less power than before to lead them to an obvious conclusion: We need to scrub out whatever parts of democracy are allowing that to happen. The international leaders willing to rewrite the rules of elections so that they always came out on top became the standard-bearers for American conservatives now increasingly convinced that such rewrites were now of dire American importance, and here we are….

….In short, a very large chunk of the top Republican party officials, strategists, and government officials have faced indictments of late for secretly working the levers of power available to them for their own personal profit. Being “important” in American politics has long been a way to make millions by going abroad to advise wealthy kleptocrats in other nations how they can best get what they want. Sometimes it’s election advice. Sometimes it’s access to United States government agencies or to lawmakers. Sometimes it’s help crafting propaganda messages to justify authoritarian moves that may or may not be killing people in the streets. You know: Money.

Sure, it is possible that the American right is now having a raging erection in the direction of Hungarian would-be dictator Orban because they just happen to all hate immigrants, Jews, and the ever-shifty Roma. But it’s more possible that top Republican strategists are being paid far more money than we know to promote Orban and Hungarian autocracy as The Natural Order of Things, and that promotion involves getting other top Republicans to trek all the way to Budapest to give a thin sheen of legitimacy to a bunch of well-heeled fascist monsters….

….What kind of conservatives make the trek to Budapest to hobnob with Europe’s own home-grown reactionaries? The kind who have money, and want more money. Everybody’s looking for a sponsor, after all, and American billionaire money isn’t that easy to come by.

Welcome to fascism, the franchise. You provide the money; we’ll provide the youthful and the ambitious, people more than willing to promote whatever message the propaganda machine has found to test best in order to boost your own power by stripping it from others. There’s nothing complicated going on here.

Oh, by the way: I am specifically not saying that Carlson specifically might have agreed to host a segment bashing “gypsies” in exchange for a check from one of the Hungarian racists he’s been so oddly promoting lately. That would be completely irresponsible of us and, after all, Carlson assuredly has plenty of money and would not cash such a check.

He just found himself having really, really strong opinions about gypsies and asked his team to put together a segment warning Americans that gypsies were coming to their towns to do crimes and poop in public places. As Fox News hosts sometimes do.

For more articles and blogs click through below:

US or UK Sanctions on Murdoch’s Fox News Support for Putin’s Russia?

Madison Grant – Eugenics, Heredity, Class, Immigration, Great Replacement, Conservation and Nazis

Koch Industries – Putin – Russia – Ukraine – Koch Network – Think Tanks

World Congress Of Families WCF, Russia, The Kremlin, Christian Conservative Nationalists, Dugin, Conservatives and US Evangelicals

Russian Dark Money – Influencing British Politics, the Conservative Party, the GOP and European Right

Trump’s White House Immigration Policies and White Nationalist John Tanton

Covid Misinformation – Gut Instinct & Beliefs vs. Science & Critical Thinking

During Covid times generally people most recognise the need for support in developing clear thinking, science literacy, education, leadership and well being for society but some seem to avoid these factors and actively promote misinformation, why?

Underlying what we observe in the media, whether outright denial of science or science illiterate influencers in legacy or digital media, politics and fringe groups through to climate science denial, is then support for business demanding no constraints nor restrictions, acting through a libertarian prism of the right.

However, underlying this dynamic is something deeper, simpler and somewhat disturbing, the promotion and preservation of personal beliefs and ‘freedom’ over rational analysis, science and societal well-being i.e. business and political elites disregarding the social contract; pre-enlightenment values?

This is particularly influenced by the USA and longstanding networks of influence promoting radical right libertarian socio-economic ideology, Evangelical Christianity and/or white Christian nationalism, climate science denial and denigrating education or experts; the aim is to maintain a cohort of voters for conservative parties like the GOP, UK Tories and the Australian LNP who will not threaten the status quo.

US investigative journalists Jane Mayer touched upon these issues in her work ‘Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right’ and Nancy MacLean in ‘Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America’; machinations not visible or known to the public but used to manipulate opinions round science e.g. climate science and now Covid.

Following is a brief article from ANU the Australian National University discussing research into the symptoms of misinformation round Covid and who is susceptible.

Gut instinct could see you fall for COVID misinformation

30 AUGUST 2021

People who think based on their first instincts are more likely to believe and share COVID-19 misinformation, according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU). 

The study compared intuitive thinkers, those who tend to make decisions on immediate instinct, with reflective thinkers, those who stop and reflect on the accuracy of information presented to them. 

As part of the study, 742 Australians were shown a mix of five already-debunked COVID-19 claims and five accurate statements from public health authorities.  The participants were then asked to complete a short test of their thinking style. 

Lead author, ANU PhD researcher Matthew Nurse, said Australians who provided intuitive yet false answers on the thinking style test were significantly worse at discerning between the accurate statements and the misinformation. 

“Viral misinformation about COVID-19 has spread just like the virus itself,” Mr Nurse said. 

“Knowing that a reliance on intuition might be at least partly responsible for the spread of COVID-19 misinformation gives science communicators important clues about how to respond to this challenge.  

“For example, simply reminding people to take their time and think through dodgy claims could help people reject misinformation and hopefully prevent them from following ineffective or dangerous advice. 

“Encouraging people to think twice before sharing might slow down the spread of false claims too.” 

The research has been published in the journal Memory and Cognition and aligns with similar research conducted in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. 

For more related blogs and articles click through links below:

Dark Money and the Washington Capitol Hill Riots

Radical Right Libertarian Economics or Social Populism?

Conspiracy of Denial – COVID-19 and Climate Science

Skills of Critical Thinking

Adam Smith – Classical Liberal Economics or Conservative Calvinist Christianity or White Christian Nationalism?

We observe many governments, especially Anglosphere and conservative, following the ideology of Adam Smith, promoted through Koch linked think tanks, assiduously. The outcomes include less Keynesian influence on government policy and more Smith, or Hayek, Friedman and Buchanan.

The latter cite ‘freedom and liberty’ for society, and economic policies based round ‘public choice theory’, monetarism and small government. Related there is also much emphasis or attention paid to elections, taxes, government budgets and many sociocultural issues including impairment of workers and unions rights, interfering on university campuses, demanding immigration restrictions, ‘freedom of speech’ and using Christianity as a divisive issue to create an ageing conservative voter coalition, especially in the USA.

What is Smith about and are his theories or principles valid today?

Following are a few summaries from selected sources to compare common points which include deep seated Christianity e.g. ‘balance’ or the ‘invisible hand’ based on belief or the ‘laws of nature’, ‘natural liberty’, self interest, small state and government, low taxes and class system, but seems less fit for the present and future. Coincidentally with Covid conservative governments have returned to Keynesian spending to support economies as Smith’s ‘classical liberalism’ is not fit for purpose in a modern democracy.

From Investopedia – Sharma

Smith’s Wealth of Nations of 1776 promoted the idea of ‘balance’ in the economy e.g. ‘steady-state theory’, due to self interest or the ‘invisible hand’ of the markets except for when the state is essential on borders, law and public works.

He goes further to then link the ‘invisible hand’ with free markets and free will of people for prosperity, which also justifies no state regulatory constraints, except for some govt. intervention on shortages or surpluses.

Smith’s ‘elements of prosperity’ has at its centre self interest, small government and currency with a free market, but lacks evidence, while it seems to justify the existence of elites whether landed, industrial, Christian or otherwise, especially wealthy.

From The Secret, Natural Theological Foundation of Adam Smith’s Work – Journal of Markets & Morality – Alvey

Smith’s ‘Wealth of Nations’ is based on the unsupported principle or phenomenon of balance seemingly from God. His use of teleological views came from apportioning, through guess work, that outcomes were divine inspiration, ‘laws of nature’ or attributable to God. Smith also cited three essential elements of ‘order’ i.e. class system, external and internal security; backgrounded by human instinct which can be helpful, or not.

Smith’s understanding of nature, moral philosophy and political economy were couched in theological framework, covertly, while not being totally positive about humanity and its future. 

From 240 years of The Wealth of Nations – 240 anos de A Riqueza das Nações – Maria Pia Paganelli

Wealth of Nation is dated and has been superseded by significant events of change whether economic, political or social.

A 18th C economy does not compare with a 21st C economy, nor do we have aristocracy but democracy with state health and social security systems vs. basic subsistence charity for the poor, forced into labour.

Smith had been accused of not being libertarian nor pro-capitalism enough by modern day economic ideologues.

WofN has been compared with the Bible where it can be used for relevant inspiration but not literal truth. Along with James Buchanan, Smith seemed to believe in ‘natural liberty’ and its ‘efficiency’ along with economic theory; focus on efficiency but is it effective?

WofN had no new ideas, unsupported theories and hypotheses masquerading as grounded science; many others have also criticised his work as mixed up, misguided, confused, crude and biased.

On the hand many protagonists of Smith or libertarian economics complain that he gives encouragement to anti-capitalists, while Buchanan claims he was sensibly not an anarchist like the latter.

From Does classical liberalism imply democracy? David Ellerman*

Democratic and non-democratic forms are promoted in the US, with James Buchanan as a ‘representative of the democratic strain of classical liberalism’

According to Buchanan, social or societal structures are important for people to choose their participation to representatives of their authority and that government is based upon agreement or consent.

References:

Alvey J. 2004 ‘The Secret, Natural Theological Foundation of Adam Smith’s Work’, Journal of Markets & Morality, Volume 7, Number 2 (Fall 2004): 335–361

Blenman J. 2020 ‘Adam Smith and the Wealth of Nations’ Investopedia, Retrieved https://www.investopedia.com/updates/adam-smith-wealth-of-nations/ (6 March 2021).

Ellerman D. 2015 ‘Does classical liberalism imply democracy?’, Ethics & Global Politics, 8:1, 29310, DOI: 10.3402/egp.v8.29310

Paganelli M. 2017 ‘240 years of The Wealth of Nations – 240 anos de A Riqueza das Nações’ Nova Economia https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-6351/3743

This blog will continue in future with related updates and additions. For more related blogs and articles on Conservative, Economics, Global Trade, Government Budgets, Libertarian Economics, Political Strategy and Populist Politics click through.