The Wall Street Journal reports that Glenn Beck–who approached Current TV about a sale last year–was too right-wing for the network to even consider his offer. But an authoritarian-Islamist government that has criminalized homosexuality, discriminates against non-Muslims, prosecutes journalists, and has a “Not Free” rating from Freedom House? That was fine:
According to The Wall Street Journal, Glenn Beck’s media company, The Blaze, approached Current Media about a sale last year, but was told in the words of one source that “the legacy of who the network goes to is important to us and we are sensitive to networks not aligned with our point of view.”
"[W]e are sensitive to networks not aligned with our point of view?"
Qatar, where Al Jazeera is headquartered, therefore appears to align with Al Gore's point of view. It, according to human rights watchers:
• Tolerates slavery: "...expatriate workers from nations throughout Asia and parts of Africa are routinely subjected to forced labor and, in some instances, prostitution..."
• Promotes human-trafficking: "...men and women who are lured into Qatar by promises of high wages are often forced into underpaid labor..."
• Severely punishes LGBT relationships: "...[Qatar] tend[s] to view homosexuality and cross-dressing negatively [and sex] between consenting [gay] adults in Qatar is illegal, and subject to a sentence of up to five years in prison..."
• Allows no open practice of religions other than Islam: "The government uses Sunni law as the basis of its criminal and civil regulations. However, ...[f]oreign workers, and tourists, are free to affiliate with other faiths... as long as they are discrete and do not offend public order or morality."
Kudos to Time Warner Cable for dropping Current like a hot potato once the sale to Al Jazeera was announced.
Oh. And. Wait. Just. A. Second.
Doesn't the husky sex poodle known as ManBearPig want to have "skin in the game" (in the words of Joe Biden)?
...The former vice president will pocket an estimated $100 million on the sale. According to the New York Times, which first broke the story Wednesday, Gore wanted to complete the sale before Jan. 1, 2013 to avoid getting slammed with higher taxes.
So not only is Al Gore making millions from dirty dirty Big Oil interests, but he’s cheating the government and trying to get out of his “fair share” of taxes!!
According to the Fiscal Cliff deal, earnings above $400,ooo will be taxed at a rate of 39.6 percent, up from the current 35 percent. That means Al Gore saved $4.9 million by selling out early – but I thought the wealthy don’t “need” or “want” those tax savings, right Obama?
If you hooked these Democrats up to Hypocrisy-Meters, you'd have to wear a helmet and goggles to avoid the shrapnel when the damn things exploded.
I would call Al Gore pond scum, but that would unfairly tarnish perfectly innocent and productive algae.
It appears the world is due for a reckoning!
ReplyDeleteMinor detail: If you trace through the links, the original NYT story says that "But the deal was not signed until Wednesday."
ReplyDeleteWhich means that he'll have to go the Timmy Geithner, et al route to avoid taxes