About That “Pro-Putin” Tucker Carlson Clip – Opinion

Fox News’s Tucker Carlson is increasingly seen as a bombastic and out-there kind of host, and to be sure, he’s getting bolder and bolder when it comes to expressing his opinions. To be sure, it’s working out for him as he’s the most-watched cable news host in the country. Carlson is a master at internet clipping and this, it’s clear, shows in his script writing.

To be sure, it gets people talking, and that talking leads them to Carlson’s show where numbers go up and messages get out. It’s a solid strategy for both ratings and information distribution.

Carlson recently released a clip which angered people. This isn’t necessarily an uncommon thing, but what made it weird is that the clip began angering conservatives too. It is clear that Carlson appears to be defending Russian President Vladimir Putin, making Americans wonder why they hate him.

“Why do I hate Putin so much? Is Putin calling me racist before? Is he threatening to fire me if I disagree with him? He has allegedly shipped all middle-class jobs in my area to Russia. He created a global pandemic which decimated my business, and kept me in bed for over two years. Are my children being taught to accept racial discrimination by him? Does he want to give my children fentanyl or is he trying to make me feel sick? Are they trying to kill Christianity? Is he trying to eat dogs? “

Tucker: It may be worth asking yourself… why do I hate Putin.. Has Putin ever called me a racist? He threatened me with firing me for disagreeing? pic.twitter.com/0jlXfS0PYy

— Acyn (@Acyn) February 23, 2022

It ends at that point and viewers may conclude that Carlson is now a Putin supporter who wants America to stay out of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, and the Russian dictator can have what he likes.

If you zoom in and look at the whole context, however, we see a completely different story. Carlson wasn’t cheerleading for Putin, he was highlighting how our own tribalism is being used against us to pardon war and sending us hurtling on a crash-course with a conflict with Russia…and possibly all for President Joe Biden’s benefit:

“If you’ve been watching the news, you know that Putin is having a border dispute with a nation called Ukraine. Now, the main thing to know about Ukraine for our purposes is that its leaders once sent millions of dollars to Joe Biden’s family. Not surprisingly, Ukraine is now one of Biden’s favorite countries. Biden has pledged to defend Ukraine’s borders even as he opens our borders to the world. That’s how it works. The term equity is used to describe an invasion of America. Invading Ukraine is a war crime.”

Carlson clarifies that it is false to say that Ukraine needs protection because Ukraine is democratic. The Ukrainian president is known for arresting political opponents and closing down media outlets critical of him. By all accounts, Ukraine is a tyrannical state, but because Biden is linked with them the narrative is that they’re need protecting.

Carlson makes it clear that this might be good for Biden but bad for you, and while Biden has admitted this fact, you’re being told that denying Putin Ukraine on moral grounds is the greater victory:

“Energy prices in the United States are about to go way up, and that means that everything you buy will become much more expensive, from the food you eat to the car you drive to the tickets you need to take your family on vacation this summer, assuming you can still afford a vacation by then. You’re about to become measurably poorer. That’s not a guess. Joe Biden acknowledged this. 

On the other hand, you’re going to win an important moral victory against dastardly old Vladimir Putin, who is much, much worse than Justin Trudeau. This is just so you are aware. So you can feel good about that because…because…let’s see, come to think of it, why would you feel good about that? You and the United States seem to think it’s a terrible deal. Hunter Biden is paid a million US dollars every year by Ukraine. But you are unable to afford dinner. That’s not a bargain.”

You can watch the full context of Carlson’s speech below…

…but let’s be clear about what the Fox News host is trying to say.

He’s not saying Putin is good. He never compliments Putin in this long segment.

What he’s pointing out, however, is that America’s hatred of Putin is automatic and is used to drive your approval of a war that not only make life more difficult here in the states, but it will likely lead to American dying abroad. We’ll once again be wrapped up in a conflict we didn’t ask for in a country that would likely keep us wrapped up in expenditures of every kind for years on end.

In short, you’re being played.

It’s also worth pointing out, as Carlson did, that speaking out against a war to defend Ukraine allows people to portray you as a Putin apologist. Simply deny Putin what he wishes because Putin is bad for Ukraine. Putin must be viewed as a good person if you believe war against Ukraine is bad. There is no nuance.

This is Carlson’s point and it’s a point I think we should all very much stop and consider.