Russell Brand, actor-turned-podcast host, slammed MSNBC, big Pharma, and the military industrial complex in his appearance on “Real Time With Bill Maher.”
Brand engaged in a heated debate on media bias with John Heilemann, a liberal MSNBC analyst. Brand argued that all corporate cable news networks are biased by their controllers. Heilemann stated that Fox News had disinformation issues that were worse than MSNBC, the network that signed his checks.
Brand stated, “But, I have to admit that it’s, disingenuous claim to claim that the biases displayed on Fox News are any differently from those exhibited by MSNBC.”
Brand said, “It’s hard to suggest that this is because these corporations operate in any other capacity than mouthpieces of their affiliate owners Blackrock and Vanguard.” “We have to be responsible for our perspective.”
Brand stated, “I’ve been to that MSNBC. It was propagandist nutcrackery over there, man.
The comedian said that “No one could focus, they didn’t understand the basic principles of journalism.”
Brand declared, “Nobody was willing to stand up for genuine American heroes such as Edward Snowden.” “No one was willing talk about Julian Assange’s suffering – trying to bring genuine journalism to the American people.”
“I find it absurd to be trapped in the MSNBC castle and throw rocks at Fox News. Make MSNBC more successful. Brand stated, “Make MSNBC great again.”
Heilemann, a bit perturbed, screamed out, “You don’t really know anything about any organization you’re talking about.” You’ve only been on MSNBC once. This is a big deal! “You don’t know a single fact.”
Heilemann challenged Brand with a challenge: Give Brand an example of a MSNBC anchor or correspondent saying something they knew to be false.
Brand accepted the challenge.
Brand responded, “The absurd and outrageous criticisms of Joe Rogan about ivermectin.” They deliberately refer to it as a horse medicine, when it is an effective medicine.
Brand brought up another example: “What about Rachel Maddow appearing on TV and saying, ‘If this vaccine is taken, you won’t get it.’
Heilemann dismissed Brand’s examples, without explaining why.
The host of “Stay Free,” a podcast, then asked the MSNBC analyst: “Do you think that you can improve America by condemning Fox News but not acknowledging that you are part in the same game?”
Brand demanded systemic changes and the removal of money from politics
Brand stated to Bill Maher that new political systems are needed that represent ordinary Americans in order to overcome cultural differences. And bickering over which propagandist network is worst isn’t going to save one American life, or improve the lives of any American child, nor will it improve America’s standing abroad. America needs to be strong. “I’ll tell it.
Brand said to Heilemann: “So you have an duty, a responsibility, not condemn these people.”
Maher stated that the pandemic dissenters were “looking better these days.”
Brand offered a humorous take on COVID-19’s origin. Brand suggested that COVID was a Wuhan lab leak, not the wet markets that were cited as the source of the deadly epidemic.
Maher laughed sarcastically, “How could it not? It was a Wuhan lab that discovered the virus, and was conducting gain-of-function research. It’s impossible to believe that it could be.
Heilemann attributed the politicization in the COVID-19 origin dispute to former President Donald Trump.
“If you look back at that time, then why does everyone believe they will reject the laboratory-leak theory?” Heilemann argued that Donald Trump has politicized COVID from the beginning, just like every other COVID topic.”
Brand responded by saying that the issue had become politicized and that it wasn’t just Donald Trump’s fault. If we look at natural immunity and the effectiveness of masks, it is easy to see that a central authority may be subject to more scrutiny. This could be due to the fact that technology has allowed them to communicate with greater ease.
Brand also warned about big pharma as well as the military-industrial complex.
Brand stated, “If you have an economy in which pharmaceutical companies greatly benefit from medical emergencies, and where a military industrial complex benefits from war, and where energy companies profit from energy crises, you’re going to get states that are perpetually crisis where the interests for ordinary people, apart from those of the elite, are being ignored.”
