Opinion: Tucker Carlson visiting Moscow is like touring Berlin in 1940

Former Fox News anchor and far-right commentator Tucker Carlson recently completed his speaking tour of Canada. Apparently, he wants to “liberate” us from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Carlson is now visiting Moscow to convene with the paragon of freedom and democracy himself: Russian President Vladimir Putin. The last few weeks

tal,
@tal@lemmy.today avatar

Traveling to Moscow to interview a dictator like Putin in the year 2024 is similar to visiting Berlin in 1940 to speak with Adolf Hitler. America wasn’t officially at war with Nazi Germany, but it was possible – some might even say inevitable – given Washington’s diplomatic and military support for Great Britain.

I’m not enthusiastic about this either, and I’m no fan of Tucker Carlson, but I’d add one thing that might be worth keeping in mind.

Charles Lindbergh – a famous American aviator of the time – actually did tour Berlin (well, in 1938, not 1940, but not far off).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh

In the months before the United States entered World War II, Lindbergh’s non-interventionist stance and statements about Jews and race led some to believe he was a Nazi sympathizer, although Lindbergh never publicly stated support for the Nazis and condemned them several times in both his public speeches and personal diary. However, like many Americans before the attack on Pearl Harbor, he opposed not only the military intervention of the U.S. but also the provision of military supplies to the British.[6] He supported the isolationist America First Committee and resigned from the U.S. Army Air Corps in April 1941 after President Franklin Roosevelt publicly rebuked him for his views.[7] In September 1941, Lindbergh gave a significant address, titled “Speech on Neutrality”, outlining his position and arguments against greater American involvement in the war.[8]

He didn’t meet Hitler, but did dine with and was given a medal by Goering. He supported an America First position, advocated for non-intervention in Europe, and was a prominent advocate, right up until the US was actually attacked by Japan and had war declared on it by Germany and Italy, of not providing aid to European countries at risk. Kind of Carlsonian, honestly.

But there was also a bit more to the story of his time in Germany that the public didn’t know at the time.

www.upi.com/Archives/1984/11/04/…/8186468392400/

SAN FRANCISCO – Charles A. Lindbergh, often branded as a Nazi sympathizer during World War II, gathered intelligence for the United States on four visits to Germany before the war, according to papers of the pre-war U.S. military attache in Berlin.

Smith wrote that before World War II, American military intelligence had no undercover agents in Germany and relied solely on the Berlin attache and his two aides to keep tabs on the rapidly growing German forces.

Because Smith himself was busy assessing Germany’s growing army and its Panzer divisions, he decided to recruit Lindbergh to make an assessment of Luftwaffe. He correctly judged that Goering would be delighted to show the world’s most renowned flier his new toys.

Lindbergh actually made four visits to Germany. At the end of at least two of them he helped Smith write detailed reports for G-2 military intelligence in Washington. These reports described aircraft not shown to any other foreigners and factories and airfields from which all other American, French and English visitors were banned.

Lindbergh was allowed to inspect in detail new and experimental German warplanes such as the Junkers 52 bomber and the Messerschmidt 109 fighter plane, and even allowed to fly some of them, Smith writes. The data supplied by Lindbergh on these aircraft and installations proved to be extremely accurate.

Smith wrote that Lindbergh not only collected important data for U.S. intelligence but made it possible for the American air attache in Berlin, a trained intelligence officer, to visit numerous bases and factories that were otherwise off limits.

I’m not going to say that Carlson is doing something like that, or even that one has to like Lindbergh. But I am going to point out that at the time, a number of people felt very much the same way about Lindbergh that they did about Carlson for rather similar reasons and in a rather similar scenario, and on that occasion, they were making the call with only a partial picture of the situation.

Shalakushka,
Shalakushka avatar

The idea that Tucker is going there to spy could not be more ridiculous. You are writing fanfiction.

tal,
@tal@lemmy.today avatar

He probably isn’t, but I think that it’s worth pointing out Lindburgh’s similar situation.

On that note, though, did you know what Carlson’s first choice of career was?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucker_Carlson

After college, Carlson tried to join the Central Intelligence Agency, but his application was denied, after which he decided to pursue a career in journalism with the encouragement of his father, who advised him that “they’ll take anybody”.

captainlezbian,

Lindbergh ran for president as a Nazi. He was deeply involved in the German American bund. Comparing Carlson to him is positively damning.

DessertStorms, (edited )
DessertStorms avatar

The person who wrote this and anyone else who still thinks that America is some bastion of freedom and morality and who find the mere idea of one touring Berlin in 1940 (they didn't only tour Berlin, but much much worse), or in Moscow 2024, shocking, really needs a history refresher.

Hitler wasn't only inspired by American genocide and race laws, but he had many friends all across the allied world, before, during and after the war (because Nazis never went away, they just learned to stay behind closed doors, often in the corridors of power).

Something like The U.S. and the Holocaust should be compulsory viewing, since we're not being allowed to learn from it, so are doomed to repeat it, as is happening already.

RestrictedAccount,

Carlson

Trump

Taylor Green

Hawlings

Cruz

Sanders

Clearly Russian stooges/agents

Feel free to add to the list

BolexForSoup,
BolexForSoup avatar

You should clarify which sanders lol

034521231,

Considering where Bernie honeymooned, I would say he has the highest connection to that country.

Chuymatt,

Do a little bit more research before parroting talking points. It wasn’t a honeymoon. It was a 10 person delegation during the thaw of the Cold War the year before the Berlin wall fell.

034521231,

He is a socialist, he went to the then paradigm of socialist type values, he has the most connection to those people of anyone on that list by far. Its not a talking point it is just connecting the dots, if you want to go after talking points then you should look at teh poster.

norbert,
norbert avatar

Tucker is going there to interview Putin soon and you're acting like Sanders has a summer home there.

Oh its you, Numbers Guy, fuckin' moron. I wish I'd seen it was you before typing this, what a waste of time.

034521231,

Did you really think that comment was worth the time write?

norbert,
norbert avatar

Can you not read? I said it was a waste of time.

034521231,

I cant read, its really sad, but I guess that is what public schools do :(

But what i was saying is that did you really think it was worth writing what you did before you saw who it was?

Chuymatt,

Gods. Why do we have to keep saying this: socialism is not communism. Words mean things.

034521231,

Yeah I get it, but they are less far away than you guys pretend.

muse,
muse avatar

You don't even believe your own shit. Your post history just reads like someone getting paid to repeat this garbage, and if you're doing this for free, god damn you must have a lonely life. I doubt your family even invites you to activities.

When was the last time you walked into a room and someone genuinely smiled?

034521231,

Yes, I get paid so so much. You are just jealous.

swayevenly,

Deion Sanders. Times were hard for him after the Cowboys.

BolexForSoup,
BolexForSoup avatar

If you’re a cowboys fan or player it’s always hard times.

swayevenly,
carl_dungeon,

Bernie Sanders?

Orbituary,
@Orbituary@lemmy.world avatar

Sara Huckabee

Bonesince1997,

The ogre, not the mench

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