MJ Rosenberg
MJ Rosenberg has just announced that he is leaving Media Matters to publish his own blog. I can't wait to read his blog. Rosenberg is a great journalist, he's been a leading opponent of war on Iran, he's had a stirring career breaking with community norms on the Israel lobby, he's a leader to countless other journalists. Oh and he stuck to his guns on "Israel firster," and then retired the term...
And as for the politics of this move, well... what can you say? This move obviously has something to do with the smear campaign launched by neocon Josh Block. Since he waged it, Zaid Jilani has left Center for American Progress, a post at CAP was amended to reflect The Approved Truth, and now MJ Rosenberg is starting his own site. It's like that old saying: If the kitchen's on fire, get out of the kitchen.
As for the politics of this: I can't wait to hear MJ Rosenberg, at his own blog! Godspeed MJ.
This is my last column for Media Matters. As of Monday, I'm striking out on my own with a brand new website and blog: MJayRosenberg.com.
The reason for this step is that it disturbed me greatly to see an organization to which I am devoted facing possible harm because of my critical writings about Israel. I have no doubt that the crowd that opposes any and all criticism of Israeli government policies will continue to turn its guns on Media Matters if I am associated with it.
I could not live with myself if that happened — not only because I care deeply about the organization and my colleagues, but also because Media Matters does such important work confronting the lies that emanate from the far right and especially Fox News.
My presence here is being used in an effort to shut Media Matters up. That won't happen, of course...
Richard Nixon famously said to the press after his failed attempt to become governor of California, "just think how much you're going to be missing. You don't have Nixon to kick around anymore." I, however, will most definitely be around. More than ever.
The blog goes "live" tonight!
Is this a break with the “official left” aka the Democratic Party? Man, that would be GRRRREAT!!
MJ Rosenberg’s piece on Huffington Post from a few days ago about Peter Beinart’s book, Why Peter Beinart’s Book Is Driving the “Pro-Israel” Establishment Crazy, has a title “THE BLOG (Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost’s signature lineup of contributors)” at the top of the page. Is there any connection between this piece, the Huffington Post, and Rosenberg’s new blog?
The review of Beinart’s book is reprinted at the NEW blog, link to mjayrosenberg.com.
we love you MJ!
I expect the Douche to chalk this up as his win….
Until MJ’s blog gets a bigger and Bigger and BIGGER following. And increasing influence.
Congrats to MJay on the new blog i hope you achieve what you are setting out to do.
“They need us to tell them that we know exactly what is going on. That is what the neocons are so afraid of. That is why they went ballistic over “Israel Firster.””
As best i can tell the term Israel firster gets the message out faster and more clearly than any other means which is why MJ recognizes that the neocons are so afraid of it, because it tells Americans “exactly what is going on”.
Don’t try to rediscover the wheel MJ, you hit the nail right on the head and the nail screamed a big ouch, push these guys back relentlessly like they do when they have the upper hand, this is a really tough crowd with tons of resources, and by that i do not just mean finances, facts on the ground can be created to foment the passions into backing them before you can say jump down turn around pick a bail of cotton.
I believe it is a big mistake to keep “Israel firster” in retirement.
For the sake of expediency bring it out of retirement, the best offense is a good offense.
So the word “Israel firster” can be used again? Good.
Wait. Second thought. They made him leave, not?
that was my first thought when i read this
;)
not sure if he’ll use it tho, he said he wasn’t going to anymore but heck..maybe he’ll reconsider now.
His new term, “AIPAC-firster”, has a better ring to it. It is not Israel, but AIPAC (BIG-ZION), which holds a gun to the head of the GOUS. Along with BIG-BANKS, BIG-OIL, BIG-ARMS, BIG-WAR, etc.
God, isn’t the process behind this forced departure pretty much the definition of the Israel-firster mentality and its MO? A (two?) major, valuable, and necessary Democratic policy promotion and media debunking site is threatened with “facing possible harm because of my critical writings about Israel.” So the answer is bye-bye MJ Rosenberg, as opposed to “stfu about MJ, there’s an election to win”?
This issue does indeed corrupt everything it touches, politically or otherwise. Scorched earth, really.
Gig ‘em, MJ. Then gig ‘em again. Best of luck. Bookmarked.
I like his mischevious smile. I can tell he likes to thwack the hornets nest.
Wishing MJ all the best, but “MJayRosenberg.com” is a mouthful. How about “Mondoberg”? :-)
I first became involved in the online Israel debate at TPMCafe when Rosenberg posted there. There was a time when that was one lively discussion forum. I think it became a little too lively for Josh Marshall who runs TPM. In any case that site has declined. But it was there that I learned about Mondoweiss, in fact Phil was posted there for a few times.
I hope MJ is successful at his new site. I will stop by and see if my contributions liven things up a bit.
Ummm, ladies and gentlemen, I hate to ask, but in what way is this possibly be a good outcome?
I naturally wish Mr Rosenberg the absolute very best. However, this is yet another victory for the israel-first censorship of any disagreement over the wonderfulness of Israel. Mr Dersh will unquestionably burn in hell. Yes. But, here and now, he has yet again won. Those who are interested in Mr Rosenberg’s views will continue to find them. However, let us not delude ourselves. Those who do not seek him out, ordinary non fascists who read media matters, will not see them.
May he live long and prosper.
Mabrouk MJ!
Oh to be free as a bird!
@ Philip,
Q: Oh and he stuck to his guns on “Israel firster,” and then retired the term…
R: It seems we have different interpretations of ‘sticking to guns.’
@ MJ [assuming you ever read this],
The surviving crew of the USS Liberty needs your help. All those honorable men have been hung out to dry for decades. They are getting old and some have passed away already. Want to redeem yourself? Contact the USS Liberty directly @ info@ussliberty.com or me and I’ll get you in touch with them [if need be].
Mondoweiss has my e-mail address and has hereby my permission to share it with you.
this is on Mjays site today.
“But, followed to its logical conclusion that means that criticizing Israel and its lobby is, in fact, dangerous and I had to leave to protect an organization I love from people who, in their single-minded devotion to the Israeli government, will go after anyone and anything who stands in their way.”
Alexa Traffic Rank: 62,040 Traffic Rank in US: 18,039 this is for mondoweiss.net
Alexa Traffic Rank: 13,583 Traffic Rank in US: 1,941 this is for mediamatters.org
Alexa Traffic Rank: 1,918 Traffic Rank in US: 677 this is salon.com
you either have a voice or you don’t…when you see them coming out and trying to silence Philweiss @ mondoweiss then you can say he has a voice, over here we preach to the choir…it’s a conversation inside a church not out there where the narrative is managed and the sheep are not allowed to change the station, the sheep are very valuable and their ignorance must be protected from getting infected with the wrong message coming from a reliable source.
i don’t understand what this means. can someone explain it to me? is there a link?
Consider it a ranking of how many people read the site (or more accurately, I think, how many hits a site gets). The lower the number in ranking , the higher the popularity, so to speak. Salon is much more popular than mediamatters which is much, much more popular than Mondoweiss.
link to alexa.com
If Media Matters is worth a dime in their job, they’d publish their position in this, including the pressure they received.
“AIPAC firsters” ?? Meh. They aren’t lobbying for AIPAC, they’re lobbying for Israel.
So “Israel Firsters” it must be.
Proof of the pudding is the fanaticism of the response.
Media Matters = Epic Fail.
I disagree with MJ on the value of protecting Media Matters if you can’t talk about The Issue, because frankly, on most things there isn’t enough difference between the major parties to bother with. Fox News is just more upfront and boastful about the R’s policies than the Dems are about theirs … although to be fair Obama has taken a liking to boasting about how illiberal he is.
Wow, Dershowitz and Josh Block gloating over MJ Rosenberg’s departure from Media Matters.
Yeap, we had one of our players in the majors and he decided to go back to single a ball because he felt compassion for his comrades in the minors.
Thanks Mjay, the next time you get to move back up to the show please take em up on it and put the cause back in the spotlight.
Two great new articles up on MJ’s blog already – he seems to be a little bit more, ‘uncorked’ than usual, but in the best way possible
Congratulations MJ – gotta make new room on my favorites list
he’s essential reading, i already visited him this morning and have his blog on my toolbar.
does anyone know what that zipcode thing is all about?