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Tucker Carlson & Putin -- A way forward for the American right and what it meaning for UK Conservatives

Despite his improbable name, Tucker Carlson is a survivor in the US media world.  After having been ejected from the ultra-right-wing Fox News for his even by them toxic commentaries both on and off camera, he was able with the help of Twitter to survive and thrive.

There is no doubt that Mr. Carlson represents a vocal and active voice of America's hard right: Anti-democratic, supporters of strong men, in the mould of Pinochet and Putin, there is a very powerful and wealthy American class that despises the US electorate and believes that they alone should choose the leader.  

A few days ago Mr. Carlson interviewed President Putin who once again demonstrated Carlson's overall incompetence and slopiness.  He left obviously false statements by Putin unchallenged and made-up stories to aggrandize his feat in interviewing Putin.  

Putin is recognized as a brilliant and ruthless leader, who has controlled Russia with an iron grip for more than 20 years.  Carlson, the useful mouthpiece, enabled Putin to pass his message to his American fans unfettered by any filter.  Carlson only saw his popularity and brand-name rise in value, the only important metrics of success, since it translates directly into a higher income. 

In Trump, the American hard right see's an easily manipulated buffoon who will take his policy cues from Fox News evening sound bites.  The American hard-right correctly believes that a new Trump administration would be easily controlled to ensure that with the help of the already biased courts, they could pervert the US Constitution, and utterly destroy the American democratic political system.  They admire Putin for disqualifying his only rival in the upcoming elections. 

Here in the UK, the conservative media machine watches this all unfold in horror.  A good chunk of the conservative media machine historically took its policies from the US's right-wing think tanks, although they will not admit it, successful ideas from US right-wing had a habit of percolating into Conservative talking points (I saw this firsthand over many years, with the argument "It worked over there").

The strong pro-Putin support in America's far right is just too much for the UK Conservatives.  My sources within the policy machine tell me that part of their problem is that they cannot bring themselves to emulate most of America's hard-right policy prescriptions.  Granted 12 years has left many exhausted, but for the party, its historic source of ideas has become too extreme and unhinged.  Even for the crazy fringe of my old party.

Note: I had not really paid attention the first time, but it's evident that Carlson had a very specific agenda in his Putin interview; to portray him as a soldier of God, twice Carlson revisited to the idea of seeing the hand of God, and also the reason for invading was Eastward NATO expansion, and twice Putin said that (a) he didn't see the hand of god, (b) NATO had nothing to do with the invasion.  

Right there, he destroyed both of the most important far right narratives to support the invasion; that Putin was a soldier of God, and that NATO was the reason for invading.  I don't think his audience will notice, they are simply too dumb to believe there eyes and ears.  



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