{"id":27140,"date":"2017-10-23T07:17:01","date_gmt":"2017-10-23T12:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/olduvai.ca\/?p=27140"},"modified":"2017-10-23T07:17:01","modified_gmt":"2017-10-23T12:17:01","slug":"ngo-publishes-names-of-2300-rt-guests-labels-them-useful-idiots-who-undermine-western-democracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/?p=27140","title":{"rendered":"NGO Publishes Names of 2,300+ RT Guests, Labels Them \u2018Useful Idiots Who Undermine Western Democracy\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NGO Publishes Names of 2,300+ RT Guests, Labels Them \u2018Useful Idiots Who Undermine Western Democracy\u2019<\/a><\/h3>\n
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An NGO called the European Values Think-Tank has published a report on RT featuring an extensive list of US and European public figures who have been accused of \u201cundermining western democracy\u201d just by appearing in RT shows.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The report, claiming to be an\u00a0\u201coverview of RT\u2019s editorial strategy and evidence of impact,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0comes<\/a>\u00a0with an Excel list of 2,327 people who have appeared on RT over the last four years. The names are carefully arranged in seven categories, including US politicians, UK politicians, European politicians and so on, and are arranged in alphabetical order. The list mentions the shows the guests appeared on, the total number of their appearances, and gives hyperlinks to all the relevant episodes.<\/p>\n

The report states that appearing on the network is counterproductive and makes the guest a\u00a0\u201cuseful idiot\u201d<\/em>\u00a0to a\u00a0\u201chostile foreign power.\u201d<\/em>Expressing one\u2019s opinion on RT is considered by the NGO as equivalent to\u00a0\u201ccomplicity with the Russian propaganda machine.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Although the list looks like a really thorough effort at cataloguing all of the RT guests, it\u2019s got a number of strikingly weird blunders. For example, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson<\/strong> is there, but only the link attached leads to a satirical show featuring someone impersonating him. Meanwhile, US Senator John McCain<\/strong>\u2019s daughter is mistaken for the senator himself and\u00a0\u201cPoliticking with Larry King\u201d<\/em>\u00a0is unexpectedly referred to as\u00a0\u201cPoliticking with Larry David.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0generally claims that RT is\u00a0\u201can instrument of hostile foreign influence,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0which has the sole purpose of\u00a0\u201cundermining public confidence in the viability of liberal democracy.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

It repeatedly discourages any public figures from potentially appearing on any of RT\u2019s shows in the future, as those on the list are accused of boosting RT\u2019s\u00a0\u201ccredibility as a legitimate news network.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n