Chris Rufo, a rightwing culture-war celebrity and close Ron DeSantis ally, has maintained a close relationship with IM-1776, a “dissident right” magazine that regularly showers praise on dictators and authoritarians, puffs racist ideologues, and attacks liberal democracy.

The outlet’s editors and writers – many of them so-called “anons” working under pseudonyms – have variously advocated for the repeal of the Civil Rights Act; celebrated figures such as the “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski and the proto-fascist Italian nationalist Gabriele D’Annunzio; and advanced conspiracy theories about the Covid pandemic, and what they term the “regime”, a leftist power structure that they imagine unites the state, large corporations, universities and the media.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    I don’t think he’s going to change.

    I think the press should have some balls and ask those questions rather than shy away from them whether or not it will change. You can’t honestly believe that hard questions shouldn’t be asked.

    • DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Of course i think hard questions should be asked, but again like I said in my first reply to you, he’s not going to answer, so why waste time? Why chance having your press credentials f’d with? Why chance right wing psychopaths trying to intimidate you? Especially when you already know he’s not going to answer.

      You seem to still not be getting it, either that or you’re sealioning me, but I’m going to continue to treat you as sincere, but what you’re not getting is that this man does not do criticism under any circumstances, ffs he married his wife because she’s basically a pretty version of a “Yes man”. Any reporter who tries to show criticism will almost certainly be wasting their time, while also making a powerful enemy willing to cause them problems.

      DeSantis is also going to avoid those instances where he may find himself at risk of hearing criticisms, this is just who he is, and believe me plenty of us have loads of questions and criticisms for him. I mean ffs he literally had one of his aides die in the hallway outside of his office, wouldn’t you think we’d want to know more about something like that? Yet he will never answer, because he knows he doesn’t have to, and he knows that he doesn’t actually care about anything except his and his agendas success. This guy is a Harvard law school grad, a veteran Navy officer who worked closely with the SEALS and Gitmo interrogators, he knows exactly what he’s doing and what type of people he’s consorting with, and like his role with the SEALS and Gitmo interrogators, he knows exactly what he can get away with.

      You really need to come to terms with who you’re talking about and learn to understand him better, because he’s going to keep being a problem for all of us, and will continue to ignore, deflect, and project any criticism.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Of course i think hard questions should be asked, but again like I said in my first reply to you, he’s not going to answer, so why waste time? Why chance having your press credentials f’d with? Why chance right wing psychopaths trying to intimidate you? Especially when you already know he’s not going to answer.

        Okay, so who should the media ask the hard questions to if not people like state governors? I don’t understand why you think a non-answer is a non-story. Not responding to “do you support terrorism” is, in itself, a story.

        But I really want to know who you think the media should ask hard questions to.

        • DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          The media should ask hard questions to the people that aren’t going to just ignore or deflect them obviously, maybe they should ask Donald Trump some harder questions, because Donnie is going to talk whether you want him to or not.

          There are a whole slew of folks that the media would be better suited at going after than DeSantis, but there are also other folks similar to DeSantis that still shouldn’t be ignored, especially the ones that are more vulnerable than DeSantis is.The only people that should be asking DeSantis questions are the ones he can’t lie to, he can’t deflect on, and that’s something like the FBI.

          Also again we all know the answer about DeSantis supporting terrorism, that answer is yes, hell CPAC sarcasticly admitted that they are domestic terrorists:

          They know what they are and what they’re doing, it’s the naive folks who don’t realize won’t care, and their supporters who definitely don’t care, and no journalist asking questions is going to change those people.

          I’ve got two DeSantis humpers in my life and there is nothing you can say to make them waver about Ron being the “best governor in the US” because believe me, I’ve tried, they know he’s a petty little tyrant, but that’s what they want, and it’s pathetic and unAmerican, neither of these people can articulate why they like DeSantis, but I’m fairly certain it’s rooted in racism and the way DeSantis attacks his detractors. I know this because one of these people also admitted to being a Klandice Owens fan, and his fandom for her was summed up by him as "I like it when she “gets them’” as in he likes it when Klandice gish gallops and attacks people on her show. They like the outrage and they’re attracted to it and the drama like moths to flame.

          DeSantis should be thoroughly reported on, but again, I wouldn’t waste my time asking questions, he’s not going to answer, but he should be thoroughly covered by the press while not expecting to ever get an answer fromhim or his team.