I'll be honest: I don't follow Mr. Greenwald's work. All I know of him, I learn from sites like this. I know that he has a huge fan base around these parts. I know that his opinion is highly regarded and is almost always critical of the current administration. Fine. But this is, to say the least, a curious tweet.
Quick diary below the fold.
Greenwald posted this message today, December 4:
The tweet includes a link (and a warning tag of "Creepy Reverence"). The link is to the newly established photo and news blog of a former popular Daily Kos Member. We all know who she is, but who, you may ask, is Leni Riefenstahl?
Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (German pronunciation: [ˈʁiːfənʃtaːl]; 22 August 1902 - 8 September 2003) was a German film director, actress and dancer widely noted for her aesthetics and innovations as a filmmaker. Her most famous film was Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will), a propaganda film made at the 1934 Nuremberg congress of the Nazi Party. Riefenstahl's prominence in the Third Reich along with her personal friendship with Adolf Hitler thwarted her film career following Germany's defeat in World War II, after which she was arrested but released without any charges.[1]
You can read more here. A simple search will provide you more information, and links to her infamous films.
So, we have here a comparison of supporters of Barack Hussein Obama to supporters of Adolph Hitler. This kind of talk has been prevalent in conspiratorial right wing circles since at least the beginning of 2008. I will reserve my commentary, other than to say that it is ironic that one Jewish person would dare slander another Jewish person in such a manner. But what do I know? Apparently, I enjoy looking at Nazi propaganda.
Update: Yes, I do realize that the goal of the tweet was to discredit Blackwaterdog, one blogger out of millions, as a "cult" member. Insulting enough on its own, Greenwald chose to go even further by insinuating that she is somehow propagandizing a dangerous, murderous, fascist movement. If it was just about the alleged "cult of personality," there are numerous other less offensive and equally snarky pop culture references that could have been made. His use of Riefenstahl was a blatant attempt to attack BWD while also attacking Obama as a similarly dangerous presence, and an enemy. There is no other way to spin his Nazi reference. If Glenn Grenwald is such a brilliant thinker and important voice to the progressive movement, why is he wasting his time demonizing a private citizen and invoking Godwin's Law in the process?
I wondered how long it would take for the language of those anti-government extremists on the right to pervade the "angry left." I guess I have my answer.
UPDATE 2: Less than 24 hours after the offensive tweet, Greenwald seems to see the error of his analogy. Maybe it has to do with the fact that he's apparently been getting pummeled on Twitter all day. I sent a tweet to him as well, and less than a minute later, this reply shows up:
I affirm my distaste for photographic leader-glorification, but I'll rescind my invocation of Leni Riefenstahl as too inflammatory & extreme