Pass the cigars and balloons because I do declare that the "fair & balanced" Fox News has given birth to yet another right wing theme based on right wing outrage over a military aid package to Egypt that includes some F-16 fighters. The opposition to the aircraft is based on concerns that because Egypt's president has made some nasty comments about Jews, he will use these planes against Israel. Rep. Senator McCain allayed these fears during an interview with Sean Hannity; but his was a lone voice on Fox whose coverage has a different POV as seen on Fox Nation and the Fox News website which had an article by the biased and homophobic Maxim Lott who categorizes the planes as a "gift" to "the Muslim Brotherhood." Even Fox & Friends is in on the festivities with an appearance by an outraged Louie Gohmert and an outraged Muslim Zhudi Jasser - its resident anti-Islamic Muslim. Fox News - Fair & Balanced as always!
These F-16's, manufactured by Lockheed (which does contribute to the GOP) were a big mid-week Fox meme. The aforementioned McCain appearance was on Wednesday night. On Thursday, Fox & Friends began the day with the requisite propaganda message for the day. Brian Kilmeade spoke to GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert who said the fighter deal was "insane" and should be reconsidered because of Morsi's attitude towards Israel. Later, Hannity supported the claim that we are "arming the enemy" with an instruction, from a former US fighter pilot, about the "deadliness" of the F-16. And finishing out the day was an appearance, on Greta Van Susteren's show, by Rand Paul who expressed his disapproval of the deal and in so doing referenced Morsi's bad attitude towards Israel and his scary connections to Islamic radicals - things that Greta referenced at the top of the piece.
Yesterday, the week-end Fox & Friends hosted Zhudi Jasser, a Muslim who can always be counted on to castigate other Muslims as scary radicals who pose a threat to the US. The Center for American Progress' report "Fear Inc." cited Jasser as a source, “often tapped by the Islamophobe network as a validator of their views on Islam and Muslims in America.” He is the head of "The American Islamic Forum for Democracy," a one man organization devoted to fighting Islamofascism. His latest target is the Muslim Brotherhood which he has railed against during appearances on Fox & Friends.
Clayton Morris set the propaganda message from the get-go: "Lawmakers are up in arms over the Obama administration's decision to give tanks and F-16's to Egypt." (Actually, only the GOP wingnut caucus) The chyron established the Fox Fact: "Up in Arms, Gohmert, US Should Cut Off All Aid to Egypt." Morris played part of Rep. Gohmert's aforementioned interview with Louie Gohmert drawling about how our foreign policy rewards those "who want to wipe Israel off the map." (Course that was the president of Iran - not Egypt).
Based on Gohmert's comment that Egypt has two enemies, Israel and the US, Morris asked Jasser if "we're supplying our enemies with the means to fight us." On cue, Jasser said it's "horrifying" because it's "supporting an ideology that's against the West, secularism," yadda, yadda. He then went into a spiel how the Muslim brotherhood is just the worst thing evah because of radical Islamists who are everywhere. He equated arming Egypt with arming Iran. Morris alluded to how those, whom we arm, end up fighting us with those arms. (Reagan, Afghanistan, Osama...???) and Jasser said "absolutely." Jasser continued to rail against Morsi. He mentioned that the new Egyptian constitution, with Sharia law, is misogynistic. (Not like the GOP right?!) He asserted that "we need to stand against its funding." Morris said that we need to "seriously look at foreign aid in this country."
Congratulations Fox, on the birth of another right wing propaganda meme - no more military aid to Egypt! That baby is just so "fair & balanced.
I’d love to ask Mr Gohmert what his stance was on the SALE of these airplanes when the sale was being made—back when Egypt was under the control of Hosni Mubarak.