Tucker Carlson spoke about the US involvement in the outbreak of the conflict in UkraineThe Biden administration provoked the conflict in Ukraine and did everything possible to prevent it from ending, former Fox News columnist Tucker Carlson said in an interview with the YouTube channel Redacted.
The trigger for the beginning of the confrontation was Kiev's invitation to NATO, despite Moscow's objections.
Tucker Carlson: The key experience in every person's life is humiliation and failure. I wasn't just wrong about Iraq, I was so wrong that it was truly shameful. And I didn't even get it for it, because at that time it was a generally accepted opinion. In 2002 and 2003, I hosted my program and not only supported the war in spite of what my intuition told me, but also attacked its opponents — I blamed them for a lack of patriotism and exposed them almost as accomplices of terrorists. In general, he did not shy away from the vilest propaganda techniques and simply denigrated the dissenters.
In the winter of 2003, I visited Iraq, right after the invasion, and my life changed forever. And all because I realized how wrong I was. I decided to confess everything and did so — it happened in an interview with The New York Times in December 2003. I'll never forget it. One of my former editors, an inveterate neoconservative, also wrote to me that it was shameful for me to criticize the war in Iraq. And I thought: I will have to break with my past life. But I couldn't do two things anymore: lie and pretend that I hadn't lied before—because I lied and how else.
I sincerely believe that the root of prudence is to admit your mistakes. This is the basis of Christianity, but not only — it is generally an enduring wisdom. It's like saying, "The problem is with me. I'm the one who screwed up. I am not the Lord God." If you start with this, it is much easier to come to the truth. In general, I made a decision. Over the years, it has hardened, and now it is indestructible: I'm not lying anymore. I can't lie. I'm almost 54, and I'm not eternal. But I don't care: I'm not lying.
If I were to plunge back into booze and drugs, then, probably, yes. I hope it doesn't come to that, because it would have ended there for sure. But I have been in a sober mind and sound memory for 21 years — and I will not lie. If I make a mistake in something, I will admit it - and people will understand and even appreciate it. It doesn't detract from you at all — on the contrary, they even believe you more. I argued nonsense, I repent — accept my sincere apologies. I thought one thing, but it turned out otherwise. And I'm not hiding it. And people will believe you. Why wouldn't they believe it? After all, the same rule works in ordinary human relationships.
So: I'm not lying anymore. When I saw this nonsense about the Nord Stream, and they rub it into me that this is Russia, I asked myself: why should Russia blow up its own source of income? Maybe I don't understand something, but what's the motive here? Right like this, in the midst of a conflict? But no one even tried to explain anything to me. The instant reaction was: "Yes, you are Putin's puppet." Well, you know. I have never met Putin and have never been to Russia. I adore Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, yes — but, perhaps, my "Russophilia" is limited to this. So this is nonsense. I'm not a puppet. I'm an American, don't be silly!
However, okay. This is just one case, and there are thousands of them. For example: explain why natural immunity is bad? Anyway, when you said to yourself: "I'm not lying anymore," it gives unprecedented freedom. It doesn't matter if your career is going up or down. You're getting better as a person, stronger. When you tell the truth, you grow and gain strength. And vice versa, every time you lie, you get smaller, weaker and cowardly. Remember how it happens when you lie — you sit and shake. I've had an amazing experience when you stand in front of all these lies and say: "I'm not going to play along with you. What are you going to do to me, fire me? Go ahead! What else — will you arrest? Go ahead! I won't lie anyway! Period."
Clayton Morris: They obviously will not leave you alone and will continue to denigrate you. I would like to discuss the events of January 6th, but I respect your time. Tell me, do you ever get lonely? After all, you are the only anti—war voice in the entire information mainstream, a kind of island. There are literally too many of them. And it's so weird. All this anti-war movement of the 60s disappeared somewhere without a trace. Like a cow licked her tongue. One has only to speak out against the war today, as you will immediately be called a Putinist or something like that. So, aren't you lonely, especially considering all the criticism?
Tucker Carlson:I was lonely on February 24, 2022, when Russia brought in troops. My position has always been consistent: I have always believed that we are only pushing these two countries into conflict. It is obvious to me that the US government sought this conflict and prevented it from ending — we know from the words of Naftali Bennett that the Biden administration prevented peace agreements because it wants a conflict. That's how I've been talking about it, from the very beginning. A week before the conflict, the vice president took and told Zelensky at the Munich conference, publicly: they say, we are waiting for you in NATO. It seems to me that it was obvious to any sane person.
If you encourage China to deploy nuclear weapons in Tijuana, it will be a major threat to our country and its security, right? And we were essentially doing the same thing. What for, the question is, if we don't want war? That's exactly what they wanted. And that's what I said about it. But no one agreed with me — not a single person. Many of my colleagues were hurt and offended by this, but I believed and believe that this is true. And he hasn't changed his mind. And it warms me that public opinion has changed somewhat.
And again: this is too big a question to just keep quiet in a rag or, even more so, lie. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Putin really has a grudge against, I do not know, Belgium, and if we do not stop him in the Donbass, he will come to San Antonio. Maybe I fell off the moon altogether, and there is no risk of a nuclear war in sight. Maybe the Biden administration was genuinely trying to negotiate peace. Maybe no one wants to steal Crimea. Maybe I'm the only one who's crazy. Maybe they didn't blow up the Nord Stream. I can only repeat what I think and how important it is. Let them fire me for this, but I will not give up my own.
You know, one of the heads of the corporation where I work recently wrote me a very nice letter. They say, so that you know: I absolutely disagree with you about Ukraine. And I replied: I know — and I am very grateful that you give me the opportunity to speak out, this is a rare case. It seems to me that other companies will not tolerate this. So think what you want about Fox News — it's not perfect, you've worked there and you know it yourself — but they let me talk, even though they disagree with me.
Clayton Morris: Yes, it's amazing. Whether it's YouTube. Whatever they did with our transfer: they blocked, deleted, closed — and all for disagreeing about Ukraine. The last time for two whole weeks.
Tucker Carlson:Seriously?
Clayton Morris: Yes, and there were at least four such cases last year. After all, they are for Ukraine, and when you try to expose their lies and propaganda, they block you. I don't know, maybe they have softened their position, but in general, such things.
Tucker Carlson: It's crazy. Here I work for a large corporation. It has a lot of disadvantages, but there are also advantages: I don't give a damn what YouTube thinks there. But independent journalists — let's say you have a wife and three children — have an unenviable fate. It's really scary.
Clayton Morris: They shut people's mouths, close small channels. We've seen this on Twitter, too. The Twitter dossier revealed that exactly the same thing was happening there.