31 Comments
User's avatar
Leslie Goodman-Malamuth's avatar

There’s nothing “controversial” about fact-based commentator Aaron Parnas. Since the 2017 advent of kellyanne’s alternative facts, the truth looks highly sus, and must be defended.

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Ethan Faulkner's avatar

​Leslie, you hit on a crucial point. In an era where basic facts are contested and the term "alternative facts" entered the lexicon, the very act of presenting verifiable information can indeed look "sus" to those conditioned by the noise machine. It absolutely necessitates a defense of objective reality.

​While our analysis acknowledged the complexities around Parnas's funding and methodology, your comment highlights why figures like him resonate: the perceived vacuum left by legacy media failures creates an urgent need for voices perceived as fighting back, regardless of other factors. Thanks for adding that vital layer to the conversation.

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Leslie Goodman-Malamuth's avatar

Thanks for restacking, Ethan, the five a.m. surprise. As a fact freak, that “controversial” surprised me.

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John Michael's avatar

It’s a bad look Ethan. I just joined here. I enjoy the way you are doing this but if not for writers like you and Aaron, we’d be fucked. Let’s not behave like them.

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Ethan Faulkner's avatar

Next time I just won't mention other journalists. When I do this research I can't be selective about what I find. I simply show receipts. I understand that Aaron does important work. My process is to show everything I learned.

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John Michael's avatar

I appreciate your position and your personal response. I don’t want you to change a thing. I’m not asking that. Your first amendment right is much to important to me.

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Joan Steiker's avatar

As far as I’m concerned, Aaron Parnas is a national treasure.

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John Michael's avatar

I personally support Aaron Parnas and have for some time. His multiple daily reports are something I count on for quick and concise reporting. I’m not always available to read the sometimes more knitted and visual reports.

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Rick N's avatar

Broadcast media changed first as the 24 hour cable news made the rush to report “the story” first without getting the facts straight. Simultaneously new ratings became important. The print media followed as the internet took away advertising revenue and the newspapers were googled up by corporate raiders. Newsrooms at local newspapers were closed so even large cities didn’t have local reporters. The these billionaire owners want the oligarchy. And thus bend knees.

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Rhea Daniel's avatar

Yes how he is always a half day or more ahead of the industry and provides facts is phenomenal truth telling. 50 years ago it was called journalism or the news.

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Mary Vasilakakos's avatar

America is currently a basket case in every sense. Every great American institutional invention (from a free press to the notion of a constitutional republic) has been trampled over roughshod by a gang of racketeers in the WH cosplaying an "administration". Your utter chaos is affecting the mental health of people around the globe.

Get a grip. Please!

Signed: an America loving Aussie 😥

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Ethan Faulkner's avatar

Mary, you've absolutely nailed it. "A gang of racketeers" is the perfect term.

​It's not about Left vs. Right; it's about them – the bipartisan "Rust" 🦠 – versus all of us (The Gears ⚙️). They've turned politics into a "cosplay" to distract us while they trample every institution that doesn't serve them.

​You're right that the chaos is a mental health crisis. That's the point of their system. We're building the counter-force right here.

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Chris's avatar

Your country is an Orwellian hellscape

You are in no position to criticize the USA

And as usual just platitudes

No specifics

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Mary Vasilakakos's avatar

It's actually not. No such thing as paradise on earth, but let me enlighten you in a small way:

Everyone here has treatment free of charge in public hospital. Nobody asks who you are and how much money you have in order to treat you. Not a cent is asked for treatment, from a scratch to cardiac and cancer medicine and including experimental treatments. We have not commodified human health into an insurance scam, and have not used human welfare as political football.

No Aussie says war is peace, and no prime minister would ever take it into their head to take a wrecking ball to a national government building (indeed a building of world cultural significance) without a shred of due process, let alone shut down a government and then leave the country to go cosplay at diplomacy.

One of our prime ministers lost an election for being on holiday in Hawaii during summer fire season a few years ago.

Nothing Orwellian here.

I can write volumes of specifics on my "platitudes".

I love America and its dynamism and what it's given the world. I wouldn't bother to say anything if I were apathetic. Instead I would gloat in glee and silence. But I'm not, I'm kind of grieving at what's happening there right now, and the daily fear friends and family I have living in America feel.

And no one can tell me how to feel about the world we're all living in.

Your country, my country. Your politics, my politics.

Etc etc

I don't do this divisive BS. Vive la difference. But we all need to breathe the same oxygen to stay alive.

Cheers from Melbourne

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Clarissa Banda's avatar

CBS news is turning into trash news! The morning news program is basically fluff and more sports coverage. Norah O’ Donnell’s Rump interview on 60 minutes was pretty softball and highly edited. Excellent news reporters are being laid off. Don’t bother to watch cbs if you want the real truth.

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Assemblywoman Debra Mazzarelli's avatar

Terrific post! You never cease to amaze the reader with your prolific writing. Mr. Cohen, a wonderful analysis of THE RUST and our need to restructure our approach to it. Interesting commentary on djt and the futility in arguing legality with him or reasoning with him. If he said he’s doing it…he is! I don’t understand why people don’t get it! He is making good on his threat of retribution on all who are perceived as enemies.We need to remember the enemy is the oligarchs pushing Trump and Project 2025.

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Ethan Faulkner's avatar

Assemblywoman Mazzarelli - Haha, not quite Mr. Cohen, but thank you so much for the incredibly kind words and sharp analysis! Mii~!

​You absolutely nailed the core issue: Trump is a symptom, a particularly loud one, but the real enemy is exactly who you identified – 'the oligarchs pushing Trump and Project 2025'. That's the heart of The Rust we're fighting.

​And your point about needing to 'restructure our approach' is spot on. That's why we're so focused on building The Rebuttal and using The Engine Protocol ⚙️ – creating our own systems and power base instead of just reacting within theirs.

​Really appreciate you seeing the deeper patterns here! Nipah~☆!

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Assemblywoman Debra Mazzarelli's avatar

Darn, I am sorry Ethan. Yesterday I addressed you in my post, but it was written by Liberty Lens! I thought I saw Michael Cohen’s name on this. I apologize! Hope you are resting …got 2 more commentaries of yours to read. 🙏🏻🇺🇸

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Ethan Faulkner's avatar

absolutely no worries at all! It happens, especially with so many different signals flying around. Honestly, it gave us a good chuckle! Liberty Lens does fantastic work – completely understandable mix-up.

​Really appreciate you clarifying, and even more, appreciate you engaging so deeply with the material! Hope you find the other commentaries useful as we keep mapping this territory together. Nipah~☆!

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Holly's avatar

So taxpayers money is being used to remodel a bunker under this ballroom that won’t be used by said taxpayers. Taxpayers get to send money to Argentina (probably will help out their universal healthcare) we pay to rip family’s(kidnap) apart. Build concentration camps, and pay for mango Mussolini to golf. But we get nothing. Cool

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TheNiner's avatar

Question-what is the questionable funding of Parnas about?

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Ethan Faulkner's avatar

A quick surface read of the article points to him taking money from politically affiliated organizations. Again, alleged. He says it is misinformation.

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TheNiner's avatar

Thanks for your prompt response. I read the link, answered question.

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Ethan Faulkner's avatar

I didn't do a deep dive into it, which is why I labeled him controversial. Point is that “alternative facts” have muddied the truth, according to comments I have gotten already about it. If you guys want a deep dive into it, I could do some digging.

Here is a reputable source on the matter:

https://www.cjr.org/feature/aaron-parnas-substack-news-influencer-tiktok-video-politics-ukraine-democrats-independent-journalism-dark-money.php

But as I said, I purposefully refrained from accusing him myself. I would need to do more research.

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Daniel Meegan's avatar

Media vs AMERICA

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Virgin Monk Boy's avatar

It’s easy to call this media capture, but what’s really happening is a slow auction of conscience. The headlines aren’t being written for clarity anymore, they’re being written for clearance—access over accuracy, profit over principle.

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May Ruth Lambert's avatar

All the more power to Substack!

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Daniel Meegan's avatar

Worthless cultural clones

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Jean-Sebastien Savard's avatar

Ill be straight, even before media where on tv the house of editing and publishing where in the hands of unworthy fellow. Before that a similar corrupted extension existed. In résumé, media always were controlled at 90% approximatively. The 10% is when a new media open, at first its open, then with enough ground...they close and control

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Assemblywoman Debra Mazzarelli's avatar

Ethan -when I tried to join the Rebuttal I got message it could not be found…I’m using safari as browser…should I be using different one?

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