Ben Norton

Ben Norton is a journalist and writer. He is a producer and reporter for The Real News, and a contributor to the Grayzone Project and FAIR. Ben co-hosts the Moderate Rebels podcast with Max Blumenthal. His website is BenNorton.com.

US Backs Coup in Oil-Rich Venezuela, Right-Wing Opposition Plans Mass Privatization and Hyper-Capitalism

The US has effectively declared a coup in Venezuela. Trump recognized unelected right-wing opposition leader Juan Guaidó as new “president,” who plans mass privatization and neoliberal capitalist policies.

Ben Norton
By Ben Norton
Venezuela | coup | Juan Guaido

GrayZone -- The United States has effectively declared a political coup d’état in Venezuela, from abroad. Trump announced on January 23 that the US recognizes the unelected, illegitimate right-wing opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the supposed new “interim president” of Venezuela’s supposed new “government.” Venezuela’s US-backed opposition has

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NY Times Columnist Ross Douthat Defended Murderous Dictator Pinochet in His Harvard Days

Conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat is one of numerous corporate media figures to have defended Augusto Pinochet, Chile’s murderous US-backed capitalist dictator.

Ben Norton
By Ben Norton
Ross Douthat

Grayzone Project -- Back in his Ivy League college days, right-wing New York Times columnist Ross Douthat wrote an op-ed defending the US-backed dictator Augusto Pinochet, whose military junta murdered and disappeared thousands of dissidents and tortured tens of thousands more. Intellectual historian Timothy Barker dug through columns that

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Every Single Member of US Congress Approved Crushing Sanctions on Nicaragua

After defeating a violent US-backed coup attempt, Nicaragua’s elected government faces the NICA Act. The bill aims to force the Sandinistas from power by ratcheting up economic despair.

Ben Norton
By Ben Norton
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen | Nicaragua

GrayZone Project -- Every single member in both chambers of the US Congress approved legislation that will impose sanctions and financial restrictions on Nicaragua in an explicit effort to weaken its government. Known as the NICA Act, the bill is now on its way to the desk of President Donald Trump, who will almost certainly sign it into

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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s Pro-Nazi Soldier Photo Op

Ukraine President Poroshenko promoted a photo of himself posing next to a soldier wearing a Nazi SS Totenkopf patch.

Ben Norton
By Ben Norton
Petro Poroshenko Nazi SS Photo op

Grayzone Project -- Petro Poroshenko, the staunchly pro-NATO president of Western ally Ukraine, posed for a photo op with a soldier wearing a Nazi symbol. On December 6, the Ukrainian billionaire oligarch leader posted a photo on multiple social media accounts that shows him standing with armed troops. One of these Ukrainian soldiers is wearing

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At Elite Gala With Ex-Bush Official, Obama Implores Wall Street to Thank Him for Making Them so Much Money

“Just say thank you, please,” former President Obama told a room full of bankers, and boasted of making the US the world’s largest oil producer at an opulent gala with James Baker.

Ben Norton
By Ben Norton
Obama | Wall Street

GrayzoneProject -- Barack Obama urged bankers to thank him for helping make them so much money during his tenure as president. He also boasted of turning the US into the world’s largest oil producer. Obama made his appeals for elite adulation at a lavish gala hosted by former Secretary of State James Baker and surrounded by wealthy Republicans

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Violent Neo-Nazi Organizer Speaks at US Government Event in Ukraine

An activist from neo-Nazi C14 gang spoke at the US government’s America House in Ukraine. C14 is notorious for violent attacks on the Roma.

Ben Norton
By Ben Norton
Ukraine C14 neo-Nazi

Grayzone -- A prominent activist from the violent Ukrainian neo-Nazi gang C14 spoke at an event at a US government organization in Ukraine‘s capital Kiev. This young fascist leader has also boasted of working with Kiev police to “purge” Roma citizens from a train station, according to a Ukrainian human rights organization. The Grayzone

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Saudi Arabia Kills Civilians in Yemen with Another US-Made Raytheon Bomb

Saudi Arabia attacked Yemenis in Hodeida with a laser-guided bomb made by US military contractor Raytheon, as a civilian is killed every three hours on average.

Ben Norton
By Ben Norton
Saudi Arabia Raytheon Yemen

GrayZone Project - A bomb used by Saudi Arabia to attack civilians in Yemen has been identified as a US-made laser-guided bomb manufactured by military contractor Raytheon. The deaths — the latest in a long pattern of Saudi bombings of Yemeni civilians with US-made weapons — came amid reports that fighting kills one Yemeni civilian every three

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