TGIF: Trump Weighs in on Netflix, WBD, and CNN

The proposed merger of Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) "could be a problem," Donald Trump says, because Netflix has "a very big market share. When they have Warner Bros., that share goes up a lot." He said he would consult "some economists" on the matter, adding, "I’ll be involved in that decision, too."

He went on to say that CNN, which is owned by WBD but is not part of Netflix's offer, should be included in any deal because the cable-news channel's management must be ousted: "I don't think they should be entrusted with running CNN any longer." He also said the "dishonest [people who run CNN] should not be allowed to continue." (Emphasis added.)

I'm tired of the Trump Show. Can we change the channel now? Is there anything else on—something more friendly to free enterprise?

Cable Noise Network: Mouthpiece for the War State

CNN and its Pentagon stenographer, Barbara Starr, are shameless mouthpieces for the war state. In an article touting the Pentagon's unverified claim that last month's special-ops raid in Yemen, greenlit by Donald Trump, has yielded actionable intel, we find this astounding sentence:

"AQAP [al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula] is considered by many analysts to be al Qaeda's most capable affiliate, and the organization has been able to carve out a safe haven in Yemen amid the ongoing civil war there between government loyalists and Houthi rebels."

Missing from the story is the fact that it is Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies -- enabled by the U.S. military -- that are warring against the Houthis and "carv[ing] out a safe haven" for the disciples of Osama bin Laden. The merciless Saudi bombing campaign and naval blockade -- which could not be taking place without U.S. assistance -- threaten mass starvation in the Middle East's poorest country. The Obama administration joined the Saudi effort nearly two years ago apparently to placate the Gulf states, which were upset by the Iran nuclear deal. Donald Trump, who's obsessed with Iran, shows no sign of ending that war. The Houthis, who practice a form of Shi'ite Islam, are wrongly portrayed as Iranian agents.

So while Navy SEALs kill al-Qaeda operatives and others -- including unaffiliated tribesmen, women, and children -- the U.S. government also helps al-Qaeda because of its obsession with Iran and its alliance with the cradle of "radical Islamic terrorism": Saudi Arabia.

Cross-posted at The Libertarian Institute.