Posted on February 21, 2018

Which Foreign Influences Should Worry Us?

Chris Roberts, American Renaissance, February 21, 2018

Last year I grew so frustrated by the endless stream of articles about Russia’s involvement in our presidential election that I wrote a short essay titled, “Why I Don’t Care About Russian ‘Scandals.’” I said:

Mr. Trump and Russia do not want to bring hordes of Muslims into our cities. They will not pass “hate speech” laws that could put me in prison. A President Trump elected by Russians is still better than a Hillary Clinton elected by “Americans.” I want my grandchildren to live in a country where they are not a despised and oppressed minority. A President Clinton would have done everything to ensure that happens.

I stand by this today, despite the recent indictments. If the Left wants to gripe about foreigners influencing our elections — and if they want to call it treason — they should look at Hispanic influence in our media. Here are a few “hate facts” for the next time you hear someone crack wise about President Trump’s “Russian birth certificate.”

The largest shareholder of The New York Times, America’s paper of record for generations, is Carlos Slim. Mr. Slim is a Mexican, and one of the richest men on the planet. Is it not reasonable to suggest that Mr. Slim’s financial power might influence how the paper covers immigration and relations with Mexico?

The Fusion Media Group (FMG) is another enormous media enterprise with foreign fingerprints all over it. Its CEO is Isaac Lee, born in Colombia. The co-president of FMG, and one of its chief content officers, is Camila Jiménez Villa, who “grew up between Colombia and Italy,” as she puts it. The other co-president and chief content officer is Daniel Eliemberg, born in Colombia. Never heard of Fusion? It is hugely influential. During the month of May 2016, its websites had an estimated 65.6 million unique visitors. Of the many websites they own, here are some of the biggest:

The Root — Arguably the most influential black news and opinion outlet in the US. Currently ranks as the 1,002nd most visited site in the US.

The Onion — Inarguably the most widely read satirical site in the country. Currently ranks as the 809th most visited site in the US.

Jezebel — One of the top feminist sites in the nation. Currently ranks as the 660th most visited in the US.

Splinter News — A new, but increasingly popular news and opinion website for young leftists. Currently ranks as the 1,014th most visited in the US.

Here are screenshots of each of these websites at the time of this writing. Decide for yourself if the foreigners behind them seem to have an agenda.

Note how prominent the “Immigration” and “Español” buttons are on the Splinter News homepage.

Imagine for a moment what leftists would say if The Root, or any prominent black interest site, was run by a company whose leadership was composed largely of eastern Europeans or Russians. Imagine the same situation for Jezebel, or any other popular feminist website.

Fusion is a subsidiary of Univision Communications (UCI). UCI is an American media company, valued at over one billion dollars, which, in its words, “is the leading multimedia company serving Hispanic America, with a mission to inform, empower and entertain our community.” Take care to note the use of “our” in that sentence. The implication is that the company views itself as foreign, and that its mission is serving people in America, who are also foreign to it. The “Who Are We” page on its site reinforces that suspicion:

By far, the most recognized journalist with UCI is Jorge Ramos — who American Renaissance readers might remember for his memorable interview with Jared Taylor. Mr. Ramos was born and raised in Mexico, but has lived in the United States since he was 25. All the same, he had strong reservations about becoming an American citizen because of his loyalty to his native land. Now that he has put those reservations behind him, he feels entitled to declare:

This is also our country. Let me repeat this: Our country, not theirs. It is our country. And we are not going to leave. We are nearly 60 million Latinos in the United States. And thanks to us, the United States eats, grows, and, as we’ve seen today, sings and dances.

Again, the use of the word “our” is very revealing — and in this case, the word “theirs” is revealing as well. Mr. Ramos may be legally American, but he certainly doesn’t seem to think he is American, any more than the company he works for.

Of course, none of this much matters in the eyes of leftists. For them, foreign CEOs of influential media companies are not a problem, so long as they promote politically correct views. Hispanic media companies should cater to Hispanics who see themselves as separate from the nation they inhabit. In a way, this is the mirror image of my views on Russian interference in American elections. I am comfortable with them having done so, because their values and mine align, at least for now — just as, for now, the values of Hispanic chauvinists and leftists align.

The key difference between me and leftists is consistency. I could see myself living happily in Russia. I would be comfortable living in a neighborhood in America filled with Russian immigrants. I enjoy Tchaikovsky, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov. I have always been very interested in ballet, and have met many Russians through that interest, and they seem to be an intelligent, friendly, cultured bunch.

Leftists, however, can’t say the same of their pet Mexicans. They certainly don’t want to live in Mexico. When neighborhoods in America become largely Hispanic, they move out. When public schools become overwhelmingly Hispanic, they put their children in private schools. Leftists certainly do not listen to Mariachi music, or contemporary Mexican rappers. Nor do they read the insufferable fiction of Chicanos. In fact, by putting their children in private schools, they are probably sparing them from having to read classic Hispanic public-school fare such as Bless Me Ultima and The House on Mango Street.

As with men, not all foreigners were created equal — and not all foreign influence was created equal either. Two cheers for the Russians.