RUSSIA TODAY’s work has never been more important than now’ – Jesse Ventura

‘RT’s work has never been more important than now’ – Jesse Ventura

Robert Bridge
13 Dec, 2015 09:29

In the center of Moscow for the 10th anniversary celebration for RT, former US governor and aspirant to the US presidency, Jesse Ventura, offered his candid insights into why the world needs RT more than ever.

At the risk of sounding like a pimply teenage groupy overcome by the experience of meeting his rock ‘n’ roll idol, the shock and awe of standing face-to-face with Jesse Ventura, discussing world events and sharing a few laughs was a bit of a mind-blowing experience.

I began following the political career of Jesse Ventura, a Vietnam War veteran, professional wrestler and political commentator, ever since he sent shockwaves through the gangrene US political system by being elected as Governor of Minnesota in 1999. The most amazing thing about this accomplishment was that Ventura won the election as a political outsider, that is, beyond the two-party Democratic-Republican duopoly as a member of the Reform Party.

#RT10: @Thom_Hartmann, @GovJVentura, @maxkeiser in the audience of RT conference pic.twitter.com/Pdh2bMHOhX

— Anna Belkina (@Anabelle10021) December 10, 2015
Upsets like that just don’t happen anymore in the corporate-controlled jungle of American politics.

It was not difficult to spot Ventura at the historic Metropol Hotel in the heart of the Russian capital. Pushing 65 years old, Ventura, who stands 6’5”, wears his hair long and has a marked preference for bright t-shirts as opposed to drab suits, was easy to spot among the attendees at the conference.

Cursing the dying battery in my old Samsung voice recorder, I nevertheless took my chances and cornered the hulking Ventura halfway between the bathroom and the dining room. A very cruel maneuver, but I wasn’t letting my political hero escape without a few words. Ventura, however, proved every bit the gentleman I imagined him to be and was very generous with his time, speaking at length on a variety of issues even though it was lunchtime.

Commenting on the number of high-profile people who appeared in Moscow for the gala event – UK politician George Galloway, US presidential hopeful Jill Stein, ex-director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency Michael Flynn and even Julian Assange, who made a guest appearance from the Ecuadorian embassy in London via video – Ventura said RT served a “crucial public function by giving air time to folks who are rarely seen on television in the US.”

“It’s pretty obvious to me why RT is criticized so much in the West, and that’s because you are providing a platform for people who tend to be shunned by the mainstream media for a variety of reasons,” Ventura said. “Back in the US you see the same old faces, the same old talking heads repeating their same old lines. At least with RT people can hear the other side of the story.”

“Journalism demands balance,” he advised.

[link to www.rt.com (secure)]