The Syria you won’t see: Max Blumenthal on visiting Damascus after the proxy war

Pushback with Aaron Maté
The Grayzone’s Max Blumenthal discusses his reporting trip to Damascus in the aftermath of Syria's proxy war. He interviewed residents who were caught between Western and Gulf-backed extremist insurgents and the Syrian government’s war to retake territory, and who now struggle to recover under a US-led economic blockade.
"They want to attack and intimidate people from the West who want to have cultural and personal contact with Syrians in the area where most Syrians live," Blumenthal says. "I went there and I took that opportunity to have contact with them because I’ll take any reasonable opportunity to break the media blockade in countries targeted with regime change, and to show my fellow citizens what’s on the other side of the corporate media and the US national security state’s information war."
Guest: Max Blumenthal, Editor of The Grayzone and author of "The Management of Savagery."
Video by Ben Norton
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Find transcripts and more at thegrayzone.com/pushback

[@airen12able]

Max Blumenthal is one of a few journalists who is telling the truth.give him a peace prize.

[@mariarobles6426]

Yes to Him 😁 ❤️ not to Obama whom have to his name more missiles and bombs than WW-2😭 (what a charade)

[@mariarobles6426]

@Murican Ignorance 👏👏👏👏

[@maxmeggeneder8935]

A bit off topic, but Trump has already outkilled Obama. He managed to take up what Obama did and turn up the heat even more.

[@NyetTube]

@@mariarobles6426 Obummer is a lawyer. Voting for a lawyer in politics is almost never smart.

[@NyetTube]

@KELLI2L2 Yup the military industrial complex are the puppet masters. War is extremely profitable.

[@agentsmidt3209]

The Grayzone is becoming my go to for reliable, unbiased , and SERIOUS news.

[@user-pq7jj3vs3e]

And unabashedly pro Assad

[@mazyar_]

Max Blumenthal represents the decent side of American society

[@jordanallen3078]

@hoodiewoman louisiana I have seen him tear up more than once. It is very obvious this man feels very deeply for the victims of the hyper criminal zionist-imperialists.

[@phynnr3469]

@hoodiewoman louisiana Max although Jewish, is a true human being. The same can also be said about Aaron.

[@yafaflores1111]

Putting these two minds together Max & Aaron on investigative reporting regarding various places in our world is truly a wake up call. It’s time for the world to wake up. You can wake up with opened eyes and ears . Most importantly have a heart for these tumultuous times .

[@elaine1034]

Norman Finkelstein is another truther.

[@Mk3390]

Man of integrity. Max, like Abby Martin, could be a king of "journalism," but they refuse to sell out.

[@mrp9498]

I traveled thru Syria in the late 1980’s with my mother. It was beautiful!🥺

[@rg5445]

Truth has never stood a chance in this world.

[@Tuesdayfarm]

Informed as we are, we are like Cassandra and can see the future, but there is nobody to believe that what we see is true and will come to pass.

[@manuelmamann5035]

sociaty is a conzept created by human. truth is diffrent. we will all die if we dont pull our self togheter. and the consequenzes will always be truthfull and without moral obligaton. the question is. are we smart enough to realise the truth, that we are equal an vunerable. i hope so. the truth is, that human kind is young and naive and we suffer the consequnses until we adapt and learn.

[@thisrichbastard.809]

And never will.

[@fredfredrickson5436]

Keep you chins up, good folk.

[@manuelmamann5035]

@@salt2805 the world was always this "difficult" we just didnt realised it. this is the issue with awareness. you dont want to breed. i think we could need more of your kind. allow us to be assholes. it is human after all. we are in puperty. we just learned to create a sociaty with no external danger (disregarding the all powerfull universe here XD ) our issues with ourselfes is the one humbling experince. like a young boy creating chaos until the sociaty makes him responsible for his actions. its testing whats possible. we are like. NO DANGER HOW HART CAN I ROCK THE WORLD UNTIL I CANT? we will get it. you give many reasons to belive that.

[@nicholaswhyte1986]

I cannot tell you guys how much i appreciate this brave and courageous journalism. Thank you Aaron Maté and Max Blumenthal.

[@teslastellar]

Thank you to both of you. Keep up the good work 👍

[@SerpentsHiss]

This is why people get their news from youtube.

[@halasimov1362]

Henrik Mosgaard Jensen KZbin censors heavily now it is sad! We need a better platform soon

[@jbhann]

Hal Asimov ....and one only has to look at the leadership behind YT and google to see why they censor information.

[@JeanLucCaptain]

This is why KZbin censorship is a thing.

[@jays5926]

Jean-Luc Martel was good emorning iwyei

[@JeanLucCaptain]

James Charles what?

[@Amy-zb6ph]

We seem to have forgotten that other people, particularly people in other countries, are just as human as we are. Reporting like this helps to break us of that notion, especially for those people who have never left the US. Thank you!

[@HOPE20111000]

I really appreciate this kind of reporting. More like the "truth" zone.

[@AudioPervert1]

Oh so many vanished children of Syria and of Damascus ... Which You or I wont ever see ... After buying wine and cheese at the supermarket in Caracas, Max Blu (mission hoodwink) is now enjoying the ruthless murderer Bashar Al Asad's good hospitality ... This guy is a pathetic joke in the name of one eyed journalism ... Far from any objective and useless TRUTH

[@borntobewild54]

@@AudioPervert1 Fuck off you Nazi Pervert Troll!

[@condorX2]

@@borntobewild54 Sabrina Shahab: Washington needs an enemy because if there is no enemy , they have to answer to their people on domestic problems .. 83 replies. 1.1K likes. Source Ex-CIA Agent: America creates its own enemies. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mX3Ni6J3aKyUjKc Source CIA's fatal tactics to overthrow governments. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6KQf6GaprGijJY

[@themockturtle2747]

@@AudioPervert1 - No evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of Assad other than what the White Helmets presented. They are paid by NATO nations and are far from neutral sources. Premature regime change attempts in Syria by funding Wahhabi rebels BFF w/ ISIS is certainly not a legal act according to international laws. Max is trying to correct the media imbalance.

[@AudioPervert1]

@@themockturtle2747 Theres mountains of evidence (verified) about the various atrocities, war crimes and extra judicial killings commit by King Assad and his daddy. After all millions of Syrians (thousands of them here in Europe) didnt leave their home because some jihadi terrorists convinced them to vacate their native land and Life. Both sides in the Syrian war are vicious psychopath assholes. Injustice is beyond imagination when 30 plus nations including its own ruler bombs 1 country over 5 years. Pathetic excuses you guys give inspite of the reality ...

[@100WangWing]

Great work once again. Max you are a very brave man, not just for going to Syria but for the telling the truth.

[@ARIES-sy3sj]

Thanks a lot to Max, Aaron ,Jimmy dore and so many others out there for giving us real news not BS lies!!

[@xmobile.]

👍The Last American Vagabond

[@kaledafif7972]

Know more news👍

[@ruthbenedict9904]

This clip is like watching two Hall of Fame Journalists. I'm in awe.

[@LightnLife3]

Great reporting. Thanks for mentioning my Orthodox Christian (I'm Greek Orthodox) brothers and sisters in Syria. We know the hell they've been and were going through in the height of the regime-change efforts by our own country, the US and others. Thank you so much, Max and Aaron.

[@OlympicLeprechaun]

God bless you my Orthodox Christian brother!

[@LightnLife3]

@@OlympicLeprechaun It's sister, but you are more than welcome!

[@OlympicLeprechaun]

@@LightnLife3 Oops. My bad. Sorry.

[@Onelight_space]

Syriana Analysis just added a new video from their perspective there. ✊

[@LightnLife3]

@@OlympicLeprechaun np. :)

[@a.esquivel2434]

You guys are truth and peace seekers! Tons of love and God bless you guys!!

[@jthom5951]

@@103488 Daraa peaceful protests www.globalresearch.ca/daraa-2011-syrias-islamist-insurrection-in-disguise/5460547 Assad received 88.7% of the votes in elections in 2014. Not bad for a brutal dictator who kills his own people.

[@marti6607]

@Stalin Steel Absolutely no evidence??? What about the evidence of those who HAD BEEN TORTURED in Assad's prisons and HAD SEEN teenagers being killed?? Or perhaps their evidence doesn't count because it doesn't fit your worldview??? The only difference between jihadi head choppers and Assad is that the former wear funny clothes and grow beards while the latter is clean-shaven, wears nice suits and has the chopping done for him by others. That is the only difference.

[@marti6607]

@@jthom5951 And you believe that those elections were free and fair. Idiot.

[@jthom5951]

​@@marti6607 If not being brainwashed and questioning everything our main stream media tells us is being an idiot, then I plead guilty. But check this out for the Syrian elections in 2014 and pay particular attention to the following ten countries that did not allow Syrian expatriate voting to be held in the Syrian diplomatic missions. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Syrian_presidential_election I can see you are not used to critical thinking. Have you not taken in anything from this video? Ever wondered how a "bloody dictator" can survive and win after 8 years fighting against western sponsored Islamic Jihadists from all over the world if he is killing his own people. Examine the logic of that. How do you expect the support of your people who form your army if you are killing your own people? Another illogical one we always get is "Assad is gassing his people". Is it logical when he is winning the war against these terrorists, that he uses gas knowing full well that this is the "red line" excuse the West needs to invade his country? Cui bono, Who will benefit from this narrative except the White Helmet terrorists who also happened to provide the fake evidence. White Helmets kzbin.info/www/bejne/onzMmn6qesirb7M Propaganda organization': White Helmets 'engage in anti-Assad activities' - author Sy Hersh kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIG1kpqAgN14epY Another one we always get shoved down our throats is helicopters are dropping "barrel bombs" on schools and hospitals. Is it logical that the Syrian army devotes its precious resources on destroying schools and hospitals? If you are only going to target schools and hospitals, you need precision guided bombs not inaccurate free falling barrel bombs because you could accidentally kill... terrorists. If you have been in the military, you know it is suicidal for a helicopter to hover and drop bombs from above. It would have been shot to bits by AK47s let alone heavy machine guns, RPGs and MANPADs. Remember Black Hawk Down? The so called "peaceful" protests in Daraa were violent from the first day with 7 unarmed policemen and 4 civilians killed by rooftop snipers. Security forces recovered rifles and grenades after storming the al-Omari mosque. www.globalresearch.ca/daraa-2011-syrias-islamist-insurrection-in-disguise/5460547. Our main stream media did not report this. They also did not report that Assad intervened to release the schoolkids who were arrested for writing regime change graffiti and punished the local officials responsible. Can you give me some links where you mentioned evidence of those who HAD BEEN TORTURED in Assad's prisons and HAD SEEN teenagers being killed? I have only seen photos of tagged bodies in a morgue that were said to be victims of Assad's prisons but they turned out to be bodies of Syrian soldiers murdered by ISIS. Might be an idea for you to get some balanced views by checking out independent journalists like Eva Bartlett and Vanessa Beeley. Also check out The Dirty War on Syria: by Professor Tim Anderson www.globalresearch.ca/the-dirty-war-on-syria/5491859

[@aaronlopez717]

Skadoosh To me I am not focused in this problem, in the world a lot of conflict I can name a journalist who can fallow it month ago there is women journalists who was there for long periods of time / I don’t get the picture of this one but is good in point .

[@lutherdean6922]

thank you both so much for all this amazing work your team is doing

[@jackchevalier7339]

Most excellent interview. This is so important, to have a real view of whats really going on in Syria.

[@user-mz2be6un9z]

He missed this kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqaqcpl_jd6ql7s

[@incapie]

Max I so much appreciate your work.

[@Ali-xc8iu]

Go Max go ! This is such an amazing journalism. Shout out for spreading truth!

[@makumiwanjohi9549]

I'm loving this show 🤩🤩🤩

[@antonischrsiafarikas7353]

Lovely human beings ! Great to see it ! Thank you both, Gentlemen.

[@amania9254]

Thanks for the Real Journalism, caring and daring to speak the truth.

[@unitedwithin4004]

Truth speakers: Max and Aaron.

[@zovalentine7305]

Nothing like a first-hand account from the ground. Thank you⚘

[@judy5545]

Thanx for the truth guys 👏👏👏👏

[@Qossuth]

Seeing/feeling the Syrian conflict finally wind down, and peace return, over the past couple of years has been one of the few spots of goodness in our contemporary world. I know there's still more hard work for the Syrian people, but Empire was, for once, set back. Really excellent layout of the situation in Syria. I would like to know more about what's happening in the northern/eastern parts of the country, where the US apparently still maintains troops (?) and/or allied militias. Great job, Aaron and Max, and superb video by Ben Norton, one of the best I've seen you do!

[@dennismiller5725]

Thanks, Max, finishing your book now, quite an eye-opener.

[@coreycox2345]

I hope a lot of people read it, Dennis Miller. I had the same experience of reading it.

[@stevesayewich8594]

Thank you Max and Aaron.

[@Napoleon_4pcs]

Manegement of savegery is the best book I have read in the last two decades. Love your work Max, Aaron and Grayzone! Thank you!

[@davelester1985]

Our government sucks! Thanks for this illuminating video. We need more of this, but our media entertainers are afraid to go, they might get dirty and learn the truth at the same time.

[@oscarrobert4725]

Aaron is doing a good(excellent!!) Job. Count me in

[@johnpagoto1054]

Great reporting guys

[@jimsusedpcs]

Thank you Max, Aaron..we all try and spread the truth..with your help , Eva Bartlett, Vanessa Beeley..Peace

[@phynnr3469]

JC Nel oh yes, How could I forget these two fine ladies. I really admire their true report on the Syrian situation.

[@suzanneharris8339]

The BEST American journalist team - thank you for the always informative, truthful rooftop interview. 😁🤗👍❤

[@dallasboringnews7157]

10/10

[@SamLamsTop10Thankyoueveryone]

Finally some truth.

[@MrJuninho11]

As a Syrian, I thank you for spreading the truth

[@sharkamov]

*Both Max & Aaron are like literal **_lighthouses_** protruding up over the sea of lies and deception, casting their beam of penetrating light all around!* . . . . . The deepest of respect and gratitude coming to you from Norway! 🌍☮️

[@henrysmith1464]

very true, thanks for saying the words

[@geelucky13]

Max is amazing..thanks

[@Rarowan317]

This is amazing!

[@MJ-es5vo]

Great job Max, keep up the good work!

[@matthewo2261]

Good reporting

[@phynnr3469]

Again, I must say a very informative channel. Max & Aaron are among the finest alternatives such as RT, PressTV, the Duran by the two Alexanders, Abby Martin, Jimmy Dore (though he uses a lot of curse words / expletives) among others.

[@rpm1796]

You could add the 21st Century News & UK Column, Lizzie Phelan and Robert Fisk to your list.

[@webaccess11]

R PM Thank you for extending my list. Does anyone know of Australian alternatives?

[@robbie3333]

RT is starting to suck, except for Michelle G. And Lee Camp

[@graysnow8224]

Subscribed to all of them.

[@rpm1796]

@@webaccess11 Right back at ya 11🏒🍻 Your best Digga is your exiled Brendon O'Connel....................Long time gone.........................🏝. Seen any Kiwi sites.....You?

[@jamesboobar4270]

Max is a hero

[@PMunkS]

Diggin' the backdrop for the interview. Great production folks!

[@dallasboringnews7157]

This is probably my favorite KZbin subscription. Great job guys.

[@likklej8]

Thanks max UK MSM doesn’t do this ace reportage.

[@mizofan]

The mainstream media in UK and USA serve the Zionist imperialists, corporations and greedy crooked rich.

[@onegosling]

Isn't this the same observation Tulsi has been trying to share for so long now? Thank you for this guys

[@onegosling]

@Mansoor Ahmedwhich genocide?

[@ahmadshahhassanzada2661]

@Mansoor Ahmed but that is a fact that riots were started by the muslims in gujarati. Isi just at the time said they were there to help them making it look like but in fact Isi started it just to divide . I am a Muslim myself and that won't change the fact. Did you just missed the part that the terrorists were trained by ISI and was funded by the Saudis.

[@michaelmike1519]

only the truth with the grayzone.

[@perovskaya]

Dear Historic Syria you have been preserved by Mother Russia-and saved from the clutches of the USURERS ARMIES LONF LIVE SYRIA

[@russianballet681]

Absolutely!!

[@jtulley2839]

You both are so articulate and able to break this down in such a way that we can feel for these people and "push back " in an intelligent way to others. Thank you for traveling and " being in it ' . Thats not easy , so brave . Bless you both !

[@mazyar_]

Max when are you going to report from Iran?

[@jameskelman9856]

Well done journalism !

[@DianeLasek]

Thank you Max-keep up your great work!!!

[@juttagalbory6659]

Thanks Max. Thank God there are still people like you to inform us reliably about what's going on. Thanks too to Aaron for providing the real, genuine news.

[@SakinahHur]

Thank you #MaxBlumenthal #Grayzone Peace be unto you Take care and be true to your heart With Peace and Divine Loving Consciousness Sakinah

[@flywithholyspirit]

Thank you

[@jimmihotdog3469]

The "mercenaries" must get big bonuses for doing the most barbaric acts of human degradation upon a defenseless human being ever.

[@oliviawillis2407]

Those without souls could only do this to people. All over the plantet

[@TheZuluman7]

His book" Management of savagery" its a masterpiece

[@sonofclay]

It's hard to find any good reporting on Syria. Thank you

[@danlewis7641]

Max Blumenthal's book "The Management of Savagery" is excellent and eye opening. The policy of supporting radical, violent Jihadists is a disaster and has created massive suffering.

[@rdpatterson2682]

It's a shocker.

[@katestone2925]

Thank you for such an informative interview. The truth at last...

[@leevanderheiden452]

Aaron, Pushback is an amazing show, kudos to you for making it so. And Max is awesome as a guest. Thank you both for such great journalism! This is so so so so so important!

[@jordanallen3078]

Two of my favorite journalists. Integrity is so HOT! 🙏

[@bludaizee24]

This is terrifying and the West NEEDS to know these things!

[@sarka74]

thank you, Aaron and Max, for an honest journalism

[@propeacemindfortress]

@Max Blumethal ... thank you for doing your best to keep it real ;) highly appreciated

[@photon6100]

Fantastic show! Keep it up.

[@nosey3972]

Thank you MAX My hat goes off to you in your journey to not just help the punished Syrian people but to expose the US government and the elite circle that sit with in for their continued roll in death and destruction world wide. Respect from Australia

[@sanskrit7548]

Excellent interview, thanks to Max and Aaron and the Grayzone for exposing the reality of Syria.

[@abhinavitsmebellamy]

Great journalist, Max Blumenthal is. Really nice talk, Aaron. Thanks!!

[@karenskinner9044]

I love these two guys. It would be really wonderful if our mainstream so called news channels had real investigative journalism, like these two.

[@menthamelissa5094]

you all's work is so impressive. truly incredible. i'm so grateful to get some real understanding of what is happening in other parts of the world, instead of not having a clue. thank you so much for your careful and deeply caring labour. it does not fall on deaf man's ears.

[@FB-fm3ub]

Thank you so much for your courage, just so impressive what you are saying! 🙏 from switzerland

[@Bonitta248]

I love you ♥️ and want to Thank you for sharing all those gorgeous reports. Lots of love to you from Iran ♥️👋👋👋👍🌹

[@skellys1948]

Excellent and informative. I've found a new favorite KZbin channel.

[@stevencoardvenice]

Rooftop interview good idea.

[@briangrussing9327]

But...drones!

[@stevencoardvenice]

@@briangrussing9327 Not at that point just yet

[@inmyopinion651]

So glad I found this channel. I know Max is straight up and honest. Great channel.

[@fmabincarim34]

Those maniacs attacked the school I went to, shelled my mosques, used a suicide bomber to kill my favorite Sheik, kidnapped my classmate and murdered him and looted the hospital my children were born with.

[@paulcawley1589]

Max you ROCK buddy and so do you Aaron! You guys are TRUE Journalists keeping the public informed when the Deep State wants us sheep asleep! May Yahuwah BLESS you!!! :)

[@webu-sadley]

This is what real journalism looks like... Much respect to Max Blumenthal, Aaron Mate, and The Grayzone for this crucial work.

[@AKH-cq1tq]

Max Blumenthal, many thanks for bringing the truth to the entire world, I know how much courage and effort it cost🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@warrenschaich6873]

Thanks for having Aaron Mate on your show. I very much enjoyed his report from Damascus. The truth is rising.

[@seviregis7441]

Thank you so much for this wonderful report and excellent interview. To your guest: God bless you for your courage to go there and find the truth. Those poor sweet people, heartbreaking, so unjust, everyone should be defending and protecting them.

[@TheDickbeard]

Imagine that, actual journalism. I never thought I would live to see the day.

[@champfox1]

Thank you Max for your service.

[@richc3310]

Good job! Max and Aaron, stay strong and safe!

[@rodrigodeamoriza6879]

Great work Grayzone!!

[@Mk3390]

Thank you Max, Aaron, and the Grayzone team in general. We love the work you do.

[@taherbaydoun5666]

Greetings from Syria, Thank you

[@chipmunk6386]

Thanks Max, for the fight for truth.

[@catloverkitten10]

This is what journalism is meant to be. Thank you both so much.

[@johannesvandoesburg1869]

Many thanks to Obama and queen Hillary!

[@supralogic2755]

Aaron and Max being informative as always, great video. I must add, I'm enjoying the scenery as I watch this interview; I couldn't help but notice the background.

[@etiennesauve3386]

The thing I always found absurd is the ppl justifiying support for the "rebels" because Assad is a brutal dictator when life under those "rebels" is even worse that under Assad regime.

[@etiennesauve3386]

@Scouts Honor Well, I must admit that I also once believed in humanitarian interventionism, until I realized that nothing was humanitarian in those interventions. I also believe now that trying to impose values on others ( humanitarian or not) is wrong. So I think it is normal that our opinions evolve with time.

[@theArab__]

I’m Syrian, I wouldn’t trade Assad with anyone. He is smart, loves his people, goes around the streets of Damascus without any bodyguards. I’m a Druze, a minority religion and was always protected by the government. “The rebels” are Cut throats. ALLAH,SOURYYA,BASHAR OU BAS!

[@etiennesauve3386]

@@theArab__ well, in the end it's what you guys think that should matter

[@kenunderwood8621]

Assad isn't a brutal dictator. The Syrian people love him. That is the only way he remains in power.

[@konstantinasnikonorycevas7615]

He is a brave men to telling this things. Thanks for video.

[@rahimick5]

May Allah bless and protect these two for their honesty and bravery. True journalism. So rare.

[@annb1078]

Thank you so very much to the Grayzone, to Aaron Mate and Max Blumenthal for this excellent and extremely important reporting. Thank you and thank you again.

[@karenhancock542]

Thank you for bringing this information to the public. Max Blumenthal is a great reporter. Thanks to him, too!

[@williamlovelady7217]

I can’t believe I’m hearing this, always suspected this was the truth but here we are.. I believe this guy.

[@keithr7533]

Man, ye guys are awesome

[@rotuman78]

Respect to you Max for putting in the work to get this out ! Respect Grayzone!