H. J. Blumenthal

Max Blumenthal is an American journalist, author, blogger, and filmmaker who has written for numerous publications including The Nation, AlterNet, and The Daily Beast, and has also contributed to outlets like Al Jazeera English and The New York Times. He is the editor of The Grayzone website, which is known for its critical stance on US foreign policy and its coverage of various governments. Blumenthal has authored several books, with his first, "Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement That Shattered the Party," achieving bestseller status on both the Los Angeles Times and New York Times lists.

Born in Boston in 1977, Blumenthal is the son of journalist Sidney Blumenthal. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in history. His journalistic career has involved extensive reporting on topics such as immigration, American conservatism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He has also been associated with media outlets such as Sputnik and RT. His work has often generated significant discussion and controversy, particularly his reporting on Israel and his critiques of US foreign policy.

Max Blumenthal has established himself as a prolific journalist and author, with his work appearing in a wide array of publications including The Nation, AlterNet, The Daily Beast, Al Akhbar, Mondoweiss, and Media Matters for America. He has also contributed to major outlets such as Al Jazeera English, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. As the editor of The Grayzone website, Blumenthal has focused on critiquing US foreign policy and has provided coverage of governments in China, Russia, Venezuela, and Syria. His reporting on Israel is marked by sharp criticism of the Israeli government's actions. Blumenthal has also been a writing fellow of the Nation Institute and has contributed to Sputnik and RT.

Blumenthal has authored four books, with "Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement That Shattered the Party" (2009) reaching bestseller lists for both The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. His 2013 book, "Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel," earned him the 2014 Lannan Foundation Cultural Freedom Award for an Especially Notable Book. His earlier work includes a 2002 Salon article, "Day of the Dead," for which he received the Online News Association's Independent Feature Award, focusing on the homicides of women in Ciudad Juárez. His reporting has also covered immigration enforcement programs and hunger strikes by undocumented migrants.

Blumenthal's reporting has delved into various aspects of American politics, including his observations on the 'radical right' and the motivations behind support for authoritarian causes. He has produced video work such as "Generation Chickenhawk" (2007), which featured interviews with attendees of the College Republican National Convention, and "Rapture Ready" (2007), exploring Christian fundamentalists' support for Israel. His engagement with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been extensive, including a controversial 2009 video titled "Feeling the Hate in Jerusalem," which captured man-on-the-street interviews with young Jewish-Americans expressing racist sentiments. Blumenthal has described himself as a 'non-Zionist' liberal and has critiqued the conflation of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism.

“The GOP has become subsumed by dysfunctional personalities with no capacity for restraining themselves, either from acting out hysterically or from their most devious urges. For these internally conflicted figures, who will continue to produce new and increasingly bizarre scandals, right-wing political crusading is simply a form of self-medication.”

“gave me more latitude than any paper in the United States to write about... Israel and Palestine”

“jousting with Assad apologists”

“In the end, Assad will be remembered as an authoritarian tyrant.”

“The program represents the entrenchment of a parallel nonproductive economy promoting abuse behind the guise of law enforcement and crime deterrence”