The Pizzagate 'Gunman': A Classic Media Hatchet Job

A bizarre "attack" at Comet Ping Pong Pizza is used to reinforce the dangers of "fake news"

Rudy Panko Mon, Dec 5 2016 | 500 words 3,254 Comments

This post first appeared on Russia Insider

For dutiful, passive news consumers, "Pizzagate" is synonymous with "fake news invented by neo-Nazis on the Internet." And after yesterday's "gunman attack" at Comet Ping Pong Pizza, anyone who doesn't goose-step to the Fake News Narrative will be labeled as dangerous and unhinged.

But when you deconstruct the cartoonish depiction of what transpired in D.C. last night, the entire narrative falls apart.

<figcaption>Something sinister.</figcaption> — Something sinister.

First, before we get ahead of ourselves: For those unfamiliar with this new "-gate", here is a rather detailed primer (Warning: Not Suitable for Life).

Here's how the media is reporting the "attack" at Comet Ping Pong:

On Sunday, December 4, 2016, 28-year-old Edgar Maddison Welch of Salisbury, North Carolina was arrested and charged with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Gun). During a post-arrest interview this evening, the suspect revealed that he came to the establishment to self-investigate "Pizza Gate"

It's clear how we're supposed to process this information: A crazy, heavily armed redneck inspired by "fake news" terrorized a harmless pizzeria.

This is the kind of shallow, two-dimensional reporting that keeps Americans perpetually terrified and distracted. Let's be clear: This was not a dangerous act of domestic terrorism committed by a basement-dwelling neckbeard from 4chan. Although the media would like you to think so.

The father of the alleged "gunman" served as the Executive Director for Protect-A-Child, a national, non-profit organization to prevent abuse and abduction of children.

For those familiar with Pizzagate, this seems like quite a remarkable coincidence. The fact that Maddison worked for his father's production company, Forever Young Productions, and has also spent time in Haiti (doing the same kind of charitable work that the Clintons are involved in, no doubt), just raises more red flags.

Sure, there's always confirmation bias. People who want to believe something will always find ways of making connections. Our point is simply that the motive doesn't fit the crime (he was there to "investigate" Pizzagate? By bringing a gun into the restaurant?), and the facts suggest there are deeper forces at play here than just an unhinged weirdo bringing a gun to a pizza shop.

Actually, early news reports don't even mention the suspect having a gun. The narrative was quickly updated to include an assault rifle and "shots fired". The Associated Press and other news outlets reported that Maddison shot his weapon inside the restaurant, but witness accounts contradict this claim.

Also, isn't it amazing that a traffic camera on the street where Comet Ping Pong Pizza is located was moved just before the "attack" occurred?

This event will be used to slander anyone who is even open to the idea that DC elites are involved in — how shall we put this? — "the pizza industry". In fact, according to mainstream news reports, discussing Pizzagate could soon become a thought crime:

The FBI and police have since instructed the completely unsubstantiated story be removed from sites such as Facebook and Reddit.

Great.

Welcome to the era of "fake news". If information doesn't fit our narrative, it is fake — even criminal.

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The Pizzagate 'Gunman': A Classic Media Hatchet Job