A podcast episode published by Jimmy Dore on Nov. 2 featured Norwegian political scientist Glenn Diesen discussing what he characterized as a narrowing space for debate about the Ukraine war in Norway. The episode description summarizes his views and allegations; the supplied material does not include independent documentation or responses from the organizations and media outlets he criticized.
Diesen said he had faced professional attacks, canceled speaking engagements, the public release of personal information and accusations that he was promoting Russian propaganda. The description does not identify the events in detail, provide dates for them or describe who was responsible for the alleged exposure of personal information.
He argued that Norway’s political, media and academic institutions generally resist debate about NATO’s expansion and Russia’s security concerns. Diesen also criticized the role of publicly funded nongovernmental organizations, think tanks and media organizations, saying they help marginalize people who challenge prevailing views. He referred to disagreements with the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and to media fact-checking of his research, but the summary does not give the organizations’ accounts or the substance of those disputes.
The conversation then turned to European policy toward Ukraine. Diesen contended that Western governments failed to heed Ukrainian support for negotiations, discouraged diplomatic efforts and continued military escalation while presenting their actions as support for Ukraine. Those claims were his interpretation of policy decisions; the supplied episode description does not provide supporting documents, specify which statements or decisions he cited, or include responses from the governments involved.
Dore compared the discussion to the influence of media consolidation, wealthy interests and the military sector in the United States. The description offers no further detail about that comparison. Diesen said independent online outlets provide some alternative views and suggested public opposition could increase as the effects of current policies become more apparent. He also expressed concern that mainstream European discussion increasingly frames international conflicts as a contest between good and evil rather than addressing competing security interests through diplomacy.
The episode description lists additional segments concerning possible renewed U.S. military action in Iran, a global dockworkers’ strike related to the war in Gaza, and criticism of recent “No Kings” rallies in the United States. It also names Kurt Metzger, Mischa Paullin and Mike MacRae as participants and mentions a phone call from Vince Vaughn. The provided material does not give enough detail to establish the claims or developments discussed in those segments.
