Appearing as a guest on Wednesday's All In with Chris Hayes on MSNBC, the Daily Beast's Michelle Goldberg praised Pope Francis as a "voice against the tyranny or the hegemony of global capitalism" during a discussion of whether the Pope should be chosen Time's "Person of the Year." Goldberg:
I think it's great that there is somebody who's kind of a voice against the tyranny or the hegemony of global capitalism. We haven't had that in a very long time, a kind of figure of real moral stature who can make that argument.
But she ended up preferring leaker Edward Snowden as she added:
But, at the same time, it's pretty clear that if you're just thinking about, not even the best person, right? Just the person who's had the most influence on world events, it's clearly Edward Snowden.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, December 11, All In with Chris Hayes on MSNBC:
CHRIS HAYES: We're talking about Time's "Person of the Year", the Pope Francis-Edward Snowden debate, and about, my point sort of about symbolism and significance, significance just in terms of how world's events have unfolded this year in unanticipated ways that were precipitated by this extremely unanticipated act on the part of everyone that had just set aflame world politics, Michelle, your thoughts?
MICHELLE GOLDBERG: Yeah, look, I'm very pleased that it is the Pope because I think it's great that there is somebody who's kind of a voice against the tyranny or the hegemony of global capitalism. We haven't had that in a very long time, a kind of figure of real moral stature who can make that argument.
But, at the same time, it's pretty clear that if you're just thinking about, not even the best person, right? Just the person who's had the most influence on world events, it's clearly Edward Snowden.
HAYES: Yes.
GOLDBERG: There's been ripples all over the world.
HAYES: One thing that I think Americans may not appreciate is the front page of the Times in London, or the front page of Oglobal in Brazil, like this has been a front-page story in two dozen countries around the world.
GOLDBERG: He said he did not consider the greatest defeat him being in jail for the rest of his life, and although of course you would rather be free. But, that what he did, would not happen in fact. It was deeply disturbed by the fact as he said he could read the e-mails of the President which means perhaps anyone else could. And, the President had to deny this until they had to admit that, "Oh, yes, this is true, that they are spying in America.