Why do media outlets in the UK almost daily show disparaging news about Russia? Why is there this furore in Washington about the supposed "links" of President Trump with Moscow? And what is "links" supposed to mean? That KGB agent Trumpoff has been successfully installed in the White House? Folks, he would not make it into the KGB, believe me.
And so here we are again with a western fest of hype and hysteria. About the melting Greenland glaciers, which shed more water into the sea in one day than New York consumes in a year? About the massive amounts of plastic in our oceans, which contain as much plastic as fish? About the threat of bioterrorism? About how it would take a fraction of NATO member states' annual military budget to eradicate poverty and create sustainable development globally in one single payment?
About the extinction of species even before they are discovered? About the threat from unknown viruses waking up with global warming? About how western governments provide aid to certain companies by letting them off the payment of full taxation? About how certain western companies are actively involved in exploitation of children working in mines in dangerous and deplorable conditions? About how the western mainstream media lies about international events to brainwash and dupe a willing public, spoonfed on biased and fake reporting?
The answer to all these (important) questions is a four-letter word: Nope! The hype and hysteria bandwagon has rolled into Washington and yet again the target is Russia, more specifically the so-called "links" to Russia of President Trump. What does "links" mean? "Links?" I have links with Russia, and I am very proud of the fact. Russia is a wonderful country with a huge diversity of peoples and cultures and traditions, a tremendous history and a very strong cultural heritage which is second to none. Her music reflects the hugeness of her lands, her writers reflect the soul of her psyche, her painters reflect the intricate, delicately beautiful yet firm and noble and honorable backbone which defines Russia and Russians.
And what is this obsession with "links"? The United Kingdom has "links" to the United States. Lots of them. And deep ones. London even lets whopping great US giant megaton companies get away practically without paying any taxes at all and spends the rest of its time groveling round Washington's feet and crawling up its...legs. But nobody speaks about London's "links" to the USA. The US regime and some US companies have "links" to dubious regimes and movements abroad, such as terrorist organizations in Syria and Libya, the Brazilian imposter Michel Temer, the Venezuelan opposition, basically a bunch of traitors who are trying to sabotage the economy and create misery for millions of people and several African countries where democracy does not exist and where kids crawl around in mines in search of cadmium for cellphone batteries. Nobody speaks about these "links" either.
An alien looking at the western media must be bored witless. "Russia" "Russia" "Russia". But also confused. Like how can they get it so wrong and keep repeating the lies? Russia invaded Georgia. Russia invaded Iraq. Russia invaded Syria. Russia invaded Libya. Russia invaded Crimea. The alien in its spaceship has probably learnt by now to apply the Media Bullshit rule. The way it works is like this. Take any story from the western media, especially ones about Russia. Turn the story on its head, upside down, back to front and inside out, then you are probably somewhere near the truth. Let's try it out on the lies above.
The Media Bullshit rule applied to Georgia. Yep, it works. Russia did not invade Georgia, South Ossetia was invaded by Georgia and Russian peacekeepers were murdered. Saakashvili, amazingly, still walks around a free man chewing ties for a living in, where else? Ukraine. Did Russia invade Georgia or did Russia conduct a very contained campaign after its peacekeepers were murdered by Georgia?
Let's apply the same rule to the other stories. Er...Russia did not invade Iraq. Iraq was invaded illegally by the USA and its Poodle-in-Chief panting for a pat on the head, the UK, military hardware was used on civilian structures, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were murdered or had their legs blown off from cowards in the sky imposing democracy from thirty thousand feet and hey presto the country collapsed, is a failed state, with rampant poverty, hunger, unemployment and crawling with terrorists. Nice job, Washington, but don't blame Russia. Did Russia invade Iraq?
Syria. Applying the Bullshit rule, three two one, zero. Works again folks. Russia is upholding international law helping a democratically elected legitimate government to conduct a successful anti-terrorist campaign against hordes of demons unleashed, financed, trained, aided and abetted by the West. Did Russia support terrorists or exterminate them?
Libya. Did Russia invade Libya? No. Why, it was the FUKUS axis, namely two imperialist failures, France and the UK and an abortion, the US, which destabilized a country through the use of terrorists, then unleashed chaos and stood back applauding while the terrorists on their own lists of proscribed groups sliced the breasts off women in the street, impaled little boys on stakes and gang-raped little girls after forcing them to watch their parents being disemboweled before and after decapitating them. Then played soccer outside with their heads. Libya is now crawling with ISIS. Did Russia invade Libya?
Crimea? No mention of the illegal Fascist coup which ousted the democratically elected President, no mention of the fact that with this absence the ruling legal organism in Crimea was its Legislative Assembly and this assembly decided to hold a free and fair democratic referendum on status...and the people voted freely and fairly and democratically - and massively - to become integrated in the Russian Federation. So that is not an annexation, it's called democracy. Did Russia meddle in the internal politics of Ukraine supporting Fascists who perpetrated massacres against Russian speakers?
We can also mention Kosovo, that narco-quasi-state carved by NATO from the heart of Serbia. Except for one thing: Kosovo is Serbia, always has been and always will be. Did Russia interfere drawing lines on maps, disrespecting international law, aiding terrorists who decapitated Serbs and trafficked their organs?
So we see the recent (and medium and long-term) history of those who deride Russia is not that great, now, is it? So why this obsession with Russia?
They aren't stupid. They know what they are doing and the ultimate goal is to invade people and grab resources, as they have been doing for centuries and for this they have to invent a reason. "Dictator", living in a "compound", "killing his own people", a "tyrant", "has to go", these are all the buzz-words spelling out a future color revolution using OTPOR-style tactics. Russia is the station at the end of the line because Siberia, mainly, is super-rich in resources. They tried immediately after the Revolution in 1917, involving themselves against the Red Army in the Civil War and since Russia established itself as a world power, firstly as the major part of the Soviet Union, bringing free and excellent public services and development to thousands of millions of people around the globe, today as the Russian Federation, Russia positioned itself as a very important "them" to justify the existence of "us". Namely, NATO, the cutting edge of the six Lobbies which control western policy (the BARFFS - Banking, Arms, eneRgy, Finance, Food, Science/Pharmaceuticals).
This obsession with Russia serves two purposes: it serves as a means to cover up the real perpetrators of the massacres and flagrant breaches of international law, blaming the other for what they do themselves and creates an "enemy" where none exists to rally the troops, sell the "let us make you safe" story and brainwash the sheeple who are too stupid to find the truth and swallow what they are told hook, line and sinker. The "Beware of Russia" story is fake news, in reality, a lie peddled by liars, cheats, criminals and murderers.
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru
Twitter: @TimothyBHinchey
timothy.hinchey@gmail.com
*Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey has worked as a correspondent, journalist, deputy editor, editor, chief editor, director, project manager, executive director, partner and owner of printed and online daily, weekly, monthly and yearly publications, TV stations and media groups printed, aired and distributed in Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Portugal, Mozambique and São Tomé and Principe Isles; the Russian Foreign Ministry publication Dialog and the Cuban Foreign Ministry Official Publications. He has spent the last two decades in humanitarian projects, connecting communities, working to document and catalog disappearing languages, cultures, traditions, working to network with the LGBT communities helping to set up shelters for abused or frightened victims and as Media Partner with UN Women, working to foster the UN Women project to fight against gender violence and to strive for an end to sexism, racism and homophobia. A Vegan, he is also a Media Partner of Humane Society International, fighting for animal rights. He is Director and Chief Editor of the Portuguese version of Pravda.Ru.