Willian Blum - The Anti-Empire Study # 159

The heed of the volume media: Email central betwixt myself as well as a leading Washington Post unusual policy reporter:
July 18, 2018

The United States of America says it is non influencing elections but is supporting democracy, but if the incorrect mortal get's elected, well? 'Democray' supports the elite well, similar 'free markets' do, because they convey to ability to influence elections as well as rig the market. It's similar a game of monopoly where in 1 trial someone has got ahead as well as started winning it is really hard to halt them every bit they purchase upward all the belongings on the board. The ruling elite made most of their wealth out of the 500 twelvemonth slave trade, as well as similar inwards a game of monopoly, they tin sack purchase upward the world. But they tin sack also exercise coin out of cypher inwards their banks to purchase upward the world's resources. This is considered to move costless markets at work, but it's a paradox, because are they actually costless when a few individuals ain everything inwards the world? KV

Dear Mr. Birnbaum,
You write Trump “made no bring upward of Russia’s adventures inwards Ukraine”. Well, neither he nor Putin nor you lot made whatsoever bring upward of America’s adventures inwards the Ukraine, which resulted inwards the overthrow of the Ukrainian authorities inwards 2014, which led to the justified Russian adventure. Therefore …?
If Russian Federation overthrew the Mexican authorities would you lot blame the United States of America for taking some activity inwards Mexico?
William Blum

Dear Mr. Blum,
Thanks for your note. “America’s adventures inwards the Ukraine”: what are you lot talking about? Last fourth dimension I checked, it was Ukrainians inwards the streets of Kiev who caused Yanukovych to plough tail as well as run. Whether or non that was a skillful thing, nosotros tin sack move out aside, but it wasn’t the Americans who did it.
It is, however, Russian especial forces who fanned out across Crimea inwards Feb as well as March 2014, according to Putin, as well as Russians who came downward from Moscow who stoked conflict inwards eastern Ukraine inwards the months after, according to their ain accounts.
Best, Michael Birnbaum

To MB,
I tin sack scarcely believe your reply. Do you lot read cypher but the Post? Do you lot non know of high State Dept official Victoria Nuland as well as the United States of America Ambassador inwards Ukraine inwards Maidan Square to encourage the protesters? She spoke of five billion (sic) dollars given to assistance the protesters who were presently to overthrow the govt. She as well as the United States of America Amb. spoke openly of who to quest every bit the side yesteryear side president. And he’s the 1 who became president. This is all on tape. I estimate you lot never spotter Russian Federation Today (RT). God forbid! I read the Post every day. You should spotter RT in 1 trial inwards a while.
William Blum

To WB,
I was the Moscow bureau main of the newspaper; I reported extensively inwards Ukraine inwards the months as well as years next the protests. My observations are non based on reading. RT is non a credible intelligence outlet, but I for certain exercise read far beyond our ain pages, as well as of form I verbalize to the actual actors on the the world myself – that’s my job.

And: yes, of form Nuland was inwards the Maidan – but encouraging the protests, every bit she clearly did, is non the same every bit sparking them or directing them, nor is playing favorites amongst potential successors, every bit she clearly did, the same every bit beingness straight responsible for overthrowing the government. I’m non maxim the United States of America wasn’t involved inwards trying to form events. So were Russian Federation as well as the European Union. But Ukrainians were inwards the driver’s topographic point the whole way through. I know the guy who posted the get-go Facebook telephone phone to protestation Yanukovych inwards Nov 2013; he’s non an American agent. RT, meanwhile, reports fabrications as well as terrible falsehoods all the time. By all way eat a salubrious as well as varied media diet – don’t halt at the United States of America mainstream media. But inquire yourself how ofttimes RT reports critically on the Russian government, as well as reckon how that lacuna shapes the remainder of their reporting. You volition detect enough of reporting inwards the Washington Post that is critical of the United States of America authorities as well as United States of America unusual policy inwards general, as well as decisions inwards Ukraine as well as the Ukrainian authorities inwards specific. Our aim is to move fair, without picking sides.
Best, Michael Birnbaum

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Right, the United States of America doesn’t play indispensable roles inwards changes of unusual governments; never has, never will; fifty-fifty when they offering billions of dollars; fifty-fifty when they alternative the novel president, which, apparently, is non the same every bit picking sides. It should move noticed that Mr Birnbaum offers non a unmarried instance to dorsum upward his extremist claim that RT “reports fabrications as well as terrible falsehoods all the time.” “All the time”, no less! That should teach far tardily to plough over some examples.

For the record, I retrieve RT is much less biased than the Post on international affairs. And, yes, it’s bias, non “fake news” that’s the main occupation – Cold-War/anti-Communist/anti-Russian bias that Americans convey been raised amongst for a total century. RT defends Russian Federation against the countless mindless attacks from the West. Who else is in that place to exercise that? Should non the Western media move held accountable for what they broadcast? Americans are as well as then unaccustomed to hearing the Russian side defended, or hearing it at all, that when they exercise it tin sack appear rather weird.

More here

https://williamblum.org/aer/read/159

Paul Craig Roberts has a skillful intro to this likewise -

The CIA Owns the United States of America as well as European Media

https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/08/18/the-cia-owns-the-us-and-european-media/