Something any regular SDA reader has learned over the years is that the MSM appears to move in lockstep together, especially when it comes to portraying non-Leftists in the most despicable light. So appears to be the case with how the Western media outlets have portrayed Vladimir Putin and Russia. Professor Stephen F. Cohen outlines five false narratives about Putin and Russia.
Here’s a podcast discussing the same.
“4. That “Russia’s aggression,” even its “invasion,” is the primary cause of the Ukrainian crisis, still the political epicenter of the new Cold War.”
Rubbish.
The original Cold War never ended. Russia has never reduced the number of spies it has in the West from Reagan’s days(increased them actually) and has been sending Bear and Blackjack bombers into western airspace since the turn of the new century.
That fact gets little media or internet play if any.
Remember the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008, Stephen F. Cohen? Was that a media invention too?
Yeah, exact same recipe for invasion used on Ukraine, with the exact same justification, only Russia invaded Ukraine in a more refined way, timing wise, and did it more stealthily in the beginning.
This fact gets no media or internet play at all.
“…especially when it comes to portraying non-Leftists in the most despicable light.”
It should be noted that “fake news” doesn’t simply apply to content in terms of the accuracy of the information presented in a report, it also applies to any news organization that makes the claim they’re impartial and non-partisan when in fact they’re not. It doesn’t matter if the content presented by them is factually correct; if it’s slanted in anyway to benefit a politician or a political party, it’s fair game to dub it “fake news” as well. That’s what MSM doesn’t seem to understand. Or, and more disturbingly, they do but simply don’t care.
Russia has a much more sensible Middle East policy, fighting the terrorists. The US arms the terrorists in Syria and fights them in Iraq ans brain dead Obama thinks they are different entities. I hope Trump gets behind Putin and Assad and helps clean up Syria. The US has to quit destabilizing the Middle East.
@scar has it right, while others are still living in the 50s paranoid fantasy they grew up with. Some people need an enemy to hate to make their lives meaningful.
Fortunately Trump seems to agree with @scar.
Russia is just doing realpolitik protecting a Syrian naval port that is important to it.
That said, Stephen F. Cohen does not mention Turkey’s or KSA’s deep involvement in the Syrian Civil War but somehow it is the US that is the “destabilizing” factor.
Was Russia a destabilizing factor in the *1979 Iranian Revolution? Yes.
Were Russia and **Syria a destabilizing factor in the Lebanese Civil War 1975 to 1990? Yes.
Why is the “destabilized” Middle East all the US’s fault or doing?
How about Britain and France creating all of those new Mid-East nations in the aftermath of WWI?
Don’t they get any credit?
Last question: When exactly was the Middle East stabile and if answered in the affirmative, who gets the credit for that?(surely not Russia)
* Turned Iran into a Russia client state
**Russia’s client state Then as Now
1. Of which country is Vladimir Putin the president?
Having answered Question One above, proceed to Question Two:
2. Which is more likely to be the paramount concern of Putin: the national interests of the country identified at Question One or those of the US?
Thank you for completing this quick test.
US destabilizing the Middle East – Invaded Iraq twice. Attacked Libya and supported civil war. Syria – supported civil war. Invaded Afghanistan. Bombed Sudan, Yemen, Somalia. Sure there are other actors but the US has managed to piss off more people than most.
Don’t mistake Vladdie’s personal interests with those of the nation Russia.
These interests sometimes intersect but are nowhere near the same.
Ukraine demonstrated zero motivation for reneging on their deal with Russia regarding the Russian naval base at Sebastopol.
How is it in Russia’s national interest to invade Ukraine and have mobile crematoriums incinerating their honored war dead to maintain the lie that the people who were beating the Ukrainian military were “spontaneous militia” who bought their war kit at surplus stores?
Do You Want Your Children to Die for Montenegro?
by Jacob G. Hornberger
December 11, 2015
Get used to the possibility that your son or daughter might end up dying for Montenegro because that country has just been invited to become the latest member of NATO, the Cold War organization that was brought into existence to defend Europe from America’s World War II partner and ally, the Soviet Union.
Just in case you’ve never heard of Montenegro or maybe don’t know where it is, here’s a link to Wikipedia’s page on the country: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montenegro. It seems to me that if your son or daughter might have to die in the defense of Montenegro, you might want to know a little about it or at least where it is located.
Once Montenegro becomes a member of NATO, the United States is automatically obligated to come to the defense of that country if it comes under attack by Russia or any other nation. No, there is no debate in Congress. No, antiwar demonstrations won’t make any difference. No, the federal judiciary is not going to step in and determine the constitutionality of the war. And no, the president won’t have a choice either. Once Montenegro is attacked, the United States is automatically in the war.
http://www.fff.org/2015/12/11/do-you-want-your-children-to-die-for-montenegro/
Montenegro – wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montenegro
“Just in case you’ve never heard of Montenegro”
Gee, if people have never heard of it might there be a possibility that they aren’t shit disturbers?
Don’t we *all have an interest in seeing that aggression doesn’t triumph?
*other than Mohammedans
“And no, the president won’t have a choice either. Once Montenegro is attacked, the United States is automatically in the war.”
Yeah, sure. That’s why the US jumped right into WWII after Germany broke the Treaty of Versailles a half dozen ways.
Uh huh.
NATO was formed to protect member nations from the USSR… The USSR Union was defeated & they disbanded in 1991… Now NATO is used as a protection force (tool) for the EU against Russia, the EU is actively recruiting former USSR Countries into NATO.. The borders of Russia are in Play….The EU/UN maybe the aggressor…The recording of the US Ambassador to the Ukraine make the USA an active PRIME mover of the Ukraine protests in Kiev.. Sniper’s & violence
That is why I favor Mitt (the Twit) as Sec of State.. We need an HONEST broker (Mitt) to sort out all the crap that has resulted in 6 trillion $ spent in the ME & NATO issues, without any results. Something smells
JMHO
Not just Russia and Putin.
The Synchronized Narrative of our Pressstitutes is their number one tell.
Any time you hear something idiotic, flick through channels, and the same meme is on all the usual suspects.
Definite indication of collusion.
Remember the Canadian Media Guild?
I figure their emails will eventually filter out into the wild, these are urnalists, when they do you will see how corrupt and useless these pretenders really are.
Fake News? In Canada?
Really I did not know these “professionals” did any thing else.
Fake news, spin, narrative bending and lying by omission..This is the skill set of Canadian Journalism.
That and flaunting their inferiority complex thro their endless mindless cheapshots at our USA cousins.
People still don’t get that Putin is separate from Russia and always a KGB agent.
Putin invaded Ukraine and – as before – no one seemed to have a problem with it.
I wonder what Ronald Reagan was thinking if things were going to end up as before.
So Russia is the ogre in world. The USSA just sits idly on the sidelines watching and reporting back to the useful idiots back home on how evil the Ruskies are. Is that right?
Give your heads a shake!
Indeed. Just try recording the various newscasts from the Talking Head Mediots, then match the stories.
They tell the stories, virtually, VERBATIM. And they think no one notices.
Can’t say I watch the “news” much anymore, its tiresome, annoying, and predictable, along with the CLimate Change Fanatic weathergrrrrl on Glowbull, Kristi Gordon. What a eco-nut she is, ALWAYS mentioning ‘the hottest year on record’. This, going into a record cold spell, according to all reports.
You just can’t write this stuff. Will be reminding her on their Faceplant page daily, throughout her cold spell, reminding her how warm it is while its 15 below.
The same people who have no problem with Canada, the US and other countries placing troops in countries bordering Russia, would be foaming over their keyboards and wiping spittle off their screens if Russia placed troops in Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia or any other Caribbean or Central/South American country.
Some would call it a double standard others would call it hypocrisy.