Fact Checking Scoundrel Media Lies

by Stephen Lendman

Edward Herman and David Peterson contributed an important chapter to a forthcoming cutting edge book on Ukraine.

It's titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." Watch for it. It's coming soon. Amazon lists it.

Herman and Peterson explain Western propaganda "in overdrive," saying:

"(D)eeply ingrained Cold War ideology remains in Western capitals and their political and intellectual culture."

"It's best understood as a dichotomous or binary system: One side is 'good,' the other side is 'evil.' "  

"One side acts on behalf of universal values, the other acts out of narrow self-interests."  

"One side helps other countries and peoples to build democratic institutions and good governance, and supports the rights to self-determination, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of all countries -the other side as a matter of principle rejects these rights and strives for power and territorial expansion."

Orwell explained his way saying: "War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength."

Bad guys 'R us. Media scoundrels twist truth their way. Irresponsible Russia bashing persists daily. Big Lies repeat ad nauseam.

News, information and analysis people most need to know are systematically buried. Malicious daily propaganda substitutes.

Herman and Peterson pull no punches saying:

"The misrepresentations of the US media in dealing with the Ukraine crisis have been spectacular, reaching and perhaps surpassing their performance during the 50-year-long Cold War era, with the notion of 'objectivity' buried beneath a landslide of biased tone and word usage, rewritten or suppressed history, use of selective evidence, and double-standards."

Their detailed, documented analysis provides proof positive. Media scoundrels regurgitate official Big Lies. Truth is a powerful disinfectant. Burying it is prioritized.

It bears repeating what previous articles stressed. So-called New York Times news fit to print isn't fit to read. It's rubbish.

It's ideologically driven. It's one-sided. It's over-the-top. It's hypocritical garbage.

It violates fundamental journalistic principles. Truth-telling matters most. It's nowhere in sight. Bad fiction substitutes.

On April 29, Times editors headlined "Not Getting Through to Mr, Putin," saying:

US and EU imposed sanctions followed "Russia's involvement" with Eastern Ukrainian anti-Kiev activists. Times editors quoted Washington and Brussels. They lied calling it "indisputable."

Times editors call sanctions "justified." They accused Putin of "bluster."

He "demonstative(ly) disdain(s)" four-party "Geneva agreement" terms "along with the aggressive behavior of Russian troops massed on Ukraine's borders and the continued occupation of administrative and security buildings in southeastern Ukrainian cities by Moscow-directed secessionists," they said.

"(T)argeted penalties are not likely to change Russia's behavior."

Times editors urge tougher ones. "(T)here will be…costs" otherwise…"Europe and America (must) join in a unified response."

"(A) weak and fragmented response would call into question a longstanding trans-Atlantic commitment to protect international law and democratic values against the kind of aggression Mr. Putin is engaging in."

Fact: Sanctions imposed are illegitimate.

Fact: They have no legal standing.

Fact: They violate international law.

Fact: Russia alone abides by four-party agreement terms responsibly.

Fact: Washington, rogue EU partners and Kiev putschists systematically violated them.

Fact: No Russian hoards threaten Ukraine.

Fact: Anti-Kiev activists act on their own volition.

Fact: No evidence shows Russian involvement.

Fact: UN Charter provisions support all people's self-determination rights.

Fact: US and rogue EU states deplore international law and democratic values.

Fact: Lawless aggression is longstanding US/EU policy.

Fact: Putin champions peace and stability.

Fact: He deplores violence in all forms.

Fact: He denounces aggression.

Fact: He speaks out forthrightly against it.

Fact: Times editors lied claiming otherwise.

Putin "poses" "danger," they said. They urged "rein(ing) him in."

"His authoritarian behavior at home, his disdain for the Geneva agreement and, most recently, the capture of a European military observer mission in Slavyansk" demand tough measures against him, they said.

Crisis conditions will worsen "unless the West is prepared to unite behind serious economic sanctions that hurt Russia’s financial, energy and military sectors."

Fact: So-called military observers were exposed as NATO spies.

Fact: Putin responsibly challenges Washington's hegemonic ambitions.

Fact: He's humanity's best hope to curtail it.

Fact: He deserves worldwide praise.

Fact: He warrants universal support.

Fact: He forthrightly observes Geneva terms.

Fact: No evidence suggests otherwise.

Fact: Russian democracy shames America's sham version.

Fact: Putin heads a free and open society.

Fact: Obama heads a ruthless homeland police state apparatus.

Fact: US freedom is endangered.

Fact: It's being systematically destroyed.

Fact : Full-blown tyranny is a hair's breadth away.

Fact: Permanent war is official US policy.

Fact: Unchallenged global dominance is sought.

Fact: One country after another is ravaged and destroyed to achieve it.

Fact: Don't expect Times editors to explain.

Fact: Big Lies substitute for full and accurate reporting.

Fact: Regurgitating official Big Lies is longstanding Times policy.

Fact: Propaganda masquerades as real news and analysis.

Fact: Readers are systematically deceived.

Slawomir Sierakowski masquerades as a left-of-center political observer. His opinions reveal otherwise.

Times editors gave him featured op-ed space. On April 28, he headlined "Putin's Useful Idiots," saying:

"(M)any American and Western European intellectuals do all they can to minimize the dangerous aggression by Vladimir V. Putin."

Sierakowski turned truth on its head. He claimed putschist-run Ukraine represents "democracy." He called Russian truth-telling "propaganda."

He called neo-Nazi extremist Dmytro Yarosh legitimate because he's "deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council."

Sierakowski ignored his illegitimate appointment. He turned a blind eye to his open boast about "…fighting Jews and Russians till I die."

He lied claiming Yarosh pledged to "fight all instances of anti-Semitism, xenophobia and chauvinism." He ludicrously claimed "fascist phantoms in Ukraine."

He said independent "Western intellectuals" claiming otherwise support "not just with the autocrat in the Kremlin, but the legions of far-right parties across Europe that have come to Russia's defense…"

"Who says Russia needs propaganda," he asked? "It already has its useful idiots."

No self-respecting editors would touch Sierakowski's trash. Times editors featured it.

On April 28, neocon Washington Post editors headlined "Obama's half-measures give Vladimir Putin little to fear," saying:

His "assault on Ukraine has been relentless and increasingly reckless: Forces working with Russian personnel in eastern Ukraine are torturing and murdering opponents and holding international observers hostage."

"In contrast, President Obama's response has been slow and excruciatingly measured."

"New US sanctions announced Monday fall well short of the steps that senior officials threatened when the Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine began three weeks ago."

It bears repeating. No evidence whatever shows Russian Eastern Ukrainian involvement.

None suggests self-defense activists commit torture or murder. So-called "hostages" are NATO spies.

Putin "made a mockery of the administration's diplomacy, blatantly ignoring the agreement accepted by his foreign minister in Geneva 11 days ago," said WaPo editors.

False! Putin acted responsibly. Obama, rogue EU leaders and coup-appointed putschists violated Geneva terms straightaway.

WaPo editors lied saying "Russia invaded Ukraine." US supported fascist putschist claims were cited as evidence. None whatever exists.

Inventing them out of whole cloth doesn't wash. Nor claiming Crimean reunification with Russia represents "the first forcible change of borders in Europe since World War II."

Nearly 97% of Crimeans voted to do so. They did peacefully, fairly, openly and democratically. International law supports them.

Don't expect WaPo editors to explain. Or call US wars on humanity lawless aggression. Or forthrightly denounce them.

On April 29, Wall Street Journal editors headlined "From Kharkiv (aka Kharkov, Ukraine's second largest city) to Brussels," saying:

Obama's "penalties look robust by comparison to the European Union's latest sanctions list."

"The 15 persons now facing EU travel bans and asset freezes include no companies; a lot of provincial nobodies; and some obvious malefactors who should have been sanctioned months ago…"

"Events in Ukraine are moving fast, and the next time EU officials meet to make their token sanctions list there may be much less of Ukraine to pretend to care about."

Daily Journal Russia bashing twists fundamental truths irresponsibly. Propaganda bad enough to make PR wizards blush substitutes.

Other US media scoundrels operate the same way. Official Big Lies are regurgitated. They repeat ad nauseam.

They read like bad fiction. They mock legitimate journalism. They substitute for the real thing.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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