Tonight I read an article entitled “Western Europe is fed on a diet of propaganda“. Of course I was interested and I plunged ahead, getting to the subtitle before I realized the twist – the article was going to be pro-Russian, anti-American and it would stink. It read
In many Western European countries, governments friendly to the U.S. have been using the media to spread ridiculous fears about Russia.
There are three basic assumptions the author has just used in the subtitle alone. “Governments friendly to the US”, the assumption being the UK. Depending on the day of the week and the subject at hand it could also be any other government in Europe or none, and the words are deliberately chosen to subtly imply a negative. “Have been using the media” – the assumption here is that the governments control the media, and most of us know this is not true. Western governments may share information about a policy, a program, or an event, but they certainly do not control the media and tell them what to write or say. “Ridiculous fears about Russia”, meaning any fear about Russia is ridiculous. ‘Oh you silly boy, you must always trust Russia!’
Later he says:
When I asked him if he had any special intelligence sources or contacts that could supply irrefutable proof, he could only cite what he read in a local newspaper.
“Irrefutable proof”. Of course not, almost every single event in the past six months has been clouded, confused and disputed. Russian soldiers in Crimea did not exist, only later were they acknowledged. MH 17 was shot down by the Russians by an SA-21, but it can’t be proven (because Russia controlled the area and allegedly…). Russia is systematically destroying the infrastructure of Donbass from across the Ukraine-Russian border but denies firing a shot, as a matter of fact Ukraine is blamed for the occasional misplaced round as a provocation. There are no Russian soldiers or vehicles inside Ukraine, none of them have license plates. No Russian vehicles have entered Ukraine, those pictures and reporters stories aren’t real. Those 40,000 Russian soldiers on the Ukrainian border are there only to protect Russia from Ukraine.
We all know that many reputed newspapers in the West supported the U.S. government’s ridiculous fabrications about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in 2003.
Now to deal with the greatest tragedy of last decade, when President George W. Bush and his Secretary of State lied to the world about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, and as a result, we will forever wear the shame of their fabrications. Consequently there is always be an element of doubt that can be inserted into almost every discussion concerning the US and Russia. George W. Bush, you did us wrong.
The Russian Army could have overrun all of south-eastern Ukraine in a matter of days if it wanted to, but that would have given the country virtually no strategic assets of any kind.
Consequently, if Russia is waging an oozing war, a guerilla war, then an unconventional war of proxy troops, troops without identifiable nationality and consistently destroys all evidence of culpability, the statement above is used to avoid responsibility. We will find a way to prove Russia’s guilt, but until then, it’s propaganda machine will continue to churn out this muck.
Although America lost a lot of lives in the Second World War, there was no fighting in the continental United States. It was Europe that bore most of the brutalities of the war.
In other words, United States, butt out. This is our situation, go home Yankee. That was written on a lot of walls back in the 1960s by the Soviets, some things never change.
Now by meddling in the heart of Europe, the U.S. government is trying to create conflicts in distant lands from the comfort of the Pentagon.
By some abstract logic, the United States is somehow responsible for Russia meddling in Ukrainian politics, forcing then President Yanukovych to harshly suppress the Maidan protestors, forced Russia to overwhelm Crimea and then forced Russia to insert volunteers into Eastern Ukraine.
In his final paragraph, the author, Ajay Kamalakaran, does not name the United States and does not need to. He points a finger at the United States and states that the evil of the world originates in one country.
Now notice the source. The “Russia and India” report, http://in.rbth.com. Now notice the RBTH part of the address, that stands for Russia Behind The Headlines, owned by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russian: Российская газета, lit. Russian Gazette) is a Russian government daily newspaper of record which publishes the official decrees, statements and documents of state bodies. This includes the promulgation of newly approved laws, Presidential decrees, and Government orders. It was founded by a decree of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR and its first issue appeared on 11 November 1990. (Wikipedia)
Yes. This is Russian propaganda, plain and simple. Designed to influence foreign audiences and persuade us to support their position. This is official propaganda that the Russians accuse the West, and especially the United States, of producing.
But of course, the Russians will deny, deny, deny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pmBC_CrQS4
ps. While you’re at it, please read “Pro-Kremlin Media Accuses West of Propaganda War Against Russia” and skip down to the part that is titled: “Information Counterattack”
Filed under:
Information operations