Russia is stereotypically portrayed in the West as the world’s leading bad guy.
Along with Islamic terrorists, it’s Hollywood’s favorite villain. Czarism, Bolshevism, Stalinism and Communism are long gone. Western-style capitalism replaced them.
Yet Cold War mentality persists in America and Europe because of Russia’s sovereign independence, a nation state able to match America’s nuclear capability.
Its overall military might is impressive, evident in Syria with a token force. Putin’s opposition to US imperial madness is cause for bashing him.
America’s hegemonic ambitions tolerate no challengers to its political, economic and military dominance. China is considered a threat, notably because of its growing economy, on track toward eventually becoming the world’s leader.
Russophobia has to be created. Legitimate reasons don’t exist so they’re invented.
Examples include nonexistent “Russian aggression” in Ukraine, fake news claims about Russian US election hacking, fabricated Russian hybrid warfare, credible news by Russian media called propaganda, phony INF Treaty violations, and Vladimir Putin falsely portrayed as an ex-KGB spy chief and world’s number one bad guy, among others.
Virtually everything considered negative about Russia in the West is politicized—the latest example a disgraceful fake news London Telegraph story.
It claims a (nonexistent) foiled Russian intelligence “plot to overthrow Montenegro’s government last year by assassinating Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic . . . to sabotage the country’s plan to join NATO,” citing unnamed so-called UK sources.
It sounds like a bad Hollywood script, stuff only uninformed, ignorant people might believe.
Montenegro is tiny in area, population and GDP, the equivalent of a medium-sized Western city. Its military has less than 2,000 active duty personnel, its budget a scant 50 million euros.
In contrast, Chicago’s police force has over 12,000 militarized officers and nearly 2,000 other staff. Montenegro as NATO’s 29th member would be insignificant to the alliance’s military strength.
Russia’s embassy in London denounced The Telegraph’s fake news report, tweeting: “As usual, no evidence, pure innuendo.” What’s next, it asked? Fabricated accusations keep coming.
Montenegrin special prosecutor for organized crime, Milivoje Katnic, earlier explained no “evidence that the state of Russia is involved” in a plot against the country’s prime minister exists.
It’s another example of Russia bashing. Claiming it wanted PM Milo Djukanovic assassinated to prevent Montenegro from joining NATO is pure nonsense.
The Telegraph published fake news based on Big Lies from unnamed UK intelligence sources.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” Visit his blog at sjlendman.blogspot.com . Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.
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Western Russophobia
Posted on February 22, 2017 by Stephen Lendman
Russia is stereotypically portrayed in the West as the world’s leading bad guy.
Along with Islamic terrorists, it’s Hollywood’s favorite villain. Czarism, Bolshevism, Stalinism and Communism are long gone. Western-style capitalism replaced them.
Yet Cold War mentality persists in America and Europe because of Russia’s sovereign independence, a nation state able to match America’s nuclear capability.
Its overall military might is impressive, evident in Syria with a token force. Putin’s opposition to US imperial madness is cause for bashing him.
America’s hegemonic ambitions tolerate no challengers to its political, economic and military dominance. China is considered a threat, notably because of its growing economy, on track toward eventually becoming the world’s leader.
Russophobia has to be created. Legitimate reasons don’t exist so they’re invented.
Examples include nonexistent “Russian aggression” in Ukraine, fake news claims about Russian US election hacking, fabricated Russian hybrid warfare, credible news by Russian media called propaganda, phony INF Treaty violations, and Vladimir Putin falsely portrayed as an ex-KGB spy chief and world’s number one bad guy, among others.
Virtually everything considered negative about Russia in the West is politicized—the latest example a disgraceful fake news London Telegraph story.
It claims a (nonexistent) foiled Russian intelligence “plot to overthrow Montenegro’s government last year by assassinating Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic . . . to sabotage the country’s plan to join NATO,” citing unnamed so-called UK sources.
It sounds like a bad Hollywood script, stuff only uninformed, ignorant people might believe.
Montenegro is tiny in area, population and GDP, the equivalent of a medium-sized Western city. Its military has less than 2,000 active duty personnel, its budget a scant 50 million euros.
In contrast, Chicago’s police force has over 12,000 militarized officers and nearly 2,000 other staff. Montenegro as NATO’s 29th member would be insignificant to the alliance’s military strength.
Russia’s embassy in London denounced The Telegraph’s fake news report, tweeting: “As usual, no evidence, pure innuendo.” What’s next, it asked? Fabricated accusations keep coming.
Montenegrin special prosecutor for organized crime, Milivoje Katnic, earlier explained no “evidence that the state of Russia is involved” in a plot against the country’s prime minister exists.
It’s another example of Russia bashing. Claiming it wanted PM Milo Djukanovic assassinated to prevent Montenegro from joining NATO is pure nonsense.
The Telegraph published fake news based on Big Lies from unnamed UK intelligence sources.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” Visit his blog at sjlendman.blogspot.com . Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.