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Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
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Samizdata quote of the day President Vladimir Putin sees his country in an “information war” with the West. The underlying assumption is that Western media organizations are linked in a vast conspiracy to defame and undermine Russia, so the Kremlin has no choice but to reply in kind. Since the beginning of the month, Russia’s state media holding Rossiya Segodnya has launched an international news agency, called Sputnik, as well as RT Deutsch, a German-language version of broadcaster Russia Today.
The purpose of the media offensive isn’t so much to present an alternative point of view as to create a parallel reality where crackpots become experts and conspiracy theories offer explanations for the injustices of the world. The target audience is Western citizens skeptical of their own system of government. The goal is obfuscation.
– Lucian Kim
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Sadly some of our “libertarian” brothers and sisters assist in this disinformation effort. Either by going on to RT directly and denouncing the United States and so on – or by spreading the same lies outside the RT format.
As with all propaganda skilful use is made of the TRUTH – for example RT is not wrong when it says that Central Banking is a matter of subsidising corrupt bankers and other such – that is what it is. But the talk of an “American Empire” and “wars for the banksters” (with little code words for Jews slipped in) is lies.
It almost seamless – one minute it will be talking about rigging in the silver and gold markets (which probably is rigged – and it is government backed rigging) then (somehow) this will be linked to Western “aggression” in the Ukraine and so on – breaking a NONEXISTENT agreement “not to expand NATO eastward”.
Ukraine is not a member of NATO – so the denouncing of NATO “expansionism” is really directed at the other nations of Easter Europe – such as the Baltic States (Mr Putin’s next target?).
The hatred of the United States (and the West generally – Britain, Israel and so on) found among SOME libertarians (the Rothbardians and others) is ruthlessly exploited by Mr Putin’s people.
In Germany they have other traditions to tap into.
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…with no discernible consequences.
Aww! I was hoping to get an “In before Paul Marks goes off on one about Russia Today” in.
I’m gutted, man. Gutted.
Stephen “Vodkapundit” Green pointed out a few months back that RT is pretty much ITAR-TASS with a boob job.
The difference between RT and any of the western MSM is?
The degree of absurdity that they peddle and the motive I suppose. Western MSM want to provide news, and put a spin on it to suit their mindset. RT wants to provide propaganda and puts some news in with it.
Seriously? You don’t think there are any material differences between a full on propaganda outlet of the Kremlin and the many dismal drone of the MSM in the west?
‘The difference between RT and any of the western MSM is?’
RT is more reliable and not as biased against the West.
Oh please. Get a grip. RT is a pure propaganda outlet that does more that merely publish the official line (the BBC certainly does that), RT knowingly and by design pushes disinformation and complete fabrications. I am astounded anyone is credulous enough to not get that.
The main difference I can see between RT and other Russian news channels is that RT is in English. When I lived in Russia the nightly news on the main channels led with flattering coverage of Putin’s day, usually footage of him sat in a chair at a table in the Kremlin issuing pearls of wisdom while some lackey (usually Medvedev) nodded in agreement.
Everything old is new again.
It’s truly making me feel old to be going down this familiar road. Many of the first two generations of chumps still haven’t figured out what happened to them.
Perry,
Yes RT are a propaganda outfit, no problem there but when comparing them to MSM it’s like comparing hemlock and strychnine.
Can we add Al Jazeera to the discussion? How does it compare with RT and the western MSM? (I’m serious; I don’t see it enough to have an opinion.)
Well Regional, I am sure we would both agree the western MSM are all a series of shit sandwiches, with a choice condiments to add some notion of genuine variety. But I think they do differ from outfits like RT in terms of the sheer scale of their BS.
I have not pondered Al Jazeera much Laird but yes, that is an interesting question. I tend to read Al-Monitor, which is a strange beast to say the least (at least KILL DA JEWS articles are rather rare, but their coverage of goings on in Israel is the ‘as viewed by the flaccid Israeli left’ for the most part). Some of their Turkish writers are pure propagandists however.
From the tone of your comments Perry I suspect you will not be signing on for the Ron Paul campaign – although, as Mr Ed would point out, there is no Ron Paul campaign and Rand Paul (who is campaigning) would not go on RT.
Effect?
Cutting off the alterative.
Mr Obama is cutting the United States armed forces down to 1930s levels (doing what Wilson and Healey did the British armed forces “when I was a lad” – yes I am that old Rocco)
And American companies are being taxes and regulated to bits.
And the “alternative”?
“The United States is a warfare state – the military industrial complex…..”.
And
“the corporations control everything and do not pay their fair share of tax”. Quite correct actually – they pay vastly MORE than they do in other countries.
If that is the “libertarian” alternative Republicans would be wise to utterly ignore libertarians.
The defences of the United States (for example against EMP attack) must be built up (not destroyed) and taxes radically reduced.
Yes – I know what that means for “entitlement” spending.
The form of government spending (health, education and income support) that the “libertarians” on RT never attack.
Al-Monitor is an American creature, based in TX IIRC, owned and run by the usual progressive bunch the rest of Western media is owned and run by. Their choice of Israeli journalists is “mainstream” – which is not necessarily Left as far as current political map goes, just the same progressive sheep as elsewhere, for the most part (there are some occasional exceptions). I stopped paying attention to them a while ago.
I find Al Jazeera to be very similar to RT, in many ways – but still less vile. After all, it is not owned by a KGB agent.
Why did the chicken walk near a residential block and a car damaged by recent shelling in Donetsk? Well ok, to get to the other side I imagine.
But according to Russia Today, it only crossed the road because the fascist CIA Zionist 1% Bilderburg junta in Kiev threatening that unless it crossed that road, there was going to be one more ‘Chicken Kiev’.
Can we just get RT into perspective? It is a comically bad station and anyone not connected to Russia who watches it is almost certainlty either (categories not exclusive) already deranged, remarkably stupid or gullible, got a great sense of humour or with far too much time on their hands. The viewing figures are laughably low, in the region of 70,000 people in the UK, or 0.116% of the population.
Putin might as well hire a Lord Haw-Haw impersonator.
It’s not just the TV station Ed, they have a website read by a lot of people. The fact that their viewers and readers are not people with Higher Education is not necessarily a point against them. And BTW, I imagine some of those readers and viewers do vote.
Alisa, I did not equate higher education with not being stupid or gullible. I fail to see any connection between education and not being stupid, particularly after 9 years in Universities.
If they are dumb, gullible or vicious enough to believe RT, they are already lost to Menschheit, in the Magic Flute sense of the word.
I know you didn’t Ed, what I meant by it is that a lot of their audience are ordinary people (as opposed to establishment types who may be reading the NYT or the Guardian or whatever). Yes, some are gullible, some are vicious, and some are just people looking for “alternative sources” and have no idea who Putin is and what his real agenda is. None of this matters – what matters is that RT gets gets a lot of views (not a whole lot, but still a lot), and at least some of those people vote, where it is they are.
I thought Foxtelnewscorp (Whatever!?) (Murdocorp?) was a regressive right-wing monster that all good decent (Democrat-voting) people hated and had a duty to kill?