Thread: Stephen Cohen. Distorting Russia. How the American media misrepresent Putin...

What are those two black towers in the middle? They look very sinister.

I strongly recommend all Americans and other English speakers to watch the "Breaking the Set" program on RT with the host Abby Martin.
It's good, impartial and informative.
No hugging Russia or making excuses, but some tough questions and answers.
Abby read up us much as she could have and got a good professor from the University of Wisconsin on to lay out the situation as it is.

I can't find any fault with what they were saying. They want to give everyone an honest chance and understand where they are coming from, and let people make their own minds up, based on unbiased info.

I learnt one thing I didn't know: Ukraine was massively expanded in georgraphical scope by the USSR at various points. I knew some of it, but not all.

Also: This show makes it clear that RT is no clearcut puppet of the Russian state (or Abby Martin will shortly get the sack!) She ends her comments by saying that she is super disappointed at Russia for using actual force, and that she's equally disgusted by real and undisputable Nazism breaking out in Ukraine.

Highly recommended. Watch this.

Originally Posted by Hanna

What are those two black towers in the middle? They look very sinister.

That's where Sauron lives.

Originally Posted by Ramil

That's where Sauron lives.

OMG!! Moscow looks like New York, Dubai or Hong Kong..... Yeah those buildings look rather evil.
I saw that on TV actually and forgot it. I don't like that kind of architecture and the less we see of it in Europe the better, as far as I am concerned.
It's a kind of symbolism for aggressive capitalism and multinational corporations, isn't it it.
I guess it shows that Moscow has really "arrived" as a financial capital.

Originally Posted by Hanna

OMG!! Moscow looks like New York, Dubai or Hong Kong..... Yeah those buildings look rather evil.
I saw that on TV actually and forgot it. I don't like that kind of architecture and the less we see of it in Europe the better, as far as I am concerned.
It's a kind of symbolism for aggressive capitalism and multinational corporations, isn't it it.
I guess it shows that Moscow has really "arrived" as a financial capital.

Agree. I like these ones much more:

Originally Posted by Hanna

I learnt one thing I didn't know: Ukraine was massively expanded in georgraphical scope by the USSR at various points. I knew some of it, but not all.

Also: This show makes it clear that RT is no clearcut puppet of the Russian state (or Abby Martin will shortly get the sack!) She ends her comments by saying that she is super disappointed at Russia for using actual force, and that she's equally disgusted by real and undisputable Nazism breaking out in Ukraine.

Highly recommended. Watch this.

Yes, Ukraine is a card house. So let us pull off some cards and enjoy the show of destruction while it is not solid yet! Right? Are you really ready to support such kind of logic?

This show makes it clear that RT screenwriters are smart. "I am super disappointed that Mr. X cut off some fingers and one eye from Mr. Y, and I am really disgusted by real and undisputable being f%%%ng bastard and scum of Mr. Y." What exactly is "Nazism"? Who knows? It is an abusive word with a sense lost in time. Yes, the chaos is dangerous for Jews (as well as for others). Let us invade Crimea to protect them. Nothing can be better protection for the Jews in Kiev than Russian forces in Crimea. And Russian tourists storming local Ukrainian administrations while Russian Militaries are ready to protect them.

P.S. In his blog that Moscow guy writes that he is not really a Nazy, he just roleplayed Nazy in historical play. I believe him - he is not a Nazy. He is just a patriotic Russian guy who enjoys storming Ukrainian administrative buildings and putting Russian flags over them. Maybe even for free - for transport only. Nice vacations. Russian army is strong and nobody dares to stop him. He is proud of what he did and is not going to deny anything.

Originally Posted by it-ogo

Yes, Ukraine is a card house. So let us pull off some cards and enjoy the show of destruction while it is not solid yet! Right? Are you really ready to support such kind of logic?

This show makes it clear that RT screenwriters are smart. "I am super disappointed that Mr. X cut off some fingers and one eye from Mr. Y, and I am really disgusted by real and undisputable being f%%%ng bastard and scum of Mr. Y." What exactly is "Nazism"? Who knows? It is an abusive word with a sense lost in time. Yes, the chaos is dangerous for Jews (as well as for others). Let us invade Crimea to protect them. Nothing can be better protection for the Jews in Kiev than Russian forces in Crimea. And Russian tourists storming local Ukrainian administrations while Russian Militaries are ready to protect them.

P.S. In his blog that Moscow guy writes that he is not really a Nazy, he just roleplayed Nazy in historical play. I believe him - he is not a Nazy. He is just a patriotic Russian guy who enjoys storming Ukrainian administrative buildings and putting Russian flags over them. Maybe even for free - for transport only. Nice vacations. Russian army is strong and nobody dares to stop him. He is proud of what he did and is not going to deny anything.

Actually I wasn't making an exact quote, just tried to sum it up in a sentence. She didn't mention the word Nazism, just hinted at it.
And she definitely writes her own script - that's quite a radical person and would not let herself be used as a puppet. She spoke up even more strongly in the past, on human rights stuff in Russia. RT obviously would lose any credibility if it turned out that it never allowed criticism of Russia. But it does.

But i DO SEE your point, I know that RT is not innocent of whitewashing Russia and pointing the finger at everyone else.
And I realise you are not in the mood for anything resembling Russian propaganda right now.
But you already know everything they said there, so it's not aimed at ppl like you.

I also agree whole heartedly with everything you said about how Nazism is used to blackpaint,.

The problem is that anyone reading the English speaking press get 100% pure anti-Russia propaganda at an enormous scale, this is front page news everywhere. And since nobody knows anything about Ukraine, they can say whatever they want, and pick the historical facts that support their points.

So, to find a program in English, geared towards Americans, mainly, but actually presenting the facts accurately is unique.

I also don't like it when Russia does a big show of various people being Nazis, like I said earlier.
Baltic people and that. Then in Ukraine.
I thought - who cares? They probably aren't real Nazis and even if they are, what does it matter?
Or the old communist habit of calling everyone who doesn't agree a fascist. Yeah, it's a perfect word to throw around to blackpaint others.

However, if they are involved in a revolution, then it's a different thing, right? Then, if they are nazis or something like that, you want to know.

But you saw the pictures right? Maybe you saw them face to face..... I wouldn't be fooled by anyone dressed up in a nazi uniform as a show. But I know skinheads very well, and these guys were genuine.
The the hooligans from the pictures in Kiev looked like 1990s skinheads (extreme nationalists) at their very worst, and had swastika looking emblems on their improvised "uniforms". Ultranationalists living out their dream scenario. If it had happened in Western Europe, they would have kicked in the heads of some black people while they were at it.

Swedish papers said that 50 known neo nazis went to Kiev to fight. I read a speech that one person made on the Maidan. Even if Sweden supports the revolution, the guy lost his job in the army - because of the nature of his statements. Actually some of it made sense, BUT the point is, the guy is a member of a national socialist party. I.e. he's a Nazi.

I am not saying they can't scrub up and lead Ukraine. I don't care who runs Ukraine as long as the people there are happy and things get better. But I was genuinely shocked at picture proof that these people were for real.