It’s a truism that in war, truth is the first casualty. The lies about WMDs in Iraq, appearing in the New York Times and elsewhere in the run-up to that war, should have created a healthy skepticism in the American public about U.S. actions abroad. But no, our corporate-controlled media’s coverage of the war in Ukraine is nearly as one-sided and propagandistic as anti-German propaganda during WWI. Then it was “filthy Huns.” Now, it’s Russian “orcs,” as news accounts accept uncritically every claim Ukraine makes about Russia’s actions. Talking heads in our media who cheer-lead for this war often have undisclosed ties to weapons contractors. Weapons firms routinely underwrite network news coverage.
Those who know history know the claim that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was unprovoked is untrue. We have known for decades that NATO expansion eastward was a bad idea, and would likely end in conflict with Russia. The root cause of this war is NATO expansion, done with the express intent of challenging and weakening Russia, using Ukraine, the poorest and most corrupt nation in Europe, as a proxy. NATO long ago stopped being a defensive alliance. The reasons for this war have everything to do with U.S. economic elites’ efforts to maintain their position of economic dominance in the world, and to prevent the rise of a multi-polar world demanding a fairer share of the world’s resources. No amount of dissembling or obfuscation can erase these facts.
Bruce Currie
Concord