Don’t be fooled – Russia Today is trash

[uhnope]

The first line could have been written for DU. Read the whole thing.

http://notsoreviews.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/dont-be-fooled-russia-today-is-trash/

Take a venture into the sometimes enlightening, often depressing, world of online activism and journalism and it’s likely you’ll see clips from a news organisation called Russia Today. This organisation paints a grim picture of the United States – in the world of Russia Today, the USA is an oligarchical tyranny, where the establishment conspires to silence brave truth-telling crusaders.

You’ll see cynical and almost always conspiratorial reports of groups the “the Bilderberg group”, who seek, ostensibly, world domination. Take a gander through the various videos the organisation has published on Youtube and you’ll see a bizarre combination of Syrian regime apologism, anti-American hysteria, and embarrassing populist pandering, not to mention the 9/11 conspiracy theory peddlers who frequent its airwaves.

To an outside observer stumbling upon Russia Today, you would be forgiven for thinking that the organisation is a brave one, shining a glimmer of light into the murky depths of Western hypocrisy. Wikileaks editor Julian Assange even presents a show on the news station – kudos to them for giving him a platform.

But Russia Today has an agenda, an agenda easy to work out from five minutes of basic research online. The network is owned by RIA Novosti, the Russian news agency 100% owned by the Russian government. Initially founded during the Second World War as the Soviet Information Bureau, RIA Novosti has transformed into an international, glitzy news agency, and Russia Today is their baby. Lets be clear about this – this is a news station owned (and undoubtedly influenced) by a government that has murdered journalists and political opponents, acts in a framework of institutionalised corruption, rigged elections, and committed war crimes against the Chechen people. This government is no friend of freedom and democracy, yet you would think that it is – from the trendy, glitzy, and anti-establishment Russia Today.

[PeoViejo]

1. Yet, folks here insist on posting their Videos.

I just hope that the readers here take them with the proverbial 'grain of Salt'. Faux News with a different Schtick.

[uhnope]

2. surprising that DU admin loves those RT vids. They would cut FOX videos, presumably.

[mopinko]

7. admins cut nothing

and mostly never did. the mods did. jury of your peers before the jury system.

mods did cut rt videos. but there just is no such thing any more.

was really sad to see thom hartmann get hooked up with these losers.

[uhnope]

9. what changed? Why did the mods stop cutting RT vids?

100% agreement on Thom Hartmann. I can't listen to him anymore since I heard him getting into Russian apologetics. If the Pussy Riot imprisonment or the Russian anti-gay laws happened in the USA, he'd be talking about it for months. Instead, near total silence and weak vacillations when the subjects come up.

[yurbud]

13. Thom probably isn't talking about because the MSM has it covered, & he has bigger fish to fry here

[uhnope]

14. yeh. probably. yeh. That's what Thom's thinking. Nothing to do with the $$$/Rubles from the Kremlin

or his career being helped along by appearing on the RT channel.

[yurbud]

20. He would still be doing fine without that.

[uhnope]

21. really?

Do you have insider knowledge of his finances?

[yurbud]

24. if he was that into money, he would be doing conservative talk radio

[mopinko]

17. du changed

there are no more mods.

[wandy]

3. You have to understand that RT has the same problems facing any....

large news agency.
They have masses of equipment to buy and maintain. They have masses of people to buy and maintain.
Sure the Russian government owns RT.
You bet they have an agenda.

Who owns ABC,CBS, CNBC?
Who owns the Wall Street Journal?
Who owns the Washington Post.
You can bet they have their agendas.

I find it best to be critical of and not fully trust ANY news outlet.

[uhnope]

22. False equivalency again. The only major news outlet in USA comparable to RT is FOX

in terms of TV.

[msongs]

4. gee if it's RUSSIA today why do they all have English accents lol nt

[Wellstone ruled]

5. And in the end

Russia is headed to a default financially. Yes,American companies have huge investments in the Russian Federation,but the citizens as a whole,will not be able to keep this country afloat. Their major currency is Oil and Gas and that is controlled by the Hedgies and CME and they owe their allegiance to the biggee's on Wall Street. As far as RT goes,sad,at least they try to report the news and not report the crap on hand outs and talking points. Sick isn't it.

[yurbud]

6. so...it's exactly like our press?

[kemah]

8. Yes, just like our CIA

It also describes our CIA, overthrowing, killing, all for US corporations.

[uhnope]

10. that's exactly the mindless false equivalency

that stunts thought and reinforces a knee-jerk fake progressivism

[yurbud]

11. so it prevents people from thinking of when OUR media presents gov't talking points uncritically?

[yurbud]

12. Could you define "knee-jerk fake progressivism"? since most people here are progressive...

we'd like to know when our knees are jerking.

[uhnope]

15. Automatically assuming the US is the villain in every international situation

Last edited Sun May 25, 2014, 02:56 PM - Edit history (1)

even when the other sides are dictators like Putin or brutal religious extremists like the Taliban--that's knee jerk fake progressivism.

Not following universal standards of human rights and making excuses for totalitarians and human rights abuses by others that happen to oppose the US.

[yurbud]

18. if our government were really worried about human rights, they would start with totalitarian allies

like Saudi Arabia.

[yurbud]

19. How exactly does killing a lot of people in Afghanistan and Iraq show our concern for human rights?

Frankly, there are many things other governments do that I don't like, but I wince when our government brings them up because their motive is usually to demonize another country before they try to take something from them.

Someone of our interventions have had positive effects like in World War II or the Korean War, but the evil nature of our enemies in those cases took a back seat to strategic and commercial interests.

After all, we went to war with Germany once BEFORE their was a Nazi party.

And after World War II, we backed and even installed fascist governments in many countries to prevent the people from electing governments to far to the left for our business interests taste.

Likewise, we were told the Cold War with the Soviet Union was because they were godless Communists. Now that they are church-going capitalists, our government nonetheless decided shun and sanction them for actions we have looked the other way when our allies did then, like Israel and Indonesia to name a few.

A lot of other countries would do what our government does it they had the economic might, military, and level of corruption our government does.

Russia really only matches us in the last.

[aikoaiko]

16. And the jury results are in.....

AUTOMATED MESSAGE: Results of your Jury Service
Mail Message
On Sun May 25, 2014, 02:07 PM an alert was sent on the following post:

that's exactly the mindless false equivalency
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1016&pid=93927

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

the OP seemed unaware of the unintentional irony of their post, and when I pointed it out, they got insulting.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Sun May 25, 2014, 02:28 PM, and the Jury voted 1-6 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: I don't see it as insulting to attack the message and not the poster.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Not hide-worthy. Explain the poster's errors to them instead.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: You critiqued the OP and the OP responded with his.her critique. Accept it.
Juror #7 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[MBS]

25. + 1 n/t

[okaawhatever]

23. Absolutely agreed. I can't believe people are on here defending RT. nt

[MBS]

26. + 1 n/t

[godai]

27. Tom Hartmann, Breaking the Set, hourly news, docs are all informative.

I don't need any advice about being fooled.

add- Max Keiser

[Tarheel_Dem]

28. Bring back the Mods! They got that trash out of LBN, and I say it's time for a sitewide ban. RT...

crap should be posted for mocking purposes only. And Thom Hartmann should be ashamed of himself. This is what gives the impression that all liberals are America haters, whether it's true or not.

[uhnope]

29. yes, why are there mods for LBN but not the vids?

[polly7]

30. Because people here are intelligent enough to read and view

material from all sources and judge what they find to be accurate or not?

I've seen many posters state (as do I) that they verify what they're seeing and hoping to understand with other sources.

Why do you believe censoring capable, fully functioning adults is a progressive value?

[Tarheel_Dem]

31. FYI, the site is already "censored". You BetterBelieveIt found that out in very short order. We...

don't need another country's government propagandizing the American people. As you well know, since you're an "intelligent adult", there are sites and publications that are not welcome here.

[polly7]

32. Sorry, I don't believe in censorship, particularly when the same information you're

objecting to has been repeated by countless others time and time again. I actually feel a bit of sympathy for people who don't try to learn as much as possible about any issue before deciding what makes sense to them.

[Tarheel_Dem]

33. Then your problem is with Admin. What you "believe in" isn't a TOS. Perhaps DU no longer fits?

[polly7]

34. DU is just fine for me, fits just right. I have absolutely no problem with Admin.

I think they're great and do a fantastic job.

Are you telling me to go? If you have a problem with me here, how about you take that up to the Admin.

I don't believe in censorship anywhere intelligent adults gather to discuss issues. You really can't understand the whole picture if part of it is being hidden away, can you?

[Tarheel_Dem]

35. Nobody's stopping you from tuning in to RT, but "intelligent people" don't wanna be propagandized.

And I'm not telling you to do anything. You're the one making noise about "censorship". And since the only ones who can actually censor anyone here is the admins, then that's who you need to address. Additionally, if you want a wider variety of voices, especially ones that are prohibited here, you're certainly free to seek them out, but don't be surprised when they're yanked as a non-reputable news source.

Like I said, BBI found out that certain sources are over the line, and got a pizza for her trouble.

[polly7]

36. Intelligent people can tell what's propaganda and what isn't.

Just like I knew immediately during the warm up for Iraq, Libya, etc. Of course there were those who wanted to censor news from alternate sources other than the trusted western media, such as Al Jazeera, but those of us who cared to know, pretty much ignored them.

I've never posted anything from RT, and while I know it seems to terrify some, for some odd reason .... no need for the sly little BBI warning lol. I will read anything someone else chooses to offer here for others though, no problem with it at all.

Got any 'reputable' sources for all the IMF, austerity, right-wing shit here that I can make my mind up with? I've asked over and over and over, ............. crickets. Chirp.

[Tarheel_Dem]

37. I figured you were all full up with reputable sources, since you like such a wide array of them.

Have you asked over at Disgustionist?

[polly7]

38. I asked YOU. Don't dodge ... you seem to have all the answers as to what is

appropriate for adults to read and discuss. Name them.

[Tarheel_Dem]

39. You've been around here for awhile, I'm not buying the blank stare. Post something & see!

[polly7]

40. lmfao. nt.