Western
Russophobia in Psychotic Phase
By Finian Cunningham
February 23, 2017 "Information
Clearing House"
- "Sputnik"
- Western irrational fear of Russia –
Russophobia – is no longer a random prejudice.
It has become endemic pathological thinking
among Western states.
Divorced from reality this mindset has become
psychotic.
Western
politicians, military leaders and corporate news
media increasingly blame Russia for all manner
of perceived transgressions. Whether it is
alleged interference in national elections or
alleged aggressive military maneuvers, the
unremitting demonizing of Russia is astonishing.
It is
all the more astounding because the anti-Russia
accusations are leveled with such
high-handedness and yet with so little evidence
to support.
This week saw outlandish
claims
in British media of Russia
sponsoring a coup in the Balkan
state of Montenegro and of trying to assassinate
the country’s prime minister. No evidence
provided. Just sensational, irresponsible
innuendo. The gravity of this slander is enough
to start a war, and yet it is spouted
with reckless abandon. Only a few weeks ago, US
media were also
calling Russian
President Vladimir Putin a “killer”.
Then we have
American lawmakers intensifying
investigations
into unfounded allegations of Russian
hacking of the
US presidential election and of “treasonous”
contacts with the new Trump administration.
Rabid US politicians have even labelled the
alleged Russian misconduct an “act of war”.
That has in turn led to British, French and
German claims that Russia is interfering
in their elections. Similar fears of Russian
hacking and “influence campaigns” have been
issued
for elections in the Netherlands, Italy, Poland,
Bulgaria and Estonia, among other places.
Sometimes, reality intrudes on fantasy, when
for example German state intelligence
concluded
recently that there was actually no evidence
that Russia was involved in any kind
of subversive hacking.
Most
of the time, however, the impetuous accusations
and feverish speculation continue unbridled.
Britain’s
Independent
this week ran the headline: “Clear evidence
Russia interfered in 2015 UK election, says
former minister”.
But
on reading the article, there is no “clear
evidence” presented to back up the tendentious
anti-Russian claims. Indeed, no evidence at all.
The whole allegation was based on claims made
by anonymous “security sources” and reference
to other unproven stories, such as the alleged
hacking of the US election.
This kind
of fake, unethical journalism that has become a
staple in Western media with regard to Russia.
Whether it is allegations of Russia probing
electoral processes or probing territorial air
space and waters, the entire thrust of the
Western media relies on innuendo, prejudice and
disinformation. All told in a relentless,
unquestioning fashion by the gamut of Western
mainstream media outlets.
In
plain language, this is nothing but anti-Russian
propaganda disguised as public information.
When such
propaganda becomes a systematic form of public
discourse then it can be said that the mindset
has moved dangerously beyond a condition
of reprehensible Russophobia, to one
of collective psychosis.
And
this affliction among Western states seems to be
worsening. The
appointment
by US President Donald Trump this week of Lt
General HR McMaster as his National Security
Adviser was greeted with applause among hawkish
lawmakers in Congress.
The cause
for their celebration is because McMaster is
seen as having staunch “anti-Russian views” –
unlike his ousted predecessor, Michael Flynn,
who reportedly wanted to restore friendly
relations with Moscow.
McMaster’s appointment marks a “100 per cent
threat to Russia,”
said Franz
Klintsevich, the First Deputy Chairman
of Russia’s Federation Council Committee
on Defense and Security.
Klintsevich added that “Washington’s Russophobia
is increasing, not weakening.”
Not surprisingly given the relentless
anti-Russian “news” saturating Western media, a
new
Gallup poll
found that favorability among ordinary Americans
towards Russia has plummeted. Four years ago,
some 50 per cent of Americans had a friendly
view of Russia. Now, the figure is down to 28
per cent.
This is a
clear example of “perception management”,
whereby a constant flow of negative,
fear-mongering information results in a
diminished view of Russia. This is exactly how a
propaganda system is supposed to work.
Again, all
the allegations against Russia are either
baseless or completely fabricated. For instance,
Russia did not invade Ukraine, as claimed. It
was the US-led NATO alliance that orchestrated
the violent overthrow of an elected government
in 2014. The Western-backed regime that seized
power in Kiev has been waging a genocidal war
of aggression on ethnic Russians in eastern
Ukraine ever since. Yet Western media and
governments upturn reality and accuse Russia of
“destabilizing Ukraine”.
When
people are so prone to powers of persuasion
against all reason and reality then that is
proof of brainwashing.
When a
Russian communications naval vessel
in international waters off America’s east coast
is hysterically portrayed as sinister, yet US
warships are daily patrolling Russia’s Black Sea
without a hint of disquiet among Western media
then, again, the dissonance should raise
skepticism.
Or
when Russia is constantly accused of electoral
interference in Western countries and
of broadcasting “fake news” yet Western media
themselves pump out fake news on Iraq, Syria,
Libya, Iran and much more, and don’t even ponder
that the United States is documented to have
illegally interfered
in the elections of over 80 nations – then we
should at least suspect there is something wrong
with this informational picture.
|
Not
For Profit - For Global Justice - Since 2001
|
Russophobia has become such a pathological
condition in Western discourse it’s not even
recognized.
This week, the London-based rights group Amnesty
International
published its
annual report. It deplored “powerful narratives
of blame, fear and scapegoating” spreading
across the globe. And it attributed rising
political populism across the West as being
responsible for all sorts of ills, mentioning
“Islamophobia, racism, sexism, xenophobia and
misogyny”.
Amazingly,
perhaps the single most dangerous “powerful
narrative of blame, fear and scapegoating”
operating in the world is Russophobia – and it
is not even mentioned by Amnesty. Of course,
being a pro-Western lobby group no doubt
conditions the rights organization to being
blind to or indeed complicit in the mindset of Russophobia.
That it could ignore such a destructive,
insidious phobia shows how effective the Western
propaganda system is.
Contained
in Russophobia is demonization and aggression
towards the planet’s second-biggest nuclear
power. Also contained is an induced acquiescence
among Western public to accept this recklessly
provocative mindset as somehow normal.
Granted, there are many people within Western
states who dissent from the systematic slander
of Russia. Many of these people are no doubt
switching off traditional Western news
programming (sic) and turning on Russian
alternatives – despite Western disparagement
of Russian outlets.
Nevertheless, what we have are entire Western
states, their governments and media ranting day
in, day out about alleged Russian malfeasance
around the globe. Defeating Western-backed
terror groups in Syria is traduced to become
“supporting a tyrant dictator”. Helping
oppressed ethnic Russians in Donbas is twisted
into “destabilizing Ukraine”. Protecting Russian
sovereign territory against aggressive NATO
escalation on its borders is inverted to become
“threatening Europe”.
Not even
the most authoritarian regime imaginable could
invent such an efficacious propaganda system,
ironically managed by an information market that
declares itself “free and independent news”.
Western
Russophobia has become psychotic because the
fake news and lies are not even recognized
as such. Indeed they are believed to be the
“truth”. Instead of setting free, this “truth”
is enslavement into accepting anything – even a
nuclear war.
