What is really wrong with Russia Today and Sputnik? (UPDATED)

Today I am going to touch upon a subject which frankly saddens me, but which I cannot ignore, if only because so many others have also noticed this and asked me about it: what in the world is really wrong with Russia Today and Sputnik (RT&Sp)?!

We all know that the US government has now embarked upon an effort to persecute these two Russian media outlets in the USA by forcing them to be the only foreign media to register as foreign agents because they are, according to the Trump Administration, not real journalists, but “Russian propaganda outlets”. Likewise, in France, President Macron has refused to accredit RT for the same reasons. So judging by these reactions we could be excused for thinking that RT&Sp have done a great job.

Well, indeed they have and they are.

There is absolutely no denying that RT&Sp have changed the political landscape in the West by providing an alternative point of view. Furthermore, some of their programs have truly been ground breaking and absolutely superb. Peter Lavelle’s “CrossTalk” deserves the highest possible praise and Lavelle himself is truly a hero of the information war. There are clearly those at RT&Sp who “get it” and who want to do the right thing. Just look at this superb advertisement for the show “Watching the Hawks“:

And then there is the superb Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of both the news network RT and the state-owned international news agency Rossiia Segodnia. Her intelligence, poise and humor seemed to have earned her an especially rabid hatred from the AngloZionists. In the next couple of days I hope to post a translation of one of her recent interviews which will make it possible for English speakers to take a measure of this remarkable woman. Here, I will just share with you her wonderful sense of humor. Check out this video entitled “RT exposed in leaked video: Watch how evil ‘Kremlin propaganda bullhorn’ REALLY works“:

Beautiful, no?

But there is a much darker side to RT&Sp. Many of you, my readers, have written to me to complain about not only plain stupid shows and articles, but also about a lot of material which seems to be written by AngloZionist propagandists. Alas, your observation is quite correct. Just check out this latest post by RT: “To heaven and beyond: Artist depicts bizarre Russian Orthodox space mission” which includes the following depictions of Russian Orthodox clergymen:

For any minimally educated Russia that kind of “art” immediately smacks of the old anti-religious propaganda of the russophobic Bolshevik regime and it’s so-called “Godless 5 year plan”, the brainchild of Emelian Iaroslavskii (real name Minei Israelvich Gubelman) whom the always “politically correct” Wikipedia presents as the “anti-religious polemicist, Yaroslavsky served as editor of the atheist satirical journal Bezbozhnik (The Godless) and led the League of the Militant Godless organization” which, at first glance, is not incorrect. But when you place Gubelman’s activities in their context, the genocidal mass murder of Orthodox Christians and, especially, Orthodox clergy then you realize that what Gubelman did is exactly what Julius Streicher did for the Nazis: they both provided the “propagandistic background” for the mass murder of people. The difference? Streicher was sentenced to death by the Nuremberg Tribunal, viciously tortured, and eventually executed. And Wikipedia does not present him as an “anti-Jewish polemicist”, of course.

The original Bolshevik “Godless” propaganda

You might wonder what RT has to say about the so-called “art” of Vladimir Malakhovskiy (whom the RT article introduces as a “concept artist”). Nothing much, really: “it’s all part of a Russian artist’s futuristic take of a Russian Orthodox space mission, blurring the lines between religious belief and the atheist realism of space exploration” and “The vessel has Orthodox icons sticking out of every surface and apparently even replacing solar batteries. After all, who needs solar power when you have faith?“. Clearly, the (anonymous) scumbag who wrote this article felt the need to add some of his/her own “humor” to the already “hilarious” article.

So, how is it that RT seems to have hired a modern Gubelman to engage in exactly the same propaganda?

From what I know from different personal contacts which I have, RT&Sp are far from being homogeneous organizations. While there are plenty of people who “get it”, there is also a strong pro-AngloZionist element active in these outlets who basically support the political line I call “Atlantic Integrationism”. And that is not really surprising since the Russian media today is also filled with such anti-Russian and, even more so, anti-Orthodox elements.

We need to look back at the circumstances which brought Vladimir Putin to power and remember that he was a compromise candidate between the security services and the Russian oligarchy which favored Dmitrii Medvedev. It took Putin 15 years to finally succeed in pushing out some, but not all, of the “Atlantic Integrationist” elements from a few key ministries, but they are still very much there. The same goes for the Russia media. Sensing that Putin is extremely popular and that they better not openly oppose him, the Atlantic Integrationists have kept a relatively low profile and that, in turn, has allowed them to keep their jobs. Furthermore, we all know what these folks *really* care about, money, and even today they key economic/financial positions in Russia are all held by Atlantic Integrationists.

We should never underestimate the power and influence of these folks and a lot of what appears as Russian zig-zagging on certain issues or as Putin’s “indecision” is, in reality, the output of a constant struggle between the Eurasian Sovereignists and Atlantic Integrationists (for an explanation and discussion of these two terms, please see here and here). The truth is that Russia is still not a truly sovereign country and that the best I can say about Russia is that she is in a *process of liberation* but that the struggle is far from over.

Besides, we should harbor no illusions about the real state of spirituality in Russia. Yes, we see a lot of *external* signs of a strong religious revival, affecting both the Orthodox and Muslim communities, but the *internal* reality is much different. The truth is that as soon as we look a little deeper into what is really taking place and what kind of people are really in key positions we realize that there are still plenty of old/Soviet style clergymen who are total hypocrites and who probably don’t even believe in God. While the rank and file faithful can be very religious and pious, they are often led by “wolves in sheep’s skins” (a recent exchange with a well-informed Muslim friend confirmed to me that this sad state of affairs is true not only in Orthodox circles but also amongst Muslim religious leaders).

Finally, we should not forget that while millions of Russian do declare themselves to be religious, and that while many are truly discovering their own spiritual roots, the vast majority of Russians are either very superficially religious or not religious at all. Only a *tiny* fraction of Russians have a solid religious education.

It is against this background that we see RT posting an article which would have made Comrade Gubelman proud. My sense is that whoever wrote this deeply offensive article ought to be immediately fired and I hope that if Margarita Simonyan finds out, that she will take action (I can’t imagine her condoning that kind of stuff). But I am not holding my breath because if that anonymous hater of Orthodoxy is fired then his/her colleagues will complain of a nationalist or religious witch-hunt which will immediately be used by the AngloZionist propaganda machine to further discredit RT&Sp. And here we are reaching the key factor.

Fundamentally, when you are the object of an informational attack you have two choices: to try to appease the attacker or to frontally counter-attack. RT&Sp have chosen the first option and that, I very strongly believe is a huge strategic mistake.

We all know that the word “Zionist” will immediately be censored by RT&Sp editors. The same goes for any mention of 9/11 truth. Why? Because there appears to be a consensus amongst key RT&Sp editors that when faced with accusations of being a “Russian propaganda outlet” the correct approach is to deny these accusations and try to appear as respectable, mainstream and “proper” as possible.

Clearly, they have no idea of whom they are dealing with.

The AngloZionist propaganda machine will *never* accept RT&Sp as “one of our own”, meaning that they will never accept RT&Sp as a legitimate media and that far from standing up for the rights of RT&Sp to operate just like any other news media, they will give a standing ovation to every form of persecution and smearing against RT&Sp. The folks at RT&Sp who believe that there is a way of appeasing their western colleagues if they “don’t go too far” are completely misguided and are lying to themselves. They should look at Donald Trump who tried this kind of appeasement with the Neocons and now can see where that got him.

Still, and even when I consider the complex context in which this took place, I am repulsed and deeply offended by the fact that some SOB at RT wrote this kind of article and some other SOB cleared it for publication. In a country where that kind of anti-religious propaganda resulted in the mass slaughter of Orthodox clergy and laypeople it is simply unconscionable and inexcusable to publish such garbage, especially with what is clearly a supportive commentary.

So we shall see whether there will be any action taken against those responsible for this, or whether RT will at least apologize. If they do, then this will be a very good sign. But I am afraid that they won’t. Let’s see what happens next (if anything).

The Saker

UPDATE: RT doubles down! This time what we get is an article and video about what appears to be a priest irritated by something, possibly a screaming baby, during a baptism. See here: https://www.rt.com/news/408423-priest-baptizing-baby-romania/ . The article itself, entitled “Bezerk Baptism” ends with the following comment “The priest then decides to make one final attempt to baptize the screaming baby, roughly dunking the child underwater several times, showing little care for the baby’s well-being. Orthodox baptism requires babies to be dipped in holy water from head to toe. The process is repeated three times“. Yet again, that kind of stuff would make Comrade Gubelman very proud. Makes me wonder what RT will offer us next – maybe “village infected by plague after unhygienic use of single Eucharistic chalice” or “alcoholism linked to use of wine in Orthodox ceremonies”?

twilight on October 31, 2017 · at 12:30 pm EST/EDT

RT was formed by the BBC World Service (the propaganda arm of MI6) from it’s Russia Desk. Around the same time the BBC gave the world PressTV from the Persia desk, and AlJazeera from the Arab desk. For a significant time ex-BBC personnel worked at all three new fledgling organisations. All three still have the strongest links to London.

Rather like fake NGOs (non-governmental organisations) that are actually formed, funded and run for the benefits of governments only with “plausible deniability”, the BBC offered its unprecedented expertise in the english speaking world to the governments of Russia and Iran (Tony Blair’s people were very close to both), and to the Saudi wahhabi collective.

Today the connections between the BBC and these three news organisations have been severed (in theory)- tho MI6 has many of its agents still working in all three. In fairness, the governments of Russia, Iran and Qatar know about the ongoing ‘british connection’- but think it ‘useful’.

The consequence of the BBC origins of RT is clear to see. A ***very*** pro-zionist agenda. A very pro-West agenda. Use of the West’s propaganda terms in news reports. A tendancy to ***appear*** anti-West by highlighting laughable irrelevant tabloid stories about events in the UK and USA.

Now of course RT takes Putin’s sides on the big issues like Syria, and presents a much more accurate picture of events there as a result. But in truth the ***facts*** on RT can also be found in the BBC and other ‘proper’ zionist controlled aminstream media outlets- just buried in places most visitors never see. The BBC ***trick*** is to be able to claim they did tell people the truth when later challenged- just that the truth was given no prominence on BBC outlets at the time, and was relegated to minor little seen serious political discussion events.

Does RT ever highlight the ***fact*** that Putin keeps voting for the West’s resolutions at the UN (with very rare exceptions), even though the West constantly humiliates Russia at the UN by never backing its resolutions? No! Nor does RT highlight the fact that Russia, to this day, uses the excuse of UN resolutions to refuse to sell its best ***defensive*** weapon systems to Iran or Syria- even though it offers the same to Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

RT is what is know in intelligence circles as a ‘limited hangout’. RT is not an honest broker or any kind of true answer to the Deep State’s control of mainstream media and 99% of so-called indy media. Tony Blair was Putin’s main protector in Putin’s early days as a rising force in Russia. Germany and France in particular wanted to put Putin down when Russia’s foolish relationship with the EU made this very possible. But Tony Blair used Britain’s veto in the EU to prevent organised West Europe action against Putin- until Putin was finally strong enough to survive such pressure.

As a result Putin thinks he has a special relationship with Britain- and considers it a continuation of the alliance Britain had with Russia during WW2. Thus he allows RT to be as BBC flavoured as we witness, so long as it pushes a pro-Russian foreign policy agenda. In trusting Britain, Putin makes his greatest mistake.

In knocking the beliefs and culture of many ordinary Russians, we see classic Deep State methods at play at RT- the influence of the many embedded MI6 folks who cannot resist using classic anglo-zionist methods of societal control. For heaven’s sake, if you lived in Britain, you’d witness BBC and ITV doing the same thing to the British people one billion times more viciously. The trick is this…

Non-too-bright middle-class university educated peeps look down on everyone they can to make themselves feel ‘big’ (read Brave New World to get the psychology). What they think of as the belief systems of the ‘lower classes’ (or indeed often their parents), they want to loudly mock and disparage whenever they can. These people flood newspaper offices and TV news organisations. They are another of the Deep State’s ‘useful idiot’ bodies.

Hateful, hurtful and spiteful becomes their nature- and this hate, hurt and spite is neatly placed into their ‘journalistic’ output. They are, of course, damaged people- since their life experience has taught them just how limited their intelligence and moral outlook really is. So they define themselves by who they are certain they can look down on.

The BBC in particular has mastered the use of this damaged section of the populace. When, in the 1970s, the British Deep State decided to use racism as a major force of societal manipulation, and MI5 created the National Front, the BBC switched up its output to full-on race baiting. The most popular BBC comedians (like the Goodies and Mony Python) started using the n-word (and others) in their shows, and ‘black’ actors were reduced, literally, to ‘spear chuckers’ in the ‘comedy’ sketches. Don’t believe me- go watch the Goodies episode in South Africa, Monty Python’s zulu segment in ‘Meaning of Life’ or the Fawly Towers episode where Basil hits his head. All of a sudden every ‘liberal’ working at the BBC was telling ‘black’ Britains they had no sense of humour if they found the hateful language unfunny. And the National Front went from strength to strength- until it completed its purpose and got Margaret Thatcher elected, and ended the post war liberal regimes of Heath and Wilson.

By the way, in the 60s BBC had actually been anti-racist- there were many serious well considered ‘black’ actors working in Britain from the 1960s onwards. What the BBC did to the public perception of ‘black’ actors on their screens in the 70s would take an age to undo- and all the vile damage was done by people who described themselves as ‘enlightened liberals’.

So when seeing the bad at Sputnik and RT, those of us that grew up with the BBC in the 60s onwards know the explanation. It is a long perceived fact that newspapers etc tend to employ people who thinks themselves ‘liberal’, while the big boss is almost always ‘conservative’. And likewise it is understood that the liberal workforce is so weakwilled and supine, it always ends up doing exactly what the big boss desires, even though there is this supposed clash of ideologies. But in truth the media ‘liberals’ are not ‘liberals’ but hypocrites, damaged personalities, psychopaths, egotists and/or neo-liberals. Despite the claims of the journos, the big boss doesn’t have to hold a gun to their heads to get them to happily propagandise on behalf of the Deep State.

Having been on the net since the inception of the WWW, it has been my delight to witness the genuine intelligence of so many outspoken ‘ordinary’ people. I had never read a word in a newspaper by any person given a clear platform there that struck me as even quite intelligent. The paid journalist is required to ***appear*** intelligent to the hard-of-thinking- and like the faker who pretends to be a doctor and isn’t discovered for years, this involves throwing around a lot of ‘big’ words. The infamous british celeb thickie, Stephen Fry, a man so stupid he’d win an intergalactic competition for the Milky Way’s most perfect ‘village idiot’, is a perfect example of the ‘posh’ fake-educated con that works too well on far too many.

The Internet was intially hated for precisely this reason- suddenly anyone who wished to use their voice could. Every news organisation howled their outrage at the Internet, and demonised its users as loser nerds. But freedom from the Deep State’s iron grip on information dissemination proved too tasty for Mankind, so despite their best attempts the BBC et al failed, and the Internet won.

But the Deep State Demons are infinitetly smarter than any group of people that do their bidding willingly or unwittingly. And now 99.99% of the Internet is back under their control, and 99.9 percent of internet users only witness the equivalent of the 1970s BBC during their webtime. And thus we are back at RT.

Some here will say “how dare you criticise RT”. Why- cos you fall for the old “preach to the choir” trick. Of course RT says a lot of stuff our side likes. But we seek out that opinion, and if RT didn’t give it we’d go elsewhere. We are the choir. What really matters is what RT says to the non-choir. What do they hear?

This blog entry exists because so many notice RT is ‘weak-wristed’ when it comes to boosting Russian interests, unlike the BBC say with respect to British interests. There is a feebleness at RT and Sputnik that has no simple innocent explanation. And, of course, the current vicious attacks on the integrity of RT etc in the press and government chambers of the West allow RT to justify this feebleness by suggesting RT needs to be very careful in proving itself ‘acceptable’ to the West by the West’s own wholly dishonest standards.

Intelligence circles call this the “anti-tall poppy syndrome” play. In other words tell the ‘difficult’ honest person that it is more important to be a team player than to tell the truth powerfully. Imply ‘tall poppy’ types are really an anti-social force. Tell RT that it is not the time to be a ‘tall poppy’ news outlet.

PS cos I tend to write too much, let me finish with a last observation about RT. RT used to be very Internet blogger friendly, allowing a different class of person to comment on its news programs. This aspect of RT has been under greatest attack. The ‘wrong’ people must not be allowed a voice on air. So RT critics calls these people cranks, nutters, and extremists- and demands RT stops using them. RT is told to up it professional game, and like the BBC, only allow approved people on the air. The management of RT clearly wishes to do this, and end RT’s alternate access policy. But RT is still concerned about its viewership figures, for like any propaganda outlet, it serves no purpose if no-one watches. So RT strives to keep a little of its original flavour, while still moving ever closer to the mainstream model. And since that model is fabian, the mocking of the spiritual beliefs and religious heritage of ordinary Russians will intensify.

135 Comments

Macario el Viejo on October 31, 2017 · at 11:05 am EST/EDT

RT and Sputnik are very valuable. I’ve just read the following on RT today. This is the kind of information you would never find in the western media.

Putin: Someone is harvesting Russian bio samples for obscure purposes
https://www.rt.com/news/408274-putin-bio-samples-harvesting/

Putin was presiding over a meeting of Russia’s Human Rights Council Monday, when he was informed of live broadcasts from polling stations during the recent regional elections being inundated with foreign viewers.

Council member Igor Borisov said the statistics showed that nearly a million views came from abroad. He hinted at a sinister motive behind those viewings.

The question is, why so many interested people are watching our elections and, in fact, recording the images of people, and how those images will be used further,” queried Borisov, who is also the chairman of the Russian Public Institute of Electoral Rights.

Putin followed up with comments that will perhaps push them over.

“Images are one thing, but do you know that biological material is being collected all over the country, from different ethnic groups and people living in different geographical regions of the Russian Federation? The question is – why is it being done? It’s being done purposefully and professionally. We are a kind of object of great interest,” Putin told the Council.

In July, the US Air Force Air Education and Training Command issued a tender on FedBizOpps, a US government website, seeking to acquire samples of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and synovial fluid from Russians. All samples “shall be collected from Russia and must be Caucasian,” the tender said.

The listing specified that the samples – 12 of RNA and 27 of synovial fluid – must be provided by Russian donors of Caucasian origin. It also wants information on the donor’s sex, age, ethnicity, weight, height and medical history. Notably, the Air Force said, it would not consider tissue samples from Ukraine.
- the real history on October 31, 2017 · at 12:58 pm EST/EDT
  
  I also read this article and found it to be deeply disturbing. In my view, this is something to do with the trans-humanistic agenda (Transmutation of Humankind). I read that during times of Eltsin Russia was fully integrated into what is known as terramodling or geoengineering that is maniacally pushed forward by the western elites. However, it appears that Putin’s Russia has taken a radically different approach. I suggest reading Dr. Raymond Kurzweil, who has been a spokesman for Artificial Intelligence, a scientist who is also known for his Russo phobic comments at google headquarters , and who is passionately promoting this whole merger between humans and machines. Apparently Russians are not easily configurable to become part humans , part AI.
  
  I think RT is sending a message with this article that they know what is going on. Just a thought.
  
  For the rest, I’m totally in agreement with the Saker’s analysis. I already heard some comments that RT is trying too hard to appears Do you mean “appease”? MOD the enemies and becoming spinless spineless ? MOD in the process.
  - the real history on October 31, 2017 · at 2:16 pm EST/EDT
    
    Thanks for the corrections. My typing skills are absolutely atrocious.
    
    You’re welcome. Thanks for your comments. MOD
- Andy on October 31, 2017 · at 2:06 pm EST/EDT
  
  – perhaps gathering biological samples so as to create a virus that will attack the hosts.
  - Wayne on October 31, 2017 · at 10:26 pm EST/EDT
    
    That was my first thought – developing genetically targeted bio weapons.
- Anonymous on November 01, 2017 · at 1:08 pm EST/EDT
  
  Sounds like the data collection phase of a study to develop biological warfare vectors against Russians. A reminder that even highly-intellgent people (e.g. with PhDs in biology) can be moral monsters.
Anonymous on October 31, 2017 · at 11:07 am EST/EDT

RT and Sputnik are already being demonized in the western MSM for their content, which really is not very different from western MSM content. They may as well publish some really different articles, since they will be treated the same if they or if they don’t.
Rhizomatic Schizomass on October 31, 2017 · at 12:09 pm EST/EDT

I got triggered by the “everyone knows 6 million died in gas chambers” drivel and stopped visiting Sputnik.
It’s not universally agreed, along with many other dubious statements quoted verbatim from MSM and enemies.
What good is self mockery if editor can’t catch obvious errors, or acknowledge other viewpoints?
I’ve seen the filth being posted in the RT comments section and stopped going long time ago.
The false veneer of sophistication doesn’t redeem them IMO.
- J.L.Seagull on October 31, 2017 · at 7:25 pm EST/EDT
  
  RT and Sputnik’s agenda is to draw in any readers they can who like “alternative” narratives, in order to let them see the Russian take on things.
  
  Hence their irreverent, distasteful takes on modern art and LGBT.
  
  I do read RT and Sputnik regularly, but this post is well-deserved. They are confusing websites that do not have a consistent tone.
  - Anonymous on November 01, 2017 · at 2:42 pm EST/EDT
    
    Perhaps the lack of a ‘consistent tone’ is deliberate?
    
    Both RT and Sputnik are accused of being propaganda. Would not adopting a ‘consistent tone’ across their reporting give them a look at feel of being tightly controlled propaganda that never deviates from the party line?
    
    It also seems that a ‘scatter-shot’ sort of strategy might appeal to RT and Sputnik. What they are looking to accomplish is to get people to pay attention to them. Wouldn’t it make sense to try a lot of different ways of doing that, hoping to hit on one that gets a person’s attention, and then hope to get them to then look at more of the content beyond the hook that snared them?
    
    Both ideas would lead to hiring different people and letting different people go in different directions both to avoid a uniform and controlled look and to try to find some different hooks with different baits to attract different people……. just an idea?
    - dykalg on November 02, 2017 · at 10:57 am EST/EDT
      
      psychologicsally astute comment. are you in marketing anonymous?
- Steve Naidamast on November 01, 2017 · at 10:22 am EST/EDT
  
  The article does not mention Russia Insider, which presents information in the same vein as RT and Sputnik News.
  
  I have seen articles on both Russia Insider and Sputnik, which I was surprised at such as the claim that the Ukrainian Holomodor did not happen. Sputnik also presents fluff pieces (ie beauty pageants) that make little sense for a serious news outlet. However, the women are usually gorgeous… :-)
  - Anonymous on November 01, 2017 · at 2:23 pm EST/EDT
    
    Since RT and Sputnik are competing with western corporate media for viewers/eyeballs, its no surprise that they include stuff like ‘fluff’ pieces. After all, the western corporate media of course churns out fluff pieces to attract viewers/eyeballs. Beauty pagents for example are nationally televised on network tv in America. If you try to compete against that with professors and academics making scholarly statements on world affairs, you’d find that few viewers/eyeballs would come your way. Most would be on corporate channels watching the beauty pagents. Specifically, they compete in the UK for viewers/eyeballs, and it seems like I’ve heard that most of the British tabloids offer a ‘page two’ of naked women, a rumor that caught the attention of a yound lad who grew up in the heart of American Christian Fundamentalism where women weren’t allowed to wear pants or skirts that showed an ankle.
  - Peter Grafström on November 05, 2017 · at 5:35 am EST/EDT
    
    ‘Holodomor not happen’
    The term is used by the critics of Bolshevism(Who also btw imposed Bolshevism on Russia) to mean that it was a deliberate genocide. In reality it was a collateral consequence of modernization efforts needed to build up the industry without which Russia would have been crushed by the nazis (who were of course built up to strength by the same AA oligarchy which imposed Bolshevism on Russia). And since the AAs refused payment in gold for Russian imports and demanded grain you can guess how much the AAs was upset about starving civilians.
- Frank on November 05, 2017 · at 11:01 am EST/EDT
  
  I get non-trolling,non profanity essentially decent comments censored at RT while anti-Russian trolls take over the page and don’t get censored. I wont put them up at social media anymore.
Don Wiscacho on October 31, 2017 · at 12:23 pm EST/EDT

What RT and Sputnik have done in terms of opening up the alternative media landscape is nothing short of incredible. But in becoming an alternative voice, they’ve had to ape the established voices and in doing, risk flying to close to the sun.

The worst thing these networks can do is become Russian mirrors to CNN, Fox, and the wire services. That is, diligently report anything that makes ‘adversaries’ look bad and steadfastly ignore or spin anything that makes ‘allies’ or ‘ us’ look bad. While RT and SP obviously shouldn’t start ‘bashing Russia’ I can’t help but think at times that they paint overly rosy pictures of reality, whether dealing with pro-Zionist elements, pro- NATO, or corruption in Russia.

The key here is that people reflexively (unless brainwashed to a cultish extent, and yes I’m even talking about (some) people in the US) know they’re being lied to. Look at the explosion of alt media in the brainwashed west. No one wants, or trusts, news from a cheerleader. There needs to be a balance of reality and optimism, no one trusts non- stop compliments.

For RT and Sp to continue to be successful they need to be hard- nosed and self- critical, not shying away from reporting on or denouncing Zionist, Nato-ist, or any homegrown BS. Otherwise they’ll just be cheerleaders.
twilight on October 31, 2017 · at 12:30 pm EST/EDT

RT was formed by the BBC World Service (the propaganda arm of MI6) from it’s Russia Desk. Around the same time the BBC gave the world PressTV from the Persia desk, and AlJazeera from the Arab desk. For a significant time ex-BBC personnel worked at all three new fledgling organisations. All three still have the strongest links to London.

Rather like fake NGOs (non-governmental organisations) that are actually formed, funded and run for the benefits of governments only with “plausible deniability”, the BBC offered its unprecedented expertise in the english speaking world to the governments of Russia and Iran (Tony Blair’s people were very close to both), and to the Saudi wahhabi collective.

Today the connections between the BBC and these three news organisations have been severed (in theory)- tho MI6 has many of its agents still working in all three. In fairness, the governments of Russia, Iran and Qatar know about the ongoing ‘british connection’- but think it ‘useful’.

The consequence of the BBC origins of RT is clear to see. A ***very*** pro-zionist agenda. A very pro-West agenda. Use of the West’s propaganda terms in news reports. A tendancy to ***appear*** anti-West by highlighting laughable irrelevant tabloid stories about events in the UK and USA.

Now of course RT takes Putin’s sides on the big issues like Syria, and presents a much more accurate picture of events there as a result. But in truth the ***facts*** on RT can also be found in the BBC and other ‘proper’ zionist controlled aminstream media outlets- just buried in places most visitors never see. The BBC ***trick*** is to be able to claim they did tell people the truth when later challenged- just that the truth was given no prominence on BBC outlets at the time, and was relegated to minor little seen serious political discussion events.

Does RT ever highlight the ***fact*** that Putin keeps voting for the West’s resolutions at the UN (with very rare exceptions), even though the West constantly humiliates Russia at the UN by never backing its resolutions? No! Nor does RT highlight the fact that Russia, to this day, uses the excuse of UN resolutions to refuse to sell its best ***defensive*** weapon systems to Iran or Syria- even though it offers the same to Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

RT is what is know in intelligence circles as a ‘limited hangout’. RT is not an honest broker or any kind of true answer to the Deep State’s control of mainstream media and 99% of so-called indy media. Tony Blair was Putin’s main protector in Putin’s early days as a rising force in Russia. Germany and France in particular wanted to put Putin down when Russia’s foolish relationship with the EU made this very possible. But Tony Blair used Britain’s veto in the EU to prevent organised West Europe action against Putin- until Putin was finally strong enough to survive such pressure.

As a result Putin thinks he has a special relationship with Britain- and considers it a continuation of the alliance Britain had with Russia during WW2. Thus he allows RT to be as BBC flavoured as we witness, so long as it pushes a pro-Russian foreign policy agenda. In trusting Britain, Putin makes his greatest mistake.

In knocking the beliefs and culture of many ordinary Russians, we see classic Deep State methods at play at RT- the influence of the many embedded MI6 folks who cannot resist using classic anglo-zionist methods of societal control. For heaven’s sake, if you lived in Britain, you’d witness BBC and ITV doing the same thing to the British people one billion times more viciously. The trick is this…

Non-too-bright middle-class university educated peeps look down on everyone they can to make themselves feel ‘big’ (read Brave New World to get the psychology). What they think of as the belief systems of the ‘lower classes’ (or indeed often their parents), they want to loudly mock and disparage whenever they can. These people flood newspaper offices and TV news organisations. They are another of the Deep State’s ‘useful idiot’ bodies.

Hateful, hurtful and spiteful becomes their nature- and this hate, hurt and spite is neatly placed into their ‘journalistic’ output. They are, of course, damaged people- since their life experience has taught them just how limited their intelligence and moral outlook really is. So they define themselves by who they are certain they can look down on.

The BBC in particular has mastered the use of this damaged section of the populace. When, in the 1970s, the British Deep State decided to use racism as a major force of societal manipulation, and MI5 created the National Front, the BBC switched up its output to full-on race baiting. The most popular BBC comedians (like the Goodies and Mony Python) started using the n-word (and others) in their shows, and ‘black’ actors were reduced, literally, to ‘spear chuckers’ in the ‘comedy’ sketches. Don’t believe me- go watch the Goodies episode in South Africa, Monty Python’s zulu segment in ‘Meaning of Life’ or the Fawly Towers episode where Basil hits his head. All of a sudden every ‘liberal’ working at the BBC was telling ‘black’ Britains they had no sense of humour if they found the hateful language unfunny. And the National Front went from strength to strength- until it completed its purpose and got Margaret Thatcher elected, and ended the post war liberal regimes of Heath and Wilson.

By the way, in the 60s BBC had actually been anti-racist- there were many serious well considered ‘black’ actors working in Britain from the 1960s onwards. What the BBC did to the public perception of ‘black’ actors on their screens in the 70s would take an age to undo- and all the vile damage was done by people who described themselves as ‘enlightened liberals’.

So when seeing the bad at Sputnik and RT, those of us that grew up with the BBC in the 60s onwards know the explanation. It is a long perceived fact that newspapers etc tend to employ people who thinks themselves ‘liberal’, while the big boss is almost always ‘conservative’. And likewise it is understood that the liberal workforce is so weakwilled and supine, it always ends up doing exactly what the big boss desires, even though there is this supposed clash of ideologies. But in truth the media ‘liberals’ are not ‘liberals’ but hypocrites, damaged personalities, psychopaths, egotists and/or neo-liberals. Despite the claims of the journos, the big boss doesn’t have to hold a gun to their heads to get them to happily propagandise on behalf of the Deep State.

Having been on the net since the inception of the WWW, it has been my delight to witness the genuine intelligence of so many outspoken ‘ordinary’ people. I had never read a word in a newspaper by any person given a clear platform there that struck me as even quite intelligent. The paid journalist is required to ***appear*** intelligent to the hard-of-thinking- and like the faker who pretends to be a doctor and isn’t discovered for years, this involves throwing around a lot of ‘big’ words. The infamous british celeb thickie, Stephen Fry, a man so stupid he’d win an intergalactic competition for the Milky Way’s most perfect ‘village idiot’, is a perfect example of the ‘posh’ fake-educated con that works too well on far too many.

The Internet was intially hated for precisely this reason- suddenly anyone who wished to use their voice could. Every news organisation howled their outrage at the Internet, and demonised its users as loser nerds. But freedom from the Deep State’s iron grip on information dissemination proved too tasty for Mankind, so despite their best attempts the BBC et al failed, and the Internet won.

But the Deep State Demons are infinitetly smarter than any group of people that do their bidding willingly or unwittingly. And now 99.99% of the Internet is back under their control, and 99.9 percent of internet users only witness the equivalent of the 1970s BBC during their webtime. And thus we are back at RT.

Some here will say “how dare you criticise RT”. Why- cos you fall for the old “preach to the choir” trick. Of course RT says a lot of stuff our side likes. But we seek out that opinion, and if RT didn’t give it we’d go elsewhere. We are the choir. What really matters is what RT says to the non-choir. What do they hear?

This blog entry exists because so many notice RT is ‘weak-wristed’ when it comes to boosting Russian interests, unlike the BBC say with respect to British interests. There is a feebleness at RT and Sputnik that has no simple innocent explanation. And, of course, the current vicious attacks on the integrity of RT etc in the press and government chambers of the West allow RT to justify this feebleness by suggesting RT needs to be very careful in proving itself ‘acceptable’ to the West by the West’s own wholly dishonest standards.

Intelligence circles call this the “anti-tall poppy syndrome” play. In other words tell the ‘difficult’ honest person that it is more important to be a team player than to tell the truth powerfully. Imply ‘tall poppy’ types are really an anti-social force. Tell RT that it is not the time to be a ‘tall poppy’ news outlet.

PS cos I tend to write too much, let me finish with a last observation about RT. RT used to be very Internet blogger friendly, allowing a different class of person to comment on its news programs. This aspect of RT has been under greatest attack. The ‘wrong’ people must not be allowed a voice on air. So RT critics calls these people cranks, nutters, and extremists- and demands RT stops using them. RT is told to up it professional game, and like the BBC, only allow approved people on the air. The management of RT clearly wishes to do this, and end RT’s alternate access policy. But RT is still concerned about its viewership figures, for like any propaganda outlet, it serves no purpose if no-one watches. So RT strives to keep a little of its original flavour, while still moving ever closer to the mainstream model. And since that model is fabian, the mocking of the spiritual beliefs and religious heritage of ordinary Russians will intensify.
- RATM on October 31, 2017 · at 1:05 pm EST/EDT
  
  I think the RT article worked wonders.
  
  It raises awareness of Orthodox Christianity
  (one might see it as the equivalent of the Kardashian’s sex tape).
  
  Heck, one commenter on the Catalan independence article said,
  Spaniards should throw off the Frankish fake-Christian yoke,
  and become true (Orthodox) Christians again.
  
  This type of thinking will get more widespread in the future.
  But how will the big bad boys from MI6 counter these developments?
- The Saker on October 31, 2017 · at 1:14 pm EST/EDT
  
  RT was formed by the BBC World Service (the propaganda arm of MI6) from it’s Russia Desk
  Please share your factual evidence for this claim.
  Thank you.
  The Saker
  - Peter Grafström on November 05, 2017 · at 6:05 am EST/EDT
    
    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/world/europe/russias-rt-network-is-it-more-bbc-or-kgb.html
    “..we overlook MI5 and we’re near MI6..” says RT London bureau chief Nikolai A Bogachikhin
    Of course this is meant to be taken jokingly, but you know..
- Anonymous on October 31, 2017 · at 5:04 pm EST/EDT
  
  You can read the actual facts about Stalin’s Russia’s special relationship with Rothschild/Bliar’s Britain here: https://orientalreview.org/2017/10/23/episode-18-how-britain-assisted-the-soviet-unions-fight-against-hitler-i/
Serg on October 31, 2017 · at 12:37 pm EST/EDT

I have no inside info, but I think you misunderstand the intent behind the selective censoring of certain phrases, words or topics. I don’t believe there is anybody with authority to make decisions at RT or Sputnik who really believes in appeasement of the west. I think they are doing this to remove the pre-indoctrinated dog-whistles which trigger Joe Shmoe to label it as propaganda and conspiracy theory.

I imagine you have tried to bring up 9/11 and the like to someone who has fallen for this nonsense on more than one occasion. What was the reaction, more often than not? I had people foaming at the mouth screaming back at me that I’m a conspiracy theorist for saying the official 9/11 narrative is a web of lies. Many people who aren’t educated on any of the “truther” subjects (for lack of a better word) for some reason get really angry when you bring up certain things. My aunt, who was born and lived in the Soviet Union (Russia) for the first 30 years of her life and who now lived in Germany for over 20, got so pissed off at me for saying Putin is a good guy, she wouldn’t talk to me for weeks, it’s ridiculous.

But I digress. I think RT and Sputnik don’t care to deliver the cold hard truth and nothing but the cold hard truth, their mission is to wake people up and they try to do it with a gentle shake rather than a 100 air horns going off at the same time.

Let me use a different analogy. When fishing, you don’t just yank the rod when the fish hooks in, you need to steadily reel it in or you will lose it and it is not too keen on biting again.
- Terry on November 01, 2017 · at 5:42 am EST/EDT
  
  That is essentially my take also, Serg. RT and Sputnik are aimed at a mostly American audience who grew up on a diet of US mainstream media propaganda and expect the “news” to look and sound similar to what they are used to. Hence the “beauty contest” bikini models in virtually every edition and the people doing stupid things or cute puppy/kitten videos. The idea is to get the average US teenage or ‘twenties’ audience to stay on the page long enough to read a few of the real news items that he/she won’t find in the MSM. For that reason they are careful not to talk about any of the MSM taboos like Zionism or 9/11 that might turn off US readers and usually portray North Korea in a cartoonish way.
  
  As a result a lot of their stories read like they were copied and pasted from the NY Times or Washington Post, complete with all the MSM pejorative language about Russian, Syrian, and Korean leaders and institutions. For example, if you say “Putin admitted Russia had carried out airstrikes near Damascus” it imputes a completely connotation than the same sentence written as “Putin stated Russia had carried out airstrikes near Damascus”. Substituting “admitted” for “stated” implies that Putin, Assad, Xi, Kim, or whoever, is up to no good and the truth had to be unwillingly wrung out of them while “stated” is just a fact. Irritatingly, both RT and Sputnik often pick up and repeat this pejorative MSM language in their reports.
  
  I didn’t see the particular article Saker refers to, but even as a Marxist and atheist I find it in poor taste, mostly because of the cartoonish faces depicting the priests as drunkards or buffoons. I would guess that RT would probably not publish a similar article showing the Pope in a similar circumstance as that would cut across their mission to get Americans to read their news articles.
  
  Nonetheless, RT and Sputnik remain useful news sources, along with FARSnews, TASS, Russia Insider, The Duran, Novorossia Today and WSWS. I try to get my news and analysis from wherever it is available and make my own judgements about its objectivity. The more sources you have available, the better your judgement is likely to be if you approach them objectively and bear in mind each has its own viewpoint.
  - Rita Lamar on February 18, 2018 · at 8:56 am EST/EDT
    
    I agree. Actually, I have the impression that Russia is far ahead in the info-war that is taking place. Russian media outlets are winning because they can win; they are winning because they have the full spectrum of information to play with, and they are doing extremely well. This explains the Western attacks against Rt and Sp.
    
    Incidentally, when I read RT or Sp, I occasionally click on some of their silly side-stories/adverts just to see how silly the audience that likes them can be – and sometimes it is really painfully silly… However, if they are reading RT or Sp they still have a chance, although it will may be a slow process.
Mike Scanlan on October 31, 2017 · at 12:39 pm EST/EDT

Saker,

Saker,

“Fundamentally, when you are the object of an informational attack you have two choices: to try to appease the attacker or to frontally counter-attack.”

I have been arguing with you that you are teaching us history as a way to counter the “narrative” while we are watching current events being redefined as it happens. We are now seeing how Mass Media, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Think Tanks, Sports, etc. are desperately trying to control the “narrative”.

In an era where governments have the ability to know everything about any individual on the planet and to use it against them when they see fit, how is it possible for global elites to escape prosecution for massive crimes? The answer is that “they” are the criminals and they control the narrative. (The Clinton Foundation is an obvious example.)

Imagine the power of “flipping the narrative”. I suspect we are seeing that happen for the first time in history because of the Internet. Imagine the power of using their tools against “them” to expose their “crimes.”

One clear example is Snowden. Not too long ago, most people assumed Americans were the leaders of a “free and open Internet”. The narrative flipped in a very short time.

Other core narratives are falling like a “house of cards”.

I still believe you are onto a fundamental truth when you said we are in a struggle for humanity against a global criminal empire and your theory deserves expansion with expensive graphics and animation.

The challenge is to flip the narrative on a global scale.
- Rita Lamar on February 18, 2018 · at 9:37 am EST/EDT
  
  Very well said, thanks. Actually, I do have the impression that Russia is far ahead in the info-war that is taking place. Russian media outlets are winning because they can win; they are winning because they have the full spectrum of information to play with, and they are doing extremely well. This explains the Western attacks against Rt and Sp.
  
  Incidentally, when I read RT or Sp, I occasionally click on some of their silly side-stories/adverts just to see how silly the audience that likes them can be – and sometimes it is really painfully silly… However, if they are reading RT or Sp they still have a chance, although it will may be a slow process.
Nils on October 31, 2017 · at 12:54 pm EST/EDT

I’m not sure if the author doesn’t perhaps miss an important point – RT’s viewership and readership is exponentially growing, and the marginal viewer/reader might be repelled by any clear positioning on, e.g. 9/11.
As somewhat who used to have a certain level of trust in the mainstream media, I can say that maybe I wouldn’t have dug deeper if I had been repelled by including this kind of reporting.
I would assume that there’s actually a non-negligible number of curious-minded people who go on RT precisely because of the demonisation in the mainstream.
I think they are striking a very good balance.
bored muslim on October 31, 2017 · at 1:21 pm EST/EDT

Try being critical of Jews and/or Israel on Sputnik, and see how fast your comment comes down and you are literally banned from making comments.

RT has degenerated into a circus act. Its full of ridiculous articles and smacks of a pulp fiction rag.
Its comment section is inundated with Jews, pro-Jews/Israel and pro anglo-zionists. Its also badly Islamophobic. but none of that ever gets censured.

RT, Spunik, CNN, BBC, Guardian..etc are no more than ‘gate-keepers’ for the semi-awake and /or those curious and feel ‘something’ is amiss. These said folk gravitate to these news sites for some truth, and want answers, and are instead mislead, diverted, outright lied to, and hand-held and led back into the ‘flock’ of ‘sleeping citizens’.

Trump hates CNN, and vice versa we are told, so all the people who dislike Trump will flock to CNN, with the impression they will get answers from CNN. CNN gently puts said people back to their slumber.

Sputnik and RT act in the same way. To gently ‘re-habilitate’ those that are ‘on to something’.

And that ‘something folks, is the global Jewish agenda that is ever so carefully bringing a dark cloud of demonic dictatorship over the world.

Russia, her media, and people, are not immune to this stranglehold, subversion of all things righteous and true.

Prepare for the masks to come off completely before and during the Russian election next year. You will see how all this media works in concert, and how they are all run, owned and/or staffed by Khazarian Jews who want soooo badly to bring Russia, her church and hard working citizens down, under their control.

These said Jews will stop at nothing to fully conquer the world, or they are stopped. For they inherently believe they are the master race, and through this racism, we are but useless breathers who should be eliminated, if they have their way. Remember the Bolshevik/Jewish revolution of 1917? That’s what they have in store for all of us. Or ask Ukranians who led to their famine of 36′ 37’ and you get my drift.

Russia is playing with fire patronizing these said Jews/Khazars. China is not falling for it, and neither is Iran.
- Backward on October 31, 2017 · at 3:43 pm EST/EDT
  
  Thank you, you said the correct word: gatekeepers.
- Rob on November 01, 2017 · at 9:21 am EST/EDT
  
  Salem aleikum.
  
  Now, that is very nice formulated. In doing so, there arises the problem itself.
  
  It took me some years to poke through the propaganda, and seeing the globalist zionist agenda (that is not necessarily valid for any Jew or citizen of Israel, btw). Your description is -unfortunately- quite right, but it took a lot more than an article to see it for me.
  Formulated in that way towards someone who is still to begin the journey will scare him off. I have noticed this often enough towards people that are fed by the MSM.
  Any westerner can remember the point is his life that he realized that Santa Claus wasn’t real. Now, try to imagine that you have to guide someone through multiple moments like that, in a short timeframe.
  
  My guess is, that RT and Sputnik are trying to ‘appease’ too much in order to get recognized as ‘independent’ and thus reaching more viewers. Thereby avoiding themes that might be seen as ‘controversial’ for western people that are just on the brink of asking non-MSM questions.
  But come on, 9/11 is such a scam that it might be addressed.
  Am I the only one that is startled (or not) that the just disclosed documents on JFK clearly show that there were multiple shooters and the official story is just a coverup, and it’s hardly mentioned in the press?
  
  I would encourage RT and Sputnik to divide more to the ‘critical’ than the ‘appease’ side. Are they infiltrated by anglozionist people? Most probably, that is their usual approach. But hey, don’t they have an editorial staff?
  (Those pictures of orthodox priests is simply insulting. Try to imagine that imams or buddhists are depicted that way. I expect that in Charlie Hebdo, not on a serious site).
  
  This is a centuries old problem. Let me illustrate that with a citate of Thomas Jefferson:
  
  “I really look with commiseration over the great body of my fellow citizens who, reading newspapers, live and die in the belief that they have known something of what
  has been passing in the world of their times”.
  
  Cheers, Rob
mikhas on October 31, 2017 · at 1:26 pm EST/EDT

“Clearly, the (anonymous) scumbag who wrote this article felt the need to add some of his/her own “humor” to the already “hilarious” article.”

Exactly how i felt when i read this “article” this morning and it convinced me even more that the elements of fifth column “westernizes” are not a disappearing phenomenon but an increasing one.

Take Sputnik f.ex. when they were called “Ria Novosti” or Ria it was like reading Washington Post, then after a time Sputnik appeared and it was a joy to read, all the self hating westernizerr appeared to have been fired, only to be re-employed again.

I do hope Simonyan fire the fascist who wrote that “article” and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s a member of the tribe.
Bobjil on October 31, 2017 · at 1:35 pm EST/EDT

I did not know about RT or Sputnik until 2014. The US takeover Ukraine with neonazis is what woke me up. Our MSM tells us 24/7 that Nazis the worst thing that ever existed. So this use of them in Ukraine shattered everything that MSM stood up for. After that I researched everything, even 911 was not as it seems. It was US/Israel/UK operation. Recently I heard a recording of Al Franken telling how he was warned to not go to the WTC on 911. The person who told him was Ed Koch. Ed Koch? He has bridge named after him in NYC during his lifetime. He was a mayor of NYC. How can one be a Mayor of a city and allow this to happen to your city? How can one live themselves knowing they knew the plan? The common saying about 911 and WW2 is: If you know something, you should speak up. So why the silence by the world about this? RT and Sputnik work in western countries, so they have to be careful about talking about the hidden crimes of the US/Israel/UK. Sometimes the crimes are so big like 911 that we have to speak up or they will do it again and again. The US/Israel/UK will not stop doing horrendous crimes against humanity unless its crimes are exposed to the world.
Matias on October 31, 2017 · at 1:48 pm EST/EDT

It’s well known fact that more than average educated people with higher than medium incomes are easier to brainwash by mainstream media and the others. The most difficult task to brainwash are working class poor. But for these people mainstream media have another tools: create “patriotism”, racial hatred, islamophobia, idea of becoming “middle class” or pushing more “entertainment”.
- M.Michel on November 01, 2017 · at 3:26 am EST/EDT
  
  For deep insight about the bolchevik revolution and what power was behind see Antony C. Sutton and his books. The key of all is his book about skull and bones. And this is the key to have a glimpse of what is really going on.
- M. Michel on November 01, 2017 · at 2:25 pm EST/EDT
  
  Or also see the link posted from T1: https://www.veteranstoday.com/2017/10/31/trotsky-the-wall-street-thug/
  
  but this excellent (!) article lacks the link to skull&bones.
lindsay on October 31, 2017 · at 1:51 pm EST/EDT

I have a request for information, motivated by a wish to become less ignorant: the Bolshevik attempt to eradicate religion, which prompted the destruction of Orthodox churches and killing of Orthodox clergy and laity, and prompted destruction of synagogues and killing of Jews – did it also extend to other Christian denominations and to Islam? Is there any well-sourced and trustworthy scholarship? Thanks to anyone who has nay knowledge to share.
- wurzel on October 31, 2017 · at 3:36 pm EST/EDT
  
  Lindsay, yes it did. This is only based on reports from Baptist (not the modern baptist but the traditional one) congregations that were broken up & persecuted. The church we went to used to try to offer support where it was possible.
  
  As for were those reports true? I have no reason to doubt them considering the sources were not interested in political revolution or overthrowing the establishment and were indeed patriotic. There were also reports of members of the security services that had been involved becoming Christians themselves following the testimony of those they persecuted (& confiscating the bibles that were being smuggled in to the Soviet Union) – some wrote about it in later years and others visited churches in the west to talk about it.
  
  Of course, given the propensity of the human race for deceit and the current psy-ops against Russia etc, it’s hard to know which (if any) modern sources can be trusted.
  - lindsay on October 31, 2017 · at 5:40 pm EST/EDT
    
    Thanks.
    
    I suspect there is a fascinating story hidden away in the Soviet archives of persecution of the religious, from Catholics and Jews in the West, to Orthodox (as the most established and politically potentially powerful), to Baptists, as you say, and Muslims and Buddhists in the East.
    
    The common thread is presumably Bolshevik materialism, perhaps considered by the Bolsheviks to be justified by Marx’s analysis of the function of religion in capitalist society(?). (If so, it would be one of the few parts of Bolshevism Marx might barely have recognized as anything to do with his work).
    
    If so, we have attempted genocide against a number of groups identifiable by religious affiliation, with the intention of melding their members into a single Soviet people.
    - UncleJoseph on November 01, 2017 · at 2:18 pm EST/EDT
      
      Sadly enough, Jehova’s Witnesses were persecuted by bolchevics, nazi regime, sovietic regime and are banned from democratic Russia. Russia’s supreme court banned the religion, confiscated its buildings, forbided the bible used by them. Quid pro quo?
      
      JWs were also banned and persecuted in XX century by: USA, Canada, Germany, England, Spain, Portugal, France and almost everybody from East to West.
      
      Regards,
      
      UncleJoseph
      - lindsay on November 02, 2017 · at 8:49 am EST/EDT
        
        Uncle Joseph
        Your comment touches, I think, on an interesting question. Where intolerance is the ruling dogma, I suppose persecution is at least not surprising. Where tolerance is,what is going on? The Saker, I believe, has been scathing about the Russian persecution. The American philosopher of law, Brian Leiter, has written an interesting book arguing that religions can demand no more protection from the law, but also have a right to no less, than other civic organisations. Muslims, I suppose, just have to accept that Charlie Hebdo is beneath contempt. Pussy Riot and their vandalism incurs the penalties for civil disorder. What then is it justifies the Saker’s criticism of the publication of the so-called satire that (justifiably) rouses his ire, other than the natural indignation at ignorant and offensive jeering at his way of life? Perhaps that it begins to appear that state-run media are running a concerted campaign against a particular and important section of Russian society, a campaign wholly against the current ethos in Russia and damaging to it. It doesn’t help that the campaign appears to be intended to benefit a faction in government otherwise bereft of popular support, and is thus an abuse of power.
Anonymous on October 31, 2017 · at 2:13 pm EST/EDT

Isn’t this part of the Russian strategy of not censoring Western propaganda, but allowing it to be seen and shown for what it is?
Shyaku on October 31, 2017 · at 2:19 pm EST/EDT

The key is strategic flexibility – roll with the punches. There are times to appear ‘western’ and times to push their own viewpoint.

The world is not simple or static, it is very dynamic. And this is the art of the fabian strategy.

Personally, I have no problem seeing RT doing this. Seems natural and very Russian.

– Regards, Shyaku
Shyaku on October 31, 2017 · at 2:25 pm EST/EDT

Quote: “The AngloZionist propaganda machine will *never* accept RT&Sp as “one of our own””

– Ah but this is not the aim. The aim is, at the times the spotlight is on RT, for the AngloZionist viewership to accept RT & Sp as “not so alien as they are made out to be”.

In a boxing match you have to duck and dive and bob and weave.
- Anonymous on October 31, 2017 · at 10:27 pm EST/EDT
  
  precisely so!
  
  In the fullness of time the pressures against Ru forge a coherent steel that will be seen as fully tempered when they speak the bald truths…911 and all.. In the fullness of time and according to needs. Protean. Also fine Marxist understanding hinwise.
Maestro Maestro on October 31, 2017 · at 2:38 pm EST/EDT

Look, it’s worse than that. The whole Russian administration is complicit. Putin could have at least nationalized the Russian central bank and asserted its independence from the City of London and western bankers. To this day, Russia is obligated to buy dollars and US Treasuries only with the proceeds of the Russian oil and gas that Russia still sells for dollars! That’s treason, on the face of it. Why does Russia never oppose American and Israeli attacks on the Syrian army whose ally it’s supposed to be, even when they bomb and kill dozens of Syrian soldiers and destroy military and civilian infrastructure including bridges and dams? We have to admit it at this point: Russia amounts to no more than controlled opposition in the service of the AngloZionist empire. Even the Soviet Union sold valuable Russian natural resources for its sworn enemy’s unlawful (according to Article 1, Section 10 of the US Constitution) and worthless and fraudulent dollars.
- ruca on November 01, 2017 · at 12:24 pm EST/EDT
  
  It seems to me that Russia is rolling with the punches per say, because they don’t want to be responsible for triggering WWIII. The same reason why they do not allow Novorossiya to counter punch and retake all their borders yet. Patience is frustrating as hell, for the enemy too.
Uncle Bob 1 on October 31, 2017 · at 3:12 pm EST/EDT

A very good article.I agree with it totally (for whatever that is worth). I think that Russia today is in the situation that the West was 30-40-50 years ago. There was a high degree of “formal” religion. It was almost unthinkable that there wouldn’t be religious content “of some kind” throughout society.But little by little, belief in God has almost been banished from public society. Until in the US the current controversy is not that some people don’t say “Merry Christmas” in businesses.But instead that some people “do” say it.More and more the West is losing any positive connection to religious faith.And only the older people,raised to believe in God still show their faith.And those immigrants from outside the West,where belief in God is still apart of their societies (even if the religion isn’t Christian). Are all that survives of “public” religion in the West. Certainly,my comment here is painted with a broad brush.But still pretty accurate nonetheless.

Russia’s (so far) ability to keep a public “acknowledgement” of religion in society.Even though as Saker says, part of it is not deep.Is one of the main reasons for the Russophobia so rampant among liberals in the West.Any society that doesn’t embrace their “liberal values” of Godlessness and no morals is hated and feared by them.And those of that “ilk” inside Russia want deeply to emulate the West.And to make those “values” also Russia’s.Its a massive problem in our World today.Hopefully Russia will not become “more” like the West. But instead,the West needs to become more like Russia.

Another couple of points in Saker’s article I want to discuss as well. As some of you may remember,I’ve written several comments in the past talking about RT’s caving into Western viewpoints.I got pretty of comments back accusing me of not understanding the facts.And somehow being anti-Russian for pointing out RT’s problems. Now that Saker has said the same thing.I’m curious if people are now going to subject him to the same attacks.Somehow I doubt it.

And another point is the parts of the article where Saker talks about the issues Russia has between the Eurasian Sovereignists and Atlantic Integrationists and how that is a big problem.Again something I’ve said in several coments,and been attacked as anti-Russian for saying it.So will he be attacked over the same argument. Again I doubt it.

And lastly where he says:

“Fundamentally, when you are the object of an informational attack you have two choices: to try to appease the attacker or to frontally counter-attack. RT&Sp have chosen the first option and that, I very strongly believe is a huge strategic mistake.”

How many times have I been attacked as anti-Russian and a zionist agent by our own PC police for that same thinking.I hope some people think about their tendency to attack things they don’t like to hear from now on.But I doubt that will happen.
- Glossopteris on October 31, 2017 · at 4:26 pm EST/EDT
  
  Hello Saker and Uncle Bob 1.
  
  I am a long time reader of this site and please believe me when I say that I believe it to be one of most valuable and thought provoking sites on the Net. So much so that after many years of merely reading and keeping my silence that I wish to finally comment.
  
  Please let me stress that I not trying to pick a fight or start an argument, but I am slightly worried by the implication that atheism or godlessness is necessarily a negative thing. Russia has changed and evolved and the reduction in Orthodox faith in some circles does not need to be feared. Indeed, I would suggest that not possessing religious belief is an extremely liberating and positive way of living in, seeing and understanding the world and indeed the Cosmos as a whole. I understand and accept that religion has acted as an important and valauble social cohesive in cultures across the globe and I do not in any way wish to denigrate the role that Orthodox belief plays and has played in Eastern European and Eurasian society. Like any social system or human construct, there are perhaps inherent negative and positive aspects (though again the suggestion that something is either positive or negative can be extremely subjective). Rightly or wrongly, I do link a departure from religion with the advancement of modern science and technology, warts and all. Of course, the cruelties imposed on the Orthodox community by the Bolsheviks is unforgivable; one’s beliefs, assuming that they do not harm or encourage harm to others, should not be considered a threat to society. Looking at the horrors of the religious wars during and after the Reformation should be lesson enough.
  
  I would humbly suggest that the overwhelming majority of godless people such as myself, including those with an interest in transhumanism, are not in any way lacking in morals. Moreover, there are those individuals with a passion for ‘hard science’ that whilst lacking recognisable religous belief, may still believe that the Universe is some sort of Omni-intelligence or perhaps was created by one. Personally, I am in the camp of near limitless Universes and a vast ecology of realities…but I digress.
  
  I respectfully suggest that we exercise caution when using broad brush strokes (and that includes myself, in possession of my own bias and prejudice, be they concious or unconcious). There are plenty of predators swimming in the geopolitical waters…and I don’t mean predators in the positive biological sense. Atheism and Orthodoxy do not need to be in opposition when the ultimate goal is the creation and maintenance of a fairer, freer and safe society for all. I submit that one component of Putin’s popularity is that he navigates these waters rationally and respectfully.
  
  Sadly there is evil aplenty; let us not forget that despite our differing views on Life, the Universe and Everthying, a lot of us are in fact on the same side.
  
  Please forgive any spelling mistakes and other errors in this comment.
  - Gryffyn on October 31, 2017 · at 11:22 pm EST/EDT
    
    Brilliant. One of the best comments I have read anywhere.
  - Tom in AZ on October 31, 2017 · at 11:26 pm EST/EDT
    
    Thank you for this.
  - Glossopteris on November 01, 2017 · at 6:02 am EST/EDT
    
    Hello all,
    
    I just logged in this morning at work to check the Saker, as it has become part of my daily routine. First off the bat, please let me apologise for a couple of awful spelling errors in last night’s comment. How embarrassing.
    
    Changing tack, I just wished to add that despite their flaws, I do find RT and Sputnik to be extremely valuable sources of information. In truth, I find it increasingly hard to watch the MSM here in the UK. The geopolitical bias is beyond blatant; it is often raw and unfiltered in its delivery. The attacks against Russia are incessant and to my mind extremely disturbing (Russia is just assumed to be in the wrong, right from the start). RT and Sputnik help balance out the equation; even if they do sometimes pull their punches on some issues.
    
    Just as worrying is the sense that we are experiencing an age of increasing censorship. I am genuinely concerned that our access to RT, Sputnik, the Saker and other sites could be impacted in the coming years. I am not trying to cry wolf here, but the atmosphere on the Net does not seem to be as free and anarchic as it used to be…and I accept that the Net was probably never as free as we imagined it to be from its inception.
    
    I love the (relatively) free exchange of information that we have enjoyed over the last few decades. I sincerely hope that our children can enjoy the same.
    - Terry on November 02, 2017 · at 5:45 am EST/EDT
      
      I agree with both your comments, Glossopteris. Thanks for posting them.
      
      I was just watching a PBS Frontline two part “documentary” called “Putin’s Revenge”, an unusually vile disinformation attempt to breath life into the fake “Russia hacked the election” story being pushed by the “Deep State” and its MSM mouthpieces. The show, whose main “witnesses” were well known paragons of honesty and truth like CIA chief John Brennan, James Clapper, and Victoria Nuland, consisted entirely of assertions about Putin’s KGB programmed hatred of the home of all goodness and light, American, and was unhindered by any actual evidence for said assertions that Putin personally ordered all the alleged cyber attacks, or that any such attacks occurred at all. Putin was shown only in grainy black and white pictures, almost all of which were obviously clipped from some video of him speaking so they could get various unflattering expressions that looked like snarling or pouting as his mouth formed various words.
      
      I watch such garbage only so I will have some idea of where the everyday people I speak to – friends, neighbours, clients, and such – get their bizarre ideas from and can brace myself for the latest barrage of idiocy as they parrot all the fact-free assertions they have absorbed like mindless sponges.
      
      One of the problems with people like most of the readers of The Saker, RT, Sputnik, WSWS, Farsnews, Russia Insider and such is we are on a very different informational level than the average person who gets their “news” from the MSM and just assumes it is true on the one hand, and comprehensive on the other. Readers of the above websites understand how much is censored out of the MSM “news”, but the average person simply “doesn’t know what they don’t know” and therefore never think about them. Kind of like until we developed a telescope capable of seeing other galaxies, we assumed the Milky Way was the only galaxy and had no inkling of how large the universe was. Still don’t, for that matter, as was made clear a few years ago when the Hubble telescope was focused on a tiny, apparently empty, sector of extremely distant sky for 10 days and when the resultant image was downloaded it turned out that just this tiny sliver of sky contained thousands of galaxies, fading into the remote distance because the most distant ones were red-shifted below the ability of the visual light sensors of the Hubble to detect them. But I digress.
      
      We are like the handful of people who understood the implications of Galileo and Copernicus’ brilliant intuition and work and realized the earth was not the centre of the universe with everything else revolving around it, while the vast brainwashed religious majority took centuries to admit that science had disproved their dogma. Or as John Lennon put it, “The fool on the hill sees the sun going down, see the world spinning ’round.” He could have said the heretic on the hill.
  - Anonymous on November 01, 2017 · at 3:21 pm EST/EDT
    
    “one’s beliefs, assuming that they do not harm or encourage harm to others, should not be considered a threat to society.”
    
    In the context of religion – how often has that ever occurred.
    
    The Protestant said the Catholic was wrong.
    The Catholic said the Shia was wrong
    The Shia said the Sunni was wromng
    The Sunni Said the Hindu was wrong
    The Hindu said the Buddhist was wrong
    The Buddhist said the Orthodox Christian was wrong
    The Orthodox Christian said the Protestant was wrong
    
    etc.
    - The Saker on November 02, 2017 · at 7:48 am EST/EDT
      
      okay.
      today you get the “most useless comment” award.
      congrats!
      The Saker
Anonymous on October 31, 2017 · at 3:20 pm EST/EDT

RT has its share of filler type tabloid articles like the cannibals in the Siberian backwoods etc. and this is just one of them. The conspiracy doesn’t extend to anything more than clickbait.
alberto1949 on October 31, 2017 · at 3:22 pm EST/EDT

Very good analysis. RT is strangely subserviente to the zionist lobby and i’ve posted something criticising that lobby: the censorship worked but I agree that they will never be recognised as one of them: what a pity!
Auslander on October 31, 2017 · at 3:28 pm EST/EDT

Regardless of some of the more silly and/or puerile and/or salacious content of RT and Sputnik, both must be doing something right to be pilloried by The West as they have been lately. On the other hand, anything to do with Russia, any contact with ‘Russians’ no matter how innocent or unintended, can lead to vicious attacks from western standers by, be they friends, relatives, fellow workers or casual listeners who overhear your conversations.

This quaint little trait is nothing new. I grew up in The West and I remember even in the late 50’s when I became cognizant of another world besides my own personal wants as a child, I well remember the constant, albeit compared to today muted, drumbeat of anti Russia foolishness. Back then it was the ‘godless communists’ who were the bad guys, everything ‘they’ did had one goal and one goal only, to dominate and conquer The West. At any moment ‘they’ would pour through the Fulda Gap and attack Germany and western europe. Knowing what I know today that foolishness back then is ludicrous to an extreme. But, it worked. In my younger days everyone was afraid of Russia and everyone expected a full blown war with Russia and I have to admit that I for one was fully ready and able to fight the Russian Hordes when, not if but when, they attacked my ancestral homeland.

And then I want there. It doesn’t matter why or when I was first there, now it’s ‘here’, but reality is the biggest mistake my superiors ever made was to send me to that Godless Country full of Communists and Atheists. This was BI, Before Internet, and what I discovered was those ‘godless atheists’ were exactly like me, wanting the same things from life, having the same trials, tribulations, successes and small victories with their work, their families, their children, everything in their life was a virtual mirror of our life in the west even though in some respects Russian Culture is as different from Western Culture as night is to day. As additional information, if you want to understand Russia you start with a study of Byzantium. Mother Russia inherited that culture lock, stock and barrel right down to the penchant for secrecy for the sake of secrecy and the often creaking and unfathomable bureaucracy and yes, corruption. But on the other hand The West is just as corrupt as the worst of Russia, or for that matter anywhere on the face of our rock hurtling through the void of Space.

I think the problems with RT and Sputnik are as Saker says, they don’t quite know how to handle not only their success but also how to handle the ever increasing and ever more vitriolic attacks on them. In a way they do, now, try to mirror some of the West news methods but generally, not always but generally, they do tell it like it is. On the other hand, even our local news in this little village in the last year has changed, sometimes to the point of VCO will look at me in surprise during the evening news and ask if they are on the same planet as we are and are they actually Russian.

Bottom line, if you want an overall picture of what’s going on today, you have infinite sources at your fingertips. Problem is with all the choices which one, or ‘ones’, are telling the truth? I can answer that for you. Not a one tells truth always with the possible exception of Saker. I look at West news, US, UK and Germany, every day just as I look at our national and local news every day plus news from Novorossiya (and even from Novorossiya one has to be pragmatic and filter some of the verbiage emanating from that area). You have to not only look and listen, you have to see and hear and try to separate the wheat from the chaff of the almost overload of informations thrown at you day and night and sometimes you have to understand what is missing from the ‘news’.

RT and Sputnik, like Tass and others, fulfill an important part of the overall news, regardless of their occasional, and of late more than occasional, lapses in judgement. Like Saker, I found the ‘Priest in Space’ not only a bit offensive but in the main part foolish, however I have friends that I know would be overcome with laughter at that article and in a way I was, too.

However, Saker did not mention a little something from RT on 27 October, something, complete with video (which I did not watch) about a young girl who lifts her skirts in the Saint Petersburg Metro as a protest against something or another. Any young, or not so young, woman who will publicly display her unmentionables is an indication of not a cultural problem but a failure of her family to raise her with a modicum of modesty and good sense. And this was news? Methinks not, it was just an excuse to show a young woman with her skirts up around her waist. Big deal. I’ve seen that before.

Auslander
Author

Never The Last One http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGCY8KK A Deep Look In To Russia, Her Culture And Her Armed Forces

An Incident On Simonka https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ERKH3IU NATO Is Invited To Leave Sevastopol, One Way Or The Other.
- Anonymous on October 31, 2017 · at 5:30 pm EST/EDT
  
  These days, I can not think of any single news channel that I would trust to be ‘non-biased’ and which never promotes propaganda for its own point of view. Not one.
  
  Which, shouldn’t surprise me. As I get older, I just decide that this is human nature. Everyone spins their own BS to back their own point of view.
  
  Thus, I do want to echo that a) a modern person now has an incredible amount of information at their fingertips. And b), if they want to think they might possibly see the truth of a situation, they should read a variety of such information. They should of course discard the proven liars, and try to stick to people who haven’t lied to them. But, seeing from a multiplicity of viewpoints is how one can see 3D even with old 2D eyeballs that our not-intelligent design gave us.
  
  Thus, while I trust no one, and while I completely ban the America media from my home, I feel as if I am better informed than I have even have been.
  
  Which of course is why the internet is under attack, and why soon we will have to develop our own ways of sharing information instead of just relying on a biased-tilted Google search to find interesting stuff. And yet, to me, it just seems as a repeat of the old Soviet government trying to control information by banning fax machines.
- T1 on October 31, 2017 · at 6:40 pm EST/EDT
  
  Truth? I dont expect the truth. Truth can be lethal in large doses.
  
  That which I seek is an analysis of info that’s on the web, with qualifications as to what is credible. You can call it a rose but you cant fool my nose.
  
  Crap! I remember days when reading Pravda and listening to Radio Moscow ? on shortwave was informative.
  
  Saker and company provide a map through the mine field of bs. I don’t expect 100 pc but have found none better.
Cosimo on October 31, 2017 · at 3:44 pm EST/EDT

RT seems designed for the broadest possible audience. Because it tries to give broad coverage, I start my day at rt.com because I don’t want to miss any big stories before I go check out the specialized sites. To win the war for hearts and minds, RT’s broad but dumbed-down approach is a smart strategy. It avoids “preaching to the choir” and it’s aimed for the “undecided” crowd.

Sputniknews is dumbed-down, but much less so than RT. Again there’s good reasons for that. It’s an official Russian government site, so one shouldn’t expect information or opinion that deviate too greatly from the current Kremlin positions. Some examples: Sputniknews may acknowledge “conspiracy theories”, but rarely do they give much detail. Full-strength attacks on foreign leaders are extremely rare. Speculative essays (on “what might yet happen”) don’t usually go far beyond what’s commonly known. Attacks on Zionism are also lacking, and that’s not surprising, unfortunately. Also, there are vibrant debates on Russian media which almost never get into the official media.

The good news is that outright lies are basically non-existent on RT and Sputniknews. These official sites could be thought of as propaganda or PR, but as many other people have noted, Russian propaganda is strictly based on telling important truths, not on deceptions. This is “white propaganda”, not “gray” or “black propaganda”.

It is very important for people to keep in mind that official Russians media does have one important area of relative silence. Russians have good reason to resent the Empire, starting with the betrayals of the 1990’s and ever since. However, very little of that bitterness finds its way into official media. To put it simplistically, a public display of bitterness and moral outrage would not really serve Russian purposes. We should stay awake and understand that this relative silence could diminish our own moral outrage if we failed to see the full context. Russia is somewhat held hostage to the Empire and to the blackmail of a threatened First Strike nuclear war, so their statements are sometimes muted. Intelligent people should figure that out for themselves.

Fortunately, there are a great many internet sites which provide what Russia’s official media leaves out.
- Zena on October 31, 2017 · at 5:04 pm EST/EDT
  
  This should cheer you up Saker, from Russia Insider.
  
  http://russia-insider.com/en/western-laws-now-clash-mans-moral-nature-head-russian-church-video/ri21426
  “For the first time ever, legislation is at complete odds with the moral nature of human beings, says Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Church,”.
  
  Given that the Orthodox faith gets very little publicity it makes you think how odd that on a day when the Saker writes sadly about the atlanticist forces inside RT/Sp this pops up to say that there ae countervailing forces at work even although they are maybe not as loud, violent, brash and attentions seeking as the freak show trying to drown everybody out with it’s demonic racket.
Anonymous on October 31, 2017 · at 5:17 pm EST/EDT

What strikes me about RT and Sputnik is that both air voices that are censored and blacked out within the Land of the Free. One prominent example was when they hosted a 3rd party candidates debate. Evil RT actually gave a voice and airtime to the people who are blacked out and in the not-to-be-mentioned-until-we-need-to-attack-them category. RT actually let people like Gov. Johnson(L) and Dr. Stein(G) speak to the American people. This was cited in one of the early ‘intelligence’ reports as RT ‘interfering’ in the American election.

After all, if the American corporate media has decided to black out and censor candidates they don’t want Americans to hear, then RT must be a bunch of evil, interfering, meddlers to dare to put these people on TV.

I also read Mr. Pepe Escobar and a few others on Sputnik. Again, these are voices that are completely blacked out and censored by the American corporate media channels. Don’t hold your breath waiting for the day when your channel-surfing through the American ‘news’ channels puts Pepe Escobar onto your screen.

So, who’s the propaganda channel? Channels like RT and Sputnik that let people hear voices that are otherwise banned and censored? Or the American channels that ban and censor any voice that doesn’t come from the Pentagon or Wall Street?

Question More!
T1 on October 31, 2017 · at 5:56 pm EST/EDT

Please read this article, it is a precious gem. A summary from Trotsky until now.

https://www.veteranstoday.com/2017/10/31/trotsky-the-wall-street-thug/

I cant select a phrase or paragraph to indicate content, there’s too much info in here. This is a concise summary of many books I have read.
- Laika von old Monkshusen on October 31, 2017 · at 11:48 pm EST/EDT
  
  You’re absolutely right about Galima Galiullina’s article, T1. It shows the veterans at Veterans Today are foremost truth-tellers (unlike RT/Sputnik). It matches well with The Saker’s article about ‘Atlantic Integrationists’ (= Trotskyites) still in key economic/financial positions in Russia, and still very much part of Russia’s media, ‘educational’ system, and so forth.
  - T1 on November 01, 2017 · at 5:26 pm EST/EDT
    
    The one error that I found was that it was not an ice pick. Mercador used a mountain climbing tool, it fit his mo.
- M. Michel on November 01, 2017 · at 4:10 pm EST/EDT
  
  Thank you for the link to a truly great article. The atrocities committed by these Wall-Street peoples still in power who also founded Hitler, are of a dimension never seen in humanity. It’s time humanity wake up. The future of humanity and human value relies heavily on Putin and the Russian People. Russia will be the next leading culture, and it will be a spiritual, a profound christian one.
Guardianofretro on October 31, 2017 · at 6:43 pm EST/EDT

Dear Saker

Even Putin himself is not denying the official version of 9/11 made up by the croocks in the US. But i am aware that he knows more then he openly admits.

The Same counts imo for some russian outlets. They have to act carefully to not get brandend as complete lunatic media outlets. Its a common problem ppl like Paul Craig Roberts have and David Icke. Read his books and see what really happens. And imagine what would happen if RT would Give Icke real time speech.

Another thing you didnt mention is that RT also supports the anti-gun spirit in the US. While Icke explains in his books that many false flags are made to Rob the US people from their weapons in order to proclam the totalirian police Orwellian State. But…..RT may come to insights at this point too and change it. There is no rose without a Thorn. And RT has them too Saker.
guest on October 31, 2017 · at 7:22 pm EST/EDT

I, too, have been noticing that both RT and Sputnik sometimes reveal a west-centered mindset. The Saker has picked out the distasteful anti-religion aspect, and he is correct. But, the problem is deeper, way deeper, in my opinion.

Some of the headlines in RT mirror the mindset and the belief-system of the western media. For example, if North Korean leadership is declared to be crazy by the western media, RT parrots the party line. If the customs of some Asian countries are treated with derision by the western media, RT follows through with similar material. If Iran is declared to be run by crazed Mullahs by the west, nothing is presented in RT to show the falsity of that propaganda. Some of the reporting on Syria has been “non-partisan” or “neutral” with a vengeance.

Then again, the sensational style of western reporting is sometimes mindlessly copied. If imitation is the highest form of flattery, it shows a great inferiority complex on part of some in Russia.

The media of a country reflects the state of mind of its people – at least of some of its people. What comes out of RT reveals obsession with the “west”, to be “like the west”, to be “a part of west”. This instinctive, sub-conscious-level obsession with the west is, of course, an old Russian problem. I feel sad whenever I see more evidence of it even now – now that the “great west” will happily deliver a total blow, total genocide to Russia and Russians if they can get away with it. Sucking up to the same enemy is foolish, cowardly, and selfish beyond words.
- Cosimo on November 06, 2017 · at 4:49 pm EST/EDT
  
  Remember that line from a Hollywood film which became a meme ? “Truth? You can’t handle the truth!” For most people, that’s about right. People need to understand a lot of context before they can understand the more important truths.
  
  One out of many examples is paper money or fiat money, and the eventual end of the petrodollar. Those buzz-words point towards a complicated reality which can’t be understood let alone gain credibility, in a few paragraphs or 10 minutes of talking. Instead, one must read (or at least intensively skim) a few books such as Michael Hudson’s Superimperialism and Ellen Brown’s Web Of Debt, plus reading significant amounts of recent news with a focus on items that relate to the petrodollar. The problem is that most people, including “serious people”, are not motivated to take a crash course (sorry for the pun, hah hah!) on the petrodollar. So what can be done with such people ? Well, news channels run the usual news as it occurs, and run occasional bits of analysis which invite people to dig deeper. That’s all the best of the large-audience news sites can do. Many web sites give the unvarnished truth in detail, but they don’t draw large crowds exactly because it takes some foreknowledge to understand why such information might be valuable, and because the audience has to expend effort to digest the new information. I think that a little reflection will show this is the way of the world on a great many topics.
  
  In short, we can’t expect sites like RT to peel back more than one or two layers of the onion, or to get too far ahead of their several audiences. But packs of people can get pretty far in understanding certain topics, as happens in the Vineyard.
mark on October 31, 2017 · at 7:52 pm EST/EDT

RT is a superb news organisation. I gave up watching BBC and the rest of the MSM when it became available in the UK. The fact that it is being persecuted now is proof of its effectiveness. It has got the rest of the MSM and the Kosher Nostra rattled. If it is closed down, Russia should respond by immediately closing down all western media.
polistra on October 31, 2017 · at 8:25 pm EST/EDT

I don’t think the ‘contradictions’ are a problem. Effective national propaganda always includes a mix of pro and con, showing the good and bad sides of the country. It also includes a lot of what we used to call ‘human interest’, now called ‘clickbait’.

With this mix as a background, listeners and viewers are more inclined to believe and trust the straightforward pro-national commentary when it’s necessary.

Radio Moscow followed this pattern in the ’60s and ’70s; RT and Sputnik still follow it because it works.
Larchmonter445 on October 31, 2017 · at 8:35 pm EST/EDT

Sputniknews is my first choice for NEWS, ten times a day.
RT I go to next.
Then Zero Hedge.
Then Col. Cassad.

Why? These platforms carry the truth, the nuggets of News, fast, first, with no ideological first filter.

After that, everything is colored by some slant or filter which I learned to perceive and factor in. Reading Chinese news takes work, even the counterpointal sites like Caixin or SCMP.

I want facts. Nothing in the West, except at times Daily Mail, carries facts that haven’t been “processed” or skipped or sanded down. I gave up on them all long ago.

All the wire services are possessed, controlled.

So, it is an art-form reading the News. It takes sophistication. It is hard work.

As for Russia, information, ideology, et al., I read 12-20 sites per day to try to get facts.
And some really good analysis from men like Ishchenko.

Putin did this one thing that colors everything inside Russia. Let me explain:
Power and Money are the way of the Globalists, the Russophobes, the Hegemon, and all their manifestations. In Russia he took Power. He left the oligarchs Money.
And with Power he can share the Info-space with Liberals. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have to worry. They can’t get to Power. It is beyond their reach. He and the Putin-FSB group drew that line and defended it and won. It has led to a successful Russia ready to take off in full new development.

I believe that Ms. Simonyan is as patriotic as Shoigu. She is sparky, witty, and a masterful manager. A counterpart to Maria Zakharova in the FM. They are powerful objects of Putin Power. No nation has two women of this quality of intellect, energy and patriotism.

A whole new generation is taking office in Russia. They are Putin Power people he selects or approves.

Because Putin controls all power through his allies in FM, MIC, MOD, Information outlets, Russia has stability and is rising.

If things are not always as we would like at RT and Sputniknews, it is because the Liberals are being allowed space to “vent”, even to “disrespect”. But they will never get Power again for a long, long time.
- Grieved on November 01, 2017 · at 12:51 am EST/EDT
  
  Ah, Larchmonter, I love this comment. Thank you.
  
  You’re talking about critical thinking. It takes work. We are having to learn it again. It’s a wicked world no matter what your affiliation is. You have to be sharp just to parse your way though the day.
  
  But we’ve been given the clear knowledge that all information contains a degree of contamination, and the intellectual training to weigh each datum in our own scales. it was always this way throughout all structured history, but today we know it. And we have tools to examine and verify.
  
  Why do we complain about this? These things are making us strong.
  
  And Power. Thank you for this observation. You’re so correct. Yes, Power – as someone said, “The one aspect of the human condition that can’t be faked”.
  
  The Russian state discovered in the depths of its demise that it still had power, and it was strong power. It is the state that has saved the Russian people. What a lesson lies there for history to learn. The moral state saved the morality of its people, and kept them safe.
  
  As others have said, and in agreement with your point, an entire generation of Russians are growing up and have grown up on the example of Putin. Millions of people who love him as we all do, and who wish to emulate his example.
  
  And I agree about Simonyan as patriot. Totally agree with your whole view here.
  
  I agree with all the comments here that say to cut RT some slack. Nobody said it was formed to reveal the truth about 9/11, or depths of the rabbit hole that would lose it audience. It’s a quality news outlet for general news, we take the rough with the smooth, and stay sharp enough to know the difference. RT is kicking ass, people starving for other views are loving it, and its competitors in the old mainstream are trying to suppress it. It might be censorship but it’s just as likely to be the old monopoly game from jealous competitors working here.
  
  On balance, RT does far more good for truth than harm. Far more good. In fact I just watched it online. Another great show. Another voice heard that otherwise would not have been, at least in the west.
  
  I’m very grateful for Russian news, and the translators who bring it to me.
- Anonymous on November 01, 2017 · at 2:12 pm EST/EDT
  
  Thanks.
  
  At first, I surmised that Trump was in a position similar to Putin when each took office. However, your comment points to a key difference in how each has handled the situation of presiding over a divided government where many voices opposed to you are residing. Mr. Putin showed himself to be outstanding a patiently gathering power to himself while denying it to his opponents. Mr. Trump has showed himself to be a fool in that thus far he has gathered zero power to himself. I’d have thought that by now Trump would have at least several agencies firmly under control to him and loyal to him. Didn’t expect him to get every agency, after all Putin is still working on that after 15 or so years. But I’d have thought that Trump would have managed to get at least a power base of one or two agencies that he could count on. Preferably at least one key one like Justice. But no, Trump has steadily failed to grab any real power to himself and has consistently allowed his opponents to grab and consolidate their own power centers in the US government.
  
  Watching Trump demote himself to the Twitter President while others around him grab power only points out how skillful Putin has been in consolidating his own power in an originally divided government.
  - Jim on March 01, 2018 · at 1:44 pm EST/EDT
    
    Actually, it is more accurate to compare Trump to Yeltsin, not Putin. Putin is a very serious man with a keen sense of history and his role in saving Russia from the disaster of Yeltsin. Trump, is a real estate agent from New York City. Enough said? As many have observed, Russia is ascending from ashes of shock therapy brought upon them by bolshevik inspired and financed capitalists. The US is finally realizing the folly of disastrous foreign policy pushed by neoconservatives right out of the bolshevik school of chaos. We have let our economy waste away on trivial consumer garbage, left our children few options other than military adventure, and let our culture degrade. Sounds more like Russia in the 1990’s under Yeltsin. Trump was elected in the fantasy of making America great again. If that is to happen power must be removed from Zionist controlled puppets in American political, cultural, and economic spheres. Putin is maybe halfway to achieving this in Russia after 17 years… Trump, with markedly less personal skills, fewer capable managers, and only one-third of the population at most supporting him has hardly made any progress.
- JJ on November 02, 2017 · at 11:10 am EST/EDT
  
  been some pretty good articles on fortruss last few months…especially by their dedicated team of Popov etc. Sputnik on facebook sometimes post some seemingly irrelevant “western” junk, but last couple years things have got so much better, so fortunate we even a choice!
- JJ on November 02, 2017 · at 2:22 pm EST/EDT
  
  Would you believe it…daily mail ( as you have mentioned it)article today… porn star from Murmansk is to stand for President….oh boy……just after the campaign team from the prevous young lady kinda just walked away………………..the world is truly absurd in places……oh…and someone suspicious claims Scotland is gonna be the new hiding or operating place for russian bots or trolls or something or other…….sighs.
f on October 31, 2017 · at 8:47 pm EST/EDT

I agree in essence and in rigor. But…I dislike somewhat the tone of the article because it seems like the beginning of interminable infighting.

Which weakens us all.

Perhaps these outlets are not trying to be respectable to the mainstream media at all, but merely are trying to retain the ear of the people; uncertain what tone is best to keep them accessible to a different point of view.

They are uncertain what tone to take to retain the ear of those inclined already to listen. Perhaps in their way they merely seek to retain a connection with the right-minded people and are afraid that a more serious, purist tone might alienate them.

In their mind, they are treading on thin ice; for high stakes. And they themselves do not have consciousness of the seriousness of the hour; or are only half conscious.

They are trying to find their voice, and are perhaps too careful; and in doing so they seem to be currying favor with the enemy; but that is not necessarily so.

So how can they be helped?

Just food for thought.
Vor on October 31, 2017 · at 10:06 pm EST/EDT

NATO, during the bombing “campaign” of Serbia in 1999, bombed the national television station, RTS (Radio Televizija Srbija) & murdered scores of civilians. It was a major war crime, within the context of a major illegal war of aggression against a tiny & relatively weak country. Prior to the bombing of RTS, the Milosevic government had been given an ultimatum by NATO to open up RTS to Western media broadcasts, BBC & CNN. Milosevic responded that he would do this if the BBC & CNN opened up their broadcasts to Serbian English language broadcasts. NATO then went & made good on its threat & bombed RTS, justifying this as designating it an arm of Milosevic “state propaganda.” This of course was the first phase of the Atlanticist march East toward Russia, & the attack on Serbia was in real terms an attack on Russia. Now, I can only imagine what kind of restrictions & concessions RT & Sputnik have had to reduce themselves to just to broadcast in the West. I am not defending them, I really do not care for either, to be honest. I watched yesterday’s Cross Talk with disgust as Peter Lavelle & co. (Sloboda, Christiforou) defended Catalan separatism & condemned Spain’s heavy handedness – according to them they should of allowed the referendum peacefully to go ahead the way in Britain the Scottish referendum was conducted. They continued, now Scottish separatism has been shelved for a generation. Pure propaganda. RT-Cross Talk-Lavelle propaganda. Scottish separatism has been so beaten down that as we speak the first minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon is threatening to hold another referendum – with EU – see German, backing. The real reason for Brexit, Germany is supporting the break up of all European nation states that are in one way or another resisting federalism i.e. German expansionism. Not a word of this on RT, but support for Catalan separatism. Disgusting. But this is what the Saker says it is, it is on the one hand appeasing the Atlanticists, on the other hand it is Atlanticist agents within RT, planted there from the beginning, as a concession by Russia just so they could broadcast at all, & that agentur has been activated to destroy RT from inside. My guess is they may well manage.
Talks-to-Cats on October 31, 2017 · at 11:07 pm EST/EDT

Thank you, Saker.
Izaates bar Monobazeus on November 01, 2017 · at 1:26 am EST/EDT

I am 100% in agreement with Larchmonter445. Sputniknews and RT are succeeding. I even visit RussiaInsider in my quest. No stone left upturned. In the year leading up to the Obama chemical weapons crisis I googled ‘newspapers Russia’ and there found the Moscow Times. A dog vomit rag it was too but for some months at the start of my journey it was a part of my info space. I check out RI once a week. Sputniknews 20 times a day. RT 5-10 times per day. Tass 2-3 times per day. ZeroHedge 20 per day. Moonofalabama 1-2. Southfront 2-3. Landdestroyer 1 per month. Fortruss 2-3 per day. Johnhelmer 1 per week. Cluborlov 1 per week. Sott 2 per week.

And plenty of other sites ranging across the panapoly of western sludgepumpers …nyt, debka, breitbart, abc, Spiegel, times, wapo, smh, trib, drudge….whatever….serve it up and let me decide….I am a big boy…my masticators and incisors can chew through anything.

Saker please soften on this and let God sort things out.

I am not of the Orthodox persuasion.

I am not a Russian or Orthodox supremist. I am a human being.
Frankie on November 01, 2017 · at 1:27 am EST/EDT

In core of every great culture there is religion/faith. If not that culture has already degraded to just civilization. And later that civilization will be wiped out.

I recommend everyone follow demographics of nations. There are some groundbreaking studies of vertility rate of certain different groups with strong faith, secular and atheists. Fertility rates were: 4-7, 1.3-1.7 and less than 1. Future is pretty clear: cultural enclaves with strong religion will wipe out atheists, agnostics and seculars. In fact evolution favors strongly religious enclaves and rejects seculars and atheists. There is strong correlation between religion and breeding.
- Marcel Leutenegger on November 01, 2017 · at 1:35 pm EST/EDT
  
  You might be correct, but do you think that a high birth rate is a good thing? In my opinion, any group of people with high procreation must expand its territory, which leads to war with near certainty. War is the inevitable result if all other groups around procreate quickly as well.
  
  Looking at societies and reading discussions like that, I cannot help but come up with an idea I recently developed in thinking about Tolkiens’ novels Lord of the Rings. There are these particularly knowledgeable, friendly, wise and well-intentioned people, the Elven. As they are confronted with the ugly choice of fighting mens’ wars or getting crushed later, they uphold peace and decide to leave earth behind and depart forever.
  
  In analogy, if we do not want to fight wars with and against our human fellows, we currently have only one choice: depart from earth without leaving anyone behind.
jeff on November 01, 2017 · at 4:08 am EST/EDT

What’s wrong with RT and Sputnik? Liberals, what else.

Saker writes:

“Clearly, they have no idea of whom they are dealing with.”

Exactly. They seem to be such amateurs in “the infowar”. You see the same thing at Telesur. People who try to criticize the world from a left perspective are easily dominated by liberals. Fascist types, although usually wrong and often maniacal, are at least landing punches in the political sphere. Calling Hillary Clinton Killary or Hitlerly is crude but it changes perceptions quickly and throws libtards off guard. For this reason, it’s also sort of clever. Try “Obama is a dictator,” or “peace president Obama mass murders blacks in Libya.” These are hard blows.

My observations of RT find extensive problems. Most of the media people, even the non-libtards, seem to be fascinated by the West like a dog for a treat (yet, a dog is not so foolish as to be fascinated by “google” or “twitter”). Saker is right to suggest this is a big problem in Russia (at least, as a democracy. As a Byzantine monarch, the folk will be allowed to be folk, which is what most of us want to be). Look at a site like RBTH, dealing in “Russia culture.” Somehow, they find time to use Hollywood sex abuse cases to denounce Russians. They don’t quite blame Putin for Weinstine. You know they wanted to; for It’s clear they desperately want to cut down Russia in any way they can. You go there to see a Russian recipe and find yourself being told Russians are rapists. The ol’ bait and switch. Pure evil.

Then there’s TASS. Some cheap liberal bimbo announces she’s running for president. Tass presents this as a major story on their eng site. Are they crazy? Do they have bad intentions? Yes and yes. Liberals serving the great liberator!

There’s a lack of fighting skill on the part of those we believe and hope have good intentions–an inability to recognize the circumstances of war. Saker wrote, “if that anonymous hater of Orthodoxy is fired then his/her colleagues will complain of a nationalist or religious witch-hunt.” But this is war. Why simply fire them? Why not, instead, notice a growing hatred of Christ by liberals, quote Trotsky a bit, post a few photos of liberals tearing up churches in the 1920s; and finally admit that the demons of Trotsky may have even compromised RT’s ability to serve the public. Say I’m Mr. RT. Suddenly, I see that the right-and-good public is demanding RT rid itself of these liberal, Trotsky-like, maybe even Stalin-like (what the hell-might as well!) hate groups. RT respects freedom of speech, but there is no room for racism, discrimination, bigotry, and fanatic attacks on people’s freedom to believe (in a civil society). Don’t act on the problem; campaign against it. If you’re in a war, be in it.

I hope these key people will realize appeasing liberals only helps them eliminate you. Challenging them makes them fantasise about killing you (and boy, does it ever!), but appeasing them gives them the opportunity to kill you. Watch your back. Pack your load. Open your eyes. Yet, insist that Darwin is a moron, Nasa is a fraud, Homosexauls tend to be child molesters. Russia and the world are very much at stake.

Christ is risen!
- guest on November 01, 2017 · at 9:07 am EST/EDT
  
  @Jeff
  You are so right when you say “My observations of RT find extensive problems. Most of the media people, even the non-libtards, seem to be fascinated by the West like a dog for a treat”
  
  This is exactly what I tried to say in my post on this topic. Russians and their media really need to stop wagging their tails every time “west” comes up.
Ilja on November 01, 2017 · at 4:20 am EST/EDT

Thank God, there is a space for different views on RT. While usually I tend to agree with Saker on almost everything, right now I couldn’t be more opposite.
Space exploration and orthodoxy are two most sacred things for Russians, although they are truly different worlds. Putting them on the “same ship” is a provoking idea, which needs very dark sense of humor. I like the dark humor. And I like paintings and the paintings of Malakhovskiy are great, not only for depicting dark perverted characters with a light touch of an irony, like that it all can be just a bad dream. Or for finding striking similarity between the domes of orthodox churches towers and shape of Soyuz spacecrafts. Such a talented artist deserves to be mentioned in state news network.
I feel like the article must have touched some very personal string in Saker’s soul. We all have sensitive spots, so it’s nothing bad. But regarding the article I don’t believe in any conspiracy behind that. Quite opposite it depicts modern russsian society as it is. This shouldn’t and couldn’t be censored.
A.Dane on November 01, 2017 · at 7:51 am EST/EDT

Glossopteris wrote: I am worried by the implication that atheism or godlessness is portrayed as a negative thing.

My comment: Atheism opens up for a slide from not believing in God to ultimately believing that you your self are Godly. You lose your humbleness and respect. Those are two virtues witch makes us civilized. Just take a look at how Netanyahu and Putin presents them selves, witch one do you regard as the most humble.

Glossopteris wrote: The reduction in Orthodox faith in some circles does not need to be feared.

My comment: A retreat of the Christian faith is a great problem for the world, because the Christian faith is what developed the human race from following the law of the jungle, to be civilized and recognizing the rights of those with less or no power.
When we loose the ambassadors for Christianity, we will be on course back to the law of the jungle.

Glossopteris wrote: The lack of religious belief is extremely liberating way of living, thereby seeing the world and the Cosmos as a whole.

My comment: Atheism is a liberating because you are freed from restraining yourself from being humble and showing respect.

My Lutheran Christian fait have never restrained me in accepting science or seeing our world as part of the universe. Both the Lutheran and Orthodox faith seceded from the medieval religion of Papal Christianity, partly because of its lack of recognizing science, mostly because of its monetary indulgence in to the Christian religion and especially its warmongering stance. Even today the Pope are trying a new scam hocked up on fake science called “Global warming”, with the purpose to make us pay for our allege C02 sins.

Glossopteris wrote: The majority of atheists, including those with an interest in transhumanism, are not in any way lacking in morals.

My Comment: Maybe you are right that some atheists hold moral values, however people with interest in Tran humanism are experimenting with a dangerous unknown witch can be exploited to create slaves. I believe that God made the human beings with an inborn ability to feel and show love, with an inborn ability to feel and show empathy, and an inborn urge to have children and take care of them. I do not feel wise enough to participating in changing the concept of human beings toward being robots created by man. Thus I will leave the human concept as God intended.

Glossopteris wrote: Putin’s popularity is because he navigates these waters rationally and respectfully.
My Comment: Yes he does. He simply upholds Christian values.

Glossopteris wrote:
The cruelties imposed on the Orthodox community by the Bolsheviks are unforgivable
Do not harm or encourage harm to others, should not be considered a threat to society.
The horrors of the religious wars during and after the Reformation should be lesson enough.
Let us not forget that despite our differing views, a lot of us are in fact on the same side.
Atheism and Orthodoxy do not need to be in opposition when the goal is the creation of a fairer, freer and safe society for all.

My Comment: Maybe you are a Christian after all ?
A.Dane
- WizOz on November 01, 2017 · at 11:59 am EST/EDT
  
  The whole discussion becomes irrelevant as long as we mentain the meme that “the Orthodox faith seceeded from the medieval religion of the Papal Christianity”, equating Orthodoxy with the heresy of Protestantism. Protestantis indeed seceeded from the heresy of Papism which was the first secession from Orthodoxy, only pushing the heresy further.
  Some atheists may retain some “moral values” from their former religious education by inertia. Full atheism is completely devoid of any moral values.
  - The Saker on November 01, 2017 · at 2:41 pm EST/EDT
    
    The whole discussion becomes irrelevant as long as we maintain the meme that “the Orthodox faith seceded from the medieval religion of the Papal Christianity”
    
    Agreed. I don’t see the point of engaging people who don’t even take the time to get the basic facts before forming an opinion. This is were atheists have a huge ‘advantage’ over us, obscurantist religious bigots: they don’t need facts. Heck, they even don’t need logic either (“The lack of religious belief is extremely liberating way of living, thereby seeing the world and the Cosmos as a whole”). They know that they are the crowning achievement of evolution, Mother Nature’s biggest success, and they look with compassionate pity on us, and all of their own ancestors, stuck in the stifling world of narrow minded religious superstition and ignorance :-)
    Cheers,
    The Saker
    - Glossopteris on November 01, 2017 · at 7:50 pm EST/EDT
      
      Hi Saker & others,
      
      Hmmm I can see your point in my turn of phrase. It was not meant to be insulting or a claim to intellectual or moral superiority. My inexperience in this kind of forum is on display here (and that includes spelling and composition).
      
      I have had the pleasure of discussing belielf a wide variety of individuals and I have been told on more than one occasion that they find their faith to be liberating and life enhancing. I suppose I was just trying to suggest that for people like myself, a lack of religious belief is equally liberating and life enhancing. Moreover I truly believe that as far as the construction of a better society goes, many of us that read and comment here are likely to seek very similar goals.
      
      WizOz asked why I felt the need to comment on an avowedly Orthodox Christian blog; in my own mind I consider this to be more of a geopolitical site and an extremely valuable one. My desire to comment is linked to how much I cherish it, believe it or not. I stand by the general thrust of all of my comments thus far, even if I should learn to take more care with what I write. One never stops learning, don’t you think?
      
      Saker you gave me a late night belly laugh. Goodness only knows that if I was the crowing achievement in evolution then we’d all better give up the ghost immediately. The game would really be up! ;)
      
      Best wishes from this godless one and I look forward to future articles (and please let me tip my hat to Scotts work on industry and tech in Russia, which are fascinating).
- Glossopteris on November 01, 2017 · at 1:04 pm EST/EDT
  
  Greetings,
  
  I appreciate the time you have invested in addressing my thoughts. I only hope that the Saker and the Moderators do not feel that we are moving the thread from a discussion on RT & Sputnik to a Atheism v. Religion debate. That was not my intention. Perhaps this is a discussion more suited to another forum, such as the Open Café?
  
  I would humbly suggest that morality is not owned by any religion, faith or lack thereof. It is something that we can develop and maintain, both individually and as a society. Moreover, history is littered with groups exerting power and making slaves of others, regardless of the dominant belief system or systems in play. There are more than enough horror stories out there to research if you have the inclination.
  
  My sense is that Putin is one of a depressingly small group of world leaders that follow a more collaborative and less aggressive approach in global geopolitics. Russia seems to be one of the more rational actors at the moment and a fair number of the smaller European powers would like to align with Moscow on many issues, though it is difficult for them to move freely given the economic, military and media power of the larger western nations. I am glad that platforms such as RT and Sputnik provide a window into the other side of the playing field.
  
  Final comments: I can assure you that I am not a Christian nor a follower of any faith and I never have been. For what it’s worth, I’m puzzled by the suggestion that atheists retain moral values only because of their former religious education.
  
  But then I suppose it takes many tiles to make up a mosaic, especially one as large and complex as our global society, so perhaps our differences, such as they are, can be seen in that light?
  - WizOz on November 01, 2017 · at 6:13 pm EST/EDT
    
    May we ask you why, knowing that the whole orientation of this blog is an avowedly Orthodox Christian one, you felt compelled to throw at it your rather insipid thoughts pretending that it was not your intention to provoke an Atheism vs Religion debate and (not so) subtly castigating the Saker and the moderators (and the contrarian commenters) for their declared position?
    - Ilja on November 02, 2017 · at 5:26 am EST/EDT
      
      At least, Glossopteris is not alone.
      I was also thinking of the orientation of this blog like geopolitical, operated by one Orthodox Christian with fantastically deep insight into topic and truly brilliant thoughts. It never cross my mind, that the blog itself is Orthodox Christian, yes i saw the icons on the right side but for me it was little to no difference to let say Catholic, or Buddhist as long as I find the content so impressively and honestly written.
      Dear WizOz, from when is the expressing of different thoughts provoking? Does it provoke you? Or it depends on a place and the sacred soil of Saker’s blog discussion is no place for heresy? Well it comes as a surprise to me too. I do not involve into discussions here, mostly for my poor English, but I read them frequently and I didn’t noticed the need for defending arguments with evaluating them to some predefined orientation of the blog. Until now. I always thought about good arguments are defending themselves and do not need guardians in shining armor. Sometimes even destruction of your old beliefs is the best, what can happened to you and discussion is, by my opinion, better way to achieve such destruction then painful experience.
      Dear Glossopteris, I doubt, I’d helped you, nevermind I just tried to support your stance, even though I’m not atheist. By my opinion there is a balance in the universe. The more you push one side, the more you must push the other. So you cannot raise higher heaven on Earth without digging deeper hell on the other side. Wars coming from insisting on extremes and peace usually from dialogue of the opposite sides. You voice in this discussion for me was one of the very rare calling for balance and I thank you for that.
      - WizOz on November 02, 2017 · at 6:33 am EST/EDT
        
        You might not be aware, but the kind of interventions as the one of the Glassopteris, is nothing else than trolling. And it is the same case with you. You stayed silent so far, and all of a sudden you jump on a discussion that was clearly beside the theme of the article., quite obviously for provoking a discussion about Atheism vs Religion. May I ask you also why?
        
        Ilja on November 02, 2017 · at 8:40 am EST/EDT
        
        I have had break my silence already, right after I have read the article. I’ve expressed that I (this time) completely disagree with The Saker, that I like the paintings, that they are funny and finally that I see no evil reasons behind publication of such article and I account Saker’s rage over the article to his sensitiveness to some topics. Of course I might be wrong on my evaluation of the reasons behind the article. And so can be The Saker or anyone else, except the author of that article of course. None of us have the crystal ball to find true motivation for publishing pictures of Orthodox priests in space on RT. At least I don’t have any.
        Reason why I step up for Glossopteris is that I found Saker’s sensitiveness to certain topics highly contagious and discussion here for me became some sort of Orthodox which hunt, where I saw Glossopteris like rather isolated voice of reason. I didn’t mentioned any of my religious views so far, only noted that I’m not atheist.
        If this is trolling, l’m guilty as charged then.
        
        WizOz on November 02, 2017 · at 11:00 am EST/EDT
        
        Well, yes, you are wrong on your evaluation of the reasons behind the article. The blog does not cater for this kind of misplaced sensitivities (nor for the Glassopterises ones). ad hominem statement removed … mod
        
        Glossopteris on November 02, 2017 · at 12:14 pm EST/EDT
        
        Hello Ilja,
        
        Thanks for your thoughts and the spirit in which they are made. To reiterate, I very much value this site and the analysis, debate and discussion that it generates. Like with RT and Sputnik, I don’t agree with everything that is said…but it does not mean that I cannot learn from those with whom I disagree with.
        
        Trolling was certainly not my aim and I am sorry if this appeared to be the case. I continue to stand by comments and thoughts in-themselves, even if the delivery could have been more refined and nuanced. Thanks to the Saker for writing this article and provoking this discussion, which I very much enjoyed participating in.
        
        Best wishes to all.
DK on November 01, 2017 · at 8:02 am EST/EDT

Us godless heatens don´t deserve a place in the fight against the anglozionists??? I think we do, so…whatever
- WizOz on November 01, 2017 · at 12:09 pm EST/EDT
  
  Taking into consideration that the anglozionists are godless heathens, all the other godless heathens are on the same page, so their “fight” is a phony one (most of them are Anglos, anyway).
truther on November 01, 2017 · at 10:40 am EST/EDT

organized relgion is poison, ty

Absolutely brilliant statement. Very original too! And courageous! Last, but not least, compelling in its power to convince.
Dude, you are a modern Cicero.
We are unworthy! We are unworthy!
The Saker
Robert on November 01, 2017 · at 12:01 pm EST/EDT

Hello Saker, hello Twilight,
Twilight, I believe what you say on the BBC Foreign Service as an agent of Anglo domination in the world. I also see Saker’s point in asking you, twilight, to prove your point. But, you know Saker, this reminds me of one of our “dagos” called Al Capone, everybody knew he was a gangster, but… nobody could prove it.
Now, how could everybody know what nobody could prove? Well, because on one end two plus two is four… And, on the other I presume a gangster who is “good” at gangsterism knows what to do so it is hard to prove that he actually is a gangster.
See, why I believe twilight all the way?
That said, my two cents (whatever they are worth) on RT in a nutshell: too many Anglos, not enough Russians who speak English.
English is not just the language of the Anglo-sphere (which means native speakers of English). It’s also the lingua-franca for the rest of us who try (courageously/clumsily) to step out of the comfort zone of our respective mother-tongues to understand other cultures.
So anyway, what I want from RT is to perceive opinions (this is mostly about op-ed, clearly) rooted in the Russian “Weltanschauung” (perception of the world for the notoriously monolingual Anglos).
Davai ruski see the English language as a fighting tool to make your case to the world, which is what incidentally the Indian independence movement did with the language of the enemy (guess which one that was?). Now a brutal metaphor to underscore this: train your citizen soldiers, don’t hire foreign “contractors” (as they say today)!
All this, unless, RT is meant to be an instrument to try to counter Russo-phobia in the Anglo-sphere. If that were the case, it would make sense for all those Anglos working for RT. But, then if that is the objective, is it working? Is Russo-phobia abating in the Anglo-sphere and as a consequence in the Anglo-balized colonies?
I certainly don’t think so unfortunately.
So here I sit lonely hearted… trying to find a ruskie and only getting anglos doing the jawing as Russo-phobia gets worse and worse…
Po bratzki lads,
PS Don’t know if twilight is a lad, so if you happen to be a fine lady instead, do forgive me for the sign off. Podzalsta…
- Peter Grafström on November 05, 2017 · at 2:34 pm EST/EDT
  
  Nikolai Starikov would be more interesting than any of the current semi-pk personnages, but I agree with several commenters here that RT needs to play it wisely. The above mentioned analogy with fishing illustrates this point.
  Starikovs articles are available in english on orientalreview.
Anonymous on November 01, 2017 · at 2:32 pm EST/EDT

Interesting to me that being ‘anti-religious’ is associated by some commenters as being a ‘western value’. Yet, its ‘western’ leaders who constantly push the image of being religious. No politician who wants to run for office would ever be seen not going to church on Sunday. Every western leader promotes himself as ‘Christian’ and not one I can think of is openly fighting against any churches or church-goer’s in their country. Even for all the TV History stuff about Hitler believing in the occult, he still publicly went to chuch on Sunday’s and expressed his platform as being about ‘Christian values’. Its hard to imagine someone who runs for elected office not going to church on Sundays, and if a rumor ever did start to spread against them that they didn’t go to church, they’d respond by very publicly going to church the following Sunday.

The one culture that has been anti-religous was the Soviet revolutionary culture. If you go back to the French Revolution, you can find some anti-clerical acts in there as well. Both of course were revolutionary cultures who were trying to overturn the existing power structures in their countries, and since Religion was used as a source of power and control over the people by Kings and Czars who were openly connected to a specific church, its not at all surprising that an act of revolution against the King/Czar would include revolt against the related church structures.
- Peter Grafström on November 05, 2017 · at 2:25 pm EST/EDT
  
  Both French and Russian revolutions were British special operations to weaken a rival. In both cases Britain made extensive use both of freemasonic networks, and also cultural/ideological phenomena prepared for the purpose: so called enlightenment and Marxism.
  It is completely misleading to describe it as if the population by themselves were capable of any of these dramatic passages.
feizal on November 01, 2017 · at 2:38 pm EST/EDT

Thank you for an interesting observation.When the foundations of religious conscience is weak; the anti- religious forces take advantage.
This is further compounded by financial motivation.
You could triple your income if you choose to tow the so called Soros line.
You are made of a good moral ethic .
Anonymous on November 01, 2017 · at 2:55 pm EST/EDT

Its wrong to demand that a site or a person be idealogically pure.

I’ve seen that mistake often on the American left over the years. Criticism of a person or outlet because of one thing they did not like. Sometimes this is called “political correctness”, and if a person said anything or an outlet did anything that an activist didn’t like, they’d then take off and attack them over and over for that one thing.

For instance, I’ve seen that attack aimed at Prof Chomsky. People take one thing that he said or that he wrote and then attack him over and over for not being politically correct in that one instance. Since the American left has always been riddled with informers and under covers agents trying to manipulate the left, I always wondered in this was a deliberate cointelpro-style tactic to attack critical voices. Or, more likely, its just a nasty side of human nature rearing its head. Someone once did something I didn’t like so now I hate them.

Any platform is going to be diverse. Any organization is going to have different points of view within themselves. Its hard enough for one person to be completely consistent over the years, and it follows that its going to be impossible for any organization that speaks with a public voice to always be consistent.

And instead of being strict and condemning over any infraction, I tend to take a more overall view and am willing to accept the bad with the good, as long as there is good, and as long as there enough good to make the bad willing to accept.

Any movement for change is going to need a large number of people to try to defeat the entrenched and powerful few who control the world. Its got to be people power that would overcome that. And to build a movement that big, its going to take a lot of accepting of other people and other views that one might not agree with. Its going to take people who have strong religious faith and people who don’t believe in God at all standing together and working side by side.

And you know what, as I type that I realize that I’ve seen exactly that happen already, so I know its very possible. What it takes is a bit of tolerence and acceptance on both sides. It takes a willingness to say that we might not all agree on everything, but that we agree on who we oppose and what we want to accomplish and we are willing to work together and see that. I’ve seen movements with a strong religious component work together with others with different beliefs and be successful, so I know it can be done. And I know that to build the sort of people power it will take to overthrow what The Saker calls the Anglo-Zionist Empire, that we are going to have to do a lot of this.
Anonius on November 01, 2017 · at 3:04 pm EST/EDT

Hmm, Saker you are to easy on the artist of the space cartoons. They are outright insulting.
The guy on the left to put it mildly is a “fat person”. The guy in the middle is portrayed as “drunken fat person”. The guy on the right is no one else but the hated by certain people Rasputin.
See this film info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anastasia_(1997_film)
You can draw your own conclusions.
Anonymous on November 01, 2017 · at 3:30 pm EST/EDT

I never watch TV, but Sputnik has helped me in Europe for several years. Not least a couple of days ago when I was able to kill some lies and omissions.

When I quote Sputnik, it gets new readers in my languages. I have only seen one bad article and it was quickly removed.

The attacks on the orthodox Faith I am sure will stop after the Saker says no.
Anonymous on November 01, 2017 · at 4:06 pm EST/EDT

It is in the translation editing department where the moles have infiltrated. In every important article there are obvious misspellings which to a native English speaker reduce the article to ridicule.
RT’s and Sputniks Achilles heals are the need for translators and every important article shows evidence of subversion.

Take note Putin.

Take note Putin.
Harry_Red on November 01, 2017 · at 4:55 pm EST/EDT

Dear The Saker,

I think you make some good points, but there are much more things RT and Sputnik have published other than Anti-Orthodox Christian articles where you can also see the influence of the AngloZionist appeasement and/or propaganda.

To be honest, when I read your title I was expecting at least a small summary of the points or examples of how these two news websites/channels conduct Western-Zionist propaganda.

Anyways, thanks for stating what you think is the cause of this propaganda and explaining the group of people within these news agencies that is responsible for this propaganda.
дулебг on November 01, 2017 · at 5:12 pm EST/EDT

Sputnik in Serbia, as well as the headquarters of Russian companies (Gazprom) and banks (Sberbank) in Serbia, behave as if they were Russian & Serbian enemies. By no exception they use Latin alphabet, although they know that it is the way of denationalization and de-orthodoxication of people. They connect and make social relations only with anti-Serbian 2-Serbia, they reward them and invite them to the ceremonies. Sputnik-Serbia gives them a lot of space in it’s news and reports, and on the other side – never interviews some moderate patriot, nor even balanced expert.
Anonymous on November 01, 2017 · at 10:31 pm EST/EDT

OT, but given this bio-harvesting by a well known developer of biological weapons, and the advances in genetic sciences, I’d say a bit of ‘RT balancing’ to demonstrate they can also be critical (watch the Max Keiser segment to see how they have to accommodate UK/BBC attack if they are not ‘balanced’), may suggest future Russian demographics will need more than 3 dunks in the holy waters to survive the next (made in the USA) customised ‘plague’ …

“US Air Force Admits To Harvesting Russian Tissue”
“They needed it for a biological study of the musculoskeletal system…”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-11-01/us-air-force-admits-harvesting-russian-tissue
Griff Jones on November 01, 2017 · at 11:18 pm EST/EDT

the exit server for rt is now located in the us, not in ru. if something does’nt seem right, it probably isn’t. it could have been edited in the us. should be verified
Avarachan on November 01, 2017 · at 11:31 pm EST/EDT

RT and Sputnik don’t seem authentically Russian to me … I prefer TASS, Fort Russ, and, of course, The Vineyard of the Saker.

Also, RT and Sputnik’s coverage of India is shallow. I wouldn’t be surprised if British agents were working within those organizations to damage Russia-India ties.
- Anonymous on November 02, 2017 · at 9:53 am EST/EDT
  
  russia truth facebook is also worth checking out, plus new russiafeed.
- Peter Grafström on November 05, 2017 · at 2:38 pm EST/EDT
  
  I agree about the intention to split’em and the AAs have already managed to damage the India-China relation at least temporarily.
Cyril on November 02, 2017 · at 12:20 am EST/EDT

In the Margarita Simonyan video, I love the section where Margarita says “this is where our journalists risk their lives”. She opens a door and we see someone emoting desperately in front of a green screen. Then we see the broadcast showing the same reporter and the green screen replaced by a war zone. Ha ha ha ha.

Was that a dig at CNN and other media? I haven’t watched them for a long time. Do they actually fake the background for a someone reporting fake news?
WizOz on November 02, 2017 · at 2:44 am EST/EDT

@RT double down

The case happened in Romania and the priest is under investigation for violence against the baby. The press in Romania reported the case with the underlying suggestion that the Orthodox ritual of Baptism represents in itself violence against the child and lack of concern for the well-being of the baby. What happened really is, of course, different from what the press made of it. I watched the scene on Romanain TV and I can assure you that it was nothing unusual, just a more reluctant baby who put a more forceful resistance.
The troubling part of it is that the police took the initiative to open an investigation after watching the social media and determining that it was child abuse. Even more disquieting is that the priest was suspended and the Archbishopric of Braila apologized to the parents who never complained of anything.
Gregg Schneider on November 02, 2017 · at 11:06 am EST/EDT

Most Russians know that Jesus Christ was a pure communist. The Russian soul is essentially socialist.
- WizOz on November 02, 2017 · at 11:43 am EST/EDT
  
  But even more know that he was not. Christianity has nothing to do with communism, socialism, capitalism, but with salvation and eternal life.
  - Gregg Schneider on November 02, 2017 · at 1:11 pm EST/EDT
    
    There is no non-political religion.
- Peter Grafström on November 05, 2017 · at 2:52 pm EST/EDT
  
  Marxisms primary aim was to prevent Britains rivals from developing a willing and industrious entrepreneurial class. Class war was intended to weaken the rivals, not to ameliorate the lives of the common people. Socialism as a reformist version of Marxism was still under the control of the British Fabian society some of whose members were among the wealthiest people in the world. Just because Marx borrowed some ideas from Jesus it doesnt make it a reciprocal relation. Marx was a hired pen for the elite monopoly capitalists and his task was to redirect people from honest reformism.
Oscar The Read Cat on November 02, 2017 · at 2:02 pm EST/EDT

RT and Sputnik were good.
But do we really need 100+ headlines per day like the following for example:

https://www.rt.com/sport/408617-mia-khalifa-tiger-woods/

https://www.rt.com/uk/408610-burglar-stuck-police-chicken/

RT and Sputnik should know and do better!
Ant. on November 02, 2017 · at 2:44 pm EST/EDT

Here I must disagree with the esteemed Saker, much of whom’s opinion’s I share.

RT speaks to westerner’s in their own terms.

Not in a religious Orthodox Church way, which will only turn western opinions away from them.

I have said before, and I will say again: I am agnostic. I have no time for religion, which I think has caused at least as much woe as it has caused goodness.

I care as much for the Russian Orthodox Church, or the Pope, or the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Islamic teachings, or the Mormon’s, as I do about LGBTEQ.

You don’t need a religion to have a good set of ethics or morality. That’s nonsense, most religious rules are quite apparently self-obvious, to allow a set of humans to co-operate in a society and succeed.

‘Thou shalt not kill’.

‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’.

‘That shat not covet thy neighbour’s oxen’.

Etc.

Blah-blah. Nothing special or divine about that, didn’t need some turkey to wander up a hill and find a bunch of stone inscriptions to figure that shit out.

It’s the stuff about ‘Thou shalt have no false icons’ or ‘Kill the Infidel’ that I find fully self-serving, and has no place in my ethics. Follow MY religion, it’s the only good one! They all say that. Just another power structure (and that’s what they all are). Various eastern religions don’t seem that exclusive.

My apologies if I offended anyone, and that’s the way of the modern world. Disappointing someone is fast becoming a crime.

End of next rant.
- Gregg Schneider on November 02, 2017 · at 3:51 pm EST/EDT
  
  And non political religion is another illusion.
Ann on November 02, 2017 · at 6:16 pm EST/EDT

also the other day – Palestinians, killed in their own country were called ‘militants’ by an RT article – made me wonder if the Zonists have vested interest in RT
Pelantaro on November 02, 2017 · at 8:18 pm EST/EDT

This is just an opinion, of course, but I think that these kind of things is what makes RT&Sp so successful as an info weapon.
In my view, these media outlets are not directed to the typical asian/eurasian nor well informed people but for the common western sheeple.
Those articles are brilliantly exploiting insights of the actual western culture, and they help to put people on their side and defend themselves.
Think about this: western media have already made atemps to create stereotypes and ridiculize russian/slav culture based on the orthodox beliefs and rituals, what would happen to the close-to-atheist-by-force western audience of RT&Sp if they stucked themselves defending the religion and making their product somekind of orthodox-compliant? Of course! They will start to loose them on the hands of the anglozionist media! Sometimes this is just some kind of decaf version of “we can laugh at ourselves, can you? do you have that freedom?”
By the way, if you read the full articles, they always try to put things not so far adding some facts and contextualization at the end.
Its hard when your spirituality is being jostled, but this is war and RT&Sp are formidable big weapons that shake things like it they create some recoil when they shot.
- WizOz on November 03, 2017 · at 4:36 am EST/EDT
  
  But “laughing at ourselves” smacks of black propaganda. It always dilutes the message, when it does not completely turns it upside down. The sheeple will think, hey these guys are not serious.
  - Pelantaro on November 03, 2017 · at 6:10 am EST/EDT
    
    Not necesarilly. If you look at the articles, they finally don’t left room to reinforce the stereotype. That is what I’m talking about. Its not like they literally replicate the western media mocks, they place facts and context so it becomes just a “trendy western joke” without appearing sensitive to it.
Anonymous on November 04, 2017 · at 5:17 pm EST/EDT

I see that Sputnik is criticized for its English. I am not an Englishspeaker and I also make mistakes and I defend Sputnik. I have read articles that must have taken many hours or days for research. Some small language mistakes are not important.

How many really good Englishspeakers are there in Russia and where do they work? For the Russian Federation first of all. I remind you that UK had trouble finding excellent Russianspeakers a couple of years ago and wanted to rehire old analysts to understand Moscow.
Jorge Bizarro on November 08, 2017 · at 1:06 pm EST/EDT

May be RT anti-religion pundits are at oods with thinks like this grass-rootcoming back of Russia to Christ Our Lord and Saviour:
Documentary Faces among Icons
https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Y4yG2gqDOY?version=3&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent
Isidora on November 08, 2017 · at 4:28 pm EST/EDT

White-washing of the soviet era is in full swing, even on Pravoslavie both the Russian and the English versions. Prophecies of course predicted only a brief 15-20 year re-flowering of Russia. Longer was possible but depended on the spiritual state of the Russians themselves. Sadly, the Bolshevik murder strategy followed by Western/Zio mammonite values is conquering Russia. The cartoons of “Orthodox in space” apparently looking for God, as one of the soviet cosmonauts blasphemed, are sad beyond words. Secular saviors are sought in vain.
Bernard Korzeniewicz on November 17, 2017 · at 8:02 am EST/EDT

Saker,
as much as I’m a Polish nationalist (in a sence you are the Russian one) I can’t help to agree with you on so many topics.
This article, (/message-to-the-saker-community-about-great-october-socialist-revolution/) for example summes exactly my point of view. “Only victims know the truth.” Thank you.

As for RT and Sputnik – as I understand they are the Russian view media outlets. Unfortunatelly for me they sems they are “outlets” of Russian based west supporting “democrats” than the actual Russian government. Especially the RT siding with the MSM fake news stations about today Poland hurt the Russian intersts – just like the CNN hurt American’s in Russia.

And this is not a solitary accident. Frequent siding with deranged European Unioin or Poland-grown Antifa wannabes have no sence unless the point is to empower the current regime. And that regime is very weak and need all support it can get. The obviously false media coverage from the not too liked eastern neighbor are like gift form Heaven for the Law and Justice Party.

For me RT is doing it best to help preserve the current level of distrust and anger in the Polish-Russin relation.
Antoni on November 17, 2017 · at 7:33 pm EST/EDT

There is one thing that Western Weapon of mass propaganda (Western media) and RT+Sputnik have in common, anti-Islam insults and stereo types attacks. Daily at least 2 article of anti-Islam nature is published by RT. RT also in the very rude way attacking refugees in Europe. They pick uo every small and banal case and make a huge issue like ” A famous German said that Merkel brought enemies of Jews to Germany”.

Many neo-fascists in eastern Europe attacked in daily basis “colored people” and many of them get inspiration from such anit-Islam and anti refugee insults from RT. My my muslim friends who really love Russia and Russian people were very disturbed and disappointed by RT and stop to to watch it.

Could be RT and Sput infiltrated by usual suspects. Veterans Today wrote about such possibilities before.
Balderdash on December 07, 2018 · at 8:26 pm EST/EDT

Saker nails it again. It matters naught what course Russian media takes – trying to appear acceptable will ‘earn’ it the same rewards as presenting the Truth. So scrap ‘trying’ and concentrate on the truth. Anything less than the truth – and fact checkable propaganda – will be leapt upon as ‘proof that what passes for ‘sense’ in western circles is correct. Better say nothing that to say something verifiably wrong.

Meanwhile it reads like Russia is due for another ‘revival’ meeting. To clarify what Russia is and where Russia is going.

Anything that sounds like ‘Israelovich’ or ‘Nudelsman’ had better be making positive noises, those kind if Russians, like their American pornster cousins, have done nobody any good. They deserve to make aliyah.