Good old BBC – what would the world do without this paragon of professional journalism and impartiality?!
Not.
Check out how the BBC reported about the (illegal) demonstration which the so-called “non-system opposition” (aka “those who could not even get a single deputy elected into the Duma”) organized today:
Impressive crowd, no? In the “hundreds” according to the article. And just to make sure that anybody doubting the size of this demonstration would not think that it lacked popular support, the reporter added that these demonstrators were “braving freezing temperatures”. And just to add some extra weight to it all, we are informed that this rally was one of “several” and “nationwide” which took place. It would be legitimate to assume that, say, at least 10-15 major Russian cities saw demonstrations. Finally, we are told that the police “broke up” the demonstration and that “opposition leaders” were arrested.
Scary, no?
Clearly, Putin is mercilessly crushing the legitimate aspirations to democracy and freedom of the Russian people and his goon cops are on a repressive rampage. Is the revolution is scheduled for tomorrow morning?
Hardly.
First, take a look at the Moscow demonstration on a photo taken from above the square:
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The truth is that the demonstration was minuscule. Second, this was a sunny winter day no worse in any way than what Moscovites live with every day of their winter – there was nothing to “brave” by Russian standards.
Furthermore, the folks represented here were not, repeat *NOT*, the “opposition”. The “opposition” in Russia is composed of three parties: the Communists, the LDPR and the Just Russia parties. These parties made it into the Duma and are the real opposition. What we saw on the streets are folks representing something in the range of one, maybe two, percent of the population. Mostly, they represent themselves and their Anglosaxon sponsors and bosses.
As for the rally being banned, you can see for yourself that it is smack in the middle of a square with traffic on all sides, and this is why the Moscow authorities tried for weeks to convince the organizers that this was a bad place and that traffic would be disrupted and the demonstrators endangered. The organizers of the rally replied that this was the Lubianka square, where the KGB headquarters had been in the Soviet times and were the current FSB has its official headquarters; furthermore, there is a monument to the victims of Soviet repressions there. The city authorities *did* authorize the demonstrators to place flowers at the monument, but asked them to then keep on walking in order to avoid creating a traffic jam.
Some demonstrators complied and freely left, some refused and were detained long enough to remove them from the square.
And that is all the “repression” which took place.
Makes me wonder what the folks at the BBC are smoking…
The Saker
I know its only a figure of speech to demonstrate absurdity but to ‘wonder what they are smoking’ misses the whole point of the BBC. They are the quintessential mouthpiece of the British Establishment, period. Not the government of the day – left or right – mind you, but the State and it’s hidden Arbiters. This is ESPECIALLY the case where matters of Foreign policy are concerned. The general public, by and large, know diddly-squat about Britsh deceit, hypocricy and downright Orwellian inversion of the facts where FP is concerned (though many like to think they do). They are simply led by the nose and it is the dear old BBC that do most of the leading.
BBC so-called ‘News and Current Affairs’ are thundering bloody disgrace, in service to their hidden Masters; yet somehow they manage to retain an image of ‘meaning well’ that has even informed folk such as yourself blogging about their lying as though it were a sort of understandable recreational aberration.
Please don’t take that to harshly. You produce some damn good analysis and I look forward to it – but I had to get that off my chest.
@wikispooks:Please don’t take that to harshly
Not at all, especially since I fully agree with every word you say! I sometimes choose to make fun of things which enrage and disgust me and, in this case, I assure you that my loathing for the BBC (which I consider to be even worse than US media corporate outlets) is very deep.
And, in the future, please feel free to post here without having to worry about me liking it or not. Frankly, while I might disagree with something, I rarely get offended and I never *EVER* censure any point of view. Quite to the countrary, appreciate a lively and contradictory discussion and you are more than welcome to “get stuff off your chest” on this blog :-)
Kind regards and many thanks,
The Saker
Richard Seymour of the British SWP on the BBC
http://www.leninology.com/2012/12/what-is-it-about-bbc.html
Cockburn reiterates:
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/syria-the-descent-into-holy-war-8420309.html
@Robert 16 December, 2012 15:30
Is a contributor for the Guardian Newspaper, ABC, CBC plus other Zionist controlled rags which are even worse for news manipulation then the BBC. the SWP who Richard is a member of is just as big a con.