Trawling through our glorious MSM on a summer morning …
Yes, it’s the silly season. We’re now on a ‘news diet’ where ‘Tory Sex Scandal’ hogs the headlines, together with Tennis – it’s Wimbledon, innit – and perhaps a cut in VAT. Anything to do with NATO? Forget it. It’s gone, as far as our MSM are concerned. More on this below. For the customary collation of this morning’s print editions go to the usual place (link), if you must.
‘Tis strange though that one ‘event’ has been callously disregarded by our front page editors: the fact that Russia gave back Snake Island to the Ukraine. It surely should have made it to the top of the news! Only the Guardian had a report, headlined “Russians driven out of Snake Island” in their paper edition. The glorious BBC has one report in their News section. In case you missed it, the Ukraine is winning, having ‘driven off’ the Russians with ‘constant bombardment’, or having ‘pushed off’ Russian soldiers.
Funny thought that none of the Ukrainian war correspondents sat in Kiev have reported on these fierce battles. Of course, there were no such reports on the Russian side either, but then, they wouldn’t say nuthin, would they! Also, we wouldn’t believe a word they write or say because it’s only propaganda. Some of us might recall an Ukrainian attempt to reclaim said island which ended in utter defeat for the Ukraine and their NATO military advisers. But that was a long time ago and best forgotten anyway.
The BBC’s Moscow correspondent however – he who gave us that desperate ‘gotcha’ interview with Mr Lavrov which was edited to death – has penned a report. It might have been a top-class lesson in how to influence opinion in the UK with carefully chosen sentences. Instead he uses the opinion hammer in the first sentences:
“We’ve grown accustomed to this: Russia putting out a version of events that is wildly different from that presented by Ukraine or by Western governments. Moscow wants us to believe that there was no Russian retreat from Snake Island.” (link)
There it is: we don’t believe a word coming from Russia, not one! I’m no military ‘expert’, I only look at the ‘news’ as presented by our fab MSM and so I ask: is it really credible that we wouldn’t have been told about the glorious battle fought and won by Ukrainian soldiers who ‘re-took’ that Island? Really? After all, we were given acres of pixels on that ‘terrorist crime’ on yon shopping mall: why was this more important? Or, perish the thought, did nothing battle-like happen?
Mr Rosenberg tells us that this island had been ‘fought over for months’ – without anyone in the West apparently noticing despite all their spy planes and spy satellites, giving us ‘guidance’ on what to think:
“The statement issued by the Russian Defence Ministry claims that Russian troops there had simply completed “assigned tasks” and left. It also called the departure “a goodwill gesture”, to show that Russia wasn’t hampering food exports from Ukraine. Considering the strategic importance of Snake Island, which has been fought over for months, and considering, too, the lack of “goodwill gestures” by the Russian armed forces in Ukraine since the invasion, this version of events will convince few outside Russia.” (link)
Well, I have news for Mr Rosenbegr who, sitting in Moscow, can of course not be expected to inform himself of opinions outside Russia. Mr Bhadrakumar – he’s only a former Indian dipl;omat, so what does he know – wrote that this decision followed a talk between Mr Lavrov and the UN General Secretary, regarding ‘food security’:
“Importantly, Lavrov conveyed to Guterres Moscow’s “intent for further work on reduction of threats of the food crisis, including in cooperation with the UN.” (link).
Interesting, but how come Mr Bhadrakumar knows this but not Mr Rosenberg in Moscow? There’s more (my emphasis):
“The Russian Defence Ministry while announcing the withdrawal from Snake Island, called it a “goodwill gesture” and linked it to the crisis of food security. It added, “The Russian Federation has demonstrated to the international society the absence of any obstacles for the efforts of UN to establish a humanitarian corridor for transporting agricultural products from Ukraine. This solution will prevent Kiev from speculating on an impending grocery crisis citing the inability to export grain due to total control of the northwestern part of the Black Sea by Russia. Now it is up to the Ukrainian side that is still not clearing the Black Sea coastline, including the harbour waters.” (link)
According to Mr Rosenberg and the rest of our ‘warriors’ in the MSM Newsrooms, we don’t believe the Russians, do we. So perhaps they’ve not really gone from Snake Island? What will Mr ‘e do now? Send troops to yon island? Clear the mines? It’s no longer Russia’s responsibility … Do read Mr Bhadrakumar’s article, it’s well worth it.
And so to NATO. Here’s the first snag. In the German paper ‘Die Welt’ we find that Sweden and Finland, so gloriously welcomed to NATO, thanks to Turkey’s demands having been granted, are now telling Mr Erdogan that, sorry, they can’t give him those Kurdish terrorists after all because of their own laws (paywalled link, in German). Awkward, innit … Then there’s the reaction of Russia – by Mr Putin and by Mr Lavrov – which we didn’t hear much about. Reuters – not a Russian propaganda outlet! – reported:
“With Sweden and Finland, we don’t have the problems that we have with Ukraine. They want to join NATO, go ahead,” Putin told Russian state television […]”But they must understand there was no threat before, while now, if military contingents and infrastructure are deployed there, we will have to respond in kind and create the same threats for the territories from which threats towards us are created.” (link)
Next, see Mr. Lavrov’s statement, pointing out the loss of EU sovereignty to NATO. It’s reported by TASS (link) where there’s also a report on China, calling NATO a ‘systemic challenge to global peace and stability (link). Given La Truss’ latest sabre rattling, i.e. us sending weapons to Taiwan (link), they surely have a point. She was slapped down by a competitor for the Tory leadership ‘after BJ’ (link) – another awkward moment for our Cabinet/NATO warriors.
Rounding this up, there’s a report in RT on the statement by the US National Security Council spokesman, Mr Kirby. Of course, since it’s in RT, a Russian propaganda instrument, we cannot believe a word that’s written there. Mr Kirby said that Russia had nothing to fear from the defensive NATO … and anyway, NATO only ‘replied’ to Russian aggression (link). So now we know: it’s all ‘defence’ only, we’re not really at war, forget all the speeches and go back to bed.
Regarding the ‘mobilisation of civilians’ demanded by that UK general on Tuesday – well, I think I know what he meant: it must be about mobilising the social media warriors and comment posters to fight against all who dare to utter a scintilla of doubt on the ‘Russia Bad’ war-cry. After all, NATO needs to fight cyber wars as well, and how better to do this than by bashing all and everyone who dares to ask for unbiased reporting. They must be Putin’s Fifth Columnists, traitors, and their internet access must be taken away. Life without smartphones is the ultimate penalty, innit like …
First reaction to Viv’s excellent post with excellent links.
RUSSIA is the only SANE country in the world !!
To add to the Snake Island misinformation, the DT yesterday had yet another letter, this time from a ret’d Lt Col, opining the dastardly mining of Ukraine’s ports and wanting us to mount a humanitarian operation to make safe passage for merchant exports. Surely the editorial staff know, as Mr Bhadrakumar knows, that it was Ukraine itself that mined the ports, to forestall a potential Russian landing, not an evil Russian plan to inhibit grain and other exports, and that Russia recently cleared a path of which at least one Turkish ship has taken advantage. Perhaps others have been forbidden to leave to maintain the illusion.
So when Rosenberg says, “We’ve grown accustomed to this: Russia putting out a version of events that is wildly different from that presented by Ukraine or by Western governments,” he is not wrong. He’s just got his implications on back to front.
Off topic, two items that interested me in last 24 hrs.
– Full of its own importance, the EurowCourtHumanRights have forbade Russia to execute foreign mercenaries. Russia responded saying Russia was a sovereign country and as such operate their own judicial processes, ta very much.
Please take note PM.
It is indicative of unelected / unaccountable groups seeking out how far they can go in imposing their world reset values on All of Us. See also world health org (imagine the power and direction if Mugabe was still on the board); google (copywrite and privacy matters do not apply here), united States of America (petrodollar, imposition of american laws on us all) et al.
– I don’t have a tv and when visiting, it is poor form to watch tv rather than talk to your friends. Hence last night I only saw ‘unbiased’ gbnews show a couple of short clips of the labor leader and then the libdum leader. Each announced that when they get in at the next election (betting is evens), they will take us back into the common market (as if we never left? e.g. ECHR). Must join the great reset – see above. Very worrying.
Lab Lib Dem manifesto promise to rejoin EU.
What a golden opportunity for the Tories to put clear blue water between Labour / Lib Dem and themselves.
All they have to do is leave the ECHR and finish off Brexit (N Ireland and fishing).
Not holding my breath – they will likely keep that line to lull the credulous centre Right vote in 2024.
Yes Jake Bennett. I also have lost hope.
Dail Mail on census report.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-10967425/STEPHEN-GLOVER-Theres-huge-new-migrant-issue-unfolding-isnt-debate-it.html
A ‘huge new migrant issue’ ???? Same as the old one!!
Events on Snake Island are undoubtedly important but we should also keep an eye on what’s happening closer to home on this island. Can’t get a Doctors appointment or see a Dentist? Don’t worry, get a dinghy, rock up on the South Coast and ask to be sent to Linton-on-Ouse. There you will receive a bespoke and comprehensive health service provided by the NHS. Not contributed? No problem, all paid for by the gullible British taxpayers.
See short video below:
https://youtu.be/WW0LGBZQIdE
The Linton-on-Ouse facility will be full in a month. Then what? Where do next month’s 1500 arrivals go? Whose village? Which Town is next?
May I suggest the Cotswolds, Winchester, Chichester, Salisbury, Cheshire, Bath, Cheltnam, Home Counties, Vale of York, Harrogate, High Grove, Buckingham Palace, Balmoral, Chequers and the rolling acres of Sandringham. Plenty of room in these areas to acomodate the Tories generous immigration ambitions.
It’s the silly season across the board not just the dead tree media and social media, read the comments in the so called quality press to get a flavour , ‘ we need another Blair’ and ‘how dare all these rich people make more money’, we need ‘ on the ground in Russia’, ‘Putin should be ‘removed’ ‘more money for the public services’, ‘what have the Tories done in the last 12 years’ oddly the trolls who write that never mention the Lib/Con coalition. Then there is the ‘it’s all men’s fault’ all men are toxic then that’s the latest ‘in word’ no problem identifying men when it suits then, and so it goes on click- bait items and social media attitudes reported by journalists with no investigative ability and no ideas of their own,
‘ we need another Blair’ ! Do those people not remember the damage he did to our country and his constant efforts to do more?
Mark Steyn had the perfect answer to Boris’s ‘if only Putin were a woman’ theme, which must join ‘build back beaver’ in the top ten of Boris’s most insane utterances. Mark pointed out that it was Catherine the Great who increased Russian domination of territory to its greatest ever extent.
For those who haven’t seen Mark Steyn on GB News may I suggest that you read this article. If you wish to watch him in action he is on from 8-9pm on Mon – Thursday. It’s the only time that I switch the TV on at all. He (and Viv, of course) help me to realise that I am not alone in this bonkers, topsy turvy crazy world.
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/where-would-we-be-without-mark-steyn/
Yes Ceri, I agree totally. I watch Mark Steyn live if possible, or on catch-up. Everything else is pre-recorded cancelling out all the adverts which are dire. God help us.