Why are the American media, both liberal and conservative, so unanimously anti-Russian?

cdi.org ^ | Wed, 19 Jan 2005 05:47:59 EST | Ira Straus

[Destro]

You and some others here are looking for specific reasons - i.e. everyone would love Russia if it were not for Iran or some such reason.

I tell you this - Russia could be selling zero arms around the world and this hostile attitude by elements of both the and left and right would still be manifest.

The animosity borders on irrationalism - like antisemitisim.

As you can see - some on the right (since we are on the right we can speak on this rather than why the left hates Russia due to posted examples) are Cold War left overs and into this mix are those influence by the Birch society. A world view based on concpiracy and life or death struggle with the Eastern bloc does not fade easily (how many old timers still don't buy German or Japanese products?), also into this mix you throw in the rise of the "end times" cults that had as its central thesis that the USSR was the nation of the Antichrist and they follow the theory that the Russians and the Chinese will march on Jerusalem like some bad movie so no matter what happens - Russia is destined to serve this role in the end times so why make nice?

Statements that Russia is not moving to Jeffersonian democracy by some on the Right is laughable noting that most on FreeRepublic would come to the defense of Chile's anti-Communist Pinochet regime in a hearbeat.

So in conclusion, the antagonisim to Russia is not caused by disagreement on any issues.

[Rockingham]

Russia has provided help for the US against terrorism, but it also assists, for cash, the weapons programs of Iran and North Korea, rogue states that support terrorism. That much is not reasonably subject to dispute, nor is the weakening of democratic institutions and freedom of the press in Russia under Putin, the massive corruption, the menacing alliance between the security services and criminal gangs, and thuggish behavior toward neighbors who were formerly part of the Soviet Union.

Those are all rational, fact based reasons for disquiet at the course Russia is on. Many fine Russian democrats would make the same criticisms. Show or cite the articles in the US mass media that evidence the kind of unreasoning anti-Russian attitudes that you think are so prevalent and influential in the US. The criticisms one hears of Russia are, on the whole, far more measured than the criticisms one heard of Bush and US policy from the Democratic Party in the last election.

[eluminate]

on the Georgia issue think about it for a second Stalin made it larger adding to georgia Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia both of which won their independence during the 1990s by themselves... Ossetians have about a million people while Abkhazians have about 700k the reality was Georgia started both wars trying to push them out into Russia like it did with Turkish Meskhetins which lived in Georgia. The effort backfired Abkhazia has one mountain pass to defend really so there is no real way Georgia can ever have that back with Ossetia it is possible but it would create a very bitter war since both are mountain people. Georgia vs Russia ? you do realize that if Russia cuts of trade with Georgia the later will sink like a rock ecconomicly which it has btw.

The biggest irony I see so far is that both south ossetia and abkhazia want to rejoin Russia which doesn't want to let them back due to foreighn opinion.

[Destro]

You speak about corruption - yet the oligarchs are the biggest example of said corruption and when Putin cracked down on the oligarchs the press in America went ape.

I know of zero new weapon systems sold to North Korea beyond maintanance stuff - and there was a report - denied by all - that Russia had installed bugging devices in North Korean facilities. The story was posted here on FreeRepublic a couple of years ago.

There are claims that discarding direct elections for some local offices is a retreat from democracy - but no mention of the fact that direct appointment is the system many democracies have - London only had direct electins for her mayor in 2000 - a communist was elected.

[Rockingham]

Khodorkovsky and the oligarchs who opposed Putin are being dispossessed, but those who support Putin and his gang, such as the Gazprom crowd, are more secure, corrupt, and as wealthy than ever. In addition, Western investment in the companies politically targeted by Putin has been drastically reduced in value. Much of Russia's mobile wealth remains abroad invested in foreign economies because of the insecurity of the rule of law and property rights in Russia.

Khodorkovsky's offense was not his corruption. As reported in one recent article, "Putin's critics and supporters agree on one thing: Khodorkovsky was jailed at the president's behest for venturing too boldly into politics. The oil baron had openly financed opposition parties while trying to use his financial clout to gain control of the Duma." PUTIN IS THE MODERN RIDDLE INSIDE THE ENIGMA, Mark Mcdonald, Knight Ridder Newspapers. Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Fla.: Dec 7, 2003. pg. G.1 I am sending a copy of the article to you separately.

An American equivalent of what Putin has done to Khodorkovsky would be if George Bush called in the IRS, SEC, and every other agency that he could think of and told them he wanted George Soros jailed, prosecuted, his personal assets seized, and his companies sold to rich friends of his from Texas. If George Bush took leave of his senses in that fashion, he would quickly face rebellion from his staff and his party, obstruction in the courts, and impeachment in Congress. Bush's own political supporters would rise against him to defend democracy and the rule of law and the rights of George Soros, a man utterly opposed to them. Nothing of the sort has happened in Russia in response to Putin's attack against Khodorkovsky.

In the Russian context, Putin's termination of the right to elect regional governors is antidemocratic in intent and effect, eliminating an entire level of elected government. Britain, with the longest continuous history of elected government, suffered little from not electing the Mayor of London until 2000; but Russia's nascent and insecure democracy is plainly in decline under Putin.

Here are several published reports about Russian help to North Korea's weapons programs, including it nuclear weapons programs:

Unclassified Report to Congress on the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions
1 January Through 30 June 2000

Russia continues to be a major supplier of conventional arms. It is the primary source of ACW for China and India, it continues to supply ACW to Iran and Syria, and it has negotiated new contracts with Libya and North Korea, according to press reports.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/721_reports/jan_jun2000.htm#13

__________

U.S. Is Set to Use APEC To Pressure North Korea
JEANNE CUMMINGS / Wall Street Journal 23 Oct 2002

The twin threats of North Korea and Iraq will be on the agenda Saturday when Mr. Bush meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the APEC meeting in Mexico. The discussion could prove tricky because U.S. officials have said North Korea purchased materials for its weapons program from Russian suppliers.

Russia and the U.S. also are still wrangling over the wording of a new United Nations resolution calling for disarming Iraq. On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said "the American draft resolution ... does not, for the moment, meet" Russia's criteria. Moscow is eager to avoid a war with Iraq, and wants to make sure the resolution doesn't authorize U.S. military action at the first sign of an Iraqi violation. One U.N. diplomat said the Russians were now bargaining about the language in the resolution, but were unlikely to block its passage.

To protect that momentum, the White House chose not to confront Moscow with evidence of Russian involvement in North Korea's weapons program -- transactions that Washington says the Putin government may not have known about.

After meetings with Russia's foreign ministry Tuesday, an American diplomat said the Russians "concur that what the North Koreans are doing in the uranium enrichment field amounts to a clear violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty."

___________

U.S. Officials Say Pakistan Aided North Korea Program
CARLA ANNE ROBBINS and ZAHID HUSSAIN / Wall Street Journal 21 Oct 2002

Intelligence Appears to Show Source of Nuclear Expertise

North Korea was able to pursue its clandestine nuclear-weapons program by acquiring critical parts from Russian suppliers in recent years, while Pakistani scientists appear to have previously provided important nuclear designs and expertise, a senior U.S. official said.

* * *

But North Korea continued to shop for needed equipment in Russia and other countries, according to U.S. officials.

The U.S. has intelligence that suggests Russian suppliers sold specialty metals, valves, pumps and other hardware to run gas centrifuges used to produce highly enriched uranium needed to make nuclear weapons. Several U.S. officials said they have no proof of the Russian government's involvement in these transactions or that it was even aware of them, but added that they couldn't rule it out.

A U.S. official said that indications of Russian suppliers' helping the North Koreans were among the tips Washington had of Pygongyang's nuclear-weapons development efforts. A spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry, however, forcefully denied his country's involvement.

"This has absolutely nothing to do with reality," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko.

[BlackElk]

And may God bless each of you and each of yours, as well, and provide you with every blessing, including the justice you are seeking here.

My only suggestion is that most of us are not very well acquainted with Russian history and that each of you knows much that you can communicate. If some here confuse Russia itself with communism, they are wrong. Likewise those who mistake authoritarianism for totalitarianism. Presented respectfully, resourcefully and comprehensively with the facts and the truth, many here will prove to be more fair-minded than they may seem and some will be surprised by their own reactions as I have been by mine.

Again, God bless.

[BlackElk]

Russia has its own rich tapestry of history of which Jefferson is not a part. It would seem very strange if Russia found its way to Jeffersonian democracy but Russia can certainly arrive at its very own arrangements. A monarchy in line with Solzhenitsyn's ideas would not likely occur here but it might well occur in Russia with great benefit to Russians and be a renewed paradigm of what Russia has been and can be.

I think Pinochet, BTW, did what had to be done. Likewise many Latin American leaders in Argentina and El Salvador. Allende was no more representative of Chilean civilization than was lenin of Russian civilization.

[A Longer Name]

The American media and American public are pro-Russian. They are just anti-Russian-mafia and anti-Russian-expansionism.

You don't hear much about Russian mafia anymore. I suppose that's because yesterday's mafia now became "respected pro-Western businessmen opressed by Putin."

As for the Russian expansionism, this is ridiculous. As the man said, the Russians have suddenly found themselves back inside the 17th century borders. And what have they done about it? Pretty much, nothing. There is a word for it and it's ain't expansionism. Okay, so now it appears that Putin maybe wants (using mostly economic and political pressure, and diplomacy) wants to bring Russian influence all the way to the 18th century level. I say, big friggin' deal.

[x]

I was speaking historically, across the history of our relations with Russia. And you'll have to admit, I hope, that for an important chunk of that time, there were some potent Russian -- or more correctly Soviet -- expansionists. What will happen in the future, I don't know, but when Hollywood wants to get Americans angry at Russians it makes them either mafiosi or interventionists, usually paratroopers planning coups in Uzbekistan or ex-military men with nukes.