Demonizing Demons

zyx066 (72)in #informationwar • 5 years ago

"Down with propaganda! Down with the British press who told their fans not to come!" This was the reaction of a commentator on Russian state television when a winning penalty was scored in an exciting match during the 2018 World Cup held in Russia.

_{source: Wikimedia Commons}

To understand this reaction is not too difficult if you remember the amount of anti-Russian propaganda in Western European and American press in the run-up to the 2018 World Cup. Russia was depicted either as dastardly and calculating enemy, secretly playing chess on the world geopolitical play-field, or as violent vodka-drinking drunkards. Then secretary of foreign affairs in England, Boris Johnson, upped the ante by comparing the Russian World Cup to Hitler's 1936 Olympics: Boris Johnson compares Russian World Cup to Hitler's 1936 Olympics.

This World Cup is but one small example of the power of propaganda, and we must all be aware of this power. European soccer-fans who did go to Russia in 2018 had the time of their lifes and many were genuinely surprised by the warmth with which the Russian people welcomed them. Guardian journalist, Shaun Walker, quoted one fan who was 'absolutely loving it'; "It's the opposite of what we expected, everyone has been amazingly welcoming". The Independent found a teenager from Cheshire who was "weirded out" by the warm welcome he received. In the country of Big Bad Vlad...

I recall a discussion from the early 1990s; the Berlin Wall had just fallen and for the first time in their lifes Russian news-reporters were allowed to come take a look at how we in the west deal with freedom of the press and freedom of speech, something they themselves were unfamiliar with. What I remember most is that these Russian reporters were astounded. Not by the freedom of the western press, but by their conformity. How do you do it, they asked. How can it be that no matter which newspaper we read, or which television news-broadcast we watch, it's the same story everywhere? In the former Soviet Union this was managed through heavy repression by the state, but this is a liberal democracy, so how come that all newspapers tell the same stories?

The 2018 World Cup was a success overall and England reached the semi-finals, beating all expectations; it's a sad thing that thousands of English fans stayed at home because of the demonizing of Russia. Many more fans from Central and South America, Asia and Australia did go and overwhelmingly had a great time. Even after the event, British media were reluctant to admit to their error. The Guardian wrote literally this: "So did the British media get Russia wrong? Well, perhaps a bit", in an article responding to the many headlines shaming the British press. One tweet went viral, by a British fan who complained about the "clear propaganda against the Russian people" in the British media. Russia was an "absolutely class country", he wrote, at odds with what the media had led him to believe.

What I want to say is this: be aware of the fact that most of the "news" carries with it an agenda. Remember that "history is written by the victors," and that this is done while history is happening through the propaganda of the winners. The ideology of free market capitalism with democracy has won the battle of ideas, and as such we endure its propaganda. In the eternal struggle between the intentionally maintained classes the rich have always won, and as such we've always endured their propaganda. If you for a second believe that you can form any accurate opinion about, let's say Iran, by watching and reading the "news", I ask you to reconsider. Did you know that in the soccer-stadium of Tehran there was a two minute silence in honor of the victims of the 9/11 attacks in which you could hear in pin drop? Did you know that both Russia and Iran were relentless in their offers of assistance to the U.S. after those attacks? If you did, kudos to you, but if you didn't, no one should be surprised, as these stories just aren't covered in western mainstream media; they don't serve the objectives of the winners of the ideology and the class wars. Don't get me wrong: these countries have serious problems for sure, and this is not to trivialize that. Please watch the linked video for further examination into the causes of the propaganda, the origin of our demonizing demons;

_{Big Bad Vlad! The Demonisation of Russia}

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