"Media Beating Drums of War...We've Heard it Before" & More STUFF--Another View
Media 'beating these drums of war over Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Syria – we've heard it before'...and our hackles start to rise..Oliver Tickell, editor of The Ecologist magazine, talks to Going Underground host Afshin Rattansi about mainstream media distorting the truth. He feels that the depiction of Russia as the agressor in the Ukraine conflict is a view that goes unchallenged in a lot of media, and there are other narratives which can and should be put across. He points out other stories designed to support the view, like the Russian bombers in the English channel, which he describes as 'weak and unconvincing reporting' and says that no doubt we have aircraft near Russian borders, something which does not merit media coverage.
He says BBC guidelines are clear that they have to report impartially, and it has the reputation for being impartial, and he feels it should try and adhere to those principles. 'There's no particular reason to think that simply because we happen to be British that we are necessarily on the right side,' he warns, and part of being patriotic is criticising when we drift from 'fundamental principles of human decency.' His generation has been through the mainstream media beating the 'drums of war' over Iraq, Syria, Libya and others, and this is repeating over Russia, but the difference is that unlike the others, Russia has the capability to damage the West.
He thinks Russia is reluctant to be involved in this conflict, but if they continue to be attacked militarily, economically and diplomatically, the situation will continue to escalate 'in a way that could prove very dangerous indeed.' Governments like the US act as if they are reluctant to get involved but need to protect civilians, whilst the media cheers them to war, and they can become involved whilst appearing not to be bloodthirsty. He does feel that the growth of alternative media, with a greater diversity of views out there, means that mainstream media are struggling to build the kind of appetite for war that they used to be able to engender as a matter of course, citing the Parliamentary vote against bombing Syria after the chemical weapons attack as an example where public opinion pushed us away from war. There is a danger of drifting into war with Russia which is why it is so important to challenge the singular narrative put out by the mainstream and ensure that other points of view are out there, and the 'small influence' his magazine is able to have in this issue makes it worth carrying on.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Oliver Tickell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oliver Tickell explaining his book Kyoto2 in the presence of Ed Miliband at Oxford Town Hall
Oliver Tickell is a British journalist, author and campaigner on health and environment issues, and author of the book Kyoto2 which sets out a blueprint for effective global climate governance.[1][2] His articles have been published in all the broadsheet newspapers and numerous magazines including New Scientist, New Statesman and The Economist. He is an experienced broadcaster on the BBC home and world services including "Today", "PM", "Costing the Earth", "Farming World" and "Farming Today". He studied physics at Oxford University and is a founding fellow of the Green Economic Institute
Thank you, Koko, and I'm so glad that your source is RT, it goes to show all of us our own MSM is sure the hell not what it used to be, owned by what is it now, five companies that control and shape public opinion?
Which is totally out of control. The bankers and 1% Creme' de la Creme' has skimmed off all the value of money possible from the fiat system, and now they're broke but refuse to admit it. Enter QE.
The crash has occurred but they refuse to let anyone know. They throw up BS happy numbers occasionally telling us of the ''recovery'' -- just to keep the rubes satisfied until next week, and those in the know quiet so they don't lose their shirts either. This House of Cards called the international monetary system hasn't got much further to go before it collapses under it's own weight.
However, none of today's leaders (including Putin) will get us to the place where we need to be. The systems we have in-place now are too antiquated and corrupted to do anything as anyone with their eyes open can see.
It was a good 'ol steed that brought a mighty long way. But it has served it's purpose and it is time to break from this ancient 200-year old horse and buggy idea and move onto something a little more electromagnetic and operating closer to the speed of light.
- Yet, in every major evolution in human history there has always been a catalyst that begins the process of transformation. In this case, thy name is Vladimir.
