The depth of the completely one-sided approach toward Russia in western elite circles such as that within the political and media spheres can best be measured by the level of support, come what may, for those opposing it.
Currently this is evidenced by an absolute zero level of response regarding the batant shelling of the civilian population of Donetsk City which has been ongoing for over a week now. There are no military targets to speak of there as the troops of the Donetsk People’s Republic are fighting on the front lines elsewhere.
Having watched intently during the worst years of the bombardment of the civilian population there during 2014 and 2015 when there was an identical lack of response from western mass media this has come as no surprise to me.
It should surprise those however who still have a modicum of respect for and belief in the humanity of those within western political and mainstream media circles. The complete lack of coverage either by tweet, speech, article or TV programme when civilians of all ages are actively targeted and killed should shock any decent person out of their comfortable concepts regarding these sources.
What does it say about the integrity of commentators when one side and one side only in a conflict is portrayed as in the wrong and the other as shining examples of correct behaviour and character? When the ‘other side’, that side that does not act in conformity with western interests, is blamed for every occurrence where non-combatants die? No war is completely black and white and when it is portrayed this way it is only a matter of how deep and pervasive the lying goes.
Russia has been accused of utterly illogical and indeed nonsensical acts of violence on the say so of those who have much more reason to commit them. In recent days the depiction of Russia as the universal devil in this scenario has begun to be modified. A United Nations report has recently criticised the Kiev authorities and the Ukrainian army for locating heavy weaponry in close proximity to a kindergarten. This hopefully will only be the first glimpse of a much-needed objective approach to examining claims and counter-claims made during this conflict.
The atrocity in the Kiev suburb of Bucha, the shelling of the train station at Kramatorsk, the killing of civilians in the destruction of the Mariuopol theatre and the many incidents where schools and hospitals were the subject of attack and destruction. These must all be thoroughly and independently investigated. Attention too should be given to witness statements in every town the Russians have taken from the Ukrainian forces. They have much to say on the subject of Ukrainian forces' behaviour.
Images of notices placed on doors warning residents they must evacuate at a moment's notice if Ukrainian troops arrive seeking entry to use their family rooms for military purposes. Videos showing Ukrainian troops, weaponry and ammunition in school classrooms should be viewed and assessed.
There are so many missing procedures and vast pieces of blanked-out history regarding the conflict that has gone on since 2014 when the presiding, democratically-elected authorities in Ukraine were overturned in a violent insurrection.
One of the missing pieces, or rather a volume of pieces which were simply ignored by western political and media elites, were the weekly reports by the OSCE ( Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) which was tasked with monitoring, investigating and reporting on acts of violence including shelling in the Donbass from 2014 until this year. Their reports showed who the perpetrators were. They were predominantly the Ukrainian forces who had held the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk hostage since early 2014. In particular, the vast rise in the number of attacks mounted by the Ukrainian forces in early February this year are particularly significant.
I come back to Donetsk City however. What possible excuses can the so-called ‘International Community’ (in effect this comprises only the USA and its allies) have in totally ignoring the blatant war crime and crimes against humanity being committed on a daily basis by Ukrainian forces there? What possible excuse can the leaders of these nations and their state and mass media colleagues have for turning a blind eye to this normally unconscionable behaviour. They HAVE no excuse.
What has become normal throughout the West as was seen by me throughout the worst years as perpetrated by the Ukrainians, is the creation of a silent ‘killing field’ where civilian lives can be snuffed out with impunity. Sight unseen. Western media knew this evil was going on, and know so now also. But a hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil policy was in place from 2014 and remains in place now.
Donetsk civilians, men, women, children, the elderly, infirm and all completely innocent of wrongdoing have not only be held hostage, kept surrounded by vengeful forces in a siege, they have been attacked on a daily basis causing grievous injury, death and destruction allowing them no respite… for eight long years now.
And this has resumed with additional venom and heartless cynicism and psychopathic determination to kill, maim and destroy in recent days… while the western political and media elites blindfold their eyes and stick their bloody fingers deep into their ears.
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