The Media Should Label Human Rights Advocates and Liberal Leaders in Dictatorships Less Negatively

I have criticized the professional media for being the mouthpieces of every tyrant and terrorist around the globe for decades, often reporting their verbatim quotes, usually without noting that they are not credible or evil. Although the media practice of presenting both sides is to blame, it is not unusual that they present only the dictators’ or terrorists’ side. I have noted how this practice is an overt facet of foreign interference in the politics of free States. Furthermore, whether the media presents both sides or not, the print media, for example, often bases the headlines of stories on the dictators’ or terrorists’ statements, which is a problem because many people only read headlines. And if the media does include anything critical of despots, it usually frames it as an allegation by those whom the media labels the dictators’ “critics” or “foes” or perhaps —at best—by some human rights organization, usually without any further details. But the point of this post particularly is to call out this practice of referring to human rights advocates or liberal (in the sense of being in favor of liberty, not necessarily of favoring left-wing policies) political leaders in negative terms, such as “critics” and “foes.” Although liberal leaders are accurately referred to as “opposition” leaders, or “opponents,” this reference nonetheless refers to them in a negative sense and defines them only in relationship to the dictator, instead of in their own right. Given the problem of the “both sides” media practice, the negative labels for anyone who does not support a dictator exacerbates the media’s complicity in spreading the dictators’ messaging abroad.

Five Million Ukrainian Refugees from Russian Aggression Sets a Post-War Record

Five million Ukrainians have fled Ukraine because of Russian Federation aggression against their country, which is a record since the Second World War. This figure is in addition to several million Ukrainians who have been internally displaced. The refugees, who are mostly women and children, have fled to European States. The Europeans have been more welcoming than they have been to refugees and migrants from Asia and Africa. The previous record was set last decade by Syrians fleeing the tyrannical regime of Bashar Assad during the ongoing Syrian Civil War that has claimed over half a million lives as the Syrian people rose up against Assad, who was used barrel bombs and chemical weapons against civilians. Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, an ex-Soviet intelligence officer, was thus behind both refugee crises, as he had backed the terrorist-sponsoring Assad, who is also supported by Islamist Iran and the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist organization, Hezbollah. In both cases, civilians fled Russian bombing that deliberately targeted civilian areas. Putin, who laments the breakup of the Soviet Union, deliberately provoked the Syrian refugee crisis to weaken and divide Europeans.

Russian Federation Attacks on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a defensive military pact led by the United States, is supplying arms and providing intelligence to Ukraine for defense against the Russian Federation invasion of the former Soviet Republic. It has prudently been careful to avoid a direct confrontation with Russian forces while warning that any attack on a NATO member would be construed as an attack on all and would be responded to. It should not be overlooked that Russia, under ex-Soviet intelligence officer Vladimir Putin, who laments the breakup of the Soviet Union, has engaged in various attacks on NATO members over the last several years, including direct military attack, such as blowing up arms warehouses in the Czech Republic in 2014. Russia has also murdered Russian exiles on NATO soil, including by weapons of mass destruction; committed cyberattacks against NATO member governments and people; and interfered in members’ politics through intimidation, stealing and releasing information, disinformation and illegal campaign financing, among other active measures. NATO would justifiably defend itself against a Russian invasion, and it should avoid any unnecessary direct confrontation with the Russians while continuing to support Ukraine, but Putin uses these other means of warfare to attack, often while denying responsibility or blaming its enemies, or, at most, attributing these attacks to Russian “patriot” acting on their own. Some of these attacks have been punished with sanctions, but Russia generally escapes responsibility. These Russian attacks, which have not been limited to NATO members, prove the need for the alliance, a strengthening of defense and continued opposition to Russian aggression.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! With all the death from disease, war and the usual causes around the world, it is as essential as ever to have Hope in the Resurrection. God bless you.

Update: Russian Aggression against Ukraine

The brave resistance of the Ukrainian people, their great leadership, as well as the training, arms and materiel and intelligence supplied by the United States and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies have prevented a total conquest of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, at least for now. Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, an ex-Soviet intelligence officer who wishes to reconstitute the Soviet Union and its sphere of influence, has had to abandon his attempt to take the Ukrainian capital and western Ukraine, focusing instead on conquering eastern Ukraine, after having already taken Crimea in 2014 and backing Russian separatists ever since. Russia’s invasion violates its treaty with Ukraine in which it recognized the former Soviet Republic’s independence, territorial integrity (including Crimea and eastern Ukraine) and self-determination, in exchange for Ukraine’s relinquishment of the Soviet nuclear missiles that had been on its soil. As expected, based on the Russian pattern in Chechnya, Syria and previously in Ukraine, Russia has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. Russian aggression threatens other former Soviet Republics, as well as former Soviet satellite States, and even beyond. Russia had invaded the former Soviet Republic of Georgia in 2008, establish puppet governments in two breakaway provinces. It also maintains troops in a separatist part of Moldova, against that former Soviet Republic’s wishes. Aggression must be everywhere resisted, lest the peace and security of the world be threatened. The independence, sovereignty and self-determination of every state must be respected, which thereby safeguards American independence, sovereignty and self-determination.

Thirteen-Year Blog Visit Report

Thank you for visiting my blog. In the thirteen years since StatCounter began tracking visits to my blog, there have been nearly 7,500, counting them strictly (not including my own visits or those that are obviously automated, or when the page visited is not identifiable, and only counting visits separately if the pageviews of a visitor are more than an hour apart). As I have noticed previously, fewer visits are trackable because of measures taken for privacy, which is why the host of the blog, Blogger, tracks far more pageviews, although with much less specificity than StatCounter. The trend over the last few years continues of visits primarily being to the homepage of my blog, instead of to individual pages. I am grateful to have the opportunity again to post to my blog at a time when the defense of truth, equality, liberty and representative government is most necessary, despite the technical glitch that still prevents spacing and paragraphs. Again, thank you for visiting, etc.

Hungarian Presidential Elections: Center Right vs. Ultranationalist Far-Right

Hungarians will vote Sunday for president in a contest that pits the incumbent far-right anti-migrant authoritarian seeking a fourth term against a grand coalition across the Hungarian political spectrum whose candidate is a conservative Catholic mayor. The ultranationalist current President, Viktor Orban, describes himself as “illiberal” and has compromised the independence of the judiciary and of academia and other institutions while keeping out refugees attempting to pass through Hungary. A darling of the Trumpist American far-right, Orban, like other “sovereignists,” has been disgraced by his support of Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, the Hungarian President’s recent condemnation of Russian aggression against Ukraine and acceptance of Ukrainian refugees notwithstanding. Hungary is not allowing any direct transfers of military aid through to Ukraine through its territory. Sunday’s presidential election offers a great opportunity for a center-right candidate to vanquish a far-right candidate and restore Hungary’s liberty and representative governance and to reject the ultranationalist authoritarian model.