Editorial contributes to ‘near hysteria anti-Russian phobia’
To the Expositor:
The July 22 Expositor editorial ‘Shooting down airliners is playing with historical fire’ contributes to a near hysteria anti-Russian, anti-Putin phobia held by many Canadians. This is unhealthy and dangerous given the Ukrainian proximity to Russia and given the Russians like the Americans have a finger on real atomic weaponry that can obliterate us all. The editorial is also largely untrue, as was the Gulf of Tonkin lie used as a reason to expand the Vietnam war, the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction lie which fueled the start of that war or the misleading lies to the UN Security Council that lead to Libyan regime change and chaos, or the false flag claim that Syria’s Assad attacked his own people with chemical weapons, which came close to starting another war and is still believed by many Canadians. Clearly we are getting it wrong.
The editorial is conclusive that the Ukrainian rebels shot down the airliner with Russian support, but even the US intelligence report has only gone as far as to say it was likely the rebels and likely an accident. These rebels whom the article refers to as terrorists have always denied guilt. The west has produced no supporting evidence backing their claims while in a press conference, largely ignored by the west, the Russians produced satellite images showing that MH714 had diverted from its flight path and was being approached by a fighter just prior to its downing. Also shown was the placement of Ukrainian government mobile rocket launchers in the immediate area which were removed after the downing. Who or what was responsible for this tragedy is still, as I write, unknown.
The US Obama Administration, and therefore our big media, blames Russia for creating the conditions leading to the tragedy. But it was the US, not the Russians that sponsored a violent coup lead by neo-Nazis, replacing a democratically elected president, less that a year away from facing re-election. US Administration spokesperson Valery Nuland divulged that the US spent big money in supporting the coup against the elected government. The trouble in Ukraine was not started by the Russians and to inflame the western public against Putin and Russia does not serve anyone’s interests.
The people of Eastern Ukraine with historically close ties to Russia voted and overwhelmingly refused to accept the imposed Kiev governance. Now they are called terrorists but might better be labeled an anti fascist democratic resistance force. Their resistance has been met by Kiev directed military bombardments against their own people resulting in losses far exceeding the lives lost in the 714 tragedy and paralleling the numbers being killed in Gaza, with little western mention.
Being northern countries sharing much of the Arctic, Canada has a lot to gain by partnering with Russia and nothing to gain by making enemies. Truth and understanding must lead the way.
Ron Brydges
Stanley Park/St. Catharines
