Tuesday, April 28, 2015

The Limits of Propaganda

John Breed
[En français]

As Paul Craig Roberts has recently reported, the US government is in the process of launching an all-out war on truth. Those who express views contrary to the party line out of Washington will be labeled a threat. Eventually they may find themselves carted to one of the concentration camps which Halliberton (Dick Cheney's old company) has constructed for $385 million. But that may take a while. In the meantime, we can expect lots of other, less dramatic developments. Indeed, some of these are already happening. Here they are, listed in order of severity.

1. Self-censorship. Those who have previously tried to get the truth out no matter what become more reticent and prone to equivocation when reporting on “hot” issues.

2. Topic-avoidance. They start avoiding certain “hot” issues that they feel are most likely to get them into trouble.

3. Response to harassment. A few incidents of mild official harassment cause certain blogs to start watering down their content, or pulling down content in response to harassment.

4. Blacklisting. The officials start censoring content on a case-by-case basis, blocking or shutting down certain internet sites that they consider seditious.

5. Blocking communications. The officials start dealing with the “hard cases” of uncooperative individuals who remain, shutting down their communications by disabling their cell phones, shutting down internet access, and by imposing travel restrictions so that the “hard cases” are forced to remain in places where they can be watched.

6. Detention. Those found to be truly uncooperative, who try to circumvent the restrictions, are rounded up and shipped off to the above-mentioned camps.

This may seem like a dire prognosis, but actually I just want to present a relatively complete list of public measures for your consideration. Yes, there will be a few “hard cases” who will insist on getting right in the face of Washington officialdom in futile hopes of somehow affecting the political process or winning over a few of their compatriots. But at some point such individuals become indistinguishable from people with mental problems. That is because if you live in the US, actually know how the political system there operates, and still think that the US is a democracy, then you DO have a mental problem. You can't have it both ways: either you buy into the official propaganda, or you don't.

Also, it bears pointing out that the vast majority of people in the US are quite happy listening to Washington's propaganda, be it from Fox or NPR, don't consider it propaganda, and have been conditioned to consider anyone who attempts to tell them the truth to be tin hat-wearing conspiracy theorist nut case. And that means that tin hat-wearing conspiracy theorist nut cases have a role to play. They are important to have, in the same way that a village idiot is important to have, so that children can learn what idiocy looks and sounds like. So, why bother sending them to a concentration camp?

And so it seems likely that the village idiots... ahem, truth-tellers will remain free-range for the time being, unless they really lose it and start tilting at windmills. But then that becomes a bona fide mental health issue.

Unless, of course, full-on war hysteria breaks out. In that case, while the external goons are busy pretending to be “not winning, not losing” but somehow “keeping America safe” in yet another wretched part of the world, the internal goons have to be kept busy. Rounding up undesirables would give them something to do.

That's the state of affairs in the United States and its subservient territories: Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand and a few others. But Washington's propaganda isn't working at all well in the rest of the world, be it Russia or China or Latin America. In all of these places, Washington's message control has more or less failed. This is why the people in Washington are in a bit of a panic, and labeling internal dissidents as a “threat” is just them flailing in search of an answer. They can't stop lying, and they can't even pretend to rule the world if everyone knows that they are lying, so their only option is to try to squelch every voice except their own. They may succeed at this within the US (some would say they already have) but as far as the rest of the world—good luck!

* * *

An interesting development took place two days ago in my tiny patch of the world: an article I produced together with Club Orlov's special Kiev correspondent Yu Shan which I ran a while ago, then translated into Russian, was published as an editorial by a major Russian online daily, VZGLYAD.ru. In itself this is not a surprise; my stuff does get published in Russian once in a while, and this is an excellent article, which is why I ran it and translated it. But what surprised me was the response it received. Below is a sampling from the over 100 comments it received in just two days. It is here to afford you a peak behind the one-way mirror through which the world views the US. I hope that you enjoy it.

Ай да Ю, ай да сукин ты сын! Читал с наслаждением с первой до последней буквы! Yu sonofabitch! I read it with delight from the first to the last word!

Браво, желтолицый брат! Получил настоящие удовольствие от прочитанной статьи! Bravo, yellow-skinned brother! I got real pleasure from reading this article!

Автору—огромный респект! Написано умно, с большим чувством, искренностью и тревогой за судьбу мира. Без излишнего умничанья и скороспелых выводов. Читала с удовольствием. Жду новых статей. С успешным дебютом!! This author deserves huge respect! This is written intelligently, with great feeling, sincerity and worry over the fate of the world. Without excessive sophistry or quick answers. I read it with pleasure. I wait for new articles. Congratulations on a successful debut!

Огромное спасибо автору! Определение очень верное. Неврозы и прочие личные психотические явления, игры разума и продукты разыгравшейся больной фантазии... Голоса в голове. А больше ничего. A huge thank-you to the author! His diagnosis is very accurate. It's all neuroses and other psychotic phenomena, mind games and products of an inflamed imagination... Voices in their heads. And nothing else.

Ну что, Взгляд можно поздравить с новым талантливым автором. Well, Vzglyad should be congratulated with a new, talented author.

Давненько не читал на ВЗ таких статей. Отлично! Лично меня "пробило". It's been a while since I read such an article in VZ. Excellent! Personally, it just bowled me over.

Потрясающая эмоциональная статья! Несколько сумбурной мне показалась, но суть отражает на все 100. Браво! A stunning, emptional article! It struck me as a bit mussy, but its portrayal of reality is 100% spot on. Bravo!

На удивление глубокая и проницательная статья. Автор молодец. Каждый отдельный параграф—жемчужина мудрости приобретенной на личном опыте. Кто пришел за правдой—услышит и увидит. A surprisingly deep, incisive article. This author is one clever cookie. Each paragraph is a gem of wisdom based on hard-won personal experience. Let him who came for the truth hear and see it.

Умная статья. Особенно точно подмечена и описана интеллектуальная и нравственная деградация США за последние 30 лет. А если Хиллари Клинтон станет очередным президентом США. то процесс деградации придет в заключительную стадию. A smart article. It's especially accurate in noting and depicting the intellectual and moral degradation of the USA over the past 30 years. And if Hillary Clinton becomes the next president of USA, the process of degradation will enter its terminal phase.

Шедеврально! A masterpiece!

Замечательная статья. Отличный слог, и главное, все верно... An amazing article. Beautiful prose and, most importantly, all true...

Однозначно, это перл журналистики. This is a singular journalistic gem.

Блестящий журналист. И мысли, и слог, и опыт. Большинство наших журналистов на такой уровень не тянут. A brilliant journalist. The thoughts, the prose, the experience. Most of our journalists can't operate at such a level

Великолепно! Magnificent!

Не надо недооценивать этих набитых костями американских чучел—они скупили многие медиаресурсы и политическую элиту! Нужно развивать свою культуру, чтоб наша молодежь сама отвергла их гниющие западные ценности! Let's not underestimate these bone-stuffed American scarecrows—they've bought up lots of media resources and the political elite! We must develop our culture, so that our young people naturally reject their rotten Western values.

Блеск! Brilliant!

Давно не читал таких честных эмоций! It's been a long time since I read such honest emotions!

Хорошая статья! Браво! A good article! Bravo!

Написано от души... Чувствуется—выстрадано... Written from the soul... You can feel it—it's based on suffering...

Страшные они феминистки. Потому что злые. С такими страшными женщинами не победишь. Победа за теми чьи женщины счастливие и красивее. Those feminists are frightening. Because they are malicious. You can't win with such frightening women. Victory will belong to those whose women are happier and more beautiful.

Жжёт мужик. Про клоны нуланд очень хорошо заметил. В любом голивудском произведении вы увидите этих тёток в пиджачках на кофточку с большим вырезом, с наглым взглядом и папочкой (а теперь планшетиком) в руках и что то там быстро говорящих на ходу. This guy burns it up! Well noted about the Nuland clones. In any piece of Hollywood output, you can spot these biddies wearing a jacket over a low-cut blouse, with an insolent look, holding a folder (now a tablet) and babbling on about something on the go.

Спасибо, Ю Шан... даже не за аналитику происходящего, а просто за то, что понимаешь, что только Россия и Китай вместе могут убить эту заразу Америку—раковую опухоль планеты. Thank you, Yu Shan... not even for the analysis of what's happening, but just for your understanding that only Russia and China together can kill this American pest—the cancerous tumor of the planet.

Автор правильно отметил пагубность феминизации американского общества и истоки ее "исключительности". Американскими женщинами, захватившими власть в американской семье, во главу угла ставится культ "моего бэби", которому все принадлежит по праву рождения. Отсюда их проблемы. The author accurately pointed out the malignancy of the feminization of American society and the origins of its “exceptionality.” American women, who have seized power in the American family, place their cult of “my baby,” who owns everything as a birthright, ahead of everything and everyone.

Очень интересная статья. Чувствуется, что это идет у него изнутри, выстраданное, а не по верхушкам. Возможно, немножко сумбурно, но от этого кажется еще искреннее. A very interesting article. You can feel, that this is coming from within, from hard-won experience, not from skimming the surface. Perhaps a bit mussy, but because of this it seems even more sincere.

Having worked with Yu on revising his first rough draft, and on translating the result into Russian, I feel some amount of ownership, and pride, in this piece. How much pride? Well, much more than I could have felt had it only been published in English, where the response it received was undeservedly muted. Did a major English-language periodical pick it up? Ha-ha-ha you've got to be kidding! Oh, and in light of what Paul Craig Roberts said, and that list of measures... Draw your own conclusions, but for Yu's next piece I am contemplating skipping the step of producing the intermediate, English-language result, and have it go straight into Russian.

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

> The author accurately pointed out the malignancy of the feminization of American society and the origins of its “exceptionality.” American women, who have seized power in the American family, place their cult of “my baby,” who owns everything as a birthright, ahead of everything and everyone.

This is very accurate. The younger generation (except for the lost college students) in America feels that equality has been achieved.

After feeling that all feminists are stupid I appreciated Emma Watson's talk before the UN, as it acknowledges most, but not all, of feminism is angst: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-iFl4qhBsE

Anonymous said...

Feminist angst has good treatment in Jane Austen's _Mansfield Park_ of English literature:

"But I do talk to [Sir Thomas] more than I used. I am sure I do. Did not you hear me ask him about the slave-trade last night?"--Fanny to Edmund, Ch.21

Interestingly when this part got highlighted in the 1999 adaptation it got a lot of criticism for it by fans of Jane Austen who had a mental block correlating feminism and sexuality.

Unknown said...

You forgot to link to the original article

Notes from a Funeral

http://cluborlov.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/notes-from-funeral.html

:)

Mike D

Jim R said...

That would have been this essay:
http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-rage-of-cultural-elites.html

Cool kids. With high level connections.

I just re-read that essay, it was excellent. In addition to high school, I thought of the British Empire, with its cool adults, in-the-know, sipping tea and discussing all those poor sods in China, hooked on opium, ... never mind where they got the tea.

Aron Blue said...

Yikes! Please don't stop translating these articles into English - I still remember that gorgeous line about the American soul perishing on its air-conditioned deathbed. I have put myself on a complete news/editorial fast w the exception of this blog and one other source. So I guess a news diet lol

charries said...

Things are not as simple as Roberts suggests: Baltimore is very close to Washington. And Baltimore is smouldering today. There is a very large, deprived and demoralised underclass in the United States, which grows poorer and angrier by the day. The chances of widespread riots, triggered by the arrogance, sadism and idiocy of the ruling class's police agencies, this year are very good. And, unlike the colour revolutions, there will be nothing phoney about these uprisings when they come.
On the face of widespread social disorder the US authorities will curl up like snails by a bonfire.

forrest said...

My psychological reflex these days, when trouble like Baltimore's develops, has become idle curiosity as to who triggered it and how they expect to benefit.

Police can respond to a protest in ways that generally keep it controlled (even if people are angry) or they can poke it with sharp sticks. In the course of the 60s they learned pretty well how to keep a protest boring and futile -- and since then, that's been the norm, at least around here. But police have always known how to make a protest boring, futile and violent -- and with departments around the country arming themselves for internal war, I do wonder if the lid is coming down.

candrich said...

I am a 61 year old american woman. I remember the America of my youth and I mourn. By the 1980's I had learned to avoid the cities like the plaque they were becoming. I am a rural person. In the quiet parts of America, real people still exist. When I study history I have to realize that the government of this country may have never shared in real American values. The people did have these values and they still exist in the countryside. I still have some hope that the real America will stand up and be. It will be an extremely painful process but worthwhile nevertheless. Someday, maybe.

Unknown said...

>Draw your own conclusions, but for Yu's next piece I am contemplating skipping the step of producing the intermediate, English-language result, and have it go straight into Russian.

I didn't realize the "attaboy" comments to your posts matter to you. My apologies. I buy your books and tossed some $$ into your unspell kickstarter campaign, and only comment on the rare possibility that others may benefit from my perspective. So please understand that I'm not just thanking your for posting your friends refreshing writing last month, but all of your posts. I don't share much about my life on line, but I want to assure you that your blog posts help me face the collapse of my western way of life focused on the intentional actions I can take to prepare and help others, rather to than to react in fear and denial.

In particular, I appreciated your friend's post because he highlighted how various "isms", feminism in particular, seem to have been co-opted by empire. Frankly I don't give a rat's butt about feminism one way or the other. But reading about its assimilation got me thinking about how other cultural "isms" and memes get assimilated too.

So while I'm not effusive with praise, you are making a difference in many poor, unexceptional Americans' lives, mine included. Please keep publishing in English.

Dmitry Orlov said...

Tim -

It's not a question of pride. It's a question of two things:

1. Working hard to be on the fringe of something minor and reaching a few thousand people is not as good as being gratefully picked up by the mainstream press and being made part of the national discourse. What do you prefer for dinner, a beef Stroganoff or a cheeseburger?

2. Sticking my neck out for negligible results is not exactly rational. Yes, a few people do gain some sort of additional insight that they might not otherwise have. And what do I gain? Potentially, a lot of trouble.

Unknown said...

No, the English-speakers need it most of all. (They will of course, like it least, precisely because they need it most.)

simon.dc3 said...

Dmitry,

The theme of this post is something I've been thinking about on/off for little more than a few months.

When one other notable "fringe" blogger called you out on being rather 'russocentric...of late', I decided it was time to take notice.

And have wondered when will you consider toning it down.
With the likes of Ed Royce bringing back McCarthyism, I expect MSM, now backed by such luminaries --and am sure upcoming Congre$$ional $upport-- to shift from snickering at freethought to outright target it and label it 5th column terrorism.

Reviaval of McCarthyism is another sign I've been on the lookout for as confirmation on your narrative of political devolution before outright collapse.

As you say, what's the point of battling it so early on when the status quo rules unencumbered and will try to seem effective at what it still can be effective at: oppressing those who question the status quo.
But, will you let us know when you decide to shift it down? Or is this the only warning we'll get?

Rhisiart Gwilym said...

Dmitry, regarding you reply to Tim Bloom, I worry too about whether you might attract a contract, simply because of the clarity of what you say, and its unbending opposition to the schweinereis of the US ruling gangsters.

If you publish in Russian, though, to a much larger audience, and become even more well known, and welcomed in in Russian media, I imagine the Beltway Bozos wouldn't even notice - and therefore not think of putting out a contract on you.

Seems like a good choice to me; though I hope you'll continue to publish at least a translation of your Russian pieces; not someone else's translation either; who else is going to be able to produce the inimitable Orlov style but DO himself?

Unknown said...

Again a great piece ... Dmitri !!!! What can I say, you are Russian and I love Russians and Russia, same for Chinese and China... sane people !!!!!
most of them - vast majority of them - real! Not fake f**king plastic people... The comments are pretty good too both the Russian and the ones in English.
As you well know I am Danish - LOVE my country but DK's foreign
policy sucks and so does the one of EU - actually you can't call it policy - it is a sickness you
get when you are afraid of standing up for yourself. Well all empires go down and so the Western one will too... and soon.
ml bente - - -

Nathan said...

Dmitry,

Your dialogue with Tim Bloom has caused me to reconsider assumptions I've previously made about you. Why you have chosen to base yourself in Boston for so long, when you have such clarity of observation about all the shortcomings of life in the US?
I had always assumed that you published and blogged in English as an altruistic attempt to warn as many Westerners as possible, as well as earn some currency to support your withdrawal from consumer industrialism. But if it's not that, or if it's no longer that, then I guess so long and thanks for all the wisdom? I for one would be sad to lose your valued insights. I cannot speak Russian, nor am I likely to learn with all the other pressing concerns of our time.

Unknown said...

Please refer to the article in question again. I missed it.

jwl said...

1. what we face are not problems but predicaments, which are problems with no solutions;
2. that these predicaments require adaptations in the form of massive lifestyle changes; and
3. that these adaptations are impossible to make without personal experimentation.

... everything else is an elaboration of those 3 points.

beetleswamp said...

Like you said the self-censoring thing is a survival strategy. Just because we aren't shouting from the rooftops our support of your endeavors. Some of us just don't want to get audited (again) in retribution. It's a shitty situation but looking forward to Tuesdays is a much needed reprieve.

Pam in Virginia said...

Dmitry:

I have read your blog for many years, and I thank you so much for the work that you do here. It has given me such a better understanding of many topics.

Pam

Ien in the Kootenays said...

Could the people ranting against feminism perhaps explain what they mean by the term? In my lexicon it is simply humanism extended to 52 % of the population. Ideologues and zealots can be found in any movement. I have stopped trying to be PC. Some people are not happy unless they are outraged. Ignore those. But If you are a man who likes as many options as possible, be grateful for feminism.

As for the self censorship, tricky issue. Sometimes I wonder "what would Coyote do?" Trying to live a good life in the margins is not such a bad thing.

Pam in Virginia said...

Dmitry:

If you do publish in Russian only, will you be sure to let us know where that will be so that we can at least "Google Translate" or something (though you know how interesting that usually turns out)?

Pam

Kutamun said...

Gday Dmitri
The system us still like a big sumb Frankenstein robot stumbling around muttering " free speech is good " . Much of your discourse uses logic and projects scenarios which the system has not been able to formulate itself , or see as a threat . It would only get upset if you started meddling in their short term affairs ala Snowden etc if you had a massive following on mainstream social media they might have you on their primary radar . I think up to now they have considered the blogosphere a labyrinthine sewer of disinformation , but there are signs they may be thinking of cleaning the pipes .
Re the camps ; if the Chimps are going to a war footing , moving Norad command post back to the mountains etc , perhaps they arr expecting prisoners from outside as well as inside ?
I think your blog is an act of resistance kind of like the people i read about in Nazi Germany who during the war went about painting anti Hitler slogans in stairwells and alleys ...it was what they were reduced to, all they could manage , but for their souls they did it . Recently i went around a wealthy suburb of mansions in Perth w.a at night pinning up marxist posters to their gates and trees m even though i am not a marxist ... I thought it would p... them off ! Ha ha

Zoltar said...

Tiny minority that we may be, your American readers agree with your estimation of this country, Dmitry. That’s why we buy your books and read anything you’re generous enough to write for us. Given the tightening of the security screws in this lost land, it came as no surprise that you decided to weigh anchor from Boston and sail to some more hospitable shore.
When your family came to the United States in the mid-seventies it presumably afforded greater freedom and affluence than did Soviet Russia at that time. If the American market is no longer worth your while, then we regretfully understand, and thank you for what you have tried to do for us.

wagelaborer said...

Please continue to publish in English. I relish each blog post that you provide, and almost always repost on Facebook.
Yes, Americans are obese, self-entitled and violent, but those of us who are estranged from that "culture" need an outside voice to help us keep aligned with reality, and persuade us that we are not alone.
We are swimming in a sea of propaganda, and your posts are like life preservers, reminding us that there is life and thoughts beyond those we are subjected to.

Unknown said...

Rhisiart - I actually think it might be the opposite: Publishing "obscurely" to a small US audience in English might be less threatening in the eyes of the current establishment than being a "mainstream," "Russian" author publishing from US soil. Hard to judge, really... safest place is likely Russia either way though!

Esn said...

Congratulations on the VZ article. But I think it's a shame that so much of it was tossed out in the Russian translation, including some of my favourite parts (e.g. 1. the story about the music record at the beginning, 2. "let's just accept funds from western donors who want to destabilize Russia, and spend this money organizing virtual opposition parties like little girls organizing tea parties for their dolls. But we are getting lots of sympathetic western press coverage, so whatever we are doing must be working!”, 3. "when people talk about China being the next America, one thing I've got to ask myself is: will the 1.4 billion Chinese people make good neighbors and interesting company? Will they be liked and likable, or will many of them likewise come to be regarded as impudent louts and aggressive, greedy, egotistic, crafty pricks and bitches?"). I do think that the original English version is a stronger article.

But it's understandable that the Russian version got a better reception. The primary audience for the English version was probably Russian emigres who live in the Empire and haven't been fully converted by the Western propaganda, like yourself... there are enough of those, but I'm not sure if they're a majority among even Russian emigres. I can't see that few others here would have much understanding or interest in what the article describes, other than curious cultural anthropologists. Maybe I'm wrong.

Unknown said...

Considering that war between the US & Russia is slowly approaching 50/50 likelihood, aren't you thinking about emigrating back? You would surely be in danger of detention or worse if that happens.

Thanks Dmitri for the article, it was great beyond reason, a work of intuitive genius. If it were published in the NY Times it would literally blow people's minds; no chance of that happening of course.

Arayik K. said...

This is a very realistic scenario, and not only a scenario but in many subtle ways this is active even now. For soviet emigres like me, democracy, human rights, equality, freedom of expressiin, and free enterprise have all along been a pipe dream.

Anonymous said...

@Ien in the Kootenays

yeah that was me. Good point about feminism being humanism. Makes me think of how Elizabeth Bennet in P&P talks down her own sex to humor Mr. Darcy.

michigan native said...

Now there is talk of the US spending 30 million of our tax dollars to "counter Russian propaganda". Seriously.

So apparently the US government is starting to lay the groundwork to determine for us, the people they are supposed to represent, what is propaganda vs what they see as "the truth" rather than let us decide for ourselves. The fact that they can even talk like that and not cause people to riot says a lot about how complacent the US populace has become. They already have FOX news, CNN, CNBC, etc if they wanted to counter "Russian propaganda". They haven't found a way to control the internet yet, and people are starting to catch on to their games and question authority. Time to intervene.

So they obviously want to limit or censor people's access to information from sources like RT, which tells a very different story than the media mouthpieces and bullhorns for the neocons back here in the so called "free world".

I have always maintained there was a reason why the government was monitoring sites like facebook and reading people's e-mails and listening in on phone conversations of average americans.

They obviously know the system is going to collapse and are in fact laying the groundwork for the imposition of martial law. People that talk about the constitution, civil rights, "conspiracy theorists", "preppers", support Ron Paul, or criticize Israel are purportedly then placed into a "threat" category and likely going to get special attention when the collapse finally happens soon (when oil exporting countries stop taking US dollars or when the dollar is dropped as the world's reserve currency of international trade).

Then we will see the scope and extent of the police state as "dissenters" are rounded up and carted off to Halliburton "FEMA" camps. We are already getting a glimpse of what a post collapse US will look like, and it isn't pretty. Hardly a day seems to go by where some minority is shot in cold blood by the "forces of law and order" and the US is getting involved in yet another foreign entanglement in Yemen (apparently the US oligarch was ousted). 100 million has been earmarked to fund the neo Nazis in the Ukraine for lethal "defensive" aid, and supposedly those animals burned a "resistance fighter" alive tied to a wooden cross. Drone strikes, bombs, war, murder, bloodshed, and a police state where the flow of information is censored and controlled by our ever so wise government who continue to act on their own accord because they think they know what is best for the rest of us and are bought and sold by monsters. Life will become very cheap, people will be left to fend for themselves, and the national security state will protect the interests of the "haves", the creditor class, and keep the "have nots" in their place. Step out of line or dare to resist them and you will know why the "department of homeland security" purchased those billions of rounds of hollow point bullets.

The irony is that we grew up being fed all this horse shit about how lucky we were to live in a "free society", and how we had this supposed right to "free speech", and all that crap about how if you speak out in this or that country, they threw you in the gulag, etc etc. Know the US is morphing into fascist police state where in fact you can get shot in cold blood for being the wrong color, or tossed in jail, fined, or harassed for disagreeing with the government and its insane foreign and domestic policies. The post collapse USA will likely rival anything we saw in the former USSR.

KeltCindy said...

Dmitry,

Like many others here, I hope you will consider continuing to publish in English.

Your Tuesday blog posts are like a candle of hope in the enveloping darkness.

With deepest admiration,

Cindy Shirar

Unknown said...

I sure hope you continue to publish in English. That said, the quality of your reports require that not very many in this consumer driven economy read it.
When Time and Newsweek went trashy to resuscitate circulation, not only did they continue to lose their readership
base but also their limited credibility.
The Economist, as much as I disagree with them, has never done it and we need Club Orlov to counter their right wing propaganda.

possumqueensa said...

It's not just Americans reading your blog and books, Dmitri, here on the southern tip of Africa, there's me and I would bet a number of other thinking persons that never miss a post. I love to look at the ticker on the side, which identifies my location, because it's different (and incorrect) every time. Bwahaha, nobody knows where I am and I like it that way.
On the subject of Baltimore, why are they so angry? Same in this country, as though anger justifies any atrocity. Angry people burned down a clinic, angry people were stoning some cars on the road today, angry people trashed the city centre, an angry man killed his child, angry people ... Why is everyone so angry and why do they think anybody out there cares about their rage?