West’s War Propaganda Skating on Thin Ice

It’s disgusting how Kamila Valieva, the young Russian ice-skating prodigy, has been mangled by the Western media. This is what happens when the conceited, so-called “free press” descends into the gutter of peddling prejudice, smears and ultimately war propaganda.

The 15-year-old crashed out spectacularly from the Olympics despite previously being seen as the favorite to win the gold medal. The pressure on Kamila from a dubious doping result – conducted two months ago and amid ongoing inconclusiveness – caused her to break down during her normally flawless performance. It was the Western media prejudiced coverage impugning her that escalated the pressure on her to fail.

It was tragic to see such young, innocent talent being crucified. The heartbreaking feeling was also suffused with contempt and outrage. Because Kamila’s cruel downfall was no doubt a result of the current warmongering frenzy being orchestrated by the Western media.

The impropriety of the skater’s drug test is far from proven. She maintains it may have been due to accidental contamination. That remains to be investigated. But the US media, in particular, had already judged Kamila to be “another Russian athlete drug cheat”. (The irony of drug-infested US sports is too much for words!)

The walking out of the ice rink by Team USA just as she was about to begin her freestyle performance spoke of the prejudice engendered by the negative media coverage of Kamila. This wasn’t just about an individual. The drive to demonize the young Russian is part of a bigger drive to demonize her entire nation – as an aggressor in Europe that is about to “imminently invade” Ukraine.

Then there was the added Russophobic twist in the media which projected Kamila as the victim of heartless Russian adults. Her coaches were accused of being cold and callous when she finished her disastrous routine. It was implied that the youth from Kazan was being exploited for Russian political goals.

This is getting things upside down. Kamila is a victim of Western media pushing a narrative to justify confrontation against Russia.

For over two months, the Western media have been waging an unscrupulous, dirty campaign to whip up anti-Russia hysteria. The baseless claims that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine uttered by US President Joe Biden and his officials, and aided and abetted by the British, have been amplified unquestioningly by nearly the whole gamut of news media outlets.

This is nothing short of a campaign to incite conflict in Ukraine against Russia, a conflict that would then serve to justify hitting Russia with economic sanctions, axing the Nord Stream 2 gas project and piling on international opprobrium. The United States is using the crisis over Ukraine to revive Cold War divisions between Russia and the rest of Europe.

It is obvious that the Western public is being conditioned to accept an image of Russia as a criminal aggressor. Years of media provocations from the downing of the Malaysian airliner in 2014, to the “annexation” of Crimea, to the alleged Novichok poisoning of the Skripals and Navalny, are just some of the subjects that have been orchestrated in order to demonize Russia. We could also add Russian President Vladimir Putin being character-assassinated as a “thug” and “killer”. Also, Russia’s military intervention in Syria to support that nation against a covert regime-change operation organized by the US and NATO allies using head-chopping, chemical weapons-wielding mercenaries. That last propaganda stunt was audaciously distorted to claim Russia was propping up a dictator using chemical weapons against his own people.

For the US and its NATO imperialist accomplices, Russia must at all costs be debased to the level of ghoulish and sub-human. That is the process necessary to make the Western public receptive to the idea that confrontation and ultimately war can be pursued against Russia.

This is the context for the tragic downfall of young Kamila Valieva. The skating genius had won millions of fans across the globe including in the US and Western countries with her sublime, balletic talent on the ice.

Such a beauty could not be tolerated for it destroyed the US media campaign to otherwise demonize Russia and instill enmity towards that nation.

The odious thing is that if a 15-year-old girl can be so mercilessly mangled by the Western war machine and its media that tells the world that they will stoop to the gutter to do anything in order to push for conflict.

Right now the people of Ukraine’s southeast Donbass region are being shelled by a NATO-armed military that comprises Neo-Nazi brigades. There is a genocidal war being waged. And yet Russia is accused of being the aggressor.

The Western regimes and their media are skating on thin ice. Their provocations and distortions are transparent. But also they are rushing headlong towards disaster.

https://sputniknews.com/20220219/wests-war-propaganda-skating-on-thin-ice-1093179468.html