Freedom Rider: Liar in a Tan Suit

by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley

“According to Obama the loss of life and destruction of property in Ukraine is all Russian president Putin’s fault.”

On August 28th, president Obama delivered remarks in the White House press room. That is hardly newsworthy but on that day the president wore a tan suit, not the usual presidential dark blue uniform. This simple fashion choice exposed many things that are wrong with America, from shallow media reporting to popular obsession with trivialities. The substance of the president’s statements was lost in the repetition of nonsense and silly jokes. That is unfortunate because the president used this occasion to tell terribly dangerous lies about this country and the rest of the world.

The primary motivation for the press conference was to repeat the Obama doctrine of enacting regime change against sovereign nations and violating the right of human beings to live without fear of death from the American empire. The president called ISIL “a cancer” not once but twice during the briefing. Of course he neglected to mention that ISIL is the Frankenstein monster created by the United States and NATO interventions which always includes supporting jihadists who inevitably end up turning on their sponsors.

The man who bombed Libya into ruin had the gall to condemn Syrian president Assad for “killing tens of thousands of people.” Assad has the right to protect his country from western intervention and the resulting death toll and massive displacement of people can be laid at the halls of power in Washington, London and Paris. Assad’s ability to withstand the assault has made the West nervous and caused the NATO leadership to begin making desperate and foolish decisions. One of the worst was provoking a coup against the elected leadership of Ukraine and turning it into a western vassal state on Russia’s border.

The western ginned up conflict in Ukraine was of course on the menu of deceit for the guy in the light colored outfit. According to Obama the loss of life and destruction of property in Ukraine is all Russian president Putin’s fault. There is no evidence of a “homegrown, indigenous uprising in eastern Ukraine” said the Peace Prize winner. This assertion would be laughable were it not so dangerous. The western gambit in Ukraine created a civil war pitting one region of that country against another and forcing citizens who didn’t want to be part of the puppet government to take up arms to defend themselves.

“Assad has the right to protect his country from western intervention, and the resulting death toll and massive displacement of people can be laid at the halls of power in Washington, London and Paris.”

They have done a good job of fighting against the western mob and that has sent Obama and his minions into a vortex of panic and impulse. Just days after the great taupe debate NATO announced the formation of a “strike force” meant to counter what it calls Russian aggression. Even as the man in tan blamed Russia for ignoring diplomatic solutions, it is in fact the western nations which have blocked these efforts at every turn. They created the crisis themselves and so have no incentive to undo their dirty work.

So while the West acts like the injured party, it continues to create havoc everywhere on the planet. Obama didn’t announce it on the day of the big fashion reveal but just days later he ordered drone attacks on Somalia, where killing thousands of people isn’t called a war crime because America is the perpetrator. The excuse of fighting al-Shabab “terrorists” should have worn thin by now, but the destruction of Somalia was never a big news story and even if it were, the corporate media would provide the White House with all of the propaganda it wants.

Just one day after Obama’s sartorial choices made headline, Russian president Vladimir Putin also made public remarks and the contrast was striking. It is clear that the saber rattling and talk of strike forces and sanctions are a result of Putin’s ability to give as good as he gets.

Not only can he put the crooks in their place but he can get his digs in too. “Do you remember the joke: ‘Whatever Russians make, they always end up with a Kalashnikov?’ I get an impression that whatever Americans touch they always end up with Libya or Iraq.” All jokes aside, Putin was blunt and warned that “it is better not to mess with us” and in case anyone forgot reminded Obama and company that “Russia is one of the most powerful nuclear states. It’s not words, it is the reality.”

“The only hope for humanity is to have more Vladimir Putins.”

While he was chided by Americans for pointing out the obvious he should have been applauded. NATO behaves as if Russia is a weak nation like Libya or Iraq that can be overthrown easily. The more it is pointed out to them that Russia is their military equal, the safer the world may be.

The only hope for humanity is to have more Vladimir Putins. That is not to say that Putin is somehow virtuous. None of the major world leaders are. All of them have committed human rights abuses and brought war to innocent people. In an age with so much wrongdoing, we are forced to cheer for those people who can stop some of it.

The end of August is always a slow week for news. Perhaps that is why the suit made headlines and set social media ablaze. It is important to comb through the clutter and note that our government’s agenda is to destroy and then acquire. Just ask Iraqis, Libyans or Somalis. The only question is who will be next and how many lies will the White House occupant tell in order to get the dirty job done.

Margaret Kimberley's Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR, and is widely reprinted elsewhere. She maintains a frequently updated blog as well as at http://freedomrider.blogspot.com. Ms. Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgendaReport.com.

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