Yet another attack on RT

Following on from the article in the last issue of LALKAR regarding the dirty tricks being used against Russia Today (RT) and other Russian news providers to (a) portray Russia in a bad light claiming that the Russian government dictates what RT and others say/print (who owns the BBC again?) and (b) to try to turn the truth on its head by claiming that it is the Russian news programmes and papers that are pushing ‘fake’ news at us.

After the failed attempt by RBS, the bank part-owned by the British government, to leave RT without banking facilities in Britain and after the European Union (EU) declared that RT and other Russian news companies were waging an information war on the West and that they therefore ranked as high as ISIS as enemies of the peace-loving governments of the ‘democratic’ EU – not to forget the call to denounce every European who appeared on RT for whatever reason as a paid spy and stooge of Putin by the Henry Jackson Society (HJS) which has links to two cross party groups in the British parliament and the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) – there is now a campaign to ‘frighten’ away advertisers from RT.

Damian Collins, the chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, in launching an ‘inquiry into fake news’, has issued a call for all British companies to boycott RT, calling it the “disinformation and propaganda” channel. He mimicked the US and EU government mouthpieces saying that “British companies should not be advertising on channels that disseminate fake news designed to spread fear and confusion,” adding for good measure “I would call on any such company that has not already done so to withdraw their advertising.”

Of the 180 British or multinational firms advertising on RT currently, something that pays in the region of £1.5 million into RT coffers, some of the biggest have now been ‘persuaded’, it seems, to withdraw their adverts. These companies include, Direct Line the insurance group, make-up manufacturer Max Factor, Vanish the detergent maker, Strepsils of ulcer lozenge fame and the bookmakers Corals even though the adverts on RT UK cost on average £12.95 for a 30-second slot while it takes around £30,000 to buy the same time slot on ITV. So far, none of these groups have admitted that they have been leant on in any way or threatened with the potentially profit-affecting label of ‘traitor’, but it doesn’t take a genius to work out that the number of people (potential customers) in Britain watching the RT news channel is rising as more and more people realise that the only hope of getting truthful news reports about the things that affect us here is through RT.

The newly elected President of the United States of America is on record as stating that it is the Western media pushing fake news and, whatever one may feel or think about any other statements he has made, there should be near universal agreement with that. In fact, those of us who are more and more relying on companies such as RT to give us a far more honest account of what is going on daily than is offered by the imperialist lie-mongers of Sky, the BBC, CNN, Fox etc., should be looking to defend our access to real news by boycotting those companies that have withdrawn advertising from RT. In fact, it would be wonderful if the trade unions who represent the workers in those companies would call on their members to take action against Max Factor and Corals et al. Of course, even better would be if the trade unions representing all the media workers would use their position to force the BBC and fellow lie-mongers to tell the truth! It is time for the British working class to take a stand against disinformation designed to reconcile it to its oppression. To do that we must rid ourselves of the idea that the Labour Party will be our saviours, and we must rid our unions of the Social-Democratic poison that that party has instilled in them so widely among the leadership structures of each individual union. It will be hard work but it will be a lot harder on our families, our children, our class if we do not stir and start to take the necessary actions.

 

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