U.S. Accuses Zero Hedge of Spreading Russian Propaganda

[Meredith Poor + 897]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-15/us-accuses-financial-website-of-spreading-russian-propaganda?sref=RzXyyOXY

Russian propaganda is being spread from every orifice available. As well as Chinese, Iranian, and various 'non-state actors'.

Some of this is so blatant that attribution is self-evident. Some of the rest of it is more subtle, until one understands the motives of the publisher.

Some of these expose real issues that Americans or westerners find uncomfortable. While it might all be 'propaganda' designed to fracture Western societies along their fault lines, some of this needs to be discussed, regardless of who is initiating the conversation.

Russia is to the US as Scotland is to the UK: a real pain in the ass, but sometimes a necessary pain in the ass.

[ronwagn + 6,290]

Asian Russia may very well fall to Chinese influence in the long run. Not through force but through all other means possible. Bribery of poor Russians would be very easy for them. They are expert at bribery, corruption and blackmail.

[Andrei Moutchkine + 828]

7 hours ago, ronwagn said:

Asian Russia may very well fall to Chinese influence in the long run. Not through force but through all other means possible. Bribery of poor Russians would be very easy for them. They are expert at bribery, corruption and blackmail.

Don't get your hopes up. 2/3 of the Chinese population leaves along the coast. The parts bordering Russia are considered underpopulated! and receive special subsidies.

[Andrei Moutchkine + 828]

8 hours ago, Meredith Poor said:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-15/us-accuses-financial-website-of-spreading-russian-propaganda?sref=RzXyyOXY

Russian propaganda is being spread from every orifice available. As well as Chinese, Iranian, and various 'non-state actors'.

Some of this is so blatant that attribution is self-evident. Some of the rest of it is more subtle, until one understands the motives of the publisher.

Some of these expose real issues that Americans or westerners find uncomfortable. While it might all be 'propaganda' designed to fracture Western societies along their fault lines, some of this needs to be discussed, regardless of who is initiating the conversation.

Russia is to the US as Scotland is to the UK: a real pain in the ass, but sometimes a necessary pain in the ass.

All I see is anti-Russian propaganda anywhere I look.

So, are we forming a United Kingdom of Russia + US anytime soon?

[Meredith Poor + 897]

8 hours ago, Andrei Moutchkine said:

So, are we forming a United Kingdom of Russia + US anytime soon?

Whatever form it took, it wouldn't be 'United'. We can't even get 'United' in California or Texas.

[SUZNV + 1,197]

News outlet nowadays is alive by the donators funding rather for advertising so propaganda is unavoidable. Russia have the need to have propaganda in the US as much as China, Iran or even Germany, France, Taiwan etc. Even US couldn't claim we don't have propaganda in other countries, even under the name of democracy and in many case the native people there don't really understand what does that mean let along appreciate it. 

Most of the people in totalitarian regime misinterpret that  when they have democracy, they will receive rewards from Western Countries and their lives will  improve or we will not suffer no longer instantly, which is wrong because democracy is simply you will pay for the candidate with majority votes instead of some elite class making decision for you yet you will have to pay for the consequences.

Same with we cannot have both "freedom of speech" and "political correctness" because they are mutual exclusive. What freedom do the people have if they only know what mainstream think their viewers need to know and filter out the rest "for the greater good".  And U.S. intelligence community should focus on doing better jobs to avoid Afghan retreat mess than to pick side in politics.

Competition between Texas and Cali, IMHO, is healthy. Provides different services to people and businesses so they can choose and move to. That is one big part of the freedom US people can enjoy.

[El Gato + 254]

On 2/15/2022 at 2:17 PM, Meredith Poor said:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-15/us-accuses-financial-website-of-spreading-russian-propaganda?sref=RzXyyOXY

Russian propaganda is being spread from every orifice available. As well as Chinese, Iranian, and various 'non-state actors'.

Some of this is so blatant that attribution is self-evident. Some of the rest of it is more subtle, until one understands the motives of the publisher.

Some of these expose real issues that Americans or westerners find uncomfortable. While it might all be 'propaganda' designed to fracture Western societies along their fault lines, some of this needs to be discussed, regardless of who is initiating the conversation.

Russia is to the US as Scotland is to the UK: a real pain in the ass, but sometimes a necessary pain in the ass.

I call BS on on The biden Admin saying Zero hedge is spreading Russian disinformation. First off, Bloomberg and AP are more Biased than Zero hedge, and have no room to criticize. They carry Biden's water every day faithfully. Secondly, given how quickly the Brohaha about the accusation died down, gives credence the the accusation was bull crap. Thirdly, they were to damned lazy to even give you any proof of the accusations. Lazy Journalism at it's best

Edited February 18, 2022 by El Gato

[Boat + 1,324]

Just saw an Bloomberg oil analyst talking about the importance of Russian oil to the US and the danger of the Ukraine crisis. So yes, Russian disinformation goes wherever Russian spending takes it. The US is no different than any country. Money can buy anything. The US is not necessarily less corrupt in informational gossip. The US has the biggest market in the world for geopolitical gossip. It’s two against the machine, lol My partner, Captain Obvious is a lone supporter against paid hacks and the unwoke. 

[Boat + 1,324]

On 2/16/2022 at 9:13 AM, SUZNV said:

News outlet nowadays is alive by the donators funding rather for advertising so propaganda is unavoidable. Russia have the need to have propaganda in the US as much as China, Iran or even Germany, France, Taiwan etc. Even US couldn't claim we don't have propaganda in other countries, even under the name of democracy and in many case the native people there don't really understand what does that mean let along appreciate it. 

Most of the people in totalitarian regime misinterpret that  when they have democracy, they will receive rewards from Western Countries and their lives will  improve or we will not suffer no longer instantly, which is wrong because democracy is simply you will pay for the candidate with majority votes instead of some elite class making decision for you yet you will have to pay for the consequences.

Same with we cannot have both "freedom of speech" and "political correctness" because they are mutual exclusive. What freedom do the people have if they only know what mainstream think their viewers need to know and filter out the rest "for the greater good".  And U.S. intelligence community should focus on doing better jobs to avoid Afghan retreat mess than to pick side in politics.

Competition between Texas and Cali, IMHO, is healthy. Provides different services to people and businesses so they can choose and move to. That is one big part of the freedom US people can enjoy.

Freedom is just a catch phrase descriptive word with an opinion tied to every use. There really has never been such a thing. People gripe about the middle ground which logically is where most decisions end. Yea, folks just don’t want to get it. Selfishness is popular now. Let’s anti cooperate will zip you to the top of Republican/Dem ranks. Just say any ol devisive crap line and check the polls to form your next bs rant. Lol Welcome to the world. 
 

UPS leads off with Russia to stage nuclear drills with Ukraine tensions high

Lol, truckload of desks to crawl under and hand out gas masks? The Russians could put up snow fence to catch bodies propelled by a nuke blast. Or seen the big nets at a golf driving range? If you get blown up words I hope you got one of those nets, 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Boat

[Strangelovesurfing + 737]

On 2/15/2022 at 5:41 PM, Andrei Moutchkine said:

All I see is anti-Russian propaganda anywhere I look.

So, are we forming a United Kingdom of Russia + US anytime soon?

There's a difference between personal viewpoints and government sponsored propaganda. The CCP has gone full bore with bots and government sock puppet social media propagandists.

[SUZNV + 1,197]

48 minutes ago, Boat said:

Freedom is just a catch phrase descriptive word with an opinion tied to every use. There really has never been such a thing. People gripe about the middle ground which logically is where most decisions end. Yea, folks just don’t want to get it. Selfishness is popular now. Let’s anti cooperate will zip you to the top of Republican/Dem ranks. Just say any ol devisive crap line and check the polls to form your next bs rant. Lol Welcome to the world. 
 

UPS leads off with Russia to stage nuclear drills with Ukraine tensions high

Lol, truckload of desks to crawl under and hand out gas masks? The Russians could put up snow fence to catch bodies propelled by a nuke blast. Or seen the big nets at a golf driving range? If you get blown up words I hope you got one of those nets, 

It is all about we deserve what we currently have or not. I don't think I am smarter or more productive than a bunch of programmers anywhere in the world yet I got pay higher than them so I feel appreciate with what I have and don't envy anyone who is richer than me or even corporate as if they owed me my money. What is so skillful contribute to the economy with flipping a burger in US vs flipping a burger in Vietnam when asking for more, given the native US citizen have all the conditions to achieve greater by birth?

I realize my tax couldn't pay for a tomahawk yet my vote is as equal as a billionaire who pay much more tax direct or indirectly.  That is enough for me.

The enviness is the source of entitlement problem in Western society  where people asking for things they don't deserve and think someone else owe them something and then they vote for the party who promise to give them more by taking more from others. The more people like these the faster social moral and economy will collapse sooner, just look at the 30trillions officially debt and 124trillion unofficially in US debts, someone will have to bare these now or in the future, even if they did not vote for this.

Freedom in my definition is simple, the less I depend on government's welfare and the more of my contribution to the society I live within and vote accordingly for my ideology, the more freedom I have. I don't inherit  any voting right by birth so I treasure it and don't want to pass my mess to someone else. I wish for both financial freedom  and ideology freedom. This is the world I were born in and believing in and paying for,  wonder what world are you welcoming me to, lol?

Someday if I have to depend on government for a living I still consider myself to have the freedom and vote according to my ideology although I will miss the financial freedom and the  contributing pride. 

Edited February 18, 2022 by SUZNV

[Andrei Moutchkine + 828]

6 minutes ago, Strangelovesurfing said:

There's a difference between personal viewpoints and government sponsored propaganda. The CCP has gone full bore with bots and government sock puppet social media propagandists.

The amount of government sponsored propaganda produced by US/UK sure dwarfs anything else.

I am actually still looking for evidence of the Russian government producing any beyond the designated venues of Sputnik and RT. Which are still much better than whatever USSR ever had. Similar for CCP. Growing up in an environment sanitized of hostile informational content does not produce flexible enough propagandist minds. Thus haven't noticed the Chinese having any, either.

YouTube / US social platforms tend to treat any content favorable to the Russian government as government sponsored propaganda and deplatform them. Most unlikely have any government support. YouTube alone allegedly got rid of 14 mln subscribers worth of Russian patriotic content last year, even if it was in Russian only. Here is a multilingual example

https://southfront.org/

See anything wrong with them? Officially, got kicked out for being affiliated with NewsFront, an organization based in sanctioned Crimea (no actual relation except for similar name) Unofficially, for being very good about covering US/Israeli activities in Syria.

The basic idea is that not every news organization based in Russia and supportive of their government is a government sponsored content.

Have you considered that you are simply getting a whiff of some truth now? Never before was the position of American propagandists as challenged as it is now, and it will only get "worse" Whatever happened to the whole freedom of press thing?

[Andrei Moutchkine + 828]

5 minutes ago, SUZNV said:

It is all about we deserve what we currently have or not. I don't think I am smarter or more productive than a bunch of programmers anywhere in the world yet I got pay higher than them so I feel appreciate with what I have and don't envy anyone who is richer than me or even corporate as if they owed me my money. What is so skillful contribute to the economy with flipping a burger in US vs flipping a burger in Vietnam when asking for more, given the native US citizen have all the conditions to achieve greater by birth?

I realize my tax couldn't pay for a tomahawk yet my vote is as equal as a billionaire who pay much more tax direct or indirectly.  That is enough for me.

The enviness is the source of entitlement problem in Western society  where people asking for things they don't deserve and think someone else owe them something and then they vote for the party who promise to give them more by taking more from others. The more people like these the faster social moral and economy will collapse sooner, just look at the 30trillions officially debt and 124trillion unofficially in US debts, someone will have to bare these now or in the future, even if they did not vote for this.

Freedom in my definition is simple, the less I depend on government's welfare and the more of my contribution to the society I live within and vote accordingly for my ideology, the more freedom I have. I don't inherit  any voting right by birth so I treasure it and don't want to pass my mess to someone else. I wish for both financial freedom  and ideology freedom. This is the world I were born in and believing in and paying for,  wonder what world are you welcoming me to, lol?

Yes, there is something wrong with the story of much higher productivity in the West. Programmers are a bad example, being the most portable profession of all. No, think the 60%+ of any modern (allegedly) post-industrial economy that various services make. Not only burger flippers, but also doctors or teachers. It is impossible for them to have a much different productivity anywhere they are.

Bad news for you. You do not have the same vote as a billionaire. Who is also unlikely to pay any taxes whatsoever. Rather, he pays off the politicians into doing his bidding directly.

[SUZNV + 1,197]

8 minutes ago, Andrei Moutchkine said:

Yes, there is something wrong with the story of much higher productivity in the West. Programmers are a bad example, being the most portable profession of all. No, think the 60%+ of any modern (allegedly) post-industrial economy that various services make. Not only burger flippers, but also doctors or teachers. It is impossible for them to have a much different productivity anywhere they are.

Bad news for you. You do not have the same vote as a billionaire. Who is also unlikely to pay any taxes whatsoever. Rather, he pays off the politicians into doing his bidding directly.

I realize that, a billionaire may lobbying for media or a politician/party who capitalizes in other enviness to get votes. That is the part I don't like about that billionaire, not from my enviness though but he pays more taxes and got more money to shape the world better for him. Not really his fault but social ideology was corrupted in the first place and he does what will profit him. So it is still a fair democracy game. Democracy doesn't guarantee good outcome but the decisions are not really in a few hands. At least people have a a chance to vote for their favorite politicians. The people are not saint and they may corrupted themselves, rich or poor. These are part of the society. 

Edited February 18, 2022 by SUZNV

[Andrei Moutchkine + 828]

6 minutes ago, SUZNV said:

I realize that, a billionaire may lobbying for media or a politician/party who capitalizes in other enviness to get votes. That is the part I don't like about that billionaire, not from my enviness though but he pays more taxes and got more money to shape the world better for him. Not really his fault but social ideology was corrupted in the first place and he does what will profit him. So it is still a fair democracy game. Democracy doesn't guarantee good outcome but the decisions are not really in a few hands. At least people have a a chance to vote for their favorite politicians. The people are not saint and they may corrupted themselves, rich or poor. These are part of the society. 

The richer you are in US, the less taxes you pay. Major corporation and billionaires usually pay nothing at all. If you file a 1040EZ, you pay exactly what they say you owe.

Yes, it is called shareholder democracy, where every little dollar gets an equal vote. Every human, not so much. If your share in the USA Inc. is negligible, you might as well not bother to vote. Once a chartered company, always a chartered company. Rings a bell?

Speaking of which. The British actually do have a useful concept of

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equity_(law)

as in law applicable to the shareholders of the realm, vaguely speaking. US did not officially inherit it (except for some corporate law in Delaware) The British common law is just the "law for commoners"

[SUZNV + 1,197]

28 minutes ago, Andrei Moutchkine said:

The richer you are in US, the less taxes you pay. Major corporation and billionaires usually pay nothing at all. If you file a 1040EZ, you pay exactly what they say you owe.

Yes, it is called shareholder democracy, where every little dollar gets an equal vote. Every human, not so much. If your share in the USA Inc. is negligible, you might as well not bother to vote. Once a chartered company, always a chartered company. Rings a bell?

Speaking of which. The British actually do have a useful concept of

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equity_(law)

as in law applicable to the shareholders of the realm, vaguely speaking. US did not officially inherit it (except for some corporate law in Delaware) The British common law is just the "law for commoners"

They do pay taxes via employment and was responsible for the technology innovations for productivity. Western life of commoners consumption surpassed most of elite life in the middle age thanks to this, especially innovation not from wars were rare in history.

We even can have a choice to work or not and not die because of hungriness like any animal in the zoo, as long as the zoo manager can redistribute wealth or borrowing money in the future tax, as long as he won't be bankrupted in our lifetime. When was the last time commoners had a choice like this in the history. I got problem with the entitlement , not appreciating, enviness moral,  not with the freedom of choices. We should always be responsible for the past, current and future choices anyway but in realities we still have a chance to escape that by dying before SHTF  lol.

I am embracing pay back time though but US is still better than my alternatives. Elite else where will have to pay for media or lobby to do the votes for them while I have one in my hand for free, just like any of the US elites. 

Edited February 18, 2022 by SUZNV

[Boat + 1,324]

2 hours ago, SUZNV said:

It is all about we deserve what we currently have or not. I don't think I am smarter or more productive than a bunch of programmers anywhere in the world yet I got pay higher than them so I feel appreciate with what I have and don't envy anyone who is richer than me or even corporate as if they owed me my money. What is so skillful contribute to the economy with flipping a burger in US vs flipping a burger in Vietnam when asking for more, given the native US citizen have all the conditions to achieve greater by birth?

I realize my tax couldn't pay for a tomahawk yet my vote is as equal as a billionaire who pay much more tax direct or indirectly.  That is enough for me.

The enviness is the source of entitlement problem in Western society  where people asking for things they don't deserve and think someone else owe them something and then they vote for the party who promise to give them more by taking more from others. The more people like these the faster social moral and economy will collapse sooner, just look at the 30trillions officially debt and 124trillion unofficially in US debts, someone will have to bare these now or in the future, even if they did not vote for this.

Freedom in my definition is simple, the less I depend on government's welfare and the more of my contribution to the society I live within and vote accordingly for my ideology, the more freedom I have. I don't inherit  any voting right by birth so I treasure it and don't want to pass my mess to someone else. I wish for both financial freedom  and ideology freedom. This is the world I were born in and believing in and paying for,  wonder what world are you welcoming me to, lol?

Someday if I have to depend on government for a living I still consider myself to have the freedom and vote according to my ideology although I will miss the financial freedom and the  contributing pride. 

Let me tell you a story. GW was in his first campaign and went to Oconee Lake in GA. They had to drive from the Atlanta airport to the fund raising dinner on the lake. GW wins. Next there was a airport runway built by the lake long enough for small jets. Next election GW flies into the fund raising event. Who paid. The feds paid 30%, the state paid 30%, the poor had taxes raised on every purchase for 3 years for their 30%. Poverty is about 70% black in that county. But a very small handful who owned jets got a runway. This is real life politics. Them oligarchs are not always super rich but worth a fundraising stop on a nice lake outside a major city. So tell me, how often does that happen by both parties every cycle? Who we gonna pay off this time. That several county area of GA is the home of king cotton in slavery days. No swimming pools, run down looking old folks homes. Former mansions of cotton kings in disrepair dot small towns in the area. Not much money around. But a guy with a jet gets a much bigger vote. These are the people Trump wants to disenfranchise and steal their vote. It’s a culture we’re fighting. It’s just fairness and commonsense.

[El Gato + 254]

4 hours ago, SUZNV said:

I

 

The enviness is the source of entitlement problem in Western society  where people asking for things they don't deserve and think someone else owe them something and then they vote for the party who promise to give them more by taking more from others. The more people like these the faster social moral and economy will collapse sooner, just look at the 30trillions officially debt and 124trillion unofficially in US debts, someone will have to bare these now or in the future, even if they did not vote for this.

Freedom in my definition is simple, the less I depend on government's welfare and the more of my contribution to the society I live within and vote accordingly for my ideology, the more freedom I have. I don't inherit  any voting right by birth so I treasure it and don't want to pass my mess to someone else. I wish for both financial freedom  and ideology freedom. This is the world I were born in and believing in and paying for,  wonder what world are you welcoming me to, lol?

Someday if I have to depend on government for a living I still consider myself to have the freedom and vote according to my ideology although I will miss the financial freedom and the  contributing pride. 

 

Amen Brother! For a Foreigner you have a really good grasp on what ails the US, and for that I commend you! Outstanding

[SUZNV + 1,197]

5 hours ago, Boat said:

Let me tell you a story. GW was in his first campaign and went to Oconee Lake in GA. They had to drive from the Atlanta airport to the fund raising dinner on the lake. GW wins. Next there was a airport runway built by the lake long enough for small jets. Next election GW flies into the fund raising event. Who paid. The feds paid 30%, the state paid 30%, the poor had taxes raised on every purchase for 3 years for their 30%. Poverty is about 70% black in that county. But a very small handful who owned jets got a runway. This is real life politics. Them oligarchs are not always super rich but worth a fundraising stop on a nice lake outside a major city. So tell me, how often does that happen by both parties every cycle? Who we gonna pay off this time. That several county area of GA is the home of king cotton in slavery days. No swimming pools, run down looking old folks homes. Former mansions of cotton kings in disrepair dot small towns in the area. Not much money around. But a guy with a jet gets a much bigger vote. These are the people Trump wants to disenfranchise and steal their vote. It’s a culture we’re fighting. It’s just fairness and commonsense.

I understand the world has never been fair, the same with both parties in the US, or even in the world wide scale. Given my background in an communist country and US is my third citizenship,  it is not thing new that surprises me. It has never been fair, started with where and when we were born . However firstly, these oligarchs are playing their part within the politicians allow them to do and whoever voted for these life time politicians are responsible for the system we currently have. If we fight to reduce moral corruption in society, it should be on every level both in the rich and the poor.

I know many relatives who morally corrupted who are poor and stay poor and poor people with dignity who is working 2 jobs, paying tax without understand English. I feel sorry for the former group as they don't know what they are missing. If these poor people in the Western world came and visit the poor people and elites elsewhere, they would feel they are lucky and appreciate what they have  instead of asking more for their perceived "fair share". I know some families teach their US born children appreciation by showing them how children at their ages live in rural area in Vietnam. 

In many case, these poor people unknowingly voting for the politicians who were lobbied by the oligarchs they hate just because they appear as if they hate these politicians, just like in any other country. 

And to be straight, these local oligarchs assets are nothing compares to the global oligarchs and bankers on Wall Street. Many global oligarchs own US assets may not even have US citizenship or have to stay inside the US, simply from the thought their current situation is because they are victims for someone else.

I don't judge anyone base on their assets, either rich or poor. If I am envy for the rich, I would envy the richest ones, not the one around  me.  Someone discriminate me  will never be my excuse to feel easier with my corrupted moral. 

"Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country" President John F. Kennedy

Secondly I disagree on the part you projected that blame on a tax cut policy from Trump, 4 years brand new politician hate by many politicians in both party compares to may lifetime politicians on both parties stay for more than 40 years or more. What we have now is the consequences of the policies at least a decades ago passed through congress and signed by the incumbent president .

Who would be more responsible for the policies we have at the moment as they have a lifetime to do anything, but they didn't. I approve Trump's policies in foreign and domestic more than his personality, even if he is against my personal interest. When I was young, my most favorite president is Bill Clinton. He is no longer my favorite but my most dislike president still is Bush son, not Obama. I don't know Trump before I came to the US but I read all about his misdeeds in businesses and affairs.

Most of lifetime career politicians and their family members are richer from their careers, not from salary they paid. No matter what they are doing, student loan increases, premium healthcare increases, food price increases in the last few decades and yet public debt keeps increasing. I don't blame them as they are playing their legally allowed part but it is troublesome to think my fellow voters under the spell of media can keep them that long.  What is the point of voting for the same politicians and expect for different results?

At the end of the day we live in a democracy country so the politicians reflect the moral quality of the voters. To make people to vote out of current hate is much easier to persuade people that their policies will benefit the country in the long run. Turn people against each other is their first choice so I refuse to vote from my hate, but out of my ideology. 

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by SUZNV

[Tom Nolan + 2,443]

Tuesday Feb 15th – The Associated Press
US accuses financial website of spreading Russian propaganda
https://archive.is/iLdF7

EXCERPTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence officials on Tuesday accused a conservative financial news website with a significant American readership of amplifying Kremlin propaganda and alleged five media outlets targeting Ukrainians have taken direction from Russian spies.

The officials said Zero Hedge, which has 1.2 million Twitter followers, published articles created by Moscow-controlled media that were then shared by outlets and people unaware of their nexus to Russian intelligence. The officials did not say whether they thought Zero Hedge knew of any links to spy agencies and did not allege direct links between the website and Russia.
Zero Hedge denied the claims and said it tries to “publish a wide spectrum of views that cover both sides of a given story.”

The officials briefed The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence sources. It was the latest effort by President Joe Biden’s administration to release U.S. intelligence findings about Russian activity involving Ukraine as part of a concerted push to expose and influence the moves of Russian President Vladimir Putin…

…Zero Hedge has been sharply critical of Biden and posted stories about allegations of wrongdoing by his son Hunter. While perhaps best known for its coverage of markets and finance, the website also covers politics with a conservative bent.

In recent months, Zero Hedge has published numerous articles that accused the U.S. of fomenting panic about Ukraine, which now faces the possibility of an invasion by more than 130,000 Russian troops massed on several sides of the country.
Some of those articles are listed as being written by people affiliated with the Strategic Culture Foundation.

The Biden administration sanctioned the foundation last year for allegedly taking part in Russia’s interference in the 2020 U.S. election.
U.S. intelligence officials allege the foundation’s leaders ultimately take direction from the SVR, the Russian foreign intelligence service.

Recent articles listed as authored by the foundation and published by Zero Hedge include the headlines: [HEADLINES listed]…

…Intelligence officials on Monday named two websites they said were directed by the Strategic Culture Foundation. Three other websites are alleged to have ties to the FSB, Russia’s federal security service…

…Officials described for the first time what they say are direct communications between Russian spies and the editors or directors of the media outlets….

Edited February 19, 2022 by Tom Nolan

[Tom Nolan + 2,443]

TAKEN FROM ZERO HEDGE…

 

This is a 90 second VIDEO of two videos in one frame.
Joe Biden video / Hunter Biden smoking crack video
https://twitter.com/MasterPlan216/status/1478137139514658816

[Tom Nolan + 2,443]

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/now-weve-done-it-we-pissed-cia

see article for IMAGES.

Now We've Done It: We Pissed Off The CIA

by Tyler Durden

Wednesday, Feb 16, 2022 - 05:11 AM

While the collapse of public trust in the mainstream media is nothing new, with Forbes recently reporting that "Fewer Americans than ever before trust the mainstream media", it is only a much more recent phenomenon that members of the media's highest echelons - such as the NYT's Matthew Rosenberg - have started asking themselves and their (few remaining) readers the much more difficult question of why is public trust of media so low.

Unfortunately, instead of following up with some much needed top-to-bottom cleansing and fundamental reassessment of how the MSM pursues, analyzes and reports news, the media has simply fallen back to its traditional tactic of spewing baseless hit pieces against outlets they would rather see silenced and/or censored.

Most notably in recent weeks, this has been observed vis-a-vis Joe Rogan's incredibly popular podcast which has emerged as one of the biggest competitors to traditional media.

This morning, it is Zero Hedge that has again been singled out for pursuing non-establishment groupthink.

Echoing a false allegation we have repeatedly heard before, early on Tuesday Feb 15th, the Associated Press (of "how Associated Press cooperated with the Nazis" fame) writes that "U.S. intelligence officials on Tuesday accused a conservative financial news website with a significant American readership of amplifying Kremlin propaganda and alleged five media outlets targeting Ukrainians have taken direction from Russian spies. The officials said Zero Hedge, which has 1.2 million Twitter followers, published articles created by Moscow-controlled media that were then shared by outlets and people unaware of their nexus to Russian intelligence."

Well, now we've done it - we've angered the CIA, and for what? For publishing views that challenge the conventional narrative, such as disputing that an invasion of Ukraine is actually "imminent" as the US State Department and its mainstream media conduits repeat day after day, or that the Covid virus was actually created in a Chinese lab, a view which has gained substantial prominence in recent months after it emerged that none other than the UK's Jeremy Farrar (also known as the UK's Doctor Fauci) played a pivotal role in stifling suggestions that this new virus might have come from a laboratory rather than emerged through natural zoonotic transmission from animals.

Of course, there is no actual accusation that Zero Hedge works directly with anyone tied to Russia or its intelligence apparatus - as the AP admits "officials did not say whether they thought Zero Hedge knew of any links to spy agencies and did not allege direct links between the website and Russia", which is correct because - and we will repeat this once again for the record and for all future similar hit piece attempts to smear us -  this website has never worked, collaborated or cooperated with Russia, nor are there any links to spy (or any other) agencies; instead all the AP notes, citing some unnamed "intelligence official", is that the US intelligence apparatus is unhappy that among our hundreds of guest publishing contributors is a website called Strategic Culture Foundation which US intel officials "allege" take direction from the SVR, the Russian foreign intelligence service.

Well, is the Strategic Culture Foundation - which periodically guest posts on this website along with hundreds of other sources of alternative information - taking direction from Russian intel?

Perhaps. We don't know. What we do know is that Alastair Crooke, one of the most prolific writers on SCF website is a former high ranking MI6 figure and UK diplomat, i.e., a former British spook. Perhaps he is now a double agent working for Putin after spending decades spying for the UK?

We don't know, and we don't care: instead what we have cared about since our first day, is to provide a platform, a voice to anyone who has a unique, a different, perspective from the one pushed by the mainstream media. The same mainstream media which we and everyone else now knows for a fact takes direction from both the US intelligence service in particular (see here, here and here) and the US government in general, or the "deep state" as some call it.

We also know that the unnamed US intel officials apparently found nothing wrong that we also frequently guest post articles from the Gatestone Institute, a website that consistently pursues a neo-con angle in its analysis and reporting.

The bottom line, as we told the AP, is that SCF is merely "one of our hundreds of contributors — unlike Mainstream Media, we try to publish a wide spectrum of views that cover both sides of a given story." And no matter how much we disagree with any given guest post, we will give it the same billing as all our other articles, unlike the NYT which spontaneously imploded in an echo-chamber scandal of its own creation after it published that infamous Tom Cotton op-ed back in 2020.

And speaking of contributors, maybe the AP could have rounded out its story by providing some perspective on both sides instead of just tracking the narrative it was spoon fed by the CIA. If it did, it would have encountered views such as these:

What is remarkable is that in its bizarre hit piece attempt to silence us, the "deep state" has pulled out the same trite and discredited Russiagate conspiracy theory whose popularity crashed and burned long ago, yet which paradoxically still makes an appearance now and then in hopes of appeasing its few remaining "lowest-common denominator" readers, which still fall for the real hoaxes... such as weapons of mass destruction, or that Putin is invading Ukraine tomorrow, or that Democrats did not spy on Trump. Ironically, it was just yesterday that Jill Stein was lamenting the perseverance of this ridiculous trope. Perhaps Stein is secretly collaborating with the KGB?

So why pull out the same old discredited "Russiagate" narrative now? Well, it may have nothing to do with our alleged ties to Russia, and everything to do with our views of the current dismal US economic situation which few dare to criticize due to the MSM's infamous liberal bias, something the AP also notes, and this time accurately:

Zero Hedge has been sharply critical of Biden and posted stories about allegations of wrongdoing by his son Hunter. While perhaps best known for its coverage of markets and finance, the website also covers politics with a conservative bent.

Sensing that just pulling the Russiagate card would be insufficient to discredit the website, the anonymous "US intelligence source" also felt compelled to buttress their case as follows:

The website was an early amplifier of conspiracy theories and misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. An Associated Press investigation determined the site played a pivotal role in advancing the unproven theory that China engineered the virus as a bioweapon. It’s also posted articles touting natural immunity to COVID-19 and unproven treatments.

Yes, this website was the first to "advance" the theory that China engineered the virus which may well have escaped from the Wuhan lab (we never claimed it was a bioweapon released purposefully, although it certainly may have been) and last we checked the US intelligence is still unsure as to what the source of the virus is. It was that "advancement" that got us banned from Twitter for six months, only for the social media website to backtrack saying it “made an error" in doing so.

The bottom line is that such hit piece accusations that we somehow work with or for the Kremlin are nothing new: we have repeatedly faced similar allegations over the years, and we can absolutely confirm that all of them are "errors." That said, we do wish to thank the AP for bringing even more attention and focus to our contrarian, non-establishment views, views which we are confident the record number of Americans who have lost faith in such media outlets as, well, the Associated Press will find refreshing.

We will give the final word to the AP hit piece itself, which quotes Bret Schafer, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy, who said:

“My guess is that most of the people who are loyal Zero Hedge followers naturally are inclined to mistrust the U.S. government anyway,” he said, “and so this announcement is probably not going to undermine most of Zero Hedge’s core support.”

We agree. As for the CIA, no we are not going to date you. Ever.

Edited February 19, 2022 by Tom Nolan

[Tom Nolan + 2,443]

So...

I want to make it clear.  The orginal story did not come from Bloomberg, but from the AP News network.

Zero Hedge responded.   And I threw in a Zero Hedge Hunter Biden video clip because the AP article slammed Zero Hedge for talking about Biden's son.

Also, note that this is Goon stuff, CIA stuff in the Associated Press article.... 

Anonymous U.S. Intelligence Officials

Edited February 19, 2022 by Tom Nolan

[Tom Nolan + 2,443]

Meredith Poor is a poor researcher who is not interested in portraying the full story.

[SUZNV + 1,197]

Censorship will eventually split society in 2 extremes. One extreme confused and believed in mainstream 100% and the other extreme believed anything non mainstream, even conspiracy theory. There is no logical argument only fear and hate which make people in the middle confused, especially the youngsters or emotional people  and these are the most vulnerable to fear and hate. Freedom of speech and debates is the only way to educate the voters. World history proves that mainstream always in the dictatorship side in the "for the greater good" theme.

You can turn a good person into hateful easily but will be very hard to reverse him back, because he would have a strong excuse to justify his hate over logic/moral standard. That is how Hitler "persuaded" one of the most engineer society to genocide and wars, how Communism won the civil war in China, even after Kuomintang beat Japan in WW2 (in Sino culture, your regime will have a tremendous legitimacy once you kick foreign out or increase the conquered land or unit the country). 

Edited February 19, 2022 by SUZNV