CAITLIN JOHNSTONE—The reason Russiagaters speak so often in broad, sweeping terms — saying there are too many suspicious things happening for there not to be a there there, that there’s too much smoke for there not to be fire — is because when you zoom in and focus on any individual part of their conspiracy theory, it falls apart under the slightest amount of critical thinking (or as Harding calls it, “collusion rejectionism”).
AMERICAN BRAINWASH
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CAITLIN JOHNSTONE—The short, low-energy Daily Beast blurb went viral by reporting on another arm-flailing Russiagate “bombshell” by the Washington Post, whose sole owner is a CIA contractor and dangerous oligarch. WaPo’s article revolves around a pseudonymous writer with alleged ties to the Kremlin who succeeded in getting published by numerous alternative media outlets, most notably in CounterPunch.
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Jill Stein in the Crosshairs: the Russia Investigation Shifts to Clinton’s Political Rivals
15 minutes readMIKE WHITNEY—Do you hear that, liberals? Do you hear what Warner is saying? Do you like the idea that the investigation is expanding and that the hectoring, harassing and intimidating is going to continue for the foreseeable future and that it’s going to include anyone who admires men like Assange or Snowden or Manning or anyone who opposes the corrupt and murderous oligarchy that rules this stinking country?
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PHYLLIS BENNIS—Well, the US wasn’t an honest broker, so there’s nothing at risk here. And you’re right that if this leads to a recognition among parts of the press that were never willing to acknowledge it before that, no, the US is not an honest broker, that’s not a bad thing for people to start recognizing.
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CAITLIN JOHNSTONE—So excuse the hell out of me if I can’t help but read the intelligence community’s joint statement in the voice of a cartoonish mafia thug threatening to arrange a little “accident” if his extortion victim doesn’t pay up. When a depraved, violent organization with a history of using false flags and psyops to advance its agendas says it urgently needs to be given unchecked surveillance powers in order to prevent acts of terror, I get a little nervous.