with Michael Parenti
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Michael Parenti Blog
michaelparenti.org
August 28, 2014
by John Robles
RIA Novosti
August 28, 2014
The West is trying to turn the Russian humanitarian aid convoy “… into a duplicitous dangerous act because it would better fit with the kind of scenario that they have been putting forth about Russia being a predator or being the provocateur,” says renowned author Dr. Michael Parenti, a political scientist from Yale University, a historian, and a cultural critic, in an interview with Radio VR.
Dr. Parenti is the author of over 23 books whose works have been translated into 18 languages. He has given frequent lectures all over the world on a wide range of subjects and is the author of a college level political science textbook. Dr. Parenti’s working class roots may have figured into his motivation to be a defender of the little guy, the exploited and the victims of empire. He has proven himself to be a champion of the truth and a consistent defender of the underdog.
The Russian Federation recently sent a convoy of 270 trucks (with another convoy scheduled to depart in the near future) carrying more than 200,000 tons of humanitarian aid to provide much needed relief to the civilian population of the besieged Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. Dr. Parenti stated that: “The caravan proved to be full of peaceful materials (food and medicine and things like that) and that doesn’t look good from their view. Their goal is to try to make the Russians look as bad as possible, to justify their own aggression against the eastern Ukrainian people and the Republic they tried to set up.”
The humanitarian mission and the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry (EMERCOM) met with an unprecedented icy reaction from the West. EMERCOM has even helped the United States on several occasions. The accusations levied at the relief trucks ranged from “covert weapons supplies” to “outright invasion”. Dr. Parenti believes that Kiev is attempting to “pacify” the eastern regions and “the way to pacify them is to terrorize them into submission.” All the while, the West has been saying: “… it is the Russians who are aggressing and who are threatening and who have these big terrible white trucks that may destroy us all!”
Members of the western media have even attempted to shed an ominous light on “empty space” in trailers, obviously showing their ignorance that trucks have a certain weight limit (approximately 40 metric tons). A trailer filled with toilet paper would be packed to the roof but one with baby food would only be loaded with pallets about waist high. Dr. Parenti shrugged off the idea that the trucks may be covertly supplying weapons, saying: “… the tanks and the artillery and the firepower and the white phosphate bombs, which burn people to pieces if they get touched by the stuff, all of that is being provided by Kiev.”
While discussing the situation in Ukraine which he characterizes as the overthrowing of a “democratically elected government” with “a new government put in with Nazi and Right Wing groups playing a central role,” Dr. Parenti mentions “… a memo from the Rand Corporation that was circulating among the Ukrainians and the Kiev Group that said things like: ‘… you move in on the people, cut off their electricity and water, try to discourage their food supplies and yes you may have to use and you will use non-conventional weapons.’” Dr. Parenti says Kiev has done all of these things including the use of white phosphorous. He says: “… the Rand Corporation is a ‘think tank’ that is in the pay of the Pentagon which comes up with suggestions and operational plans,” and that they (RAND): “… talked about what is to be done in this situation, and they have been doing it, using heavy artillery, heavy armor and they have been very destructive of various eastern towns.”
The reckless tactics of the Kiev military are touched upon by Dr. Parenti who says: “They are not discriminating between armed soldiers and civilians and are rounding up any people who show signs of fighting, if they have any burns or bruises on their hands…”
He says we are seeing a “very mean spirited and brutal war against the Russian speaking eastern Ukrainians with almost 2,000 people having been killed and hundreds injured or made destitute after their homes have been blown up.”
The involvement of NATO in Ukraine is a topic which few talk about and in fact about which little is known and Dr. Parenti touchs on the issue by saying: “While this is going on (the punitive Kiev war) you have NATO waging a war of attrition against these people.”
Against the backdrop of the negative media campaign against the humanitarian convoys and the non-reporting of alternative narratives on the Ukraine crisis,
Dr. Parenti says that in the West “We hear nothing from Putin. We never see a word of what he says, we never hear his statements or comments. All we have are these commentators speaking ironically and with alarm and disparaging tones” asks the question: “What exactly has Putin done that is so wicked and evil? He is not the one collaborating with Nazi groups. He isn’t the one who is killing eastern Ukrainians.” Regarding Russian troops Dr. Parenti makes the point that if Russia was planning to invade there would be huge numbers not merely what is currently on the Russian border, as any country has the right to have troops on their own borders.
Dr. Parenti also says: “President Putin is not trying to dismember Ukraine but he has been giving some protection to people in eastern Ukraine, not just slaughtered out and out.”
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© 2014 RIA Novosti The online media can republish the above mentioned text content for noncommercial purposes at least 10 (ten) minutes after publication on the RS websites, on the condition that the republished items be accompanied by a statement denoting RS origin and copyright and a hyperlink to the original RS article (materials).
Michael Parenti is an award winning, internationally known author. His two most recent books are The Face of Imperialism (a critique of the U.S. global empire; 2011) and Waiting for Yesterday: Pages from a Street Kid’s Life (an ethnic memoir about his early life in Italian Harlem; 2013). For further information about his work, visit his website: www.michaelparenti.org.
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‘White rain’: Donetsk residents record alleged phosphorus shelling
RT on Aug 15, 2014
Citizens of Donetsk have recorded multiple videos of white glowing particles raining on residential quarters. The video can’t be verified, but locals claim it shows incendiary devices being used – similar to those apparently used by the army in another Eastern city of Slavyansk a couple of months ago.
Former UK army officer Charles Shoebridge believes it’s now up to Ukraine to prove that this was NOT an attack involving incendiaries.
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Wasteland: Devastation and breadlines behind Ukraine’s frontlines
RT on Aug 26, 2014
Weeks of fighting and shelling have left thousands of people in the East struggling to find any food. Russian humanitarian aid is being distributed in Lugansk, with anti-government forces also handing out supplies to the struggling citizens of Donetsk.
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‘Cuban missile crisis 2.0 – NATO approaches Russian border’
RT on Aug 28, 2014
The President of Ukraine has accused Russia of deploying troops in East Ukraine. That’s as anti-government forces launch a counter-offensive and advance on key areas in the south-east. RT is joined by Tony Gosling, an investigative journalist on the unfolding Ukrainian crisis.
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Poroshenko triggers ‘invasion’ alarm as Kiev crumbles under militia offensive
RT on Aug 28, 2014
Ukraine’s President has said Russia’s invading East Ukraine – although the statement has already been rejected by Moscow. The strong rhetoric comes amid a powerful counter-offensive by anti-government forces in Ukraine’s restive Eastern regions.
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RT’s reporter goes LIVE minutes after Grad shelling in Donetsk
RT on Aug 28, 2014
Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Donetsk, using a 120mm mortar, and at least 15 people were injured in the attack. RT’s Paula Slier reports after one of these attacks on August 28.
see also these video reports:
Chemical Threat: Kiev shelling risks massive E.Ukraine factory release
‘You abandoned us!’ Ukrainian soldiers & families despair over Kiev failures
Refinery blazes as heavy shelling hits outskirts of Donetsk
Ghost Town: Thousands flee Donetsk as Ukrainian army closes in
Ron Paul: US knows ‘more than it’s telling’ over MH17 crash
US intelligence officers think evidence on MH17 downing not adequate
see
Passing the Buk by William Bowles
Downed Airliner: Fake Audio Tape Shows US-Backed Hit to Frame Russia by Finian Cunningham
The New Cold War’s Ukraine Gambit by Michael Hudson + Rick Rozoff: CrossTalk: Nulandistan Update
Reflections on Ukraine and Regime Change by Michael Parenti
see also
Vladimir Putin: Transcript From Meeting With Petro Poroshenko
Dandelion Salad 
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Pingback: NATO Sabotage on Order for Ukraine Ceasefire by Finian Cunningham + Threat of Nuclear War | Dandelion Salad
Good comments, all!
Several months ago, Professor Peter Phillips and co-host Mickey Huff of Project Censored interviewed several intellectuals on one of their programs. Professor Michael Parenti was one of the guest speakers.
He said in a much nicer way than I could ever force myself to say, after John Kerry’s initial saber-rattling about Putin and the Russians pertaining to the fascist/nazi coup that the US and our flunky henchmen goon force known as “NATO,” were (and still are) in support of, in spite of the violent overthrow of the democratically elected government in Ukraine. Parenti said this about Kerry: There’s nothing worse than a weak man trying to act tough.” He also mentioned the fact that if the Kiev Ukrainians think they have it hard now, wait until the IMF and World Bank gets in. Words to that effect, as best as I can remember them.
Fast forward several months until now, and the Ukrainians in Kiev are battling each other. RT (RT.com) has covered it very well, and Michael’s analytical mind, and lifetime study of imperialism is right on the mark.
In Germany and now England, there are people marching against the war-mongering psychopaths in Washington D.C. and the NATO merchants of death, especially the rabid Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
If we “sow what we reap,” is true, Russia will prevail against the “world’s only super-bully,” not super-power, if and when push comes to shove. Time will tell.
Thanks Frank.
Here’s a link to the interview: http://www.projectcensored.org/flashpoint-ukraine/
Thanks, Lo!
Thought in case anyone else would like to hear the interview/discussion. I listened to part of it.
The destruction, the specifically chosen targets…israel style!
Putin’s cardinal sin has been, and still is and will continue to be, that he refuses to be intimidated by the West, especially Washington. The US is trying to ignite a fire it will not be able to extinguish. This is why us morons are here, to extinguish it and pay the price too – after which Washington will claim victory. Done so before.
Tony Gosling makes the big point: what is going on with MH17 investigation? How long does it take to type up the conversations from the black box? Did the secretary go on her yearly four-week vacation? CNN, which insanely reported for weeks on MH370 – hasn’t even mentioned MH17. Of all the legitimate requests and questions about MH17 – nothing / zero / nada from western governments or media. Excellent post.
Thanks, Jerry, excellent points. Very telling in what “stories” get air play on corporate media.
I agree on all fronts.
Our eponymous “West” is quite plainly a villainous sham ~ a perpetual false flag fortress of greed and irresponsibility, a fiction maintained for corporate avarice ~ buttressed by vulgar hegemonic ambition.
Always diabolizing the “opposition”, forever demonizing some “other.” It has been reduced to a habitation of violence, filth and hypocrisy,
The profane pretext of “our” NATO alliance “right or wrong” is a disgraceful and shameful abrogation of the public good. A monstrous geopolitical scandal of grotesque planetary proportions. It is simply nothing short of a shameful criminal syndicate, not a shining global example of international virtue.
Where are the proper institutions of accountability and (ecosystemic) law that should legitimize such a “majestic” global powerhouse? What are the instruments of ethical governance that must guarantee its representative integrity? They do not exist!!
This sick narcissistic world of moral prestidigitation is a pathogenic kindergarten infested with base ignorance & stupidity.
Hear, hear!
Hope you’ve been well this Summer, David.
Busy!
Unfortunately, I have to say the same thing.
I’ve been editing old posts that have missing videos. Already finished over a thousand blog posts, many with several videos within them. Still have 3,740 to do. I have 3 helpers who are looking up youtube urls for the missing videos which saves me a bit of time.