The Russian Menace and the Dangers of Believing the New York Times, by David Swanson

Image by Paula Funnell via Flickr

by David Swanson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Let’s Try Democracy, June 28, 2020
June 29, 2020

The New York Times claims that Russia offered to pay Afghans to kill U.S. (and allied) troops. It does not claim that any payments were made. It does not claim that any troops were killed. It does not claim that any impact was had on anything. It does not name its sources. It does not offer any evidence other than the supposed assertions of nameless government officials. It does not offer any justification for not naming them. It does not provide the context of all the years the U.S. government spent arming and funding Afghans to kill Russians, nor all the more recent years during which the U.S. military has been both the enemy of the Taliban and its top funding source (or at least second to opium). It promotes the ridiculous and debunked Russiagate notion that Trump is too kind to Russia.

Trump’s Lawless Presidency? Just Like All the Rest of Them by Finian Cunningham

Image by Debra Sweet via Flickr

by Finian Cunningham
Writer, Dandelion Salad
East Africa
Crossposted from Strategic Culture Foundation
June 12, 2017

Piling on the invective against Donald Trump, an op-ed in the New York Times this week castigated him as a “lawless president”. The business tycoon-turned politician has already been roundly condemned in the US media as a traitor, stooge, buffoon and much more. Now the Times has marked him down as “lawless”.

Libya: Reporting War Crimes AFTER the Facts by Finian Cunningham

by Finian Cunningham
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
East Africa
20 December 2011

Nearly two months after NATO warplanes ended their bombing campaign in Libya, the New York Times has now published “an investigation” by its staff writers that purports to show that “civilians were killed in several distinct attacks” [1]. The so-called “paper of record” goes on to say in its article published 17 December that it has found evidence that the “air campaign was not as flawless as NATO has described” – nor, it should be added, as the New York Times itself tended to report at the time of the atrocities.

Propagandists First, Journalists Second – How the NYT Won 2004 for Bush

Dandelion Salad

By Ted Rall
05/21/08 “ICH”

Should the news media be patriotic? When a journalist uncovers a government secret, which comes first–national security or the public’s right to know?

In the United States, reporters consider themselves Americans first, journalists second. That means consulting the government before going public with a state secret. “When I was at ABC,” James Bamford told Time in 2006, “we always checked with the Administration in power when we thought we had something of concern, and there was usually some way to work it out.”