{"id":118038,"date":"2014-05-13T07:21:00","date_gmt":"2014-05-13T07:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/?guid=5fff2d507b41a10d2ed4d24d755b3d3d"},"modified":"2014-05-13T07:21:00","modified_gmt":"2014-05-13T07:21:00","slug":"bashing-real-democracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/editorials\/bashing-real-democracy\/","title":{"rendered":"Bashing Real Democracy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\"><b>Bashing Real Democracy<\/b><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">by Stephen Lendman<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Media scoundrels reacted as expected. They didn&#8217;t surprise. They march in lockstep with official Washington policy.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They bashed Sunday&#8217;s legitimate Donetsk and Lugansk referendums. They reflect real democracy.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They exposed America&#8217;s sham process. Perhaps they&#8217;ll inspire people everywhere to follow their courageous example.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Not according to The New York Times. It twists important truths daily. It does so irresponsibly. On May 11, it <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2014\/05\/12\/world\/europe\/ukraine-referendum.html?hpw&amp;rref=world\"><span style=\"color: #1255cc;\">headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Ukraine Vote on Separation Held in Chaos,&#8221; saying:&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Separatists in two provinces of eastern Ukraine conducted chaotic and sometimes violent plebiscites on Sunday that offered voters just one question about self-rule, while raising many more about where events in the region were headed.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Opponents appeared to be staying away from the polls, as many had said they would.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;The ballot papers that could be seen in transparent ballot boxes in two cities, Donetsk and Slovyansk, were almost all marked yes.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;But the voting took place in such a raw state of lawlessness that no one other than the organizers and perhaps their Russian patrons seemed likely to accept the results as a democratic expression of the voters will.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;The interim central government and many leaders in the West have said that the separatists in eastern Ukraine were proxies for the Russian intelligence services, and were trying to destabilize the country after mass protests drove Ukraine&#8217;s former pro-Russian leader from power.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Referendums offered no reliable gauge of (popular) support.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Despite their slapdash nature, the referendums in the east risked escalating the smoldering conflict in Ukraine by entrenching the political wings of pro-Russian militant groups, giving them a chance to claim at least the semblance of a popular mandate, while facing the authorities in Kiev with the awkward problem of appearing to defy voters.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Coup-appointed presidential chief of staff Sergiy Pashinskiy was quoted, saying:<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;The so-called referendum in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions is an attempt by the terrorists to cover up their crimes.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;In fact, there is no referendum taking place.&#8221; Voting went on only in about one-third of the region, he claimed. Organizers will be prosecuted, he added.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Times managed news misinformation rubbish substitutes for accurate reporting.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: It does so systematically.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: It does willfully.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: It does daily.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Eastern Ukrainians aren&#8217;t separatists.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They&#8217;re not terrorists.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They&#8217;re not militants.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They&#8217;re factory workers, miners, farmers, shopkeepers, and store clerks.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They&#8217;re freedom fighters.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They&#8217;re Ukraine&#8217;s best and bravest.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Like-minded residents support them.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They include ordinary people of all stripes, doctors, lawyers, academics, accountants, other professionals, students, mothers, grandparents, and religious figures.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They share one common trait.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They&#8217;re democrats.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They support the real thing.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They reject illegitimate Kiev putschists.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Everyone everywhere should.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Voting was well organized.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: It wasn&#8217;t &#8220;slapdash.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: So-called &#8220;chaos&#8221; was state-sponsored.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Donetsk and Lugansk regions are virtual war zones.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Residents risked life and limb to vote.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Turnout was huge.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: It was unprecedented.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Nearly 80% of eligible voters overall.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They left no doubt where they stand.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Near unanimity chose democracy.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: So-called &#8220;opponents&#8221; were near non-existent.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: So-called &#8220;raw state of lawlessness&#8221; was state-sponsored.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: So-called &#8220;Russian patrons&#8221; don&#8217;t exist.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Voters acted on their own volition.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They&#8217;re &#8220;proxies&#8221; for no one.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They want real democracy.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They want the real thing.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They want peace, law and order.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They want stability nationwide.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They deplore fascism.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They reject what no one should tolerate.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Referendum results showed clear popular self-rule sentiment.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Voters inspired other Ukrainians to follow their example.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They inspired people everywhere to do so.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: They exposed Kiev&#8217;s dark side.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: State-sponsored terrorism reflects it.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fact: Fascist regimes operate this way.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Don&#8217;t expect Times correspondents, commentators or editors to explain. They support wealth, power and privilege exclusively.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They deplore social justice. They oppose real democracy. They&#8217;re on the wrong side of history. They disgracefully back wrong over right.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">On May 12, The Times <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2014\/05\/12\/world\/europe\/ukraine-referendum.html?hpw&amp;rref=world\"><span style=\"color: #1255cc;\">headlined<\/span><\/a> &nbsp;&#8220;Kiev Condemns Separatist Vote as Russia Offers Tepid Support,&#8221; saying:<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Ukraine&#8217;s interim president, Oleksandr V. Turchynov, on Monday dismissed weekend referendums in the country&#8217;s restive east, calling them &#8216;a farce&#8217; with no legal basis\u2026&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">He accused Moscow of trying to overthrow Kiev&#8217;s government. He bashed Kremlin officials irresponsibly.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">He said they aim to disrupt May 25&#8217;s election. It reflects stage-managed illegitimacy writ large.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; min-height: 22px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Claiming tepid Russian support doesn&#8217;t wash. Expect future Kremlin comments to leave no doubt about backing what deserves universal recognition.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Coup-appointed Kiev security chief Andriy Parubiy called Sunday&#8217;s referendums &#8220;Putin propaganda.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Europe needs to understand that because Hitler was not stopped at the beginning, it led to a huge war and millions and millions of victims,&#8221; he claimed.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;If Russia recogniszes (the results), Ukraine will defend its territory.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Washington denounced the referendum results. It&#8217;s unwilling to recognize them.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">British Foreign Secretary William Hague said they &#8220;have zero credibility in the eyes of the world. They are illegal by anybody&#8217;s standards.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It bears repeating. Sunday&#8217;s referendums were legitimate. Claiming otherwise doesn&#8217;t wash.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Self-determination is a universal right. Comparing legal self-rule to Hitler on the march shows how far Kiev putschists sunk. They&#8217;ll go to any extremes to denounce real democracy.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">To conceal lawless rule. To pretend illegitimacy is proper. To continue waging aggressive war. To keep killing civilians.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">To crack down hard on nonbelievers. To harden fascist rule. To crush legitimate opponents. To do it no-holds-barred.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">The Washington Post <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/europe\/ukraines-rebels-say-they-are-seeking-a-mandate-not-independence-in-referendum\/2014\/05\/11\/ac02688a-d8dc-11e3-aae8-c2d44bd79778_story.html\"><span style=\"color: #1255cc;\">headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Eastern Ukrainians vote for self-rule in referendum opposed by West,&#8221; saying:<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Results threaten &#8220;to deepen divisions in a country already heading perilously toward civil war.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It quoted Kiev&#8217;s self-appointed foreign ministry calling Sunday&#8217;s referendums a &#8220;criminal farce.&#8221; Run by a &#8220;gang of terrorists.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Reflecting its view about Russian agents backing them.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Many residents who oppose the separatist movement boycotted the vote,&#8221; said WaPo. But it did appear that turnout was relatively high.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Relatively&#8221; grossly understates reality. At nearly 80%, it was unprecedented. So-called &#8220;opposition&#8221; was practically non-existent.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">WaPo couldn&#8217;t get its facts straight. Fantasy substitutes for truth. Distortion for reality. Bald-faced lies for legitimate journalism.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">The Wall Street Journal <a href=\"http:\/\/online.wsj.com\/news\/articles\/SB10001424052702303851804579555452540557192?mg=reno64-wsj&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303851804579555452540557192.html\"><span style=\"color: #1255cc;\">headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Pro-Russian Separatists Declare Victory in East Ukraine,&#8221; saying:<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Doing so &#8220;ratchet(ed) up tensions between the West and Moscow, which by recognizing the results could push the country toward a break-up.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Results suggest &#8220;weeks of instability and violence&#8221; to come.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Amid an absence of electoral observers and a heavy presence of separatist gunmen patrolling the streets, the government in Kiev said the results of the vote were certain to be rigged.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;(F)igures (released) are certain to arouse skepticism, since polls last month showed only 30% of voters in the Donetsk region supported independence from Ukraine.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Pro-unity activists said that many opponents of splitting from Ukraine simply stayed at home and that long lines were caused by a restricted number of voting stations.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">The Journal blamed victims for Kiev&#8217;s aggression. It said they &#8220;began armed confrontations in Mariupol&#8221; and elsewhere.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Twisting facts to fit Washington&#8217;s imperial agenda is longstanding scoundrel media policy. Calling freedom-fighting activists terrorists shows how far they&#8217;ve sunk.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Equating real democracy with separatism reveals more. Near self-rule unanimity showed alleged pre-election 30% support flat wrong.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Sunday&#8217;s record turnout belied claims about many self-determination opponents staying home. Hard facts expose scoundrel media Big Lies.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">The Chicago Tribune <a href=\"http:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/news\/chi-ukraine-crisis-20140511,0,1978595.story\"><span style=\"color: #1255cc;\">headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Rebels declare victory in East Ukraine vote on self-rule.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It called a historic triumph &#8220;makeshift\u2026Potentially grace implications may follow.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Ballot papers\u2026were printed without security provision\u2026(V)oter registration was patchy\u2026(T)here was confusion over what the vote was for.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Not based on voter turnout. None on what they support. Scoundrel media post-mortems reflect sour grapes grousing. Taking issue with real democracy shows how strongly they oppose it.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Eastern Ukrainians spoke loudly. It bears repeating. Self-rule affirmation was near unanimous.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">So was opposition to illegitimate Kiev fascist rule. The struggle for Ukraine&#8217;s soul continues. It just began. It remains to be seen what follows.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Regular updates will keep explaining the most significant geopolitical issue of our time.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Stay tuned for regular updates. Learn what everyone needs to know.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">His new book as editor and contributor is titled &#8220;Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">http:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanIII.html<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">http:\/\/www.progressiveradionetwork.com\/the-progressive-news-hour&nbsp;<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div><b>Bashing Real Democracy<\/b><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>by Stephen Lendman<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Media scoundrels reacted as expected. They didn&#8217;t surprise. They march in lockstep with official Washington policy.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They bashed Sunday&#8217;s legitimate Donetsk and Lugansk referendums. They reflect real democracy.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They exposed America&#8217;s sham process. Perhaps they&#8217;ll inspire people everywhere to follow their courageous example.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Not according to The New York Times. It twists important truths daily. It does so irresponsibly. On May 11, it <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2014\/05\/12\/world\/europe\/ukraine-referendum.html?hpw&amp;rref=world\"><span>headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Ukraine Vote on Separation Held in Chaos,&#8221; saying:&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Separatists in two provinces of eastern Ukraine conducted chaotic and sometimes violent plebiscites on Sunday that offered voters just one question about self-rule, while raising many more about where events in the region were headed.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Opponents appeared to be staying away from the polls, as many had said they would.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;The ballot papers that could be seen in transparent ballot boxes in two cities, Donetsk and Slovyansk, were almost all marked yes.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;But the voting took place in such a raw state of lawlessness that no one other than the organizers and perhaps their Russian patrons seemed likely to accept the results as a democratic expression of the voters will.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;The interim central government and many leaders in the West have said that the separatists in eastern Ukraine were proxies for the Russian intelligence services, and were trying to destabilize the country after mass protests drove Ukraine&#8217;s former pro-Russian leader from power.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Referendums offered no reliable gauge of (popular) support.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Despite their slapdash nature, the referendums in the east risked escalating the smoldering conflict in Ukraine by entrenching the political wings of pro-Russian militant groups, giving them a chance to claim at least the semblance of a popular mandate, while facing the authorities in Kiev with the awkward problem of appearing to defy voters.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Coup-appointed presidential chief of staff Sergiy Pashinskiy was quoted, saying:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;The so-called referendum in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions is an attempt by the terrorists to cover up their crimes.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;In fact, there is no referendum taking place.&#8221; Voting went on only in about one-third of the region, he claimed. Organizers will be prosecuted, he added.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Times managed news misinformation rubbish substitutes for accurate reporting.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: It does so systematically.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: It does willfully.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: It does daily.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Eastern Ukrainians aren&#8217;t separatists.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They&#8217;re not terrorists.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They&#8217;re not militants.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They&#8217;re factory workers, miners, farmers, shopkeepers, and store clerks.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They&#8217;re freedom fighters.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They&#8217;re Ukraine&#8217;s best and bravest.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Like-minded residents support them.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They include ordinary people of all stripes, doctors, lawyers, academics, accountants, other professionals, students, mothers, grandparents, and religious figures.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They share one common trait.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They&#8217;re democrats.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They support the real thing.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They reject illegitimate Kiev putschists.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Everyone everywhere should.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Voting was well organized.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: It wasn&#8217;t &#8220;slapdash.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: So-called &#8220;chaos&#8221; was state-sponsored.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Donetsk and Lugansk regions are virtual war zones.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Residents risked life and limb to vote.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Turnout was huge.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: It was unprecedented.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Nearly 80% of eligible voters overall.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They left no doubt where they stand.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Near unanimity chose democracy.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: So-called &#8220;opponents&#8221; were near non-existent.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: So-called &#8220;raw state of lawlessness&#8221; was state-sponsored.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: So-called &#8220;Russian patrons&#8221; don&#8217;t exist.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Voters acted on their own volition.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They&#8217;re &#8220;proxies&#8221; for no one.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They want real democracy.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They want the real thing.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They want peace, law and order.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They want stability nationwide.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They deplore fascism.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They reject what no one should tolerate.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Referendum results showed clear popular self-rule sentiment.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Voters inspired other Ukrainians to follow their example.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They inspired people everywhere to do so.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: They exposed Kiev&#8217;s dark side.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: State-sponsored terrorism reflects it.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fact: Fascist regimes operate this way.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Don&#8217;t expect Times correspondents, commentators or editors to explain. They support wealth, power and privilege exclusively.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They deplore social justice. They oppose real democracy. They&#8217;re on the wrong side of history. They disgracefully back wrong over right.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>On May 12, The Times <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2014\/05\/12\/world\/europe\/ukraine-referendum.html?hpw&amp;rref=world\"><span>headlined<\/span><\/a> &nbsp;&#8220;Kiev Condemns Separatist Vote as Russia Offers Tepid Support,&#8221; saying:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Ukraine&#8217;s interim president, Oleksandr V. Turchynov, on Monday dismissed weekend referendums in the country&#8217;s restive east, calling them &#8216;a farce&#8217; with no legal basis&hellip;&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He accused Moscow of trying to overthrow Kiev&#8217;s government. He bashed Kremlin officials irresponsibly.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He said they aim to disrupt May 25&#8217;s election. It reflects stage-managed illegitimacy writ large.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Claiming tepid Russian support doesn&#8217;t wash. Expect future Kremlin comments to leave no doubt about backing what deserves universal recognition.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Coup-appointed Kiev security chief Andriy Parubiy called Sunday&#8217;s referendums &#8220;Putin propaganda.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Europe needs to understand that because Hitler was not stopped at the beginning, it led to a huge war and millions and millions of victims,&#8221; he claimed.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;If Russia recogniszes (the results), Ukraine will defend its territory.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Washington denounced the referendum results. It&#8217;s unwilling to recognize them.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>British Foreign Secretary William Hague said they &#8220;have zero credibility in the eyes of the world. They are illegal by anybody&#8217;s standards.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It bears repeating. Sunday&#8217;s referendums were legitimate. Claiming otherwise doesn&#8217;t wash.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Self-determination is a universal right. Comparing legal self-rule to Hitler on the march shows how far Kiev putschists sunk. They&#8217;ll go to any extremes to denounce real democracy.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>To conceal lawless rule. To pretend illegitimacy is proper. To continue waging aggressive war. To keep killing civilians.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>To crack down hard on nonbelievers. To harden fascist rule. To crush legitimate opponents. To do it no-holds-barred.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The Washington Post <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/europe\/ukraines-rebels-say-they-are-seeking-a-mandate-not-independence-in-referendum\/2014\/05\/11\/ac02688a-d8dc-11e3-aae8-c2d44bd79778_story.html\"><span>headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Eastern Ukrainians vote for self-rule in referendum opposed by West,&#8221; saying:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Results threaten &#8220;to deepen divisions in a country already heading perilously toward civil war.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It quoted Kiev&#8217;s self-appointed foreign ministry calling Sunday&#8217;s referendums a &#8220;criminal farce.&#8221; Run by a &#8220;gang of terrorists.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div>Reflecting its view about Russian agents backing them.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Many residents who oppose the separatist movement boycotted the vote,&#8221; said WaPo. But it did appear that turnout was relatively high.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Relatively&#8221; grossly understates reality. At nearly 80%, it was unprecedented. So-called &#8220;opposition&#8221; was practically non-existent.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>WaPo couldn&#8217;t get its facts straight. Fantasy substitutes for truth. Distortion for reality. Bald-faced lies for legitimate journalism.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The Wall Street Journal <a href=\"http:\/\/online.wsj.com\/news\/articles\/SB10001424052702303851804579555452540557192?mg=reno64-wsj&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303851804579555452540557192.html\"><span>headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Pro-Russian Separatists Declare Victory in East Ukraine,&#8221; saying:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Doing so &#8220;ratchet(ed) up tensions between the West and Moscow, which by recognizing the results could push the country toward a break-up.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Results suggest &#8220;weeks of instability and violence&#8221; to come.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Amid an absence of electoral observers and a heavy presence of separatist gunmen patrolling the streets, the government in Kiev said the results of the vote were certain to be rigged.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;(F)igures (released) are certain to arouse skepticism, since polls last month showed only 30% of voters in the Donetsk region supported independence from Ukraine.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Pro-unity activists said that many opponents of splitting from Ukraine simply stayed at home and that long lines were caused by a restricted number of voting stations.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The Journal blamed victims for Kiev&#8217;s aggression. It said they &#8220;began armed confrontations in Mariupol&#8221; and elsewhere.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Twisting facts to fit Washington&#8217;s imperial agenda is longstanding scoundrel media policy. Calling freedom-fighting activists terrorists shows how far they&#8217;ve sunk.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Equating real democracy with separatism reveals more. Near self-rule unanimity showed alleged pre-election 30% support flat wrong.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Sunday&#8217;s record turnout belied claims about many self-determination opponents staying home. Hard facts expose scoundrel media Big Lies.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The Chicago Tribune <a href=\"http:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/news\/chi-ukraine-crisis-20140511,0,1978595.story\"><span>headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Rebels declare victory in East Ukraine vote on self-rule.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It called a historic triumph &#8220;makeshift&hellip;Potentially grace implications may follow.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Ballot papers&hellip;were printed without security provision&hellip;(V)oter registration was patchy&hellip;(T)here was confusion over what the vote was for.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Not based on voter turnout. None on what they support. Scoundrel media post-mortems reflect sour grapes grousing. Taking issue with real democracy shows how strongly they oppose it.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Eastern Ukrainians spoke loudly. It bears repeating. Self-rule affirmation was near unanimous.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>So was opposition to illegitimate Kiev fascist rule. The struggle for Ukraine&#8217;s soul continues. It just began. It remains to be seen what follows.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Regular updates will keep explaining the most significant geopolitical issue of our time.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Stay tuned for regular updates. Learn what everyone needs to know.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>His new book as editor and contributor is titled &#8220;Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>http:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanIII.html<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div>http:\/\/www.progressiveradionetwork.com\/the-progressive-news-hour&nbsp;<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1217,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[461],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-118038","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorials"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1217"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118038"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118038\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}