During the 12-day war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, Western media relied heavily upon a U.S.-based “human rights organization” when it came to counting the dead from Israeli strikes, and classifying them as either civilian or military casualties.
Glad someone is writing about NED and other soft power propaganda arms- pretty sure they’re also tied to the U.S. trying to destabilize Xinjiang and push the Uygher conspiracy narrative.
There's plenty of precedent for our media echo chamber's selective treatment of funding for destabilization campaigns overseas. In their fawning over Iran's anti-hijab rioters in 2002, US corporate media routinely mocked Iranian authorities for alleging a foreign hand behind the disturbances. "No evidence" was the favorite refrain of American commentators and journalists in this instance as it had been in older similar cases. Not one acknowledged readily available details of scandalous funding behind dozens of Persian language opposition TV broadcasts, podcasts, Youtube influencers and activist-laureates that inspired and cheered the agitators who set fire to banks and gas stations and threw gasoline bombs at police. It's a recurring playbook dating back to 2001 when NED, having proven its worth in Serbia's "velvet revolution", infamously sponsored all-expenses-paid training in Dubai for two dozen Iran-based "reformers". Legal trouble the activists faced upon return to Iran was of course condemned as sham trials by Western media.
From Venezuela and Honduras to Russia, Georgia and beyond, the ultimate function of Western-funded human rights NGOs is to sow dissension (and even destabilize) so a corrupt privileged class friendly to Wall Street can beat down less predatory alternatives. How ironic that similar bitter polarization now grips the Western nations that only exported it. A case of tasting one's own medicine?!
More a commentary on either the collusion of the USA Press with our involvement and support for ongoing war(s) in this part of the world or an admission of inferior journalism and very poor follow-up on very important issues. There are probably employees of most major news outlets with ties to every part of the world, Iran included, who could call friend or family to connect them with a reliable source of information to get their facts striaght for initial reporting. Most nations do have UN envoys which may be reliable sources of accurate reports. Heck, see what's in the morning newspapers in Tehran! Isn't it 3 sources with one at least an in person report? Come on, USA press. Let us know and follow up when new info comes to light. Help us get the facts and not political fictions.
BG, I agree. I've known for decades the CIA using phony organizations like NED and USAID to infiltrate other countries under the pretense of "helping." I also just returned from China where only the Uyghers get free healthcare, though Xi Jinping is telling the employers they have to offer healthcare to employees. Yes, this is a great article.
Glad someone is writing about NED and other soft power propaganda arms- pretty sure they’re also tied to the U.S. trying to destabilize Xinjiang and push the Uygher conspiracy narrative.
All I can think of is NED Flanders.
Great article!
There's plenty of precedent for our media echo chamber's selective treatment of funding for destabilization campaigns overseas. In their fawning over Iran's anti-hijab rioters in 2002, US corporate media routinely mocked Iranian authorities for alleging a foreign hand behind the disturbances. "No evidence" was the favorite refrain of American commentators and journalists in this instance as it had been in older similar cases. Not one acknowledged readily available details of scandalous funding behind dozens of Persian language opposition TV broadcasts, podcasts, Youtube influencers and activist-laureates that inspired and cheered the agitators who set fire to banks and gas stations and threw gasoline bombs at police. It's a recurring playbook dating back to 2001 when NED, having proven its worth in Serbia's "velvet revolution", infamously sponsored all-expenses-paid training in Dubai for two dozen Iran-based "reformers". Legal trouble the activists faced upon return to Iran was of course condemned as sham trials by Western media.
Correction: the referenced riots occurred in 2022, not in 2002.
From Venezuela and Honduras to Russia, Georgia and beyond, the ultimate function of Western-funded human rights NGOs is to sow dissension (and even destabilize) so a corrupt privileged class friendly to Wall Street can beat down less predatory alternatives. How ironic that similar bitter polarization now grips the Western nations that only exported it. A case of tasting one's own medicine?!
More a commentary on either the collusion of the USA Press with our involvement and support for ongoing war(s) in this part of the world or an admission of inferior journalism and very poor follow-up on very important issues. There are probably employees of most major news outlets with ties to every part of the world, Iran included, who could call friend or family to connect them with a reliable source of information to get their facts striaght for initial reporting. Most nations do have UN envoys which may be reliable sources of accurate reports. Heck, see what's in the morning newspapers in Tehran! Isn't it 3 sources with one at least an in person report? Come on, USA press. Let us know and follow up when new info comes to light. Help us get the facts and not political fictions.
BG, I agree. I've known for decades the CIA using phony organizations like NED and USAID to infiltrate other countries under the pretense of "helping." I also just returned from China where only the Uyghers get free healthcare, though Xi Jinping is telling the employers they have to offer healthcare to employees. Yes, this is a great article.
Great work guys!
Great work!