At one time, Empire actually tried to make its lies plausible, at least to some extent. Now, they don’t even need to bother. I cannot even imagine a single adult on the planet who honestly believed that any one besides the US was responsible. However, what was important was that opinion makers and reporters PRETENDED to believe it, and dutifully and humiliatingly babble the official narratives. (This applies even to some of the better indie journalists... some of whom dissented in so far as saying “we just may never know...”)
Moreover, the price of daring to question official narratives, even by the regular civilian population, has gotten higher and higher, even if the questioning is mundane and backed by facts. Posit that viamin D improved COVID outcomes? Lose your job. Report an adverse side effect to a vaccine? Ditto. Point out that maybe Russia had legitmate security concerns? You Putin Loving Commie! Object to carpet bombing civilian populations. You hate Jews and want to genocide them!
Then, there are those who just go too far. They end up in Belmarsh, or get accused of sexual assault, or get suprise IRS visits while being insulted before congress.... or they just end up dead by “suicide.”
The general secretary of NATO in 1957 said: "NATO has three objectives. To keep the United States in, Russia out and Germany down. Blowing up Nordstream was a three-fer in that respect.
Great reporting. I’ll take an amateur guess; that the country who drops more bombs than the next 7, is engaged in both a genocide and proxy war that it’s state media lie about, and have the most important publisher of their war crimes locked up,....just might be a suspect in blowing something up for personal gain and lying about that too..
The loudest indicator of U S culpability was and is the silence, the unusual passivity by all media and pols in Europe, Scholz sitting tight in Berlin, no complaints, no noise, no outrage. Such unity in restraint can only be the case when the one power controlling western narratives said "Shhhhh", or else! Clear as mountain springs!
I never believed, for one second, that Russia either instigated or carried out the bombing of the Nord Stream two pipeline. About 60 years ago when I was a young adult just becoming interested in politics and world events, an older friend gave me a tip, which was that when events like this occur just ask yourself ‘Who stands to gain from this?’, and, more often than not, your answer will point to the instigator of it…
The capitalist-owned media will always do whatever is required for it to do in order to serve the interests of its capitalist ruling classes.
Yes, you are right, John Pretty. In some ways The Guardian is the news rag to be most sceptical about because of the (mis-) perceptions of what its position is.
Thanks for starting this discussion, Jonathan. This is indeed an interesting story, where the media seems to be “muddying the waters” rather than discovering the truth. My summerhouse is not that far from the location of the explosions, and I have a neighbor who used to be a diving instructor for the Swedish navy. Here are some interesting points:
1. Diving down to 70-90 meters (210 to 270) requires special equipment. You are not supposed to do that with compressed air. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_diving
2. The visibility in the Baltic Sea is essentially zero. You do not dive down with a flashlight to look for the pipelines. You need to know exactly where they are.
4. I also find it surprising that somebody could simply drive hundreds of kilograms of explosives to Rostock and load it onto a yacht.
5. The waters around Bornholm are carefully monitored by the Swedish and the Danish navy. No sailing yacht will be able to stay in that area for hours without being detected.
It is obvious that both the Danish and Swedish authorities know a lot more than they are prepared to tell. Somebody is lying and the press seems only moderately interested in finding out who it is.
It’s all speculation & conjecture, no one knows for certain, all those nations mentioned had incentive to blow the damn thing up. ‘Oh it’s the Americans again’, perhaps but perhaps not. Just as likely to have been Putin’ strategy to cause us pain, and, if so, it worked!
That's just a prescription for passiveness. The most powerful state on the planet will always have the means to stop us knowing definitively what it doesn't want us to know. *You* have a responsibility to engage your capacity for critical thinking and work out the most likely – by far – explanation.
You bring up a good point. Someone committed an act of war on Germany, but nobody in Europe seems to be in any kind of a hurry to investigate.
Gee, why is that? I mean, they have no problem throwing all kinds of wild and unfounded accusations at Russia, so it's not as if they are worried about offending the leaders of that country. But as soon as Sy Hersch published his piece, Scholz scurried off to Washington to meet with Biden and get his story straight and the educated classes in Europe just pretended that there was nothing happening, nothing to see or ask questions about.
Why, it's almost as if European politicians are afraid of what their investigation might reveal.....
Nov 14, 2023·edited Nov 14, 2023Liked by Jonathan Cook
Because Russians are unable to operate a shutoff valve and then to offer to turn that valve on again for the right concessions. However, these selfsame buffoons are capable of venturing into a NATO lake, and carrying out a sophisticated sabotage operation unnoticed by anyone?
The Post's story is, like all of their shallow stenography for The Empire, unadulterated bullshit.
Sy nailed the story months ago. The Imperial Imbecile said he'd get it done and he did. Feeble, cowardly Europe trembles and kowtows and pays to kiss the arse of The Empire.
...., and what's-her-face the British PM texted Blinken two minutes after the blast: "It's done!" The destruction of Nordstream makes all NATO energy infrastructure a legitimate target.
It’s so hard to accept that the free press of America that we grew up respecting have turned into willing liars to serve their corrupt masters. Hard to accept but true.
One hundred and four years ago Upton Sinclair published his book "The Brass Check". In it he maticulously documented how AP lied outright, or by omission. He quit as a journalist and became an author Several years prior to 1919. I recommend the book.
"He supposedly oversaw the small, six-man team that rented a yacht and then carried out the James Bond-style attack."
I reckon it was the real James Bond, ye olde SBS, marine branch of ye olde asSASsination squaddies, usually deputised by Unc£€ $am for 'in theatre ops'.
The Fleming books and movies were always a PR-op-agenda g£amourising of licenced killing, remember.
This war is, as it's first Secretary Geneneral £ord I$may described Nato's purpose, to keep Russia OUT, Germany DOWN, and AmeriKKKa IN.
Why bite when your watchdog has prepared the ground with its Brexit shot across U$$ €uropa's bows?
Thanks Jonathan for not letting this story die. Shocking, as it is indicative of the newest lows America is willing to stoop. This, the so-called war in Ukraine and now supplying the means for Israel to slaughter millions. Is there no depth to which this America will not go to destroy any vestige of decency formerly represented by this nation. I weep for the victims of our ‘ democracy’ and the next generations of Americans who will pay the price for the decisions of a few soulless politicians.
What you write is so true. Except that it is not a few soulless politicians. Almost the entire US legislature is behind the lies, the wars, the military budget and the war economy.
keep up with the story. a Ukrainian special forces guy did it., He admits it, Ukraine admits it.
At one time, Empire actually tried to make its lies plausible, at least to some extent. Now, they don’t even need to bother. I cannot even imagine a single adult on the planet who honestly believed that any one besides the US was responsible. However, what was important was that opinion makers and reporters PRETENDED to believe it, and dutifully and humiliatingly babble the official narratives. (This applies even to some of the better indie journalists... some of whom dissented in so far as saying “we just may never know...”)
Moreover, the price of daring to question official narratives, even by the regular civilian population, has gotten higher and higher, even if the questioning is mundane and backed by facts. Posit that viamin D improved COVID outcomes? Lose your job. Report an adverse side effect to a vaccine? Ditto. Point out that maybe Russia had legitmate security concerns? You Putin Loving Commie! Object to carpet bombing civilian populations. You hate Jews and want to genocide them!
Then, there are those who just go too far. They end up in Belmarsh, or get accused of sexual assault, or get suprise IRS visits while being insulted before congress.... or they just end up dead by “suicide.”
Thank you for the detailed take-down of the preposterous WP story and the establishment media in general.
As Caitlin Johnstone repeatedly points out, and as you illustrated here, gaining our acquiescence is all about narrative control.
The general secretary of NATO in 1957 said: "NATO has three objectives. To keep the United States in, Russia out and Germany down. Blowing up Nordstream was a three-fer in that respect.
Great reporting. I’ll take an amateur guess; that the country who drops more bombs than the next 7, is engaged in both a genocide and proxy war that it’s state media lie about, and have the most important publisher of their war crimes locked up,....just might be a suspect in blowing something up for personal gain and lying about that too..
Excellent overview Jonathan ... thank you!
The loudest indicator of U S culpability was and is the silence, the unusual passivity by all media and pols in Europe, Scholz sitting tight in Berlin, no complaints, no noise, no outrage. Such unity in restraint can only be the case when the one power controlling western narratives said "Shhhhh", or else! Clear as mountain springs!
Undoubtedly your analysis is correct Jonathan.
I never believed, for one second, that Russia either instigated or carried out the bombing of the Nord Stream two pipeline. About 60 years ago when I was a young adult just becoming interested in politics and world events, an older friend gave me a tip, which was that when events like this occur just ask yourself ‘Who stands to gain from this?’, and, more often than not, your answer will point to the instigator of it…
The capitalist-owned media will always do whatever is required for it to do in order to serve the interests of its capitalist ruling classes.
The Guardian doesn't get a free pass.
Yes, you are right, John Pretty. In some ways The Guardian is the news rag to be most sceptical about because of the (mis-) perceptions of what its position is.
You have to admit it's aptly named though. "Guardian of what?" is the question.
Indeed!
Thanks for starting this discussion, Jonathan. This is indeed an interesting story, where the media seems to be “muddying the waters” rather than discovering the truth. My summerhouse is not that far from the location of the explosions, and I have a neighbor who used to be a diving instructor for the Swedish navy. Here are some interesting points:
1. Diving down to 70-90 meters (210 to 270) requires special equipment. You are not supposed to do that with compressed air. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_diving
2. The visibility in the Baltic Sea is essentially zero. You do not dive down with a flashlight to look for the pipelines. You need to know exactly where they are.
3. The initial Swedish and Danish reports concluded that hundreds of kilograms of TNT had been used. This assessment was based on seismic measurements. An article in Scientific American estimates that the explosions corresponded to 500 kg TNT each (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nord-stream-pipeline-blasts-stirred-up-toxic-sediment).
4. I also find it surprising that somebody could simply drive hundreds of kilograms of explosives to Rostock and load it onto a yacht.
5. The waters around Bornholm are carefully monitored by the Swedish and the Danish navy. No sailing yacht will be able to stay in that area for hours without being detected.
6. Russia has been calling for a UN investigation of the incident: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-22/russia-clashes-with-west-over-nord-stream-investigation/102011038
It is obvious that both the Danish and Swedish authorities know a lot more than they are prepared to tell. Somebody is lying and the press seems only moderately interested in finding out who it is.
At that depth, they will need decompression chamber. On a yacht ?
It’s all speculation & conjecture, no one knows for certain, all those nations mentioned had incentive to blow the damn thing up. ‘Oh it’s the Americans again’, perhaps but perhaps not. Just as likely to have been Putin’ strategy to cause us pain, and, if so, it worked!
That's just a prescription for passiveness. The most powerful state on the planet will always have the means to stop us knowing definitively what it doesn't want us to know. *You* have a responsibility to engage your capacity for critical thinking and work out the most likely – by far – explanation.
It doesn't require a huge amount of brainpower to work out who was behind it though! I thought it was fairly obvious from the start.
Speculation & conjecture is all we have. This administration has more time to investigate PTA meetings than this event. That alone is a mouthful.
We understand the priorities or lack of priorities but total silence after threatening to destroy the pipeline leads rational people to speculate.
You bring up a good point. Someone committed an act of war on Germany, but nobody in Europe seems to be in any kind of a hurry to investigate.
Gee, why is that? I mean, they have no problem throwing all kinds of wild and unfounded accusations at Russia, so it's not as if they are worried about offending the leaders of that country. But as soon as Sy Hersch published his piece, Scholz scurried off to Washington to meet with Biden and get his story straight and the educated classes in Europe just pretended that there was nothing happening, nothing to see or ask questions about.
Why, it's almost as if European politicians are afraid of what their investigation might reveal.....
Because Russians are unable to operate a shutoff valve and then to offer to turn that valve on again for the right concessions. However, these selfsame buffoons are capable of venturing into a NATO lake, and carrying out a sophisticated sabotage operation unnoticed by anyone?
Come on...
The Post's story is, like all of their shallow stenography for The Empire, unadulterated bullshit.
Sy nailed the story months ago. The Imperial Imbecile said he'd get it done and he did. Feeble, cowardly Europe trembles and kowtows and pays to kiss the arse of The Empire.
...., and what's-her-face the British PM texted Blinken two minutes after the blast: "It's done!" The destruction of Nordstream makes all NATO energy infrastructure a legitimate target.
https://greaterisrahell.substack.com/p/did-anyone-think-of-what-consequences
It’s so hard to accept that the free press of America that we grew up respecting have turned into willing liars to serve their corrupt masters. Hard to accept but true.
One hundred and four years ago Upton Sinclair published his book "The Brass Check". In it he maticulously documented how AP lied outright, or by omission. He quit as a journalist and became an author Several years prior to 1919. I recommend the book.
Hard to accept, perhaps, but easy to believe.
When have they been a Free Press? When they spoiled for war with Spain? Or Cuba? Or the Northern African coast.
You could say they were a Free Press when it was International's that told them what to push.
From 4th estate to 5th columnist, as I am wont to say.
"He supposedly oversaw the small, six-man team that rented a yacht and then carried out the James Bond-style attack."
I reckon it was the real James Bond, ye olde SBS, marine branch of ye olde asSASsination squaddies, usually deputised by Unc£€ $am for 'in theatre ops'.
The Fleming books and movies were always a PR-op-agenda g£amourising of licenced killing, remember.
This war is, as it's first Secretary Geneneral £ord I$may described Nato's purpose, to keep Russia OUT, Germany DOWN, and AmeriKKKa IN.
Why bite when your watchdog has prepared the ground with its Brexit shot across U$$ €uropa's bows?
I guess the sanctions against Russia worked... since Russia was banned from Amazon they couldn’t buy an “off/on” switch.
Thanks Jonathan for not letting this story die. Shocking, as it is indicative of the newest lows America is willing to stoop. This, the so-called war in Ukraine and now supplying the means for Israel to slaughter millions. Is there no depth to which this America will not go to destroy any vestige of decency formerly represented by this nation. I weep for the victims of our ‘ democracy’ and the next generations of Americans who will pay the price for the decisions of a few soulless politicians.
What you write is so true. Except that it is not a few soulless politicians. Almost the entire US legislature is behind the lies, the wars, the military budget and the war economy.