Freedom Rider: Endless Propaganda
By Margaret Kimberley for Black Agenda Report - The cover of the latest issue of TIME magazine has an image almost identical to one that appeared in the satirical MAD magazine. The juxtaposition of comedy with alleged seriousness shows the intensity of propaganda emanating from corporate media and others among the ruling classes. The object of the inadvertent mimicry is, of course, Russia. No stone is unturned in the attempt to connect the Trump administration with the government of that country. The endless efforts are meant to manipulate millions of people already inundated with levels of Russophobia exceeding that of the Cold War era. Russia is not the only target of attempts to manufacture consent. In a matter of a few days the corporate media told tall tales that are easily disproven. First, president Trump was accused of giving classified information to the Russian foreign minister. That story was quickly followed by an attempt to blame North Korea for a worldwide computer hack and ransomware attack. Not to be outdone, the media began a new tack of libels against Syrian president Bashir al-Assad. He now stands accused of burning bodies in a facility that is ominously referred to as a crematorium. There is no better way to demonize than to evoke comparisons with Adolph Hitler.