Ukraine and the promotion of US-style ‘democracy’ (i.e. US dominance)

Friday, 6 January 2023 - 10:00am to 10:30am

The mainstream media presents the war in Ukraine as a simple contest between goodies and baddies, or heroes and villians - with the good guys, led by the US and the west, portrayed as champions of democracy. However, this is far from the truth. Jennifer and Jacques draw on a range of sources to explain how the US actively works against democracy to ensure its own ongoing world dominance.

To start with, the US played an active role in destabilising and overthrowing a democratically elected government in Ukraine in 2014. The US and NATO has baited Russia with militarisation up to its borders, and stirred up internal conflicts in Ukraine, all leading up to the current war.

On a global level, US strategising to maintain its own dominance has been the opposite of democratic for a long time now. For example. according to John Pilger, the US has overthrown, or attempted to overthrow, more than 50 governments since the 1950s, mostly democracies. And it has interfered in democratic elections in 30 countries.

In addition, one only needs to look at the parlous state of its own country, to see that the US is not a great exemplar of democracy even at home. 

Jennifer and Jacques suggest that own mainstream media 'catch up' and provide proper analysis about what's happening in Ukraine. In any case, thank goodness for alternative media like 3CR, to break through the propaganda!

References:

Jonathon Cook (2022) Can Europe afford to turn a blind eye to evidence of a US role in pipeline blasts?

F William Engdahl (2022) Europe’s Energy Armageddon from Berlin and Brussels, Not Moscow

Ben Norton (2022) French ambassador: US ‘rules-based order’ means Western domination, violating international law

Michael Pascoe (2022) America the great? How the decline of the US will affect Australian policy

John Pilger (2022) Silencing the lambs: How propaganda works.

Barbara F Walter (2022) ‘These are conditions ripe for political violence’: how close is the US to civil war?

Friday 10:00am to 10:30am
Think Again offers weekly conversations and reflections about current events, trends and public pronouncements on contemporary and emerging issues. The show moves beyond what we read and hear via the public and ‘social’ media, to invite alternative possibilities to guide our thinking, living and organising.

Presenter

Jennifer Borrell & Jacques Boulet

Topic