by Paul Craig Roberts<\/p>\n
Update: A fabricated report was spread by the UK Guardian newspaper and BBC that a Russian armored convoy entered Ukraine and was destroyed by the Ukrainian military. The German media including Die Welt picked up the false report and spread the hysteria. Once again we have confirmation that the Western media is corrupt and unreliable. <\/em><\/p>\n The drums for war are being loudly beaten in Washington, European capitals, and the presstitute Western media. A headline in the Asia Times is \u201cNATO Is Desperate For War<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0 This time the target is Russia, a major nuclear power.<\/p>\n The deadly consequences of such a war would extend beyond Russia, Europe, and the US to the entire world. The Western use of lies to demonize Russia endangers life on earth and reveals the West to be both reckless and irresponsible. Yet, few voices are raised against this recklessness and irresponsibility.<\/p>\n Ron Unz brings to our attention the important voice of a distinguished Dutch journalist, Karel Van Wolferen. Wolferen<\/a>\u00a0 and Unz himself <\/a> are important offsets to what Unz regards, correctly in my opinion, as \u201cthe utter corruption and unreliability of the mainstream American media.\u201d<\/p>\n Wolferen\u2019s article is long but very important. Readers will see analysis akin to my own.<\/p>\n Wolferen shows how the Washington hegemon has captured Europe within an Atlanticist ideology that forecloses any independent thinking or foreign policy on the part of Europeans who are reduced to a state of vassalage. Wolferen concludes that as Washington drives Europe toward war, \u201cEuropeans cannot bring themselves to believe in the dysfunction and utter irresponsibility of the American state.\u201d<\/p>\n With no internal checks on Washington\u2019s recklessness from allies, the media, and US Senators, the only brake on Washington\u2019s drive to war is Russian, Chinese, Indian, and South American diplomacy. If this diplomacy fails, Fukushima<\/a>, as bad as it is, becomes a mere raindrop in the ocean.<\/p>\n The slaughter by Washington, Washington\u2019s Kiev stooges and Washington\u2019s EU vassals of civilians in the former Russian territories that comprise the southern and eastern borders of present-day Ukraine is not only largely unreported in the Western media, but also denied or blamed on Russia.<\/p>\n The crimes that Washington is perpetrating while blaming Russia have aroused a high level of anger among the Russian people. Such anger is dangerous as it could force Putin, who continues to emphasize non-confrontation\u00a0<\/a>, to turn away from diplomacy to violence.<\/p>\n