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From The Pen Of Frank Jackman

Over the years that I have been presenting political material in this space I have had occasion to re-post items from some sites which I find interesting, interesting for a host of political reasons, although I am not necessarily in agreement with what had been published. Two such sites have stood out, The Rag Blog, which I like to re-post items from because it has articles by many of my fellow Generation of ’68 residual radicals and ex-radicals who still care to put pen to paper and the blog cited here, the Steve Lendman Blog.  The reason for re-postings from this latter site is slightly different since the site represents a modern day left liberal political slant. That is the element, the pool if you will, that we radicals have to draw from, have to move left, if we are to grow. So it is important to have the pulse of what issues motivate that milieu and I believe that this blog is a lightning rod for those political tendencies.  

A Jackman disclaimer:

I place some material in this space which may be of interest to the radical public that I do not necessarily agree with or support. Sometimes I will comment on my disagreements and sometimes I will just let the author/writer shoot him or herself in the foot without note. Off hand, as I have mentioned before in other contexts, I think it would be easier, infinitely easier, to fight for the socialist revolution straight up than some of the “remedies” provided by the commentators in the entries on this website. But part of that struggle for the socialist revolution is to sort out the “real” stuff from the fluff as we struggle for that more just world that animates our efforts. Read on.
******* West Buries Truth on Ukraine

by Stephen Lendman

On May 4, Itar Tass headlined "West actually imposes information blockade on Ukraine tragic events - Russia ForMin."

Russia's Foreign Ministry was clear and unequivocal saying:

"While Ukrainian punitive squads are carrying out their operations in east Ukraine, conducting sweeps in some settlements and blocking some others, the West has actually imposed an information blockade on tragic events taking place in that country." 

"It is quite illustrative that even in the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) no one is aware that the blood is being shed in Ukraine and troops are shooting at unarmed people."

Russia demands accountability. It wants unbiased OSCE and Council of Europe assessments. It wants buried truths revealed.

It wants crisis conditions addressed responsibly. Its Foreign Ministry  said:

"It is symptomatic that even in OSCE circles nobody knows that blood is shed and troops are shooting at unarmed people in Ukraine." 

"What freedom of speech and freedom of the press can one be speaking in such conditions?" 

"We demand that the relevant institutions of OSCE and the Council of Europe immediately give an objective evaluation of the developments in Ukraine."

Lower House State Duma Security Committee chairwoman Irina Yarivaya called Kiev's Odessa massacre assessment "absurd."

It effectively claims "federalization supporters had burnt themselves alive," she said.

They ludicrously say people trapped on "upper floors (hurled) Molotov incendiary cocktails at 'civilians' standing on the ground that triggered a fire that" took many of their own lives. Big Lies don't "stand any criticism," she added. 

Eye-witnesses and independent journalists "have irrefutable proof that these were radicals supported and covered by current Kiev regime with full connivance of police who ousted federalisation supporters going out for a peaceful rally to the House of Trade Unions, blocked them there and set them on fire, hurling Molotov incendiary cocktails at the building." she said. 

"Many videos on which radicals without hiding their faces are literally boasting of what they had done standing in front of the burning building and giving mocking comments on attempts of people happened to be in a burning trap to save themselves."

"Instead of just scrutinising available videos and finding those guilty official authorities, (Kiev) prefer(s) to devise some theories which are more fantastic than others, accusing Russia's Federal Security Service and people from (ousted Ukrainian President) Yanukovich's entourage of the tragic events."

Odessa's massacre "showed once again to residents in southern and south-eastern regions in Ukraine that the Kiev junta is not only unable to protect them from fascist actions of Right Sector radicals, but also actually rules their actions for intimidation of federalisation supporters."

"For the memory (of) those Odessa martyrs who died in the fire, we demand a thorough and unbiased investigation, the maximum harshest punishment for those guilty in this tragedy barbarous for people living in the 21st century." 

"Until culprits are found and punished, any legitimacy of current authorities is out of place for residents of southern and south-eastern regions in Ukraine."

Fascist ruthlessness prevents it. On May 2, Odessa-based Kiev authorities arrested 160 alleged "mass riot" participants. 

Victims were targeted, not perpetrators. They're charged with "mass disorders" as well as "threats and violence against law enforcers."

Right Sector crimes were ignored. Incinerating dozens of unarmed civilians didn't matter.

Authorities targeted victims of Right Sector street riot violence. Torching Odessa's Trade Union House followed.

On May 4, police released 67 anti-Kiev activists. They included survivors of Friday's deadly fire. They did so after hundreds of Odessans protested.

Unjustifiable charges remain. Hundreds of supporters chanted "Heroes!" "Freedom!" They demanded all activists be released.

They shouted "Fascists! Fascists!" Scores tried blocking the regional Interior Ministry's office.

They tried preventing released detainees from being sent to the regional court house. Earlier the Ministry accused anti-Kiev activists of setting the Trade Union House ablaze. 

It remains to be seen if additional charges will be filed. Fascists give no quarter. Confronting them responsibly is important. So is spreading vital truths.

On Sunday, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for a second international conference. He wants Ukrainian crisis conditions addressed. 

He proposed it to Sergei Lavrov. "In the many discussions I've had in the last couple of hours, I've been campaigning (for) a second meeting in Geneva to follow up on the first one," he said.

Its purpose would be "finally to make clear agreements on how we can we can put an end to this conflict and gradually move towards a political solution." 

"Anything else would be irresponsible because it would only mean there are more victims," he added.

At the same time, coup-appointed prime minister Arseny Yatsenyuk accused Russia of engineering Friday's violence.

Yatsenyuk was directly involved. He helped unleash Right Sector thugs to commit violence. Blaming it on Russia doesn't wash. 

He dismissed Moscow claims of his government's involvement. He lied saying "(t)he process of dialogue had begun, only it was drowned out by the sound of shooting from automatic rifles of Russian production."

On Sunday, Putin and Germany's Merkel spoke. Focus was on Ukraine's crisis.

Putin stressed responsible dialogue between Kiev and Eastern Ukrainian activists. Both leaders agreed. 

They want things resolved diplomatically. They want conflict ended. Above all, they want letting things spin out-of-control avoided.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gregory Karasin said Kiev won't dialogue responsibly with Eastern Ukrainian self-defense forces unless pressured to do so.

He condemned Odessa's massacre saying:

"The crying falsehood of the evaluation of the developments that are taking place in Ukraine these days once again speaks of the double standards typical of both the incumbent authorities in Kiev and their Western patrons."

"Today nobody recalls the previous Western incantations about the impermissibility of the use of force against so-called peaceful Maidan in Kiev when crowds of Right Sector militants beat up and burned law enforcers without any adequate response from the latter." 

"Punitive operations in Slavyansk and Kramatorsk are presented as an antiterrorist effort even though a war has actually been unleashed against the Ukrainian people."

"What happened in Odessa on Friday cannot be described otherwise than barbaric, cold-blooded killing of people." 

"One cannot help recalling Yugoslavia, Libya and other historical analogs. What all-Ukrainian dialogue and constitutional reform can one speak of here?" 

He called is essential for Western pressure "to force the Kiev authorities to stop violence in the southeast, to bridle and disarm radical nationalists, to free detained opposition figures and members of protest movements, to return to a normal state of society."

"Unfortunately, so far the Kiev authorities are demonstrating reluctance and inability to control the situation in the country."

Western co-conspirators do nothing to challenge their lawless aggression. They're committing crimes of war and against humanity. Washington offers full support. It pressures US partners to go along.

Karasin wants Odessa's massacre independently investigated. He wants Kiev war crimes addressed. He wants what Washington rejects.

Ukrainian crisis conditions show no signs of abating. Fascism operates this way. Extremists make policy. Likeminded ones infest Washington. Full-scale war is possible. Stopping it matters most.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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