The danger of government-tied monopolistic tech platforms controlling worldwide speech far outweighs the danger of whatever voice you might happen to dislike at any given moment. ~ Caitlin Johnstone
On April 14, Veterans For Peace Advisory Board Member and former CIA analyst Ray McGovern along with long-time VFP member and Global Network coordinator Bruce Gagnon joined former Pentagon analyst F. Michael Maloof on Peter Lavelle’s Cross Talk for a much-needed, nuanced conversation of the Ukraine conflict timeline. Both Ray and Bruce had spent considerable time in Donbass, as well as other parts of Ukraine, which made their contributions to this Cross Talkepisode, Heading Toward War, all the more absorbing, and Facebook shareable.
Oddly enough, though not totally unexpected, the VFP Discussion Group moderators determined that the content of this panel discussion, posted on April 22 by a lifetime VFP member on this private Facebook group site, did not make the cut for generating a nuanced discussion. Labeled “A sober analysis of the Ukrainian debacle, including the escalating potential for a nuclear exchange,” the post apparently did not comply with group protocols. So it was arbitrarily removed. Disappeared. Gone.
The moderators’ wobbly attempt at feedback: “RT has been identified as a not credible source in recent years, but rather a state run Russian mis- and dis-information operation.” The implication being that a long list of RT contributors like Ray McGovern, Bruce Gagnon, VFP Advisory Board member Chris Hedges, Lee Camp, Joe Lauria and others had been collaborative, even ceding to Kremlin misinformation. Or could it be more accurately called a fear-based or ideological acquiescence to the pro-war narrative managers?
In a recent interview piece with VFP Advisory Member Chris Hedges, Matt Taibbi describes the Hedges/RT affiliation:
“By the 2010s, one of the last places where media figures pushed off the traditional career track could pick up a paycheck was Russia Today. In an arrangement Hedges plainly describes as a cynical marriage of convenience, the Russian state was happy to give voice to figures covering structural problems in American society, and those quasi-banned voices were glad for the opportunity to broadcast what they felt is the truth, even understanding the editorial motivation.”
Needless to say, with the advent of the Ukraine debacle, the entire six-year archive of Chris Hedges’ RT America interview show On Contact was removed by YouTube, as he suggests, ”in the name of censoring Russian propaganda.”
“They know it is not Russian propaganda,” says Hedges. “We rarely mentioned Russia or Putin, and the few times we did it was not in flattering terms. It’s much more pernicious than that. RT gave a platform to a critic such as myself…It was a show that gave a voice to critics of the United States ruling class and the US empire. They knew I was not disseminating Russian propaganda, unless critiquing the ills of American society serves Russia’s interest. To an extent it does. That’s of course why RT gave me a show. But in a functioning democracy with a free press, that is the precise role of the press.”
So when – if ever – was a Pentagon imprimatur a prerequisite for any Veterans For Peace discourse in cyberspace? Yet, regrettably, this is how far down the thought policing rabbit hole liberals, even self-censoring antiwar progressives, are apparently willing to descend.
As luck would have it, this post will be shared even more widely. Maybe. You never know. McGovern and Gagnon will continue to inspire and inform as tireless antiwar contributors at any venue giving them a voice, upholding the first provision of the VFP Statement of Purpose: “To increase public awareness of the causes and costs of war.”
And truth, always the first casualty of war, is still indisputably the truth, no matter its origin or social media platform.
Gene Marx is a former Naval Flight Officer and Past National Board of Directors Secretary of Veterans for Peace. He is currently the Communications Coordinator for Bellingham’s VFP Chapter 111. He can be reached at ejmarx2@gmail.com.
The problem is not “Veterans For Peace”. An issue is nobody thought to pick them up besides Crosstalk. Its obvious that escalation is going to happen. Content creating is easier & there are non-censored platforms
Exactly, and all of this information is available through the RT website, which is not censored or blocked for me right now, and I have a VPN if it is.
I can no longer access RT on my TV nor computer. I read some other sites that tell the cold hard truth on the war. In Yahoo News, there was an article saying Russia is making Anti-Semitic comments and saying Hitler was Jewish, I’d like to read Antiwar.com’s version of the story. The Media twists what certain people say.
I was defending the Board until I found out that they are refusing to address the abuse of the organization’s name by censors who appear too close-minded to accept the facts of the situation, and apparently too willfully ignorant to realize that they are completely misinformed by the corporate media. That means that this is a problem with VFP.
As for options, there are lots of platforms, but they are increasingly censored as well. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube are major sources of information for the kind of people we most need to reach. People who go to the uncensored platforms are relatively well informed already.
“Both Ray and Bruce had spent considerable time in Donbass, as well as other parts of Ukraine”Chris Hedges spent 20 years in hot zones. That is the only way to find out what is really going on. Most of the “news” is filed by people who are far removed to the point of filing their reports from a comfortable hotel.
Three cheers for Gene Marx.
“Self-censoring antiwar progressives” hits the nail on the head!
I would go farther and say those who self censor are more interested in being part of the kumbaya crowd than opposing war.
It’s worth noting that “RT America” shut down a month ago. It appeared to have some journalistic independence from the mothership in Moscow, and it produced some good product. The remaining “RT” is the directly state-controlled international television network of the Russian government. RT intentionally advances disinformation and conspiracy theories to advance Russia’s strategic interests, currently that means justifying their horrific invasion of Ukraine. See last week’s, “Why Russia’s intervention in Ukraine is legal under international law”, available on their website, as one example. Of course, most of what they publish is meant to be more reasonable and legitimate. It is in this context that the VFP Discussion Group is not promoting RT product.
This is not about “promoting RT product” and there was no clear and present danger in providing VFP Group Discussion members access to this Cross Talk episode. The moderators chose censorship. In the process of removing the RT post they restricted freedom of thought and expression to an internet platform that gave antiwar activists a voice. Our VFP members are grown ups, some regularly receiving RT updates, and can readily discern RT misinformation, as well as the pro-war corporate news propaganda being dished out by CNN, Fox and MSNBC right now.
By the way, thanks for sharing the introduction to your VFP Discussion Group post in support of your attempt as admin/moderator at censoring (oops, moderating) this piece. Right out of the DHS Disinformation Governance Board playbook.