U.S. Condemns Russian 'Crackdown,' Funds Its Own at Home
Bloomberg's latest scoop: Russia declared the punk band Pussy Riot an extremist organization. The article dutifully portrays this as a 'crackdown on critics' by President Vladimir Putin. And indeed it is. But the irony escapes major outlets who routinely sanitize, if not outright celebrate, similar-looking policies at home or in allied states, provided the 'critics' aren't well-connected. While
Western media decries alleged Russian state overreach, the US Congress routinely uses its legal machinery to silence dissent through foreign policy mandates. For instance, in 2023, the House passed HR 815, a $14 billion military aid package to Israel, where critics of Israeli policies are frequently labeled 'antisemitic' or as 'terrorist sympathizers.' Politicians who question such aid often face
immediate, well-funded primary challenges from PACs like AIPAC, which spent over $23 million in 2022 to influence elections. Funny how 'crackdowns' are only truly egregious when they happen outside the Western sphere of influence, isn't it?