Robert Parry: A Shadow US Foreign Policy

[rdharma]

Last edited Sat Mar 1, 2014, 03:06 PM - Edit history (1)

A Shadow US Foreign Policy

February 27, 2014
By Robert Parry

The National Endowment for Democracy, a central part of Ronald Reagan’s propaganda war against the Soviet Union three decades ago, has evolved into a $100 million U.S. government-financed slush fund that generally supports a neocon agenda often at cross-purposes with the Obama administration’s foreign policy.

NED is one reason why there is so much confusion about the administration’s policies toward attempted ousters of democratically elected leaders in Ukraine and Venezuela. Some of the non-government organizations (or NGOs) supporting these rebellions trace back to NED and its U.S. government money, even as Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials insist the U.S. is not behind these insurrections.

So, while President Barack Obama has sought to nurture a constructive relationship with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin especially in hotspots like Iran and Syria, NED has invested in projects in Russia’s close neighbor, Ukraine, that fueled violent protests ousting President Viktor Yanukovych, who won election in 2010 in balloting that was viewed by international observers as fair and reflecting the choice of most Ukrainian citizens.

Thus, a U.S.-sponsored organization that claims to promote “democracy” has sided with forces that violently overthrew a democratically elected leader rather than wait for the next scheduled election in 2015 to vote him out of office.

More here: http://consortiumnews.com/2014/02/27/a-shadow-us-foreign-policy/

[antigop]

1. K&R. nt

[Purveyor]

2. kick. Thanks for posting. +1 eom

[bemildred]

3. Fake NGOs provide plausible deniability. That is their function, why they exist. nt

[Judi Lynn]

4. What an amazing article from Robert Parry.

Completely essential for anyone to read. This information must become common knowledge. People need to learn what has actually happened, what is happening now.

It will make you so glad writers like this still exist, knock on wood, and are watching events unfolding, with their consciences intact, in a world with so many who have "lost" their "moral compasses," as we heard during the Watergate hearings.

You've handed us a real gift, rdharma. Thank you.

[antigop]

5. and only 153 views. Cat photos get more hits on DU than informative articles. nt

[Judi Lynn]

9. It's a mystery, isn't it? n/t

[antigop]

10. I think DU tends to reflect reality...how many people will watch a documentary compared to those who

will watch "American Idol"?
Kind of the same thing, I think.

[antigop]

6. rdharma, a suggestion....

First of all, thanks for posting this. Robert Parry is always a good read.

It might be helpful if you could put Parry's name in the OP title.

Example: Robert Parry: A Shadow US Foreign Policy

Robert Parry has fans on DU and mentioning his name as the author might get the Parry fans' attention.

Thanks for posting.

[rdharma]

7. Good idea. done. nt

[antigop]

8. thanks again. Very important article. nt

[bananas]

12. Worked for me.

Might not have read it otherwise.
Thanks!

[PosterChild]

11. forces that violently overthrew?

Violent overthrow? That's a joke, right?

[rdharma]

13. I guess you must have been sleeping. nt

But welcome to DU! Enjoy your stay!

[PosterChild]

14. And I guess you've been...

... fantasizing. Paranoid fantasizing.

(And don't worry about my longevity. I'll be around for some time.)

[rdharma]

15. Who said anything about your "longevity"?

Strange the way you got to that! You been here before? "Freudian slip?"?

[PosterChild]

16. I have friends on DU, and...

... I've been reading it for quite a while. DU has a distinctive verbal culture (like "K&R&quot which is interesting, and if you are curious about such things and look around for clues, you start picking up on it. "Enjoy Your Stay" is one that is easy to recognize as a "catch phrase" and decipher if you are into it.

So you enjoy your stay also... and save some pizza for me!

[rdharma]

17. Thanks for confirming my suspicions. nt

[PosterChild]

18. So who is going to confirm your suspicions...

...concerning the National Endowment for Democracy?

[rdharma]

19. I'm glad you didn't like that thread!

[PosterChild]

20. The nefreious, shadowy, underhanded...

... activity of the National Endowment for Democracy in the Ukraine exposed:

$31,675 To cover the partial costs of the Association’s 9th annual human rights film festival.... Good God!! Human Rights... and FILM!!! A very, very dangerous combination !!!

$32,000 European Choice will organize ... several events to foster youth activism, including an essay contest focusing on the upcoming October 2012 parliamentary elections. An ESSAY CONTEST !!! Doesn't an ESSAY require THINKING??? We can't have THAT! Especially during an ELECTION!!

$21,945 Our House will publish and disseminate nine issues of "A Tutorial for Entrepreneurs" Holy Shit! Entrepreneurs! That's a outright CAPITALIST CONSPIRACY!1!1!

36,294 Smoloskyp will .... develop a virtual museum of Ukrainian samizdat. SAMIZDAT? Isn't that some sort of COMMIE propaganda???

$16,170 The Center will produce and disseminate 5,000 copies of an informational bulletin entitled "How to Vote." How to VOTE? What is this, some sort of voter registration drive? Sounds like ACORN!?! Right out of the Alinski playbook!!!

[rdharma]

21. Yup! I was right..... you really hated my post exposing the NED!

[PosterChild]

22. Hate? No, but I did find it amusing...

[rdharma]

23. Expsosed! I find that amusing! nt

[PosterChild]

24. Huh? Well, as long as you are amused. (nt)