Viktigt med starkt Ryssland

Med anledning av den uppblossande konflikten i Georgien hörs många åsikter om Ryssland. Sverige är visserligen ännu inte NATO-medlem men våra massmedier har duktigt "NATO-anpassat" sig och försöker spela på den gamla ryss-skräcken. På vänsterkanten köper inte alla den massmediala bilden. Men ändå är det få som inser vikten av ett stark självständigt Ryssland. Bristen på geopolitisk analys är påtaglig. I en värld där USA försöker upprätta något som närmast liknar en världsdiktatur är det centralt att stater som Ryssland och Kina växer sig starkare. Det öppnar möjligheter för andra att hävda sin självständighet. Ett exempel är Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, visiting Moscow to pursue weapons and energy deals, on Tuesday called for a strategic alliance with Russia to protect his country from the United States.

Chavez has repeatedly accused Washington of plotting an invasion to destabilize his government, despite U.S. denials.

The alliance would mean "we can guarantee Venezuela's sovereignty, which is now threatened by the United States," Chavez told reporters shortly after his arrival in Moscow.

Chavez is in Russia to broker a number of deals involving weapons purchases, oil exploration and possibly the creation of a joint financial institution.

Västimperialisterna älskade naturligvis 90-talets Ryssland. Miljoner ryssar på svältgränsen. Massmedia och naturtillgångar kontrollerade av maffia-oligarker. Ett försvar i förfall.
Idag har Ryssland styrka att våga värna självständighet. Det ska ryssarna och alla andra vara tacksamma för.

SvD,SvD,AB,DN

Mediamöten i Caracas

Intressanta mediadebatter i Caracas denna vecka.

Dueling media forums set for Venezuela
The Associated Press

President Hugo Chavez said Thursday he expects a "great debate" this weekend as dueling media conferences dissect and defend Venezuela's stance toward the press.

The Inter-American Press Association, or IAPA, one of the region's largest free speech groups, kicks off its semiannual meeting in Caracas on Friday. A day earlier, Chavez backers opened the "Latin American Meeting on Media Terrorism" forum to examine what they call slanted coverage of his government.

Chavez predicted that IAPA delegates "are going to be saying there's a dictatorship in Venezuela," while his supporters will explore issues including alleged links between media outlets and the U.S. government.

"I don't know if I'll go, I have so many things on the agenda," Chavez said in Brazil, noting he'd been invited to both gatherings. "The most important thing is that there's going to be a great debate."

The IAPA has criticized Chavez's record on press freedom, accusing him of using government-friendly prosecutors and judges to bring trumped-up charges against journalists.

Chavez denies any such crackdown, noting that dozens of newspapers, TV and radio stations regularly criticize his left-leaning government.

At an opening session of the state-sponsored forum, Venezuelan Information Minister Andres Izarra said some news media spread disinformation against Chavez and accused Washington of using the press for "psychological operations" against governments it doesn't like.

He also criticized coverage by the Miami Herald and Colombia's El Tiempo, and referred to CNN and Fox News coverage of the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan as "propaganda."