The Free

BBC made up a story about a Russian ‘attack’ on Ukrainian city’s water supply – where are the ‘fake news’ fact checkers?

Britain’s state broadcaster claimed that Moscow’s troops tried to create a drought in Nikolaev, using false information

By Felix Livshitz from NATO BANNED NEWS AGENCY shared with thanks via thefreeonline

FILE PHOTO: Russian serviceman gives water to a woman in Mykolaiv region. © Sputnik / Ivan Rodionov

On October 25, BBC News published an absolutely shocking exclusive report revealing that residents of the southern Ukrainian city of Nikolaev (which current officials in Kiev insist should be spelt as “Mykolaiv,” in English) had been without clean drinking water for six months, due to attacks on a pipeline supplying the city.

“Evidence collected” by the British state broadcaster pointed to this being “a deliberate act by Russian forces” intended to cause mass dehydration and death among the local population.

Strangely though, despite all the sound and fury and finger-pointing, the BBC stopped short of condemning the alleged action as an outright war crime, simply noting that “destroying resources vital for civilian life is widely regarded as a violation of international humanitarian law.”

This reluctance seems rather strange, given that the Beeb appears to offer an open-and-shut case, including “satellite imagery and data” showing the pipeline “was deliberately destroyed while under Russian control,” and bold declarations from esteemed military experts that it was a calculated act by Moscow.

Russia accused of sabotaging Ukraine water pipe to Mykolaiv – BBC News(opens in a new tab)bbc.com/news/world-europe-63383605 A BBC investigation finds evidence that Russian forces deliberately destroyed a pipeline to Mykolaiv”.

The reasons for the BBC’s hesitancy soon become very clear, though. A key part of its case against Russia is that “two separate points on the same pipeline” were “damaged in ways that are consistent with sabotage.” Photos of this damage are provided in the article, at least one being an “exclusive” that was “given” to BBC journalists by unidentified people while in Nikolaev.

Capitalism Has Failed As Badly As Anything Can Fail: by Caitlin Johnstone

“No no you don’t understand, this US war is completely different from all the other US wars. See, the US is intervening in Ukraine for humanitarian reasons.

We’re fighting a bad guy who is an evil dictator that loves war crimes and genocide. Not like all those other interventions.”

If the US proxy war in Ukraine was meaningfully different from other US wars they would be justifying it using different arguments, not the exact same ones.

The war propaganda is airing reruns.

Listen to a reading of this article: with soundcloud.com/player HERE

Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix

by Caitlin Johnstone

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Western punditry is rife with op-eds arguing that the US needs to vastly increase military spending because a world war is about to erupt, and they always frame it as though this would be something that happens to the US, like its own actions would have nothing to do with it.

If World War 3 does indeed occur, it will be because the drivers of the US-centralized empire continued accelerating towards that horrific event while refusing every possible diplomatic off-ramp due to their inability to relinquish their goal of unipolar planetary domination.

WWIII has begun and the West has two options if we continue down our warmongering path:

1. Lose
2. Lose while dragging everyone else down with us
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) November 1, 2022

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Pointing out the various flaws in historical attempts at communism does not address the problem that if we don’t move from competition-based models to collaboration-based ones we’re going to destroy all life on this planet in short order. We’ve still got to find a way to change.

Have issues with Stalin and Mao? Okay. Cool. Our competition-based models are still destroying our biosphere and shoving us toward nuclear war. Our survival still depends on moving toward collaboration with each other and with our ecosystem toward the thriving of all beings.

Turning a Blind Eye To Armageddon: U.S. Leaders Reject Nuclear Winter …

Babbling about Stalin and Mao doesn’t magically change the fact that we can’t keep doing this thing where human behavior is driven by profit and competition.

Halloween Monster March for anarchist prisoner Toby Shone

by The Bristol Activist on Nov 2, 2022 via thefreeonline

Since October 2021 anarchist Toby Shone has been held in prison, often in conditions reserved for terrorists.Toby is due for release in December, but his troubles will be far from over..

On Sunday evening, a group gathered in the city centre to show solidarity with Toby and to raise awareness of his story with a march through the streets dressed in Halloween costumes.

The Monster March was organised by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a union organising across all industries, students, the unemployed and prisoners.

Bristol branch secretary, Seb, said: ‘When the state comes and tries to persecute prisoners like Toby Shone, or when the government puts down attacks on the union movement…when they come after any of the members of the working class we do what we can in solidarity with them, and to build strong community sand connections and to make their struggle our struggle.’

Two people in halloween masks look at the camera. — Protesters wore Halloween masks. Image: Kamui Oshino.

He continued: ‘The scariest thing for the state is when people come together, they show solidarity. They show solidarity across differences. When people stand together. When people fight for each other’s rights, fight for something better, and we begin to collectivise our struggles.

‘That’s why tonight is a Monster March. Because that’s what we’re here to do, to scare the system.’

In November 2020 Toby was arrested from his home in the Forest of Dean as part of international policing effort Operation Adream. Accused of running 325.nostate.net, a website publishing details of direct actions, Toby was charged under the Terrorism Act and the website was taken down.

At trial in October 2021 the prosecution offered no evidence to the terrorism charge and a not guilty verdict was subsequently recorded. Toby was however sentenced for three years and nine months on drug offences, spending time at HMP Horfield in Bristol before being moved to HMP Parc in Bridgend.

Notwithstanding the not guilty verdict, counter-terrorism police applied for a serious crime prevention order (SCPO), a measure usually reserved for those convicted of trafficking or firearms offences, or serious fraud.

A High Court judge refused the SCPO at a hearing at Bristol Crown Court in May.

During his prison time, supporters say Toby has been held in solitary confinement, treatment again usually reserved for those convicted of far more serious crimes.

Upon release he will have to attend mandatory psychiatric treatment, which supporters say is a consequence of his refusal to give up his anarchist beliefs. His probation team allegedly contains members of counter-terrorism police.

Toby’s supporters see his treatment as the thin end of a wedge being pushed by the government to shut down any criticism of present systems, especially capitalism, and to repress alternative lifestyles.

In an interview Toby gave to The Canary last May, he said: ‘The implications of this case do not only concern anarchists, who have been under the microscope for some time, but anyone who is living in alternative way with their ideas or their actions, collective or not.

‘Anyone who essentially wants to see actual social, political or environmental change will at some point put that into practice. And the state has prepared prisons for you.’

Supporters can write to Toby at the following address: Toby Shone A7645EP, HM Prison Parc, Heol Hobcyn John, Coity, Bridgend CF35 6AP.

Feature image: Kamui Oshino.

Did you go this protest? What did you think? Let us know in the comments or at thebristolactivist@protonmail.com.

Bolsonaro declines to concede, Fans flames of Truckers and Far Right Rebellion .. but ‘OKs transition’

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has not totally conceded the election he lost to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and has encouraged highway protest blockades at over 500 points. Bolsonaro subsidised truckers and far right police and army supporters and has hinted at a military coup to stop Lula from taking office.

Brazil’s Bolsonaro declines to concede, fomenting chaos, but ‘OKs transition process’

By DIANE JEANTET and CARLA BRIDI at A.P/ abcnews. Nov 2, 2022, via thefreeonline shared with thanks

BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday stopped short of conceding the election to leftist rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, instead using his first public comments since his defeat two days ago to thank his supporters and encourage their protests, as long as they ‘remain peaceful’.

Truckers supportive of President Jair Bolsonaro block a highway to protest his run-off election loss to former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Embu das Artes on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) — Truckers supportive of President Jair Bolsonaro block a highway to protest his run-off election loss to former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Embu das Artes on the outskirts of Sao Pa…

Flanked by more than a dozen ministers and allies as he delivered his short speech at the presidential residence, the fiery leader did not mention the election results, however. Instead, he defended his tenure.

Bolsonaro also thanked the 58 million people who voted for him and said he supports ongoing protests by truckers who have erected nationwide roadblocks, as long as they don’t become violent.

“Current popular movements are the result of indignation and a feeling of injustice regarding how the electoral process occurred,” he said.

The president’s statement amounted to a “two-fold move,” said Thomas Traumann, an independent political analyst.

“He didn’t recognize his defeat, and sustains the suspense,” Traumann said. “But as he wants to continue to dominate, to be the leader, he maintains the possibility of peaceful demonstrations.”