The poisonous commentariat

When the story broke that the lawyer for slain Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya was allegedly suffering from mercury poisoning, I braced myself for the now standard reaction: “Putin did it”. When it comes to Russia, the West’s commentariat refuses to use logic or attempts to investigate. The fact is, writing sensational stories about Russia sells and serves time-honoured stereotypes, prejudices, and reinforces a sense of Western hubris. Actually, I am a bit surprised the global financial meltdown has not also been pinned on Putin!

Karina Moskalenko, representing Anna Politkovskaya’s family interests, was diagnosed with a form of mercury poisoning in Strasbourg in France, just prior to a (long overdue) court proceeding in Moscow to finally determine who killed the Russian journalist. Some dots were quickly and erroneously connected: “Kremlin critic - dead journalist - lawyer - poison - Kremlin.” The Washington Post said it all:

“Perhaps this was an unfortunate accident; the police in Strasbourg say they are still investigating. But history suggests otherwise. Numerous opponents of Mr. Putin have been killed or gravely sickened by poisoning.”

Of course this was a clear reference to the “Litvinenko affair” - the man who “knew too little”. As far as I am concerned, Sasha Litvinenko was the victim of his own stupidity, desperation, greed and his relationship with Boris Berezovsky. A direct and meaningful Kremlin connection concerning his death has never been proven. The commentariat has preferred to demonise Putin rather than pursue any credible reasoning to explain this very complex and bizarre story.

Let’s return to Karina Moskalenko and the Washington Post. When it comes to Russia, The Washington Post has a long history of poisonous commentary. I have every reason to believe that the WP will never print an op-ed stating that it was premature in its judgment. Why would it? It has rarely shown itself to be accountable for what it prints. This is par-for-the-course for the rest of the commentariat’s broadsheets, claiming their righteous and self-serving knowledge about Russia.

While the commentariat was busy passing judgment, the French police did what it was supposed to do - not write op-eds, but to investigate.

Le Figaro reports that the police in Strasbourg have tied traces of mercury in Moskalenko’s car to the previous owner of the vehicle. He admits he broke a thermometer in the car’s interior. Moskalenko is on record as saying she didn’t clean the car after she acquired it.

End of story? Of course not.

This story will continue, though Litvinenko and Moskalenko will be forgotten or used again when necessary. What is really pathetic about all of this is the desperate need for the West to feel good about itself. It needs enemies to confirm that it is virtuous. Russia’s demand to be listened to and be treated as an equal is at odds with the West’s definition of itself. If the West can’t control and manage the international environment, then it lashes out at any and all nay-sayers.

The Western world is collapsing like a house of cards. It started out geopolitically. The gambit to reinvent the Greater Middle East became wars without end. The post-Soviet space was also a target. Again the neocons came up short in their hoped-for endgame. The regime in Tbilisi failed to deliver Georgia to NATO. Then, the mother of all failures occurred - the West now can’t pay for its aim of geopolitical and economic mastery. One age has ended and another one has started.

I hope very much that Karina Moskalenko returns to good health to pursue her case. The family of Anna Politkovskaya wants and deserves justice - and I completely back their hopes. But the trials of Moskalenko and the very sad and tragic fate of Politkovskaya should not be used as a cover for others to purse their not-so-humane interests.

I challenge the commentariat to grow up and get real. What is the purpose of journalism? Is it to make one feel good about oneself? Is it only about selling copy? Is it about getting along by going along?

Does all the poisonous media against Russia serve a useful propose beyond playing upon cheap fears?

How many of the great self-righteous members of the commentariat actually talked to the former owner of Moskalenko’s car before wasting ink on this story? I bet you not one!