by Stephen Lendman

European nations follow Washington's lead. They act disgracefully. They do so reprehensibly. They harm their own self-interest.

They partner in America's wars. They embrace confrontation. They harm their own people. Russia bashing is prioritized.

On Thursday, the Parliamentary Assembly of Europe (PACE) stripped Russia's voting rights through yearend. It imposed other sanctions.

Members voted 145 to 21. Another 22 abstained. Russia's right to vote against its own ostracism was denied. Democracy is a dead letter. Acting responsibly is verboten.

Moscow is excluded from leadership positions. It's removed from Presidential and Permanent committees. Observer rights are denied.

Alexei Pushkov heads Russia's PACE delegation. He condemned the decision saying:

"The most unpleasant thing in this history is that the Parliamentary Assembly betrayed its own principles: rule of law and rule of human rights."

"The majority took the path of serving the interests of a group of states that is poised on the geopolitical grasping of Ukraine."

The "decision on future Russia-PACE relationship will be made in the coming weeks." Moscow walked out of PACE's April session.

"We will not partake in this session any longer," said Pushkov. "We are leaving this session in protest and reserving the right to consider the further involvement of Russia in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe."

PACE condemned legitimate Crimean/Russian reunification. It expressed disapproval of Russia's responsible Ukraine policy.

It ludicrously claimed "no right-wing takeover of the central government in Kiev, nor was there any imminent threat to the rights of the ethnic Russian minority in the country, including, or especially, in Crimea."

Saying so turns a blind eye to reality. PACE's new friends include a rogue's gallery of societal misfits. They're lawless putschists.

They're xenophobic, hate-mongering, ultranationalist anti-Semites. They represent mob rule.

They're militant fascists. Their worst elements are neo-Nazis. They openly display swastikas, Iron Crosses, Nazi SS insignia and other fascist symbols.

Washington elevated them to power. PACE member states support them. They do so unconscionably.

They target Russia irresponsibly. They condemned Putin's all-out effort to resolve crisis conditions equitably and fairly. They want Crimeans denied their legal self-determination rights.

They're in bed with US imperial lawlessness. They endorse what demands denunciation. They made one spurious accusation after another.

They destroyed their credibility in the process. Pushkov called their action a "political farce." It's an "inquisition," he added.

If they want to be inquisitors, "let them (do) it on their own," he said. Russia will consider whether to opt out of PACE altogether.

Its action destroyed its legitimacy. Its credibility no longer exists. Hypocrisy defines its agenda. It's complicit in crimes of war, against humanity and genocide.

It backed raping Yugoslavia. It supported Washington's lawless aggression on Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.

It endorses Obama's war on Syria. It abhors human and civil liberties. It opposes rule of law justice.

On April 10, Itar Tass headlined "Russia will not be forced to act in West's way - deputy PM."

Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov responded to reprehensible Western actions, saying:

"We will be looking for ways to protect our own interests. No threats will make either President Vladimir Putin or other political forces act the way the US, Germany and other partners want them to."

"The more appeals for sanctions we hear, the tougher they are, the stronger the Russian society will mobilize, the more united we will be."

"The Western community is discussing developments in Ukraine beyond the context of the key reason of the conflict."

"It is criminal to pull Ukraine in different directions, making it choose between the EU and the Russian Federation."

"We, in Russia, are interested in a stable and prosperous Ukraine more than anybody else."

Washington and other Western nations plan plundering it for profit. They want its resources stolen. They want its crown jewels sold at fire sale prices.

They want their people exploited. They want Ukraine incorporated into NATO. They want hostile bases close to Russia's borders.

They want Russian sovereignty weakened. They want it eliminated altogether. They want pro-Western subservient governance replacing it.

They want control over Russian policy. They want another vassal state. Ideally they want balkanized, powerless mini-states.Their policies risk open confrontation. Perhaps war.

Hardliners influencing policies risk what responsible officials wouldn't dare. The worst of all possible outcomes may follow.

Russia won't let rogue Western nations run roughshod over its interests. It defends them responsibly. It has every right to do so.

On April 10, RT International headlined "Standoff between gvt, protesters intensify, 24 hours before Kiev ultimatum ends."

Kiev putschists threatened force against Eastern Ukrainian protesters. Reports said tanks headed for Donetsk.

"Several locals were allegedly injured trying to stop the convoy," said RT. "An eyewitness (named Lyudmila) confirmed the information about military forces arriving in the city," saying:

"At about 2pm we received information that military hardware had arrived at our local train station."

"We went there and saw APCs, military vehicles and troops. The whole town gathered nearby."

"The soldiers tried to start moving, and the people tried to stop the vehicles." Soldiers responded belligerently.

They "twisted the arms of pensioners. There were two men standing there…" Tanks "drove over their feet."

"I was pulled back by local coalminers while I tried to stop the vehicles. They didn't even look at who was in front of them."

"The men started shouting for them to stop, saying there were girls and women in front of them, but they didn't care."

Illegitimate putschist acting president Aleksandr Turchinov signed a decree to use force.

Fascists operate this way. Kiev ones are allied with their US counterparts. They waging war on freedom.

They want Ukraine strip-mined for profit. They want dystopian harshness imposed.

On Wednesday, putschist interior minister Arsen Avakov said "special police task force" elements arrived in Donetsk, Lugansk and Kharkov.

They're ordered to use force if needed. Greystone Limited mercenaries were deployed in Eastern Ukraine. Reports say about 150. Maybe others will follow.

They're notorious. They're trained killers. They operate extrajudicially. They're unaccountable under local laws. They represent America's imperial agenda.

They came to suppress nonviolent protests. They're free to do whatever it takes to do so. It's standard procedure wherever they show up.

It remains to be seen how targeted Ukrainians respond. Bloody confrontation may follow.

RT said protesters still control Donetsk and Lugansk power structure buildings. They built barricades. They're preparing in case outside forces assault them.

They're burning tires. They're singing songs. They're waving Russian and regional flags. Women and elderly participants stand with others on center city night watch.

They'll alert others if needed. "We will be on duty here all night," they said. "(T)he assault could begin at any moment."

Thousands more locals are ready to join them. "Several times over the last few days, activists assembled to train their response to emergency situations," said RT.

On Tuesday, "armed men without insignia and masked law enforcement officers" stormed Kharkov's administration building. They did so after local police refused Kiev's order to attack.

About 100 newly-formed Ukrainian National Guard elements arrived at Donetsk's airport.

They're joined by about 100 neo-Nazi Right Sector thugs, "as well as a hundred employees from a private US military company operating under contract with Kiev" putschists.

They comprise about 300 "professionals or well-trained and motivated fanatics." People's Militia of Donbas deputy director Sergey Tsyplakov told RT:

"This is a major force, but we are ready to fight."

Earlier, Donetsk protesters blocked two buses with camouflaged armed men. They did so near the city's military commissariat.

Activists think they're Western mercenaries. They couldn't identify them. They said nothing. They refused to answer questions.

The New York Times suppresses real information on Ukraine. It supports lawless putschists. It ignores their fascist agenda.

It downplayed Eastern Ukrainian resistance. It ludicrously claimed Donetsk protesters have "no authority outside an 11-story Ukrainian government building…"

It called activists inside "an unruly Russian-speaking, club-bearing crowd…" It called the Donetsk People's Republic "a quixotic and, to many here, (a) crackpot project…"

It's limited to "the few hundred people now holed up in the government building," it said.

Growing thousands of Donetsk residents reject Kiev putschists. They're resolute in standing against them.

Others across Eastern Ukraine want their own local autonomy. They're putting their bodies on the line to get it. They're courageously rallying for justice.

They want their legitimate rights respected. Don't expect The New York Times to explain. It's on the wrong side of fundamental issues. It fronts for wealth, power and privilege.

It deplores popular rights. It suppresses vital information. It substitutes unacceptable misinformation. It's part of America's propaganda machine. It works against most of its readers.

Neocon Washington Post editors produce some of the most outrageous scoundrel media misinformation. They maliciously bash Russia. They bury truth doing it.

On April 8, they headlined "Russia will respond only to increased sanctions over Ukraine."

They lied claiming Russian forces invaded Crimea. Nonthreatening Russian military exercises were falsely called a possible "invasion (of) three Ukrainian cities."

They maliciously called Eastern Ukrainian activists "rent-a-mobs." They quoted John Kerry's lie.

He recklessly accused Moscow of an "illegal and illegitimate effort to destabilize a sovereign state and create a contrived crisis with paid operatives."

He ignored Washington elevating extremist putschists to power. WaPo editors support them.

They call lawless fascists democrats. They turned truth on its head saying:

"It's not too late to prevent Russia from destroying Ukraine, but this time the West must act quickly."

They suggested Moscow perhaps intends disrupting May elections. They're illegitimate. They'll maintain putschist power.

Russia has no intention of interfering. It rejects lawless governance. Ukrainians deserve real democracy. They're denied it.

Don't expect WaPo editors to explain. They lied claiming Kiev authorities show "admirable restraint." They call Eastern Ukrainian activists "provocateurs."

They want tougher US sanctions imposed on Moscow. Not just against targeted individuals, they urged.

Against "sectors of the economy." They ignored doing so cuts both ways. Maybe they don't care. Punishing Russia harshly matters most, they claim.

Wall Street Journal editors express similar sentiments. They bash Russia relentlessly. They consider Putin public enemy number one.

On April 8, they headlined "Putin Invades, Obama Dismantles." They lied claiming Russia "seized Crimea." It massed "50,000 troops as a potential invasion force," they said.

They ignored repeated US treaty violations. They lied claiming Moscow ones. Obama is "maneuvering the US closer to a position of absolute nuclear inferiority to Russia," they claim.

America has the world's largest nuclear stockpile. It's the most formidable. It's sophisticated delivery systems can strike targets worldwide with pinpoint accuracy.

It well over 1,000 empire of bases can do it shorter range. Russia prioritizes peace and stability. America deplores both. Permanent wars define official policy.

Don't expect Journal editors to explain. Or that Washington is humanity's greatest threat.

Pointing fingers the wrong way is longstanding scoundrel media policy. Journal editors blame Putin for Obama's crimes.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity"

http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour