by Stephen Lendman

Times editors deplore democracy. They consider sham US elections legitimate ones.

Truth is the mortal enemy they fear most. They support the world's worst tinpot despots as long as they're US allies.

They glorify perpetual war in the name of nonexistent peace. They're comfortable with letting Wall Street run things.

They turn a blind eye to Israel's worst crimes. They consider cold-blooded serial killer Netanyahu a legitimate leader.

They support every dirty war of aggression without mercy Washington wages.They call them liberating struggles.

They consider carving up whole continents for profit economic development. They call wage slavery job creation. They want America's social contract abolished.

They ignore fundamental international, constitutional and US statute laws in justifying Washington's genocidal crimes.

They believe might makes right. They feature managed news misinformation rubbish instead of hard truths on issues mattering most.

It bears repeating what other articles stressed. All the new they claim fit to print isn't fit to read. They support Ukrainian Nazis Washington installed to replace democrats. Throughout months of conflict, they backed their mass slaughter of their own citizens.

They oppose Donbass freedom fighters struggling for rights everyone deserves. They consistently, irresponsibly and maliciously blame Russia and rebels for US/Kiev crimes.

They practically accused Putin of murdering Boris Nemtsov. Anyone paying attention knows it's inconceivable to believe he had anything to do with it.

No more so than blaming Obama if a prominent American was gunned down in the shadow of the White House or Capitol Hill.

The Times is in full propaganda mode hyping the Nemtsov incident. It ludicrously claims fear now grips Russia.

It hyped Nemtsov's Big Lie claiming Moscow's involvement in Ukraine's conflict. It ignored Obama's full responsibility for what's ongoing - including the scourge of fascism's reemergence in Europe's heartland..

It practically accused Putin of plans to eliminate Kremlin critics one by one. its irresponsible reporting mocks legitimate journalism.

It waged war on Venezuela since Chavez's 1998 election. His overwhelming popularity for good reason never mattered.

It irresponsibly vilified him throughout his tenure. Venezuelan democracy shames America's sham version. The Times ludicrously called it "authoritarian."

It gave short shrift to Chavez's 2006 landslide reelection - greater than any in US history since James Monroe ran practically unopposed in 1820. George Washington was more anointed than elected.

It ignored Obama's responsibility for killing Chavez - either by poisoning or infecting him with lethal cancer causing substances.

Chavez kew he was marked for death. Four cancer surgeries in 18 months couldn't save him. He's sorely missed. Chavisma lies.

Times editors battle it irresponsibly. They consider Bolivarian fairness heresy. They support returning Venezuela to its bad old days

They want fascists replacing democrats. The day following Bush's aborted April 2002 coup, they lied claiming Chavez resigned. They endorsed his ouster.

They outrageously called him "a ruinous demagogue." "A would-be dictator." They called his short-term illegitimate replacement, Pedro Carmona, "a respected business leader."

They've waged war on current President Nicolas Maduro since his April 2013 election.

Previous articles discussed Obama's failed coup plot to oust him. Perhaps kill him, install fascist governance, steal Venezuelan resources and enslave its people.

The same way Washington turns one country after another into dystopian wastelands - ravaging, destroying, and strip-mining them of everything of worth.

Times editors mocked clear evidence of US culpability together with fascist Venezuelan elements.

They ridiculed Maduro. Said he "ramble(ed) for hours about an international right-wing conspiracy to oust him…"

Claimed "it's clear that he would use any fabricated pretext to jail opposition leaders and crack down on dissent."

They turned a blind eye to Washington's foiled plot. They ludicrously called Maduro's legitimate accusations "outlandish."

They outrageously accused him of "repressi(ng)" his critics. They called fascist coup-plotting Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma a respected politician - reacting to legitimate charges against him with "remarkable stoicism."

They claimed co-conspirator Leopoldo Lopez "was jailed on trumped-up charges…" They called Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez explaining planned air strikes against strategic government targets "absurd."

They lied calling Maduro's "fears of a coup…a diversion strategy by a maniacal statesman…unable to deal with the dismal state of his country's economy…"

They ignored Washington's lawless economic and political war - it's attempt to make Venezuela's economy scream. Its plot to make the country look like Ukraine.

They quoted the State Department's Big Lie saying Washington "regret(s) that the Venezuelan government continues to blame (it) for events inside Venezuela."

"(T)he United States remains committed to maintaining our strong support and lasting ties with the people of Venezuela."

Despite being caught red-handed, the State Department dismissed coup-plotting accusations. It called them "baseless and false."

It ignored America's longstanding blood-drenched history of toppling one independent government after another.

It ludicrously claimed Washington "does not support political transitions by non-constitutional means."

Times editors consistently bury hard truths. They deplore model Venezuelan democracy. They want US controlled fascist governance replacing it.

They called clear evidence of Obama's coup plot "a conspiracy theory." Honest analysis isn't their long suit.

On Saturday, Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez explained new measures Maduro instituted in response to Washington's foiled coup plot.

Maduro said he told Rodriguez "to immediately, in compliance with article 11 of the Vienna Convention, to reduce and minimize the number of US embassy officials in Venezuela."

"They have over 100 officials, while in the US we have no more than 17.”

He should have kicked them all out. They're all CIA agents or assets. Their mission is toppling Venezuela's democratic government.

Perhaps he'll shut down Washington's den of spies later on. He said "(w)e have captured some US citizens in undercover activities, espionage, trying to win over people in towns along the Venezuelan coast."

A US pilot of Latin American descent was apprehended in the state of Tachira. Maduro accused him of "covert" espionage activities.

"The northern imperial power has entered a dangerous phase of desperation, going to talk to the continent's governments to announce the overthrow of my government. And I accuse Vice President Joe Biden of this," Maduro said.

Rodriguez explained new measures instituted will help Venezuela deter US aggression.

Henceforth, US diplomats and support staff assigned to Venezuela must re-apply for visas. Maduro accused embassy officials of involvement in the foiled coup plot to topple him.

Washington's embassy must now inform Caracas of meetings it intends having with different sectors of Venezuelan society.

US citizens traveling to Venezuela will have to pay the same price in dollars for visas as Washington charges Venezuelans visiting America.

A list of US officials banned from Venezuela will be prepared - because of their involvement in human rights violations.

"We will prohibit visas for individuals who want to come to Venezuela who have violated human rights and have bombed Iraq, Syria, and Vietnam," said Maduro.

He could have added dozens of other countries victimized by US imperial crimes.

"An anti-terrorist list that will be headed by George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, the former director fo the CIA George Tenet, congressman Robert Menendez, Marco Rubio, the wolf Ileana Ross-Lethinen, George Tenet and Mario Díaz Balart," Maduro added.

"They cannot come to Venezuela for being terrorists."

Maduro's announced measures came on the 26th Caracazo anniversary. A previous article explained it as follows:

A popular rebellion confronted former President Carlos Andres Perez's hated government. It lasted days. Security forces killed thousands. Many others were injured.

Protests followed so-called economic reforms. IMF diktats were imposed. Neoliberal harshness punished ordinary Venezuelans.

Perez broke his campaign promise. He called the IMF "a neutron bomb that only kills people." He about-faced in office. He bowed to Washington Consensus demands.

February 27, 1989 was a Monday. Over the weekend, he doubled consumer gasoline prices. Commuters were outraged. They responded angrily.

Many refused to pay. Protests erupted. Revolutionary ferment united students, workers, and activists for change.

Anger over doubled gasoline prices became rebellion. Perez's entire neoliberal package was challenged.

Martial law followed. Perez authorized live ammunition against protesters.

Caracazo was pivotal. It represented the eventual death knell of business as usual. Rebellion created Hugo Chavez. In 1999, Bolivarianism followed.

Perez was Venezuela's president from 1974 - 1979. He served again from February 1989 - May 1993. In 1992, he survived two coup attempts.

Chavez led one that failed. His activism catapulted him to prominence. He got national television air time. He called on remaining resistance elements to cease hostilities.

At the same time, he said he only failed "por ahora (for now)." Later success proved him right.

Perez became Venezuela's first president forced from office by the Supreme Court. He was impeached for embezzling 250 million bolivars.

Senate members stripped his immunity. He refused to resign. Venezuela's National Congress ended his tenure permanently.

In May 1996, he was sentenced to 28 months in prison. In 1998, he was prosecuted again. He ended up self-exiled in Miami. He was a vehement anti-Chavista.

A 2003 stroke partially disabled him. In December 2010, he died. He's gone. He remains reviled. Venezuelans remember. They deplore someone like him returning.

On Friday, tens of thousands of Venezuelans rallied in Caracas in support of national sovereignty and Maduro's government.

He addressed the crowd saying "(w)e will go out so that the imperialists of the world know that Venezuela respects itself."

During Caracazo 1989, many opposition figures were in power, he explained. They "ordered massacres and torture and disappear(ances)…Now that they are in the minority, they resort to terrorism."

Times editors endorse fascist extremism in Venezuela, America and elsewhere. Reflecting their longstanding support for wealth, power and privilege at the expense of beneficial social change.

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

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

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

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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