by Stephen Lendman

A separate article called March 18 historic. Putin and Russian parliamentarians declared support for Crimea joining the Russian Federation.

So do 92% of Russian citizens. Crimeans are going home. They're legally entitled to do so. It's their fundamental right. Not according to Washington. Media scoundrels march in lockstep.

The New York Times headlined "Putin Recognizes Crimea Secession, Defying the West."

He "signed a decree on Monday formally recognizing Crimea as a 'sovereign and independent state…' "

Doing so "la(id) the groundwork for annexation and defying the United States and Europe just hours after they imposed their first financial sanctions against Moscow since the crisis in Ukraine began."

Throughout Ukraine's crisis, Times editors, commentators and correspondents systematically bashed Putin. They've done so relentlessly. They've done it irresponsibly.

They continue unconscionably. He remains "undaunted," said The Times. Putin provoked "a clash of wills."

He "created the most profound rift in East-West relations since the end of the Cold War."

He intends "redraw(ing) borders established by the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991."

"Every time the United States and Europe have tried to draw a line in recent weeks, Mr. Putin has vaulted past it."

Fact check

Washington and rogue EU partners bear full responsibility for Ukrainian/Crimean crisis conditions.

Putin forthrightly went all-out for resolving things responsibly.

Obama, David Cameron, Francois Hollande, Angela Merkel, and Kiev fascist putschists ignited a potential clash of civilizations. They recklessly risk WW III doing so.

Crimeans are legally entitled to declare self-determination. Joining Russia is their legitimate right.

Moscow legally embraced them. Don't expect Times editors, commentators or correspondents to explain.

Neocon Washington Post editors headlined "Western sanctions deliver only a slap on the wrist to Mr. Putin."

They want much tougher measures imposed. They lied claiming "Russian forces extended their invasion from Crimea to an adjacent area of Ukraine."

Their assertion doesn't rise to the level of bad fiction. It doesn't wash. It doesn't pass the smell test. It doesn't stop WaPo editors from repeating one Big Lie after another.

Russia committed "aggression," they hyperventilated. Unless stopped, "the result will likely be more," they claimed.

"…Putin's brazenness continues to escalate." US officials lied. Not according to WaPo editors.

They repeated the Big Lie about "ballots for (Crimea's referendum) arriv(ing) pre-marked and that the supposedly overwhelming vote for separating from Ukraine was grossly manipulated."

What rubbish! You can't make this stuff up. Monitors observing Sunday's referendum pronounced it scrupulously open, free and fair.

Not a single irregularity was reported. Sunday's vote was a model democratic exercise. It shamed America's sham process.

Don't expect WaPo editors explain. They're preoccupied concocting new Big Lies.

It's standard scoundrel media practice. Truth is systematically buried. Lies, damn lies and misinformation substitute.

WaPo editors urge hardball tactics on Russia. They want "real pain" inflicted. Perhaps they want WW III.

Charles Krauthammer is one of many neocon WaPo columnists. He's a lunatic fringe hard-right contributor. He's militantly pro-war. He deplores peace.

On March 13, he headlined "How to stop - or slow - Putin." He bashed Obama, saying:

"His fruitless 'accommodationism' has invited the kind of aggressiveness demonstrated by Iran in Syria, China in the East China Sea and Russia in Ukraine."

"What is to be done now," he asked? "Reassure NATO. Deter further Russian incursion into Ukraine. Reverse the annexation of Crimea," he urged.

Disregard rule of law principles, he suggested. Advance NATO to Russia's borders, he signaled. Confront Russia belligerently if necessary, he implied.

He wants decisive action. He wants Russia "severely squeez(ed)". He wants it weakened and isolated.

He wants "an emergency increase in defense spending." Minimally $100 billion annually. He barely stopped short of urging war.

Other US lunatic fringe members perhaps want it.

Wall Street Journal editors headlined "Obama's Unserious Sanctions," saying:

He "included a mere seven Russians and four Ukrainians." Putin and most "notable(s) around him aren't included."

Journal editors bashed Obama's "gradualism." Sanctions imposed "are more likely to reconfirm the Russian strongman's view that (he) has no stomach for a confrontation."

"And sure enough, within hours of the White House action, Mr. Putin signed a decree recognizing Crimea's independence from Ukraine."

Next comes "formal annexation of the peninsula.."

"The sanctions Mr. Obama announced are worse than useless because their main impact will be to make America look weak."

"(W)atch out, Moldova," Journal editors added. Perhaps they heard the news.

Rustavi 2 Broadcasting Company headlined "Moldova's two regions aiming to join Russia," saying:

Following Crimean developments, "Moldova's self-proclaimed region of Transistria has also expressed its intention to join the Russian Federation."

"The region has already applied to Russia to accept it in its borders. Transistria broke away from Moldova in 1990 and its residents voted in favour of joining Russia in a referendum held in 2006."

"Another region of Moldova, Gagauzia, has also announced its determination to split from the country…" It's "administration has already announced the formation of its army."

"Gagauzia is an autonomous region of Moldova, which conducted referendum last February supporting separation from Moldova."

"Moldovan government has assessed the referendum as illegal and illegitimate and even adopted a law, which prohibits conduct of such plebiscite on the territory of the country."

Previous articles discussed Mitt Romney's hard-right agenda. He was 2012 Republican presidential aspirant. He was indistinguishable from other party primary opponents.

They comprised a rogue's gallery of scoundrels. They looked more like a police lineup than legitimate candidates.

Romney made millions of dollars the old-fashioned way. His vulture capital tactics stole it. It profiteered unscrupulously. It did so with leveraged buyouts and asset-stripping companies.

It willfully bankrupted them. It left thousands of employees high and dry on their own.

Journal editors gave Romney feature op-ed space. He headlined "The Price of Failed Leadership," saying:

"From Crimea to North Korea, from Syria to Egypt, and from Iraq to Afghanistan, America apparently has no good options."

"If possession is nine-tenths of the law, Russia owns Crimea and all we can do is sanction and disinvite - and wring our hands."

He lied claiming Iran heads toward developing nuclear weapons. Assad must go, says Obama, but efforts to remove him aren't implemented, he said.

Obama doesn't act decisively, he claimed. He wants tough action following tough talk.

He lied claiming Putin invaded Crimea. He repeated the Big Lie regurgitated daily. Media scoundrels do so in lockstep.

Obama's "failure" is "painfully evident," he said. He "fail(ed) to act when action was possible, and needed."

He barely stopped short of urging war on Russia. Lunatic fringe current and former politicians think this way.

Former Congressman Ron Paul is geopolitically opposite Washington neocons. Crimeans are legally titled to join Russia, he said.

He called sanctioning Russian and Crimean officials "an act of war."

Aiding Kiev putschists mirrors supporting anti-Syrian terrorists, he added. They're "based on a moral principle of theft."

He was unequivocal citing "clear evidence that US-sponsored NGO's" got billions of dollars to "agitat(e)…Our hands are not clean," he stressed.

Meddling in Crimean internal affairs is unjustifiable, he added. It's their choice whether to stay with Ukraine or join Russia.

"I think everyone should have the right to express themselves" freely, he stressed. It's none of Washington's business what they do.

America was established this way, he explained. "It was the right of self-determination, and voting, and asking and even fighting for it, and seceding."

Sovereign people should make their own "decisions," said Paul. Other nations have no right to interfere.

Washington claims a divine right to do it. Empire building defines its agenda. Doing so risks global war.

Unchallenged dominance alone matters. Hegemons ignore potential consequences. Bipartisan Washington neocons think this way. Potential clash of civilizations disaster may follow.

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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

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