by Stephen Lendman

Jill Abramson is gone. Dean Baquet replaced her as executive editor. Deplorable policy remains unchanged.

It's featured daily. It's done so in articles, commentaries and editorials. Disgraceful op-eds are standard practice.

Scoundrels are invited. Truth-tellers aren't welcome. Misinformation rubbish is featured. What readers most need to know is buried.

Lies, damn lies and Big Ones infest Times pages. Yulia Tymoshenko is a former illegitimate Orange Revolution prime minister.

She's billionaire mega-thief. She accumulated wealth the old-fashioned way. She stole it.

She was imprisoned for embezzlement and serious "abuse of public office."

Charges included illegally diverting $425 million meant for environmental projects into pension funds. A second case involved stealing around $130 million for personal use.

Putschists freed her. They did so lawlessly. She has presidential aspirations. She enjoys weak support.

Earlier she had dozens of secret offshore bank accounts in over two dozen countries. Reportedly most are closed.

At least 13 worldwide remain open. They hide her ill-gotten wealth. She conspired with former prime minister Pavlo Lazarenko among others.

From the mid-1990s, enormous funds were stolen. They disappeared. They did so when Tymoshenko ran United Energy Systems (UES).

Lazarenko awarded it monopoly rights to import Russian natural gas. In 2004, a US court convicted him of money laundering, theft, and hiding funds in foreign accounts.

His indictment called his crime "part of a conspiracy (related to) receiv(ing) money from companies owned or controlled by Tymoshenko, including United Energy Systems, in exchange for which (he) exercised his official authority in favour of (her) companies."

US prosecutor Martha Moerosch cited "evidence that companies controlled by Tymoshenko took part in the schemes for transferring money to Lazarenko's accounts."

"There were bank statements" proving it, she said. Prosecutors found Tymoshenko funds worldwide.

As Orange Revolution prime minister, "she did nothing to reform the economy and establish rule of law," she explained.

"Instead, she focused her attention on infighting inside the Orange Revolution in order to prepare her presidential race."

"Most (Euromaidan protesters) were not demanding her release." Her shady business practices earned her the nickname "gas princess."

On May 18, she headlined her NYT op-ed "A Vote for Ukrainian Freedom."

She lied about Ukraine's upcoming sham May 25 elections. She called fascist governance democratic.

She ludicrously cited "threats of invasion and sabotage by fifth-column separatists." She outrageously suggested putschist-run Ukraine resembles America under Lincoln.

She quoted his 1864 reelection comment, saying:

"We cannot have free government without elections; and if the rebellion could force us to forgo, or postpone, a national election, it might fairly claim to have already conquered and ruined us."

"Like Lincoln, we Ukrainians are resolved to go to the polls to choose a new president, in defiance of every threat."

"We will not grant victory to those who would discredit and dismember our country by allowing the May 25 vote to be canceled."

"Our election must go ahead if only to prove that the 100 and more men and women who died for our liberty in the protests around Maidan, Kiev's Independence Square, did not die in vain."

Fact: Coup-appointed putschists rule Ukraine.

Fact: They're lawless fascists.

Fact: Washington elevated them to power.

Fact: They include neo-Nazi militants.

Fact: They're Obama's new friends.

Fact: He pretends they're democrats.

Fact: They have no legitimacy whatever.

Fact: So-called May 25 elections exclude democracy from ballots.

Fact: Fascist putschists intend anointing likeminded ideologues.

Fact: They murdered scores of Maidan civilians and special Berkut police in cold blood.

Fact: They planned it well in advance.

Fact: Shots came from nearby Philharmonic Hall windows. Its rooftop.

Fact: Ukraine's toppled legitimate President Viktor Yanukovych was wrongfully blamed.

Fact: Police died doing their job.

Fact: They showed remarkable restraint.

Fact: Washington's dirty hands bore full responsibility.

Fact: Stooge putschists shared it.

Fact: Right Sector thugs were trained to commit what happened.

Fact: CIA operatives were involved.

Fact: Tymoshenko represents the worst of Ukrainian society.

Fact: She belongs in prison serving hard time.

She lied claiming Putin intends "transform(ing) our democratic country into a Russian vassal state."

"No one should doubt that Mr. Putin's primary aim is to hollow out our democracy."

"But Americans, and free people everywhere, must not be deceived by Russia's aggression, or by Mr. Putin's current peace offensive."

"The separatist cause fomented by Russia would never win on its merits in any free and fair vote of Ukrainians."

"Russia's separatist mafia can win only sham elections of the type that Mr. Putin has imposed on Russia since he came to power 14 years ago, and which he recently forced upon our fellow citizens, now hostages, in Crimea."

Fact: Putschist-run Ukraine excludes democracy.

Fact: Putin represents responsible geopolitical leadership.

Fact: He's polar opposite Obama.

Fact: He believes rule of law principles are inviolable.

Fact: He respects sovereign self-determination.

Fact: Democracy in Russia shames America's sham process.

Fact: Crimeans voted near unanimously for reunification with Russia.

Fact: They reject Kiev fascists.

Fact: They want fundamental democratic rights.

Fact: They want what everyone deserves.

Fact: They merit universal support.

Tymoshenko lied called Putin Russia's "strongman." He's overwhelmingly popular. He enjoys over 85% support.

It's for good reason. He governs democratically. He opposes imperial lawlessness. He's polar opposite Kiev fascists.

Tymoshenko lied claiming "Ukraine's liberty is a mortal threat to the authoritarian, state-capitalist system that Mr. Putin has unleashed on Russia's citizens."

"If Ukrainians…can build an open society and a free economy…then ordinary Russians may recognize the scale of the liberties and the economic opportunities that have been stolen from them under Mr. Putin's misrule."

Fact: Putschist-run Ukraine is polar opposite Tymoshenko's Big Lie.

Fact: Times editors are complicit.

Fact: They embrace it.

Fact: They featured it.

Fact: It's longstanding Times policy.

Fact: Reprehensible rubbish substitutes for what readers most need to know.

"(W)e must man the barricades of freedom…if Ukraine is to remain free," Tymoshenko claimed.

She turned truth on its head saying so. She wants more Western aid. She wants weapons and other military aid.

She wants it straightaway. She wants it to murder Ukrainian freedom fighters.

She wants democracy supporters crushed. She wants hardline fascist rule solidified.

She wants greater opportunities for more grand theft. She wants her share of plundered Ukrainian resources.

She wants her own people exploited. She wants freedom entirely crushed. She wants what most Ukrainians reject.

Perhaps it's just a matter of time before thousands, maybe millions, of Ukrainians nationwide realize they were had.

Perhaps they'll rebel and demand better. Real democracy replacing illegitimate putschist power.

Maybe they'll defeat Obama's imperial ambitions. Maybe handing him another defeat.

Maybe preserving rights too precious to lose. Maybe saving Ukraine at the same time. Maybe achieving real change.

Maybe inspiring others to emulate them. Maybe people everywhere wanting to live free.

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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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