LETTER: Russia’s opponents hurl insults and change the topic

I refer to Gerrit Olivier’s letter (“Putin’s odious apparatchik,” September 7). It was supposed to be a response to the embassy's history quiz, but unfortunately Olivier’s comments seemed to cover something entirely different from the subject matter of that letter  (“A history quiz,” September 4).

Instead of elaborating on the topic of historical parallels that we raised, Prof Olivier preferred to pin labels and hurl insults such as “odious apparatchik” and “ignoramus”. The cheap trick of changing the topic and resorting to personal insults is, unfortunately, typical of many of Russia’s opponents in the media.

In this sense, Prof OIivier’s latest letter further proves that when pro-Western commentators are unable to uphold the discussion and run out of arguments (or have none from the start) they attempt to tarnish the image of the opponent. Prof Olivier did not even refrain from insulting the Russian people, calling them ignorant. Apparently he is under the illusion that Russians have no access to global media.

If there is something useful we can pick from his comments it is his message of ignorance. You see, there are things the mainstream media conceal from SA and African readers. Compared to Russians, Europeans and, unfortunately, Africans, have fewer sources of information. In an attempt to brainwash the public the West launched a global media campaign aiming to silence all alternative sources and hush all news that reveals the West’s own malign activities, among other things.

For example, we don’t recall extensive reports on US biolabs in Ukraine (who knows where else these labs are, and what is going on there?) where experiments on dangerous viruses are being carried out. Similarly, there were no articles on Ukrainian authorities selling Western weapons on the black market, thus weaponising organised crime and terrorists, or investigations into why Ukrainian grain ships, with the exception of two out of 87, are going to the EU and not to the countries that face famine.

In our turn, we will keep on spreading the news. Stay tuned.   

Alexander Arefiev
Press-attache, Embassy of Russia in SA

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