28.8.15

Look, Russian media mogul takes over after Murdoch's crash

In his most creative nightmare Alfred Hitchcock would not imagine what happened to the free press. Coordinated leftist attack on Rupert Murdoch conservative media opens door to the disaster. It looks like former Soviet Union's intelligence services, KGB, influence is being used to buy out free Western media. Am I mad?

If you do not believe it look at this.

The full profile may not be worthy of your money. It seems to be written rather as a support for the Russian mogul and not a critical report. I would say it is a piece of  classic propaganda.

A journalist reveals some details:


Status:

Lebedev's the Evening Standard readership is 1,5 mln per issue. This increase of 16 percent from 2010. The newspaper has bigger audience than The Times, The Independent and The Guardian.

Links to Kremlin: 

Both him, Evgeny and his father, KGB officer, Alexander have links to current Russia's political elites, Evegeny Lebedev is organizing fundraisers for Gorbachev's foundation. His father is going to join Vladimir Putin's All-Russia Front.

Origins of Mr. Lebedev's fortune:

Mr. Alexander Lebedev, British newspaper owner's father, was high rank KGB operative. "His fortune is $ 3,6 billions in assets alone (in airlines, banking and potato's farming)". He also "has major holdings in Gazprom and Soviet airlines Aeroflot."

Article contains several pieces of misinformation including quotes of Mr. Lebedev's statements on "civilized role of KGB and its bad stereoptypes".


Perhaps it is interesting that author reveals Mr. Lebedev's editorial policy. He made editor of Evening Standard "to apologize to readers for former negativity". British paper now is focused on social issues: "disposessed" of London and on literacy.

It brings to mind the Soviet/Russian editorial policy of newspapers where optimism fills columns to that extent that it covers reality.




Regardless whether the reporting is fully accurate the article should be discussed.

It is unfortunate that West allowed to converge its economy with Russian fortunes. It is even more terrible that KGB operatives-turned businessmen have such an influence on Western  market. Raised under totalitarianism they do not understand the essence of human liberties let alone free market system. They were programmed to perceive West as its enemy and its culture as inferior to great Russian/soviet spirit. In fact they were rooted in hatred towards capitalism and liberty.

West should have take over Russian institution after dissolution of Soviet Union like it had happened in Japan after 1945. Only then a free Western institutions might had have emerged, on this nonhuman land as once observed historian, former GULAG prisoner, Jozef Czapski.