Bringing Light Into Darkness - News & Analysis

Tonight, our guest Scott Ritter returns to Bringing Light Into Darkness to discuss a host of themes connected to US foreign policy and the Ukraine-Russia NATO conflict. William Scott Ritter a former US Marine Corps intelligence who served with the UN implementing arms control treaties and with General Norman Schwarzkopf in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq. Ritter oversaw the disarmament of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), as a United Nations weapons inspector, from 1991 to 1998. He famously warned Congress and anyone who paid attention that there was no WMD. This life experience led him to later became a critic of United States foreign policy and challenge many of its public claims including those in Ukraine. Among the issues Ritter weighs in on are connected to the following questions.

Did you know that the US illegally occupies Syria and that from the theft, led by the US of Syria’s oil, gas and other minerals, as well as wheat since 2011 it is estimated that Syria has lost $19.8 billion and that the cost of the bombing by the Air Force of the Western coalition has cost Syria another $2.9 billion?

Did you know that the US enabled corruption led to a near complete theft of Russian state assets under Boris Yeltsin which plummeted the living standards of the majority population of the Russians in the 1990s and that since Putin took office those living conditions have consistently and significantly improved?

Is it possible the source of the hate of the west against Putin is because he has rebuilt Russia in the image that benefits Russia not the American empire and that is why we are so dead set against the guy?

Did you know that Ukraine and the US had dozens of biolabs and custody of biological toxins within Ukraine since taking over former soviet facilities in 2005 but have not destroyed the toxins in apparent violation of the Biological Toxin Weapons Convention- which the US is a signatory of?

Ritter ends the show with a military update on what to expect this winter in the Ukraine-Russia-NATO War.

Decoupling False ‘Russiagate’ Assumptions from New Russia Demonizing Themes (12/12/22) (Part 2/2) by Bringing Light Into Darkness - News & Analysis

Decoupling False ‘Russiagate’ Assumptions from New Russia Demonizing themes Connected to the Ukraine with Ray McGovern

CIA veteran Ray McGovern returns to Bringing Light Into Darkness. In the Sixties Ray served as an infantry/intelligence officer and then became a CIA analyst for the next 27

years, which included a focus on US-Russian foreign policy. He is on the Steering Group of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) and works with Tell the Word, the publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Savior in inner-city Washington. His background reflects a moral authority of sorts on US-Russian foreign policy that is worthy of close scrutiny, particularly in a time in which we are so routinely mislead and confused from the truth on such issues.

The Mueller Report culminated a 22-month investigation that cost some $32m and claimed to have established that the Russian government conducted “a sweeping and

systematic” interference campaign in order to elect Trump in 2016. Yet as Aaron Mate details in his 7/23/2019 article in the Nation wrote, the contents of his

report did not support that allegation. So why did the majority of the public come to believe it?

McGovern details the main false pillar of deceit and the depth of dishonesty that created this false image through simply allegations (and indictments) that went

wholly unproven. In other words through smoke and mirrors, this false certainty was created that obfuscated the truth for so many of the US public. In fact, as Mate points out among other things in his stinging critique of the Mueller report, the Mueller investigation resulted in zero indictments for anyone on the Trump campaign for collusion with Russia, or even for anything related to the 2016 election.

The main 'false pillar' McGovern details was the false premise that Crowdstrike, had proof that Russia had hacked the DNC, yet instead, under oath the Crowdstrike technical director admitted he had no such proof, an admission that has been kept from the US public by Adam Schiff and the mainstream media for the past five years. Arguably, this was the singular most important false indictment to foment the hate for Russia that our foreign policy leaders and our MSM have nurtured within the US public and reveals who we should really not trust. We also discuss the Minsk Agreement and how Merkel’s recent admission (along with Porochenko’s) reveals what a dishonest diplomatic broker the US and the West continue to be internationally.

Ray further describes the false presentation of the ‘on the ground realities’ in the Russia-US-NATO-Ukraine conflict and how he believes it will unfold in the coming months. Believe what you want but we all need to keep an open mind to dissenting information that challenges our point of view and consider the insightful reflections of Ray McGovern, one who worked for the US public the last six decades on both sides US foreign policy analysis, three decades within our government and three

decades critically analyzing it from his humanist perspective.

How does this War end? Examining Propaganda Present & Past that Hide the Geopolitical underpinnings of The Ukraine War

Tonight’s show questions elements of a dominant US foreign Policy narrative that we suggest are misleading the majority population here in the US. Once again, our mainstream media is failing its mandate to fully inform. It happened in Viet Nam, in Afghanistan, in Libya and Syria. It is happening in Yemen as another million Yemenese have perished since 2015 and yet again we are in the dark. Is it happening as we speak again here in the Ukraine?

Tonight, we acknowledge the many alleged propaganda themes that feed and nurture our acculturated belief that demonizes Russia in the execution of its military policies in the Ukraine. Have we falsely been acculturated to believe with near complete certainty that Russia:

1) as a matter of policy Russia violates international law by using ‘civilian shields’? 2) that Russia not Ukraine was responsible for the Bucha murders of innocents; 3) that Russia not Ukraine was responsible for the public railway missile bombing at Kramatorsk that killed more than 50 Ukrainian civilians including a half dozen or more children? 4) That Russia as a matter of policy indiscriminately kills civilians? 5) That the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear plant is being bombed by Russia not Ukraine? 6) that the Kherson retreat indicates it is Ukraine not Russia that is ‘winning’ this war? 7) that according to UN officials Russia is engaging in a policy strategy of raping Ukrainian women? 8) That the profusion of Ukrainian neo Nazis are simply an empty ‘Russian talking point’?

Are these claims true and what impact do they have on our collective perception of the Ukraine crisis? We address the veracity or lack therof, of all these claims that have been driven into our public consciousness by the preponderance of ‘news’ reports filtering into our

brain without being critically verified. We examine what we argue is the real barometer of how this conflict is unfolding and that is military vs civilian deaths and of Russians vs Ukrainians in Ukraine.

Investigative journalist Mike Whitney brings light into darkness surrounding the impact of the war on the EU as well as the geopolitical motivations he suggests are

driving this war and what the endgame might look like.

The show ends with a tribute to my mom Bobby (Barbara) Gatos on her 92nd birthday.

Please join us tonight. Don’t be Late! Your comments are welcome at [email protected]

How does this War end? Examining Propaganda Present & Past that Hide the Geopolitical underpinnings of The Ukraine War

Tonight’s show questions elements of a dominant US foreign Policy narrative that we suggest are misleading the majority population here in the US. Once again, our mainstream media is failing its mandate to fully inform. It happened in Viet Nam, in Afghanistan, in Libya and Syria. It is happening in Yemen as another million Yemenese have perished since 2015 and yet again we are in the dark. Is it happening as we speak again here in the Ukraine?

Tonight, we acknowledge the many alleged propaganda themes that feed and nurture our acculturated belief that demonizes Russia in the execution of its military policies in the Ukraine. Have we falsely been acculturated to believe with near complete certainty that Russia:

1) as a matter of policy Russia violates international law by using ‘civilian shields’? 2) that Russia not Ukraine was responsible for the Bucha murders of innocents; 3) that Russia not Ukraine was responsible for the public railway missile bombing at Kramatorsk that killed more than 50 Ukrainian civilians including a half dozen or more children? 4) That Russia as a matter of policy indiscriminately kills civilians? 5) That the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear plant is being bombed by Russia not Ukraine? 6) that the Kherson retreat indicates it is Ukraine not Russia that is ‘winning’ this war? 7) that according to UN officials Russia is engaging in a policy strategy of raping Ukrainian women? 8) That the profusion of Ukrainian neo Nazis are simply an empty ‘Russian talking point’?

Are these claims true and what impact do they have on our collective perception of the Ukraine crisis? We address the veracity or lack therof, of all these claims that have been driven into our public consciousness by the preponderance of ‘news’ reports filtering into our

brain without being critically verified. We examine what we argue is the real barometer of how this conflict is unfolding and that is military vs civilian deaths and of Russians vs Ukrainians in Ukraine.

Investigative journalist Mike Whitney brings light into darkness surrounding the impact of the war on the EU as well as the geopolitical motivations he suggests are

driving this war and what the endgame might look like.

The show ends with a tribute to my mom Bobby (Barbara) Gatos on her 92nd birthday.

Please join us tonight. Don’t be Late! Your comments are welcome at [email protected]

Supporting Women & Fair Trade: ‘Free Trade’ vs ‘Fair Trade’ How the Wealth of Nations is Appropriated through ‘Free Trade’ driven Foreign Policies

Tonight’s show unveils an important indictment of the historical methods of accumulation of the gross wealth of Western nations and US Foreign Policy, by pursuing and documenting:

1. What is the difference between Free Trade & Fair Trade and how does it impact majority populations of the world?

2. Why is it that the majority population of countries our multinational corporations invest most heavily in, and that within which our foreign policy extends its reach and greatest power, why is the consistent outcome a significant and measurable deterioration of the quality of life for that majority?

3. The following five country profiles Bolivia, Ecuador, Haiti, Libya and Honduras provide evidence of a consistent pattern rather than aberrations of the impact of US foreign policy upon majority populations of the world.

4. We include a special deeper analysis of Honduras and the impact of the US enabled Honduran June 28, 2009 coup by economist Dr Jose Antonio Cordero from the Center of Economic Policy (CEPR) and a previous BLID show which aired shortly following the coup which analyzed the economic performance of the Honduran economy before and after the democratic election of the Zelaya government we helped to remove.

Join us tonight as special guest Josefina Castillo – describes how we can support the ‘collective’ vendors of Women & Fair Trade. Josefina BA in Sociology from Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México and has a PhD in Education from the University of Arizona. Josefina has worked as a Popular Educator in Mexico and the US for over 30 years and is the former Director for 12 years of the Austin office of the American Friends Service Committee. Co-founder and current Board Chair of Austin Tan Cerca de la Frontera. She is also a board member of Women on the Border.

Learn how supporting democracy means supporting Fair Trade by joining us tonight and learn about the18th annual Women and Fair Trade Festival in Austin, TX this Saturday 12/3/22 sponsored by Austin Tan Cerca de la Frontera. For more information you may go to atcf.org

Supporting Women & Fair Trade: ‘Free Trade’ vs ‘Fair Trade’ How the Wealth of Nations is Appropriated through ‘Free Trade’ driven Foreign Policies

Tonight’s show unveils an important indictment of the historical methods of accumulation of the gross wealth of Western nations and US Foreign Policy, by pursuing and documenting:

1. What is the difference between Free Trade & Fair Trade and how does it impact majority populations of the world?

2. Why is it that the majority population of countries our multinational corporations invest most heavily in, and that within which our foreign policy extends its reach and greatest power, why is the consistent outcome a significant and measurable deterioration of the quality of life for that majority?

3. The following five country profiles Bolivia, Ecuador, Haiti, Libya and Honduras provide evidence of a consistent pattern rather than aberrations of the impact of US foreign policy upon majority populations of the world.

4. We include a special deeper analysis of Honduras and the impact of the US enabled Honduran June 28, 2009 coup by economist Dr Jose Antonio Cordero from the Center of Economic Policy (CEPR) and a previous BLID show which aired shortly following the coup which analyzed the economic performance of the Honduran economy before and after the democratic election of the Zelaya government we helped to remove.

Join us tonight as special guest Josefina Castillo – describes how we can support the ‘collective’ vendors of Women & Fair Trade. Josefina BA in Sociology from Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México and has a PhD in Education from the University of Arizona. Josefina has worked as a Popular Educator in Mexico and the US for over 30 years and is the former Director for 12 years of the Austin office of the American Friends Service Committee. Co-founder and current Board Chair of Austin Tan Cerca de la Frontera. She is also a board member of Women on the Border.

Learn how supporting democracy means supporting Fair Trade by joining us tonight and learn about the18th annual Women and Fair Trade Festival in Austin, TX this Saturday 12/3/22 sponsored by Austin Tan Cerca de la Frontera. For more information you may go to atcf.org

Updates from the Front by Scott Ritter: Ukraine, a Sacrificial Lamb of US Foreign Policy, or an Unprovoked Victim of Russian Aggression?

Our introduction provides data that support the concerns and claims that as a result of a US enabled 2014 coup not only did the first European government since WWII

come to power with a cabinet full of neo-Nazi ideologues but that among the half dozen or more cabinet posts awarded to those neo-Nazis were those that included those that oversaw the Ministry of Defense, the Armed forces, law enforcement & national security. Additionally, the position of Prosecutor General of Ukraine who oversees the judicial system was awarded to a neo-Nazi. We provide evidence that suggests that the coup and repression that followed against ethnic Russians in the east and was led by far-right nationalists precipitated the separatist aspirations.

Special guest Scott Ritter (former UN Iraq weapons inspector) who unveiled the deceit behind the framing of the US led Iraq invasion in 2003 deconstructs many of the misrepresentations our government & mainstream media is now promoting about the Russian-Ukraine-NATO-US crisis. Among them include is it the US, NATO and Ukraine or is it Russia or are they all in violation of International Law? From 2014 until 2022 why did Russia refuse to recognize and support a separation of Donbass from Ukraine and sought a political solution through the Minsk Agreement? How could that have changed in a manner that is not in violation of international law? Who sabotaged, undermined, and violated the Minsk Agreement that had been signed?

How many Russian troops were dedicated to their Special Miliary Operation (SMO)? How many Ukrainian troops and other non-Ukrainian military forces have been dedicated to the military conflict & what was NATO involvement in Ukraine before the SMO? What are the casualty numbers on both sides, civilians & military, & what does that tell us? In a fascinating account, Ritter describes and details how Ukraine and Ukrainian Armed forces are getting decimated.

When and how will the additional 300 thousand Russian troops and the additional100 thousand volunteers, a total Russian capability of a 400 thousand strike force, if they are ready as reported by the end of December or early January, how will that change the military theater? The ratios of losses indicate an unsustainable military situation for Ukraine. And it will now only get worse. Is the crime the Russian SMO or the US leading Ukrainians to slaughter, not on behalf of Ukraine’s national interests but in the interests of promoting a foreign policy that seeks to extend western hegemony and continue an unsustainable unipolar dominance over the world’s future? We

don’t have all the answers, but this show includes important evidence that has been kept from the US public. We seek to bring light to that darkness so good, honest

and courageous US public citizens who are interested in pursuing the truth no matter where it takes us, can develop a more informed position to decide what to believe and then rein our government and media as needed. Please join us tonight. Don’t be Late!

Updates from the Front by Scott Ritter: Ukraine, a Sacrificial Lamb of US Foreign Policy, or an Unprovoked Victim of Russian Aggression?

Our introduction provides data that support the concerns and claims that as a result of a US enabled 2014 coup not only did the first European government since WWII

come to power with a cabinet full of neo-Nazi ideologues but that among the half dozen or more cabinet posts awarded to those neo-Nazis were those that included those that oversaw the Ministry of Defense, the Armed forces, law enforcement & national security. Additionally, the position of Prosecutor General of Ukraine who oversees the judicial system was awarded to a neo-Nazi. We provide evidence that suggests that the coup and repression that followed against ethnic Russians in the east and was led by far-right nationalists precipitated the separatist aspirations.

Special guest Scott Ritter (former UN Iraq weapons inspector) who unveiled the deceit behind the framing of the US led Iraq invasion in 2003 deconstructs many of the misrepresentations our government & mainstream media is now promoting about the Russian-Ukraine-NATO-US crisis. Among them include is it the US, NATO and Ukraine or is it Russia or are they all in violation of International Law? From 2014 until 2022 why did Russia refuse to recognize and support a separation of Donbass from Ukraine and sought a political solution through the Minsk Agreement? How could that have changed in a manner that is not in violation of international law? Who sabotaged, undermined, and violated the Minsk Agreement that had been signed?

How many Russian troops were dedicated to their Special Miliary Operation (SMO)? How many Ukrainian troops and other non-Ukrainian military forces have been dedicated to the military conflict & what was NATO involvement in Ukraine before the SMO? What are the casualty numbers on both sides, civilians & military, & what does that tell us? In a fascinating account, Ritter describes and details how Ukraine and Ukrainian Armed forces are getting decimated.

When and how will the additional 300 thousand Russian troops and the additional100 thousand volunteers, a total Russian capability of a 400 thousand strike force, if they are ready as reported by the end of December or early January, how will that change the military theater? The ratios of losses indicate an unsustainable military situation for Ukraine. And it will now only get worse. Is the crime the Russian SMO or the US leading Ukrainians to slaughter, not on behalf of Ukraine’s national interests but in the interests of promoting a foreign policy that seeks to extend western hegemony and continue an unsustainable unipolar dominance over the world’s future? We

don’t have all the answers, but this show includes important evidence that has been kept from the US public. We seek to bring light to that darkness so good, honest

and courageous US public citizens who are interested in pursuing the truth no matter where it takes us, can develop a more informed position to decide what to believe and then rein our government and media as needed. Please join us tonight. Don’t be Late!

Legs of the Chair that Support the Egregious Wealth Disparity that Undermines both our Democracy & Democratic Aspirations

Tonight, we blend a number of instructive themes from previous Bringing Light Into Darkness investigative journalistic presentations we have presented over the years. Who benefits from War? Our discussion includes the revolving door of Generals and Pentagon officials that sit on defense contracting boards and are paid handsomely. Many of them also are hired guns if you will, considered military experts, for the major news networks who actively preached opposition to ending the US Afghanistan two-decade war and argue against negotiating a peace settlement in Ukraine as we speak while at the same time are on the payroll of those companies whose sales and the value of their stocks soar as a result of perpetuating war not seeking peace. All of this is hidden from the “news and analysis” consuming US public. Meanwhile President Biden signed into law a spending package that includes a record breaking $782B for the annual US defense budget that a small handful of the largest defense contractors disproportionately benefit from. These defense contractors are identified.

According to the 'Cost of Wa'r at Brown University, Pentagon spending for the Afghan War alone has cost over $14T. Over the last two decades $2.5 billion dollars have been spent on lobbying. Meanwhile we cite the source study that estimated in 2011 waste, fraud and abuse totaled $31B- $60B. How does this serve the public interest?

We also detail domestically how corporate interests, strengthened by 2010 Citizen’s United Supreme Court decision, exert enormous influence within our country, often outside public knowledge, and how a considerable amount of influence, behind the curtain if you will is exercised by corporate generated legislation, much a direct product by the corporate interest group, the 'American Legislative Exchange Council' (ALEC). We excerpt previous BLID shows one featuring Austin investigative journalist Mary Tuma, that seek to unveil how influential the corporate-state law collaboration nature and profile of ALEC has been and how by its disproportionate influence on our laws again, outside public awareness, undermine our democracy.