MEDIAWATCH: Herald Hoadley Western Propaganda

By
Malcolm Evans
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36
1053

How ironic that Associate Professor Hoadley’s  opinion piece in the Herald this week, warning of the threat posed by Russian propaganda to our understanding of the  war in the Ukraine, should appear in a newspaper which only publishes accounts of the conflict which support the US/NATO narrative.

Claiming Russian propaganda is being “widely promulgated” when, in fact, since Russian news outlets are blocked and with our media publishing only the US version of events, an opposite reality seems more likely, Prof Hoadley exposes himself as either naïve or woefully biased.

Describing Russia’s version of events as being “strikingly implausible narratives” and “as audacious and superficially credible as it is false,” Hoadley asked why it was believed, when actually the self-same description might be ascribed to the version of events we’re being fed, and the self-same questions asked.

How convenient is it that such a litany of atrocities as those we’re told are being perpetrated by Russian troops, should now suddenly appear in our newspapers and on our TV screens?  And how reminiscent are they of the stories of similar atrocious acts being committed by others opposed to the US and its “New World Order,” in other theatres of conflict in recent times? 

Remember; Weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, babies being thrown from incubators in Kuwait, Syrian civilians being savagely attacked with barrel bombs and poisonous gas by their government.  And who can forget the utterly discredited “white helmets,” not to forget the on-going creeping genocide being waged on the Palestinians, but blamed on them by our media.

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To provide proof of Russia’s perfidiousness, Hoadley sited the actions of the mediaeval Rus tribe against rival tribes, in the 9th and 10th centuries, and then later against the Mongol rule in the 12th century, as somehow being proof that Russia cannot be trusted today. 

If ever there was an example of a betrayal of trust which Hoadley could have used, but didn’t, it was surely that which followed the dissolution of the USSR and Russia’s conversion to a Capitalist economy, not in centuries past but just a decade or so ago.

With no more need for NATO to exist then, let alone double in size and spread, that was a betrayal of trust which, contrary to solemn promises given, clearly signalled to Russia that the West has plans for Russia that involve more than just a change of economic direction.  

But most significantly, in failing to mention that betrayal of trust, or the 2014 US-engineered coup in Ukraine, which installed a regime that immediately signalled its intent to join NATO, a red line long drawn in the sand by Russia, Hoadley steered well clear of any contemporary context, because he knows it doesn’t fit his story. 

It’s one thing for a member of the community to express a biased opinion on a matter of such gravity, but quite another when the message is being delivered by an Associate Professor from the faculty of Politics and International Relations in our biggest university.

But, in this instance, especially as we’re talking about integrity, readers should also have been made aware that, according to the Auckland University website, Professor Hoadley is a former US Navy serviceman and an honorary Captain in the Royal New Zealand Navy. 

But, that aside, and to be fair to Associate Professor Hoadley, if his opinion piece had been more balanced the Herald wouldn’t have published it.

 

36 COMMENTS

  2. Thank you Malcolm .I really begin to worry about the appointment of teaching staff at our universities.I
    And are certain persons being inserted ahead of others with more impartiality. I would put in that category Ann Marie Brady, with her connections with the Wilson Centre and the Kissinger Institute.
    Thanks for a great pushback against the propaganda.

  3. This is the reason I read TDB.

    Here we have Malcolm telling us that what we’re seeing on TV is evil western propaganda trying to convince us all that Putin in mad or bad when in reality he’s just misunderstood. Then over on the other side of the room we have Wayne Hope ‘doing a Greta’ (How Dare You!) for questioning the truth in mainstream media and seeking alternative views.

    So diverse! LOLOLOL

    • Very soon Andrew the world will wake up to the wall to wall bullshit coming from the western media being run from the pentagon. The crap they spew daily is always to denigrate the terrible, horrible, gruesome, cruel, sub-human, warmongering, vicious, and Communist Russian beasts (and that applies to each and everyone of them). Maybe a few more people than you will be able to see it for what it is.

  4. Zelensky has been declared the Churchill of the hour with speeches to every parliament who’ll have him.He didn’t go down hugely well in the Knesset however, with tone deaf assertions that Ukraine saved the Jews, and the current invasion was akin to the holocaust.
    More recently members of the Greek Parliament walked out in protest when he introduced a guest speaker, a burly member of the Azov Battallion, who claimed to be Greek, without speaking a word of Greek.
    https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/04/07/greek-parliament-azov-battalion/

    “The appearance of the neo-Nazi fighter prompted SYRIZA MP’s Nikos Filis, Thodoris Dritsas and Yiannis Giolas to walk out of the session.

    “The speech by members of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion in the Greek Parliament is a challenge. They spoke of a history day, but it’s a historic shame. Solidarity with the Ukrainian people is a given. But the Nazi cannot have a say in parliament,” said SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras.

  5. Well said, and thanks for saying it. I wonder if your opinion would even have appeared in The Daily Blog if it wasn’t for the fact that your previous credentials are so strong (speaking as a supporter off and monthly donator to the Daily Blog)

  6. Stephen Hoadley was one of my politics lecturers in the mid 90’s and I seem to remember Martyn / Bomber as being is the same class?
    Great lecturer at the time and maybe his perceived ‘bias’ is simply an understanding and voicing of what is actually happening.

    • Yeah, you’re onto it James. Of course the Americans have always been totally honest and noble. Silly me to doubt them.

      • This isn’t about the Americans. Evans is trying to draw a comparison when really, there is none. This space is heading on a huge right turn lately.

        A number of comments don’t seem to get published either when attempting to criticise or call out some of the quite frankly right and far right crp that gets posted on here.

  7. There is a very clear “fog of war” at the moment. Watching current MSM news is arguably worse than not watching anything at all since it is almost certainly packed with disinformation and propaganda that is doubtlessly subconsciously shaping people’s opinions using unverified “news” generated by governments with a clear agenda.

  8. Malcolm.. what facts have you got that confirm that the “2014 US-engineered coup in Ukraine” is a real thing?

    • What do you think the CIA does all day? Maintain council garden beds and issue parking infringement notices?

  9. So here we have lunatic conspirators believing that the Ukraines are blowing up their own buildings, sending missiles into their cities, killing their own citizens. Russia is returning to the old Soviet communist ways. Why does Putin deny his people details of his invasion and the destruction and deaths of innocent citizens. Putin must be crazy to undertake such a undertaking when everyone around the world can see whats happening. It a cowardly act for a super power attacking a smaller un defended neighbor.

    I was a commie once and had a lot of respect for Putin as he was keeping the USA and west in check but he will now go down in history next to Hitler and Stalin. I am concerned that Putin is crazy and has lost his marbles and it cant be discounted that he may revert to limited nuclear and chemical gas warfare.

    • “attacking a smaller un defended neighbor.””

      LOL, Ukraine is a NATO proxy. Its military has been trained and heavily armed by NATO. Ukraine forces fight like modern advanced force and could be seamlessly added as a component to any NATO effort. That is what that base in Western Ukraine not far from the Polish border was all about until the Russians obliterated it with their advanced hypersonic tech missile.

      Mauripol (last stand of Ukraine ultra nationalist extremist/Nazi/Satanic Death cult in a giant steel works underground complex) and all those important Ukraine cities have all been heavily fortified against exactly a Russian incursion. And the Russians have also been preparing for this for over a decade.

      Total la la land propaganda that Russians totally shocked, shocked I say!, at Ukraine strong resistance.

      Putin carves off juicy meaty bits of Eastern Ukraine. Western Ukraine is sloppy seconds – maybe be returned to Poland?

  10. Wally, there is a freely available audio recording of Nuland and Pyatt discussing their personal picks for the new Ukrainian post-Yanukovich. As far as I’m aware, its authenticity has never been denied. Someone might like to correct me if I’m wrong on this last point.

    This is a great starting point for understanding the Ukraine conflict

    https://youtu.be/WV9J6sxCs5k

  11. I read that Hoadley agitprop piece. I laughed as he claimed that Russian history was one of nothing more than episodes of nefarious treachery, lies and manipulation.

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