The Kremlin funded English-language “news” network Russia Today (RT) was largely exposed for what it was in early February by a slew of intellectually honest American reporters who criticized the network, or outright resigned, over its apologizing for Russia’s invasion of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. But there are apparently a few Americans who remain happy to be used as tools to disseminate pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Among those who RT recently selected to lend legitimacy to its provocative and destabilizing actions included British MP George Galloway — an RT host who also broadcasts on an Iranian propaganda network and has had nothing but lovely things to say about paragons like Saddam Hussein, Yassir Arafat, Hezbollah, and Hamas — Voice of Russia reporter Dimitry Babich, and Huffington Post and Examiner.com reporter Michael Hughes.

Introducing his subject, RT host Peter Lavelle set a tone so one-sided that would have made Father Charles Coughlin blush. “The population of Crimea votes to decide its legal right to self-determination,” he began. “How did it come to this? Is it because of the Western-backed coup that has brought fascist to power, or NATO’s relentless drive East? Is all of this a sideshow to undermine Russia’s legitimate security interests?”

He seemed unfazed by the fact that he represented “all sides” of the debate by offering only one side of the debate. Hughes was perhaps the worst of this motley lot, casting about for enemies on both the American left and the right. He asserted that “neo-fascists” have assumed control in Ukraine; that Ukraine’s opposition are akin to the Taliban in that they are merely an ally of convenience against Russia; and that Hillary Clinton is a “radical” and Bill Clinton is a “neo-con.”

Moscow is still apparently quite peeved by Clinton’s decision to intervene in what the United Nations-supervised Supreme Court of Kosovo called Slobodan Milošević‘s “systematic campaign of terror, including murders, rapes, arsons and severe maltreatments” of Kosovar Albanians.

There are those who argue that publicizing these people’s views lends them more credibility than they deserve. The opposite is the case; as many Westerners as possible should see this kind of rabid anti-Americanism. It demonstrates why politics in the United States should stop at the water’s edge and why this crisis requires a united American front against a revanchist European power that seeks to redraw the borders of Europe by military force.

These are the apologist faces of a disturbingly familiar enemy.

Watch the clip below via RT:

[Photo via screen grab]

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