Demonizing Russia Non-Stop

As I was getting my breakfast this morning we had National Public Radio (NPR) - what we often call National Petroleum Radio - turned on.  As usual they were doing their daily succession of Russia bashing.  One story jumped out at me as an example of the ridiculous and idiotic 'journalism' we now get in this country.

It was a story about how the Russian people never smiled - that is until McDonald's opened up in Moscow.

They had on a Russian man who told the story that under the old Soviet Union people were ugly, snarly and unhappy.  Then after the fall of the Soviet Union McDonald's came to Russia.  Workers were taught to say Thank you, Have a nice day, Come back again - and suddenly the culture of Russia began to change and now people smile!

This corporate propaganda story is one more glaring example of how U.S. 'exceptionalism' works.  Those poor Russians were saved by capitalism - our consumer culture brings politeness and satisfaction.  McDonald's taught the Russian people what real happiness means.

Fill the American people's thick skulls with this kind of crap and you can sell them anything.  Tell Americans that Putin is the new Hitler and wants to take over the world.  Tell them Putin wants to invade Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia as an excuse to put US-NATO troops on the Russian border.

Fly US warplanes along the border - only 85 miles from St. Petersburg - don't worry it's not a provocation - we are just liberating those unhappy Russians!

This is how wars start - when one side convinces themselves that they are god's gift to humanity and that people all over the world are eager to bite into a Big Mac.  Yes we must spend our national treasury to make it possible for those poor Russian people to be happy.  They need us and our McDonald's and Burger King and Pizza Hut! 

The NPR story though didn't mention that in 2014 Russia ordered the closure of four McDonald’s restaurants in Moscow after government health inspectors declared the U.S.-based fast food chain was serving contaminated products.  That same year Wendy’s, the third-largest American hamburger chain, abandoned its Russian operations.  Also in 2014 the iconic golden arches were replaced in Crimea by the bright red insignia of RusBurger.  NPR didn't bother to mention these facts but of course that was not the purpose of their story. 

Have a nice day - on the way to World War III.....