The media are not simply complicit in what our ‘leaders’ are doing. They are an integral part of the operation. Ultimately, most Western media organisations are owned by the same equity holders who control big finance and large corporations. They have the same interests. They maintain an omerta which allows the political leadership to operate unchallenged. Indeed, most of the time they act as the PR department of the corporate delivery machine. They precisely betray their supposed role of holding power to account on behalf of the people. The political leadership, in turn, are simply agents for the shadowy forces which control big finance. This is the essential model of our ‘free societies’.
If the UK media were not doing the bidding of the shadowy financial powers and other lobby groups these are some of the questions they might ask of the UK government.
On Israel-Palestine
1. You were “deeply concerned” when Israel announced they were going to block all aid into Gaza to put pressure on Hamas. You were “deeply concerned” when Israel broke the ceasefire, restarted bombing, and killed dozens of children in 48 hours. What would it take for you to move beyond “deeply concerned” and do something, even if only apply a minor diplomatic sanction? Please specify precisely.
2. Two leading and respected human rights agencies have said, based on legal assessments presumably, that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. It is clear you disagree. How would you characterise Israel’s blocking of aid? Do you think the numbers of civilian casualties in Gaza is indeed proportionate? Do you endorse Israel’s attacks on hospitals? What is your statement in relation to Israel having set up a bureau to support “voluntary migration” from the Gaza strip? What is your comment on the statement by the Israeli Defence Minister who called for a “complete siege” on Gaza? “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed”, he said.
3. Turning to the West Bank. What is your position in relation to the endless and credible reports from media and NGOs including Israeli NGOs about settlers attacking Palestinian civilians with the tacit support of the Israeli military?
On Ukraine
1. You are talking about increasing military support to Ukraine and increasing sanctions on Russia. Can you explain in detail, step by step, what you are aiming to achieve and how doing this will help you achieve that?
2. Russia has not collapsed under pressure from sanctions. Indeed many mainstream Western experts are commenting on how resilient the Russian economy has turned out to be. While some experts point to a longer-term risk of stagnation and low growth very few if any are any longer predicting any kind of short or even medium term collapse. The loss of energy sales to Europe has been compensated for by a switch to new Asian markets. Significant supplies are still being sold in Europe as well. Would you accept that the sanctions policy has failed? What is your plan B?
3. The position seems to be that Ukraine has the sovereign right to choose whether or not to join NATO. Everyone understands what you mean. On the other hand, are you telling me that the US would accept a Chinese military alliance with active placement of intelligence bases in and supply of weapons to Cuba? Or the UK would if China formed an alliance with the Republic of Ireland? These are hypothetical ‘thought-experiments’ It doesn’t matter that they are unlikely; I just want to know what your position would be.
4. Why wasn’t Minsk 2 implemented? Do you accept that there are people in Eastern Ukraine who would prefer to be either autonomous or part of Russia? Yes or no? If you concede any at all, what kind of percentage are you claiming and on what basis? Surely you do actually have some figures?
5. Do you know what percentage of the Ukrainian population wanted to join NATO in 2014? Was it even more than half? You are not sure? One International Republican Institute survey said 35%. * The figure has only reached a majority after the war started. Are you sure that your position is all about support for Ukraine? Is it possible that you have pushed NATO on them and they are paying a price?
6. Do you really believe that Russia is planning to attack Europe in the next five years? Would you say that on oath at a public inquiry?
On ADHD drugging (questions for the Health Minister)
1. Why do you think there has been such a huge increase in ADHD ‘diagnoses’ in the UK in recent years? Do you think this is solely down to “better recognition of the condition” and is totally unconnected with financial factors such as the fact that people can claim benefits if they ‘have ADHD’. (You must know that there has been a rapid rise in claims for PIP disability benefit for psychiatric conditions in recent years).
2. Can you explain what a “symptom” is in a general medical sense?
3. What is ADHD? What is the test for it?
4. How do ADHD drugs work? (You are the Health Minister; you should be able to provide a general layman’s explanation, surely? We can come back next week).
None of these questions is particularly radical. Anyone interested in objective reporting and clearly understanding the relevant situations would ask them. They are definitely not based on “conspiracy theories”. And, yet, when did you ever see a UK journalist ask a UK government Minister even one of these questions?