Well here we are again, folks: another alleged 'hit' by the Russian State that raises more questions than it answers. And like the dutiful little MI6/CIA sock-puppets they are, British and US news outlets are busy dusting off speculative stories about the actual and attempted murders of Anna Politkovskaya, Alexander Litvinenko, Boris Nemtsov and Sergei and Yulia Skripal to add a little spice to what is otherwise a fairly patchy narrative. Okay, the west's coverage of Alexei Navalny's anti-corruption campaigns and failed attempts at taking political office have always been absurdly light on facts, but this recent attempt to elevate him to near-martyr status is just a joke. But, be that as it may, we're not here to discuss his cynical, opportunistic ethnonationalism - that's a story for another day. Instead, I just want to share a few brief thoughts on some angles the MSM has wilfully overlooked in its rush to pin Navalny's purported Novichok poisoning on the Russian State.
1. Novichok
According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Novichok is not only designed to be undetectable but is five times more potent than Sarin (which, regardless of the level of exposure, kills within ten minutes). If it was slipped into Navalny's now-famous pre-flight cup of tea, why did it take so long to act and how were German doctors able to identify it? (See also the Skripal poisonings.)
2. A Potential Threat?
According to a recent Levada Center poll, Navalny's approval rating in Russia is a lowly 3% - some way behind the Liberal Democratic Party candidate Vladimir Zhirinovsky at 13%, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin at 60% and Putin at 66%. In addition, the results of the recent constitutional reform bill seem to suggest the majority of Russians are happy to hold onto Putin for the time being. It's quite clear, then, that Navalny isn't someone the Kremlin needs to worry about. But if we take the MSM's line that he does constitute a threat regardless of his marginal status, why didn't they kill him during one of his spells in prison? Given his outspoken Islamophobia, it wouldn't have been difficult having him murdered and blaming it on a Chechen inmate. Basic.
3. International Relations
Just two weeks ago, Angela Merkel complained about the US placing economic pressure on Germany over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. If it can be proved "unequivocably" the Russian State poisoned Navalny then why allow him to be taken to Germany for treatment when that would almost certainly sabotage the future of the project and risk further sanctions? (This, I would say, is the most logical argument against the 'gaslighting' narrative the media are fond of trotting out, although, bizarrely, it doesn't seem to have stopped them on this occasion.)
4. Belarus
With the protests in Belarus and the potential ousting of Lukashenko (who, regardless of what the media says, isn't exactly on the Kremlin's Christmas card list), the eyes of the world are currently looking towards Eastern Europe. Again, if Putin genuinely had something to fear from Navalny then why would you try and take him out so publicly when everyone's watching? This is the ultimate example of Russophrenia, where Putin and his administration are made out to be two conflicting things at the same time (in this case, clandestine and brazen, which is a hell of an achievement). And last but not least:
5. The Wild Card
Russia's just developed and patented a coronavirus vaccine, which, if successful, could bring a considerable revenue stream into the country. Naturally there are competing interests from other parties, so it's not too much of a leap to suggest an oh-so convenient scandal like this could lead to western nations boycotting Russian know-how and allowing another country to take the lead instead. This may be a conspiracy theory, but you've got to admit it's a lot easier to swallow than the cod-psychology and doublethink of the media's narrative.
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Now before anybody out there accuses me of being a 'Russian bot', a 'Kremlin Stooge' or any of those other epithets people throw around to shut down debate (and believe me, I've had quite a few emails to that effect over the last couple of years) I'm not saying Russia's political system is without its problems or Putin is an unblemished saint, but this endless zero-sum game of smears, taunts and misinformation is not going to end well for anyone if we allow it to continue. With the US tearing up arms limitation treaties like they're going out of fashion and NATO pushing ever closer to Russia's borders we're going to have to wake up to the fact pretty soon that there are only so many times you can bait the bear before it bites back. Consider yourselves warned.
