"CrossTalk HOME EDITION: Conflicting narratives"
RT.com (March 7, 2022)
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/551339-politicized-media-coverage-ukraine/
Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine continues. This is widely agreed upon. Beyond that, media reporting on this conflict could not be more polarized and politicized. In the West, this conflict is black and white, good vs evil. No context is provided, which of course is done on purpose.
CrossTalking with George Szamuely and Dmitry Babich.
[18:50] Dmitry Babich: "You are right. And "Russian property matters, too" is even more politically incorrect now. Because, it's just amazing. It reminds me of the early years of bolshevism everyone in the West is saying 'let's confiscate their yachts. Let's get our hands on their property. Let's confiscate their villas.'"
"I read George Kennan's memoirs. The famous American diplomat, George Kennan, who worked in Moscow as the Ambassador during the time of the war. And afterwards, he saw how the communists introduced their reforms in eastern europe. And he wrote that when communists confiscated land from the landlords, this provided some PR effect. But Kennan said you could only use it once. But you antagonized the elite of the country for many years."
So, OK. They can take Abramovich's yacht. They can take the villas from whomever it is. By the way, some of these billionaires are very pro-Western. Sanctioning Mikhail Friedman and [?] is one of the stupidest things you could expect from the West. They actually hired some of the western government officials who are very anti-Russian who later returned to their western governments and continued to get direction . . . But what happens, in this way the West consolidates Russian elites because everyone is under sanctions. 350 Duma deputies are under sanctions? It makes these Duma deputies popular in Russia because now Russians are 100% sure our parliamentarians are for us because they have no property abroad. If they have property abroad it is confiscated."