JOHN PILGER, jpilger2003[at]yahoo.co.uk
Investigative journalist John Pilger’s books include Hidden Agendas and The New Rulers of the World. He recently wrote the piece “Inside the Invisible Government: War, Propaganda, Clinton & Trump,” which states: “Imagine two cities.

“Both are under siege by the forces of the government of that country. Both cities are occupied by fanatics, who commit terrible atrocities, such as beheading people.

“But there is a vital difference. In one siege, the government soldiers are described as liberators by Western reporters embedded with them, who enthusiastically report their battles and air strikes. There are front page pictures of these heroic soldiers giving a V-sign for victory. There is scant mention of civilian casualties.

“In the second city — in another country nearby — almost exactly the same is happening. Government forces are laying siege to a city controlled by the same breed of fanatics.

“The difference is that these fanatics are supported, supplied and armed by ‘us’ — by the United States and Britain. They even have a media centre that is funded by Britain and America.

“Another difference is that the government soldiers laying siege to this city are the bad guys, condemned for assaulting and bombing the city — which is exactly what the good soldiers do in the first city.

“Confusing? Not really. Such is the basic double standard that is the essence of propaganda. I am referring, of course, to the current siege of the city of Mosul by the government forces of Iraq, who are backed by the United States and Britain and to the siege of Aleppo by the government forces of Syria, backed by Russia. One is good; the other is bad.”