It’s completely predictable that politicians and news outlets are pointing the finger at Russia for riots across the US, analysts told RT, since blaming the Kremlin for everything inconvenient has become an American pastime.
Nationwide demonstrations against the death of George Floyd have descended into rioting and looting in many cities, creating chaos – as well as political opportunism. Efforts to scapegoat Russia for the crisis are par for the course, George Szamuely, a senior research fellow at the Global Policy Institute told RT.
“It was entirely to be expected. I was wondering how long it would take the mainstream media to find a Russian angle. Of course, there’s not the slightest evidence for this, but that’s to be expected,” he noted.
According to Szamuely, America’s “liberal elite” has latched onto the idea that the Kremlin is lurking around every corner – a “habit” that took root after Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 presidential election.
He predicted that the riots would ultimately end up helping US President Donald Trump politically, as more and more Americans demand a return to law and order. As such, Democrats are desperate to find some way of painting the mayhem as yet another sinister – and baseless – Trump-Russia conspiracy.
Political analyst and journalist Andre Vltchek took the view that the US establishment is also eager to cover up its own double standards when it comes to lecturing the rest of the world about human rights.
“The US is ready to impose sanctions on China over Hong Kong, over its treatment of protesters, which is much milder than what we see right now in Minneapolis and other parts of the United States,” he told RT.
Although news coverage initially downplayed the extent of the destruction caused by the riots and looting, media outlets, pundits and officials have started to change gear. During an appearance on CNN, National Urban League President and former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial speculated that the ongoing unrest in Minneapolis was being fueled by Russian agents.
A similar sentiment was expressed by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who cryptically suggested that his state was being undermined by some kind of foreign influence. This theory has taken root among political pundits and news anchors alike, though they have thus far failed to substantiate their claims with any evidence.
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