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The article implies Bellingcat are crowd funded (they only mention one kickstarter campaign from 2014) but their funding is concerning, and their investigations

by comice 5y ago

The article implies Bellingcat are crowd funded (they only mention one kickstarter campaign from 2014) but their funding is concerning, and their investigations deeply biased. They are not at all to be trusted: "funded by The Atlantic Council (a think-tank with deep ties to the U.S. government, NATO, war manufacturers, and their allies), and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) (another infamous U.S. front organization heavily involved in so-called color revolution regime change operations all around the world)" "an alleged group of amateur on-line researchers who have spent years shilling for the U.S. instigated war against the Syrian government, blaming the Douma chemical attack and others on the Assad government, and for the anti-Russian propaganda connected to, among other things, the Skripal poisoning case in England, and the downing of flight MH17 plane in Ukraine. It has been lauded by the corporate mainstream media in the west. " https://off-guardian.org/2019/12/15/the-art-of-doublespeak-bellingcat-and-mind-control/ https://off-guardian.org/2019/12/15/the-art-of-doublespeak-b...

thrwway34 5y ago
Sorry, this is 2021. Your 'anti-Russian' propaganda narrative was expired about 5 years ago.
- morpheos137 5y ago
  Regardless whether Russia did any of the outlandish things that the UK accuses it of, what business does the UK have picking a fight with Russia or anybody else? I think it comes down to nostalgia for the days of the British Empire. Second it is deeply concerning that a trade orginisation like IEEE would wade into political affairs and write a puff piece on Bellingcat who is obviously a creature of the UK intelligence establishment.
  - comice 5y ago
    > it is deeply concerning that a trade orginisation like IEEE would wade into political affairs and write a puff piece on Bellingcat who is obviously a creature of the UK intelligence establishment. yes, this is the critical point. me and "thrwway34" can argue about the trustworthiness of bellingcat, but IEEE has clearly picked a side.
    - thrwway34 5y ago
      Hey, don't move the goalposts. I'm not arguing about their trustworthiness, I'm pointing out that your propaganda is stale.
  - tablespoon 5y ago
    > Regardless whether Russia did any of the outlandish things that the UK accuses it of, what business does the UK have picking a fight with Russia or anybody else? Wasn't one of those "outlandish things" trying to assassinate a naturalized UK citizen in UK territory and causing one collateral death and several other collateral non-fatal poisonings of other British citizens? And wasn't the poison used so obviously Russian that it turned up in another attempted assassination of a Russian dissident that occurred in Russian territory? And the dudes that were identified as responsible from security footage turned out to be the same dudes involved in blowing up a Czech ammunition depot that contained arms manufactured by a Bulgarian that the Russian government has a beef with? That's not the UK "picking a fight," and seems enough reason to convince any reasonable person that UK involvement is justified.
    - morpheos137 5y ago
      Where are the Skripals? Did MI6 bury them to cover for Crossfire Hurricane or connected stuff? There has been no proof of life in years. Readers should see former Ambassador Craig Murray for another take on the Skripal affair. Meanwhile Bill Browder who is supposedly hunted by Putin is unscathed after years. So MI6 cannot protect a former spy and his daughter but they can a protect business man who regularly appears in public. https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2007/S00048/were-the-skripals-secretly-executed-by-britains-government.htm https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2007/S00048/were-the-skrip...
tablespoon 5y ago
> https://off-guardian.org/2019/12/15/the-art-of-doublespeak-bellingcat-and-mind-control/ https://off-guardian.org/2019/12/15/the-art-of-doublespeak-b... Nice website. On it you can also watch a nice video where you can hear (for instance) a psychiatrist posing as an expert to say "this pandemic is not a real medical pandemic" and "the COVID-19 vaccine has not been proven safe of effective...because there is not a clear definition for any new disease for which it can be tested." (https://off-guardian.org/2020/12/09/watch-ask-the-experts-covid-19-vaccine/ https://off-guardian.org/2020/12/09/watch-ask-the-experts-co...) You can also read this there: https://off-guardian.org/2021/06/29/pseudopandemic/ https://off-guardian.org/2021/06/29/pseudopandemic/: > Covid 19 was and is a pseudopandemic. It was the gross exaggeration of the threat posed by a low mortality respiratory illness, comparable to influenza. > The pseudopandemic was a psychological operation (psy-op) designed to terrorise the public. The objective was to accustom the people to draconian system of government oppression by familiarising them with the mechanisms of a biosecurity state.
- comice 5y ago
  If there is anything about the claims I highlighted in the article I linked to that you think is wrong, feel free to mention them.
  - tablespoon 5y ago
    > If there is anything about the claims I highlighted in the article I linked to that you think is wrong, feel free to mention them. Why would I bother reading it? That website demonstrated its utter unreliability in very clear terms, and I don't have the time or inclination to search for bits of edible food in piles of shit. One of the upsides of COVID-19 is that it's made a lot of conspiracy nonsense blatantly obvious, so I don't have to waste so much time.
    - comice 5y ago
      I pasted the relevant claims in my comment, but point taken. Do you find Aaron Maté more credible? https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/20/reuters-bbc-uk-foreign-office-russian-media/ https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/20/reuters-bbc-uk-foreign-of... https://thegrayzone.com/2021/03/24/author-bellingcat-opcw-whistleblower/ https://thegrayzone.com/2021/03/24/author-bellingcat-opcw-wh...
comice 5y ago
Lots of criticism of my choice of source here, so I'll add a couple of articles from Aaron Maté too: https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/20/reuters-bbc-uk-foreign-office-russian-media/ https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/20/reuters-bbc-uk-foreign-of... https://thegrayzone.com/2021/03/24/author-bellingcat-opcw-whistleblower/ https://thegrayzone.com/2021/03/24/author-bellingcat-opcw-wh...
- daemoens 5y ago
  Aaron supports a literal dictator who gasses his own people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2X84JZINcI&t=3s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2X84JZINcI&t=3s
  - comice 5y ago
    Not every accusation against Assad can be true. Is it not possible to question particular accusations without "supporting" all of his other actions? Or should we only question things we don't like and give everything else a free pass?
  - morpheos137 5y ago
    Meanwhile who are/were the syrian insurgents?https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/09/scientists-clash-over-paper-questions-syrian-government-s-role-sarin-attack https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/09/scientists-clash-ove...
    - dang 5y ago
      If you keep posting flamewar comments to HN we will ban you again. Please stop. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
      - morpheos137 5y ago
        I'll review the guide. I understand generally HN does not like excessive back and forth. Not trying to be rude to anybody in the conments. Thanks for warning instead of banning.
daemoens 5y ago
That chemical attack couldn't have been done by anyone besides Syria and Assad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2X84JZINcI&t=3s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2X84JZINcI&t=3s
- effie 5y ago
  A CGI-equipped video with a compelling narrative of skilled investigators using their Sherlock Holmes' skills show skills/competency. Not truthfulness. NY Times is a long known war monger working for U.S. interests. Search for OPCW whistleblowers and Aaron Mate for alternative view on this media story.
cmh89 5y ago
Considering the source you posted shares a home with anti-science COVID deniers, I'm not sure it's worth bothering to read the article.

by comice 5y ago

thrwway34 5y ago

Sorry, this is 2021. Your 'anti-Russian' propaganda narrative was expired about 5 years ago.

morpheos137 5y ago
Regardless whether Russia did any of the outlandish things that the UK accuses it of, what business does the UK have picking a fight with Russia or anybody else? I think it comes down to nostalgia for the days of the British Empire. Second it is deeply concerning that a trade orginisation like IEEE would wade into political affairs and write a puff piece on Bellingcat who is obviously a creature of the UK intelligence establishment.
- comice 5y ago
  > it is deeply concerning that a trade orginisation like IEEE would wade into political affairs and write a puff piece on Bellingcat who is obviously a creature of the UK intelligence establishment. yes, this is the critical point. me and "thrwway34" can argue about the trustworthiness of bellingcat, but IEEE has clearly picked a side.
  - thrwway34 5y ago
    Hey, don't move the goalposts. I'm not arguing about their trustworthiness, I'm pointing out that your propaganda is stale.
- tablespoon 5y ago
  > Regardless whether Russia did any of the outlandish things that the UK accuses it of, what business does the UK have picking a fight with Russia or anybody else? Wasn't one of those "outlandish things" trying to assassinate a naturalized UK citizen in UK territory and causing one collateral death and several other collateral non-fatal poisonings of other British citizens? And wasn't the poison used so obviously Russian that it turned up in another attempted assassination of a Russian dissident that occurred in Russian territory? And the dudes that were identified as responsible from security footage turned out to be the same dudes involved in blowing up a Czech ammunition depot that contained arms manufactured by a Bulgarian that the Russian government has a beef with? That's not the UK "picking a fight," and seems enough reason to convince any reasonable person that UK involvement is justified.
  - morpheos137 5y ago
    Where are the Skripals? Did MI6 bury them to cover for Crossfire Hurricane or connected stuff? There has been no proof of life in years. Readers should see former Ambassador Craig Murray for another take on the Skripal affair. Meanwhile Bill Browder who is supposedly hunted by Putin is unscathed after years. So MI6 cannot protect a former spy and his daughter but they can a protect business man who regularly appears in public. https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2007/S00048/were-the-skripals-secretly-executed-by-britains-government.htm https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2007/S00048/were-the-skrip...

tablespoon 5y ago

> https://off-guardian.org/2019/12/15/the-art-of-doublespeak-bellingcat-and-mind-control/ https://off-guardian.org/2019/12/15/the-art-of-doublespeak-b... Nice website. On it you can also watch a nice video where you can hear (for instance) a psychiatrist posing as an expert to say "this pandemic is not a real medical pandemic" and "the COVID-19 vaccine has not been proven safe of effective...because there is not a clear definition for any new disease for which it can be tested." (https://off-guardian.org/2020/12/09/watch-ask-the-experts-covid-19-vaccine/ https://off-guardian.org/2020/12/09/watch-ask-the-experts-co...) You can also read this there: https://off-guardian.org/2021/06/29/pseudopandemic/ https://off-guardian.org/2021/06/29/pseudopandemic/: > Covid 19 was and is a pseudopandemic. It was the gross exaggeration of the threat posed by a low mortality respiratory illness, comparable to influenza. > The pseudopandemic was a psychological operation (psy-op) designed to terrorise the public. The objective was to accustom the people to draconian system of government oppression by familiarising them with the mechanisms of a biosecurity state.

comice 5y ago
If there is anything about the claims I highlighted in the article I linked to that you think is wrong, feel free to mention them.
- tablespoon 5y ago
  > If there is anything about the claims I highlighted in the article I linked to that you think is wrong, feel free to mention them. Why would I bother reading it? That website demonstrated its utter unreliability in very clear terms, and I don't have the time or inclination to search for bits of edible food in piles of shit. One of the upsides of COVID-19 is that it's made a lot of conspiracy nonsense blatantly obvious, so I don't have to waste so much time.
  - comice 5y ago
    I pasted the relevant claims in my comment, but point taken. Do you find Aaron Maté more credible? https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/20/reuters-bbc-uk-foreign-office-russian-media/ https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/20/reuters-bbc-uk-foreign-of... https://thegrayzone.com/2021/03/24/author-bellingcat-opcw-whistleblower/ https://thegrayzone.com/2021/03/24/author-bellingcat-opcw-wh...

comice 5y ago

Lots of criticism of my choice of source here, so I'll add a couple of articles from Aaron Maté too: https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/20/reuters-bbc-uk-foreign-office-russian-media/ https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/20/reuters-bbc-uk-foreign-of... https://thegrayzone.com/2021/03/24/author-bellingcat-opcw-whistleblower/ https://thegrayzone.com/2021/03/24/author-bellingcat-opcw-wh...

daemoens 5y ago
Aaron supports a literal dictator who gasses his own people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2X84JZINcI&t=3s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2X84JZINcI&t=3s
- comice 5y ago
  Not every accusation against Assad can be true. Is it not possible to question particular accusations without "supporting" all of his other actions? Or should we only question things we don't like and give everything else a free pass?
- morpheos137 5y ago
  Meanwhile who are/were the syrian insurgents?https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/09/scientists-clash-over-paper-questions-syrian-government-s-role-sarin-attack https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/09/scientists-clash-ove...
  - dang 5y ago
    If you keep posting flamewar comments to HN we will ban you again. Please stop. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
    - morpheos137 5y ago
      I'll review the guide. I understand generally HN does not like excessive back and forth. Not trying to be rude to anybody in the conments. Thanks for warning instead of banning.

daemoens 5y ago

That chemical attack couldn't have been done by anyone besides Syria and Assad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2X84JZINcI&t=3s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2X84JZINcI&t=3s

effie 5y ago
A CGI-equipped video with a compelling narrative of skilled investigators using their Sherlock Holmes' skills show skills/competency. Not truthfulness. NY Times is a long known war monger working for U.S. interests. Search for OPCW whistleblowers and Aaron Mate for alternative view on this media story.

cmh89 5y ago

Considering the source you posted shares a home with anti-science COVID deniers, I'm not sure it's worth bothering to read the article.