Changes

[[Washington D.C.]]’s regime-change arm, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), spent $22.4 million on operations inside Ukraine since the Maidan of 2014, when democratically-elected President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown and replaced by a successor regime handpicked by the U.S. Those operations included propping up and training pro-Western political parties, funding pliant media organizations, and subsidizing massive privatization drives that benefit foreign multinational corporations, all in an effort to secure U.S. control over the country that NED President Carl Gershman called “the biggest prize” in Europe.

[[Washington D.C.]]’s regime-change arm, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), spent $22.4 million on operations inside Ukraine since the Maidan of 2014, when democratically-elected President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown and replaced by a successor regime handpicked by the U.S. Those operations included propping up and training pro-Western political parties, funding pliant media organizations, and subsidizing massive privatization drives that benefit foreign multinational corporations, all in an effort to secure U.S. control over the country that NED President Carl Gershman called “the biggest prize” in Europe.

The National Endowment for Democracy was set up in 1983 after a series of scandals undermined both the credibility and the public image of the [[CIA]]. The organization was established as a cutout doing much of the agency’s dirtiest work. “It would be terrible for democratic groups around the world to be seen as subsidized by the CIA,” Gershman himself said, explaining its creation. “A lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA,” NED cofounder Allen Weinstein told The Washington Post in 1991.

The National Endowment for Democracy was set up in 1983 after a series of scandals undermined both the credibility and the public image of the [[CIA]]. The organization was established as a cutout doing much of the agency’s dirtiest work. “It would be terrible for democratic groups around the world to be seen as subsidized by the CIA,” Gershman himself said, explaining its creation. “A lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA,” NED cofounder Allen Weinstein told ''[[The Washington Post]]'' in 1991.

NED is almost entirely funded by Congress and is staffed largely by ex-national security state leaders. Its president as of 2022 is Damon Wilson.  Other top officials pepper NED’s board of directors, including [[Biden regime]] CIA Director [[William Burns]], Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and 2014 Ukrainian Maidan revolution mastermind [[Victoria Nuland]], as well as veteran national security official Elliott Abrams.  Its private non-profit status means that its affairs do not fall under the same legal scrutiny as those of government organizations like the CIA.  It has no congressional oversight. It is harder to acquire documents under the [[Freedom of Information Act]] (FOIA), meaning that the group’s actions remain shrouded in secrecy.

NED is almost entirely funded by Congress and is staffed largely by ex-national security state leaders. Its president as of 2022 is Damon Wilson.  Other top officials pepper NED’s board of directors, including [[Biden regime]] CIA Director [[William Burns]], Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and 2014 Ukrainian Maidan revolution mastermind [[Victoria Nuland]], as well as veteran national security official Elliott Abrams.  Its private non-profit status means that its affairs do not fall under the same legal scrutiny as those of government organizations like the CIA.  It has no congressional oversight. It is harder to acquire documents under the [[Freedom of Information Act]] (FOIA), meaning that the group’s actions remain shrouded in secrecy.

:Building up political parties that will represent elite U.S. interests.

:Building up political parties that will represent elite U.S. interests.

Of the $22.4 million, over $2.9 million has been awarded to the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), an offshoot of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  One NED grant to the CIPE — worth $500,000 described the project’s goal as “enhanc[ing] the role of leading business associations and the private sector in public policy decision-making, and improv[ing] the capacity of the private sector and officials to cooperate to develop and implement economic reforms.” In other words, to hand over government decision-making to big business, something many might argue is the antithesis of democracy.

Of the $22.4 million, over $2.9 million has been awarded to the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), an offshoot of the [[U.S. Chamber of Commerce]].  One NED grant to the CIPE — worth $500,000 described the project’s goal as “enhanc[ing] the role of leading business associations and the private sector in public policy decision-making, and improv[ing] the capacity of the private sector and officials to cooperate to develop and implement economic reforms.” In other words, to hand over government decision-making to big business, something many might argue is the antithesis of [[democracy]].

The post-2014 government, installed after the Maidan Revolution, has already implemented a course of economic shock therapy, selling off many of the country’s state-owned assets, in the process turning Ukraine into, by quite some margin, the poorest nation in Europe (although it has also helped create many new billionaires). Nevertheless, the U.S. wants to see further privatizations, along the lines of what it helped implement in Russia in the 1990s.

The post-2014 government, installed after the Maidan Revolution, has already implemented a course of economic shock therapy, selling off many of the country’s state-owned assets, in the process turning Ukraine into, by quite some margin, the poorest nation in Europe (although it has also helped create many new billionaires). Nevertheless, the U.S. wants to see further privatizations, along the lines of what it helped implement in Russia in the 1990s.

|colspan="3"|<hr/>'''Left''' Ukrainian girls mixing [[Molotov cocktail]]s<br>'''Right''' Ukrainian girls carrying Molotov cocktails to the Odessa Trade Unions House in Ukrainian flag.<ref>https://archive.fo/29yFk</ref>

|colspan="3"|<hr/>'''Left''' Ukrainian girls mixing [[Molotov cocktail]]s<br>'''Right''' Ukrainian girls carrying Molotov cocktails to the Odessa Trade Unions House in Ukrainian flag.<ref>https://archive.fo/29yFk</ref>

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The point, of course, is to develop a cadre of pro-Western neoliberal thought leaders who will ally themselves to the United States and its vision for Ukraine. Left unstated in all this is that the U.S. is deciding who exactly this new generation of leaders comprises. And for all the nods towards diversity and liberalism, the U.S.’ record in Eastern Europe shows they are happy to support fascists and other highly anti-democratic forces. Those who do not share Washington’s goals for Ukraine need not apply. Thus, by using its financial muscle to support only one side in this debate, NED hopes to engineer a future in which pro-Russia, anti-privatization political figures and movements are sidelined and marginalized.

The point, of course, is to develop a cadre of pro-Western [[neoliberal]] thought leaders who will ally themselves to the United States and its vision for Ukraine. Left unstated in all this is that the U.S. is deciding who exactly this new generation of leaders comprises. And for all the nods towards [[diversity]] and [[liberalism]], the U.S.’ record in Eastern Europe shows they are happy to support [[fascist]]s and other highly anti-democratic forces. Those who do not share Washington’s goals for Ukraine need not apply.

Another key focus for NED is to establish and support pro-Western media outlets and [[NGO]]s that backed both the 2014 overthrow of Yanukovych and the new government’s privatization agenda. This is all couched as “promoting independent media.” But in reality, it is creating a network largely dependent on and answerable to Washington.  One example of this is the Ukraine Crisis Media Center, which consistently publishes studies about “Russia’s efforts to distort facts” and scare stories about an impending Russian invasion, while inviting the British ambassador to give talks at its headquarters. Ukraine Crisis describes its vision of Ukraine as an “outpost of freedom and democratic development in Eastern Europe,” and an “integral part of the West.” Ukraine Crisis is directly funded by a number of different U.S. governmental organizations, as well as by NATO and the governments of Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Finland and the Netherlands.

Another key focus for NED is to establish and support pro-Western media outlets and [[NGO]]s that backed both the 2014 overthrow of Yanukovych and the new government’s privatization agenda. This is all couched as “promoting independent media.” But in reality, it is creating a network largely dependent on and answerable to Washington.  One example of this is the Ukraine Crisis Media Center, which consistently publishes studies about “Russia’s efforts to distort facts” and scare stories about an impending Russian invasion, while inviting the British ambassador to give talks at its headquarters. Ukraine Crisis describes its vision of Ukraine as an “outpost of freedom and democratic development in Eastern Europe,” and an “integral part of the West.” Ukraine Crisis is directly funded by a number of different U.S. governmental organizations, as well as by NATO and the governments of Germany, [[Canada]], the United Kingdom, [[Norway]], [[Sweden]], [[Poland]], [[Finland]] and the [[Netherlands]].

Most of the media organizations NED funds also maintain English-language versions of their websites. This is because many of these groups are used to influence Western audiences as well as individuals inside the target country, Ukraine. The Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), for example, has been supported financially since 2016 and has received at least $204,000 from NED. It plays an important role in injecting U.S. government narratives into American media reporting, having been presented simply as a “human rights group” in a wide range of outlets, including The Washington Post, USA Today and The New York Post. None of these articles inform readers that CCL is directly in the pay of a CIA front group, precisely because it would undermine their credibility.

Most of the media organizations NED funds also maintain English-language versions of their websites. This is because many of these groups are used to influence Western audiences as well as individuals inside the target country, Ukraine. The Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), for example, has been supported financially since 2016 and has received at least $204,000 from NED. It plays an important role in injecting U.S. government narratives into American media reporting, having been presented simply as a “human rights group” in a wide range of outlets, including ''The Washington Post'', ''[[USA Today]]'' and ''[[The New York Post]]''. None of these articles inform readers that CCL is directly in the pay of a CIA front group, precisely because it would undermine their credibility.

Media networks directly owned and operated by the U.S. state, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America, also frequently use CCL as an expert source. This gives the impression that there is a sizable groundswell of individuals all focusing on the same issue when, in reality, it is simply operatives from the same source (the U.S. government) all interacting with each other.

Media networks directly owned and operated by the U.S. state, including [[Radio Free Europe]]/Radio Liberty and [[Voice of America]], also frequently use CCL as an expert source. This gives the impression that there is a sizable groundswell of individuals all focusing on the same issue when, in reality, it is simply operatives from the same source (the U.S. government) all interacting with each other.

===Odessa Trade Unions House massacre===

===Odessa Trade Unions House massacre===