This is a valuable new video documentary, 53 minutes, pub. Sept 11, focused on two things - Ukraine and the mass media.

The film moves pretty fast; so if you decide to watch it maybe there are some events and background to know first. You might already be familiar with them - or not.

Ukraine is extremely important right now, along with Syria where the same things have happened, because it could be the catalyst for open war with Russia. President Putin keeps pushing for diplomatic solutions to the civil wars in Ukraine and Syria while the hawks in Washington keep pushing for war. But that might be changing.

Syria - As you know, Obama just sealed an diplomatic agreement with Iran, another Russian neighbor. Today, John Kerry hinted that Obama might agree to work with Russia for solutions in both Ukraine and Syria. The sticky point is the US demand that President Assad step down in Syria. Russia defends Assad as the legitimate president, which he clearly is since the people elected him. Syria's sovereignty is at stake and Russia sees Syria being destroyed like Libya was if the government is overthrown. All that is now couched in the war against the "Islamic radicals," ISIS, Al Nusra, etc. who are tearing Syria apart, leading to the mass refugee movement now flooding Europe. Putin says they all have to work with the Assad government and military to defeat the terrorists. Until now, the US and England has said "no way - Assad must go." 

Ukraine: This film doc is primarily about Ukraine. You will see the term "Maidan" appear again and again. If you don't already know, Maidan refers to Maidan Nezalezhnosti or "Independence Square" in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine in the north-central part of the country. In November, 2013 the peaceful "Maidan Protests" began which led to overthrowing the democratically elected government the following year.

Maidan began with people protesting corruption in government and reacting against the government's refusal to join NATO and the European Union. Apparently, they began with peaceful protests which quickly turned to violence, with government buildings bombed, many police and protesters shot and killed by snipers and bombers. This takeover of the protests at Maiden and the aftermath has been traced to the US government and NATO, leading to a direct confrontation with Russia (Ukraine is on Russia's border). 

What followed is civil war between East and West Ukraine with thousands killed and fleeing the country. That civil war continues now. Russia has most of it's navy stationed at its naval base in Crimea, which was a "territory" of Ukraine, something like Puerto Rico is to the US. Crimeans are mostly Russians and took a referendum with something like 90 percent voting to leave Ukraine and join the Russian Federation. President Putin quickly moved to welcome Crimea and defend its naval base and Black Sea Fleet there. The West calls him the aggressor and continues to blame the entire mess in Ukraine on Putin. So that's where all the Russia bashing we're seeing comes from.

The background to all this has been the US expansion of NATO to encircle Russia, much like the US warships are encircling China - intent on world domination by military force.

The other focus of the film is on the mass media, complicit with the overthrow of the Ukrainian government. It shows how ignorant but basically good people are accepting the reports and opinions of CNN, Fox, NYT, Washington Post, BBC, Le Monde, etc. not taking time, or not able, to investigate the facts for themselves.

Similarities in Venezuela - What happened in Maidan reminds me a lot of how the US, USAID, National Endowment for Democracy and other NGO's, funded by Washington attempted "regime change" in Venezuela in 2002 and since then using "student protests" here which turned violent with the assassinations and guarimbas in 2014. Maybe you'll remember the one I entered in Caracas and took about 400 photos of "the students" attacking the National Guard with molotov cocktails. The main person who instigated those riots is Leopoldo Lopez. After over a year of investigation and many court appearances the supreme court found him guilty of insurrection and responsible for 43 deaths and over 800 injured. Last week he was sentenced to 14 years in prison and now Washington, Human Rights Watch and other human rights groups & some NGOs are proclaiming he is a martyr and political prisoner.

I'm sending it to you because I think it will help you form your views and general understanding of what's happening in Ukraine, Syria, Iran & Russia and also the mega disaster of the refugees (over a million from Syria alone) who are now flooding Europe.

Can you tell truth from lies in mass media? RTD’s Miguel Francis-Santiago delves deep to try to understand the intricacies of information war. He meets media experts and puts together the Mosaic of Facts, showing how public opinion is manipulated, not just over the Ukrainian Crisis but throughout the world.