Media Coverage of a Boeing Crash in China

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61488976

This story sure caught my eye. I don't believe such a narrative would fly in Western coverage. Whether the story is true or not, the propaganda campaign against China has reached a point that any and every story that can be used or spun is posted – anything to cast a shadow over the character of the Chinese people and state.

I'm not a fan of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It's a terrible authoritarian government and yet I also know something of the history of modern China and I can see how this came about and how at this point Beijing's actions are in no small degree a response to American militarism and strategic planning. In other words I can condemn the CCP apart from the American propaganda regarding its history and status – which as many already know, the party abandoned communism decades ago. The CCP is wicked and oppressive but that doesn't make Western media reports accurate or trustworthy.

There's plenty of things to report about China that call the morality and integrity of its government into question. But I grow suspicious when the news seems to be resorting to ad hominem attacks – a kind of visceral type of reporting that simply exists to vilify. It's at that point that whatever trust remained in mainstream news begins to evaporate.

If this was an American plane and a story like this appeared on RT, the US media would go into hysterics. Leave RT out of it - if alternative media in the US reported the story, there would still be hysterics. The outlets and journalists would be called 'Russian and Chinese stooges', conspiracy theorists and the like. But the BBC can put out a story like this and no one questions it – because those sorts of things happen in places like China and Russia. And yet even just spending a few minutes on some other sites reveals the BBC is guilty of sensationalism when it comes to this story. There are plenty of other explanations. The BBC somewhat qualifies its statements but largely relying on US propaganda, the reader is left with a clear impression that the crash was intentional. One also wonders why the US is so keen to put this spin on these events?

It could have been intentional but it's almost like the US/UK want it to be so. The fact that as a Boeing aircraft, the black boxes were sent to the US also makes me wonder – can we trust the US statements in any capacity? There have been other deliberate crashes in the past. It's not unheard of but the US media doesn't seem interested in pursuing such paths or considering the possibility that this incident is analogous to something like the Egypt Air crash in 1999.

Though the NTSB is presented as having unquestionable credentials in the US media, it's simply not the case. The organisation protects the interests of American business, finance, and the insurance industry. If anyone doubts this, just look at the recent scandal surrounding the Boeing 737MAX. I'm not saying that's the case with the Chinese flight (that it's being spun by US authorities in concert with Boeing) but that we need to take the NTSB's statements with a grain of salt. It wouldn't be the first time they've protected Boeing and in the face of rival conclusions – placed the blame on pilot error or suicide.

Britain for its part, is fully on board with America's anti-Russia/anti-China agenda. The UK has its own agenda in terms of Europe and when it comes to the Asia-Pacific there are still unofficial imperial attachments and a great deal of bitterness over events in Hong Kong.

Little stories like this add up and shape public perceptions. Every day there are negative stories about China and Russia – and the latter even before the Ukraine invasion. And if the NTSB is engaged in a cover-up it's like killing two birds with one stone – Boeing is protected while another shot gets taken at Beijing.