Saker — A 5th column in the Russian media? Absolutely!

Like during the latest Q&A with President Putin. I don’t know if anybody else noticed this, but this really pissed me off. Check out who got to ask a question from the studio….

• Irina Khakamada: bigtime Nemtsov groupie, professional protester and feminist.
• Alexei Venediktov: editor in Chief of the rabidly anti-Russian “Ekho Moskvy” (Echo of Moscow) Radio Station, aka “Ekho Matsy” (Echo of the Matso) due to its russophobic political line. He is actually a “true believer” in western democracy
• Alexei Kudrin: one of the figureheads of the Atlantic Integrationists, a hardcore market economist, very offended since he was fired (by Medvedev, of all people!).
• Konstantin Remchukov: owner and editor in chief of Nezavisimaya Gazeta who has received the official imprimatur of the Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty.…

These guys represent at most 5% of the Russian people. And yet, they are treated by the state media like some kind of honored guests, as if they were literally all Heroes of Russia, with something important and enlightening to say.…

But nevermind them. The real question is this: who invited them and why?

So yes, there is a 5th column in the Russian media.

This would be like the US inviting Noam Chomsky or Ralph Nader to question President Obama on a widely broadcast national forum.

The Vineyard of the Saker
Saker rant: A 5th column in the Russian media? Absolutely!
The Saker

Also

Direct Line with Vladimir Putin was broadcast live on Channel One, Rossiya-1 and Rossiya-24 TV channels, and Mayak, Vesti FM and Radio Rossii radio stations.

During the live broadcast that lasted 3 hours and 57 minutes, the President answered 74 questions out of the over 3 million that were received.

Direct Line with Vladimir Putin