ah, ah, the self proclaimed republican luc gun skins hid by too powerful explosions the latest blasts in eastern ukraine in the past 24 hours after a vehicle earlier blew up in the center of done yet another self proclaimed republic end. with carly today. but you know, molly, i for one year to where to where you live them both lugens and done yet start a mass evacuation of civilians to russia saying people's lives are at risk due to ukrainian armies. yelling. the 1st buses have already crossed the border and russia's foreign minister says western propaganda and false claims of an

impending attack on ukraine are merely an attempt to portray moscow as an aggressor with those your headlines. i will be back in just under an hour's time with another look. stay with us. is our international glad that we would have you had it update here with mandates waiting to hear the next? no, no. the nanny state has planned also on this week show winding down the winter games of a very different olympics in beijing. but 1st, why do american corporate mainstream media seem impatient for war in ukraine? i'm hollan cook in washington. this is the big picture on our t america. ah,

the population greater than california ukraine is geographically the size of texas . it's the 2nd largest country in europe after russia, which it borders to the east and northeast uncomfortably, the attention, the hungry, mainstream media reminders, so relentlessly. ukraine is rich in resources with the biggest recoverable reserves of uranium, or of any or a p, and country top 10 in the world, and titanium, manganese, iron, or, and coal, 3rd biggest shale gas reserves in europe. ukraine is 4th, worldwide, and total value of all natural resources, and with more farmable land than anywhere else in europe. ukraine is a top 10 producer export of crops like barley, corn, potatoes, wheat, and eggs. it can meet the food needs of 600000000 people. powered by the 8th largest nuclear energy system and with a vast rail network,

ukraine is the 10th largest steel producer number 9 among the defense industry products including rocket launchers, of which it is the world's 4th biggest producer, which brings us back to american corporate mainstream media. fanning the winds of war, so we will stay tuned. fair charge or a bum rap. let's asked chris hedges, host of on contact here on t america. he's a veteran war correspondent who's been in some tough neighborhoods. and chris is the author of a stack of books including war is a force that gives us meaning. chris, the threat of war, seems to give meaning to abc, cbs and nbc, which keep telling us that war could break out at any moment. right after some commercials and the way biden, and put and negotiate and public keeps giving media fear, monitors fresh, talking points. what meaning would russia, or the usa or ukraine possibly derive from an invasion?

well, we have to be clear what's happening. and that is, that there is a stoking of this fear. an demon is ation of russia by the, by the administration. and the press is playing its traditional role as echo chamber. let's go all the way back to the war in iraq. i've been the middle east bureau chief for the new york times. i speak arabic, i spent 7 years in the region like most arabic. i understood that the invasion of iraq in these endless wars was perhaps the greatest strategic blunder in american history. you could argue, but you didn't want to hear it. so even those of us who came with that kind of expertise were shut out and it is beneficial to these networks to ratchet up the fear level. they did it for 2 years with a molar report. every night these kind of breathless reports, you would think that molar was going to storm into the white house and hall donald trump out in handcuffs. and they're doing the same thing here because it's about

ratings and it is about fulfilling their traditional role in a time of conflict, even if that conflict is hyped and manufactured. that's what always happens in war . you can go all the way back to the crimea. philip nightly grade book. truth is the 1st casualty kind of document that there is no difference. so that's what you're seeing, unfortunately, as deeply responsible because once again, they're not questioning the sources and let me just throw out as somebody who has covered a lot of conflicts. good in the 1st gulf war. i went in with 1st battalion, 1st marines to kuwait, 127000 troops. if that is what russia has is not enough to occupy the ukraine. they would need at least double that they had double that occupied triple. so vakio a much smaller country as you correctly point out with a smaller population. now you talk about going in with the marines in queue weight, but what seemed like a slick moved to me by the white house, by d o. d was the em beds, the reporters who were allowed to ride around in tanks in iraq. how could you not

be compromised? why didn't do that? i know, you know, i didn't, i refused. i could. i was with the new york times, but i refused. yet they seem to be less i witnessing than cheerleading during iraq. and if you didn't fear lead, you weren't embedded. i mean, you know, i have friends who were embedded with units in iraq for instance, and they watched the army or marine units when jargon is a light up of whole families in cars that come too close to checkpoints and they were all killed if they publish that in the boston globe or news, or wherever it was, they were working for, they were out. they were out immediately. so it was, you know, the, it was the lie of silence. i mean, the, which is still a lie, the liable mission. and you're dependent. it's wide and embed, you become dependent on that unit for logistics, for food, for transfer, everything you see what they want to see and you end up reporting what they want

you to report. i'm not actually against embedding. i think that that is a legitimate function in war, but when that is your soul viewpoint, then you get a very distorted understanding. what's happening in large part because you never see what those weapons systems do. on the other end, you see what your show you well, you see what you're shown, but you're also, you may fire missiles or you know tank rounds or something into a village, but you don't stop and see what the damages the collateral damage, which was very high i mean, just in the invasion to baghdad, the army cut a 6 mile wide swath and basically blew everything up, including whole villages. i mean a 1st lieutenant colon and our strike and take it out. so, and this is perpetuated, became the vast recruiting tool of the hottest in afghanistan in syria, interactive wealth. but as or if you're embedded, you don't see any of that. you don't report any of the ukraine situation. make strange bedfellows over on fox news. a tucker carlson has hurt the viewers by

a rationalizing rushes border build up saying vladimir potent does not want belgium . he just wants to keep his western boarders secure. that's why he doesn't want ukraine to join nato and carlson reckons that makes sense until otherwise put and points out that his military remains geographically in his country. and it's others who are arming up just miles away. as a young feller, i remember president kennedy on the black and white tv staring down khrushchev over soviet missiles in cuba. so the shoes on the other foot now. and although steadfast in his assurance that there will not be american boots on the ground in ukraine, president biden sending our guys elsewhere in eastern europe. so if there is a winner and all this ukraine, suspense, that is roiling, is that the pentagon budget? of course, it's the pentagon budget,

which is the really the fundamental reason for the expansion of nato because it's billions and defense contracts. i covered the revolutions in eastern europe. i was there in 1989. it was well understood by most diplomats, that the extension of nato, beyond the borders of a unified germany, which ronald reagan had promised corbett trophy would not do, was the serious provocation. and now we have a nato bass, a missile bass in poland, a 100 miles from the border with russia. cuba 90 miles from the border with florida . and i think for those of us who were in eastern europe at that moment of the independence movements and in czechoslovakia, and he's germany and everywhere else. the tragedy is that every most astute politicians and statesmen understood that a new security arrangement could be created with russia, with rushers participation. but of course raytheon and, and boeing and,

you know, all of these major defense contractors were salivating because if the truck, republic and poland and everywhere else, which is what has happened, had to become nato compatible in terms of military equipment. this was a huge profit. i was in warsaw a couple years ago and there were raytheon bobo, billboards all over. because well, because yes, because their milk in the polish people probably through i m f, loans and everything else is the whole thing is, was unnecessary. tragic. and, and i think of jack matlock, the former ambassador, so the union and others predicted that the time that if you do this, you are essentially stoking a confrontation. now that's where we are, let's hope it doesn't go to war. but i find both the reporting and the rhetoric coming out of the by and what i was very disturbing. mainstream media hype aside, anecdotal reports are breaking by the moment. it's

a situation where following live and wherever something happens will take you there . but as things stand now, what in your view is the biggest misconception about the status quo and ukraine? i would say the biggest misconception is that the russian government is carrying out acts of provocation when we don't look at the many years of provocation on the part of the united states and nato. i mean, the united states is really a tool of nato. and these arms companies that was all predicted by all sorts of figures in 89 who understood that you could create a security agreement in eastern europe. if nato did not expand that unfortunately, did not happen. i think that that is the crux of the issue. and that is prime, the primary thing that russia is asking for is that this,

that nato not be expanded into the ukraine. quite reasonable. i mean, would we want to have in the old warsaw pact to include mexico or canada? i mean, so, but of course the binding ministration and ukraine won't do that, and in that, that is an unnecessary stoking of tension as this whole situation. royals, we know what germany wants gas through nord stream to i got about 30 seconds left. how do we the usa, and how does russia look to the rest of the world? well, that's not what the u. s. wants the u. s. wants nor stream shut down. yeah. why? because the germans have to buy a natural gas from the united states as much it is much more expensive, of course, but so i love how we always talk about these things and never talk about markets. yeah, that's why i like your opening think there are of you know, that the war in iraq was, you know, largely about oil. you know, the human rights violations in the congo were far worse than anything. and i said,

i would say was awful, but were far worse than even carried out by saddam of but they have the oil reserve or people elsewhere saying, there you go again. i hope it doesn't get to that point. but you're right there are disturbing echoes. chris edges on contact here on our t america. thank you for stepping into the big picture. thank phone. coming up those olympics. how bout and we're going to recap with ben holden from the ultimate sports hub. i portable t v. and wait until you hear the next mandate. the nanny state is planning. this is the big picture on our t america. ah .

with their eyes, bigger forehead, smaller faces. all of these traits are very common and they're very indicative of are specific played within the filing genetic tree of life. and if we look at all of these drapes in the context of continued human evolution over the last 6 to 89 years since we became up for a walk, you nominate, you can kind of connect the dots and see how they may just simply be us from a future time coming back into the study their own best. oh, is your media a reflection of reality? in a world transformed what will make you feel safe? isolation, whole community? are you going the right way or are you being that somewhere? direct?

what is truth? walk this way in the world corrupted, you need to descend a join us in the depths or remain in the shallows. oh i the fishery winter games were very different olympics and portable tv, ultimate sport tub host been. holden joins us for some highlights and some low points. been one of the 1st stories i was assigned when i came to r t in 2017, with the international olympic committee suspending russia from the 2018 games and p on track south korea for state supported cheating by athletes using performance

enhancing drugs back to the future, again in beijing, russian athletes couldn't compete, but not under their flag, no national anthem for winners. and there was a russian doping controversy. they're wise and you know, to be honest with you, like i've been asked a lot about this, and i certainly have an opinion on it. i mean, i know what happened was, was a top watch on tv with the skater. but if, if there's band substances and she test positive or anyone test positive for those, i don't think they should be able to compete. and then the fact that to take it even further holland, the fact that had she meddled, there was no podium ceremony. i mean, that's not fair to the other competitors that have spent the last 4 plus years competing in their sports. so i from what i know, they were heart medication, something to do with that, but they're on the band list. i don't think she should have been able to compete at all. that's my take on among olympic 1st and last in beijing at

age 49 and turning 50 to just days after the closing ceremony germans speed skater, claudia patch dean, became the oldest woman to compete. and a winter olympics team usa is aaron jackson became the 1st african american woman to win and olympic speedskating gold. our 1st metal in the category since 2010 and skating for china's 1st. deborah hockey team and spencer food became a, a question and answer score. and china's 1st ever goal of been, what else will these beijing games be remembered for? well, i'm gonna throw on out at you and i've a thought and spencer fool, if i may, after i give you my thought. so as people have learned are on here. i'm very proud of where i'm from and that's a great state of michigan. 40 year old nick bombgardener last week. snowboarder last one on the olympics, came up shore as an individual. he's in the match snowboarding race. he's 40 years old and nick wins a gold medal. what a great story that was trying to get him on,

on our show next week at some point. hope still trying to work that out. he's. he's one of the most popular olympic athletes out there because of what he did to me. that's the essence of the olympics. kind of like andy mealy from team usa in the hockey team. his grandfather served in 2 wars, was in the navy. his grandmother wrote him a note, gave him the flag the day before they played in the quarter finals. there's a picture from usa hockey that flag was hanging in the locker room. i have goosebumps now. tony. the flag was hanging on the ceiling of the locker room in the u. s. room. so those are a couple things that i really like spencer food, that pop, by the way, it's already in the hockey hall of fame in downtown toronto. all right, pretty cool stuff. a big usa, canada matchups for men's and women's hockey. this time. yeah. you know, the canadian women and the american women there, they're the criminal a crime when it comes to women's hockey. and another classic battle, another one goal game that canada got out in front early and that's kind of been a theme. even on the men's side, holland with teams. now you're seeing everything, so razor tight and sharp. and you've got to be sharpen your details. they got out

to an early lead to nothing lee, they ended up skating the wind, so great wind for canada and great showing again by the u. s. women. i was really hoping the u. s. men would have gotten through and one that quarter final game. but they come up, sure, but nevertheless they had a good run in the tournament. so i look at it as you know, not a success, but i, i think it was a good run for them considering they had 15 college players. that was my concern really with the you men seem, i was impressed. they went to reno, but my concern was physically, could they hold up in the and against some of these more veteran teams because they're full approaches as we know in the k jell anomalies. yeah, bigger, more physically mature players. it's not a knock on them. right. they 519 year olds on their team. so as a very young team that way, but nevertheless, that's the way it shook out. no national hockey league player skated for team usa next time. i think everybody, we're sorry to add that to that was not possible to bring out the best player. and

that was a missed appointment if i can say no, but i'm, i'm optimistic for the next. are all the gar, with the ultimate sports hub, host band holden who calls the a k h l. games on portable tv. so then you're going to be seeing more of russia skaters, many of whom were k, h ellers. what next for the players who did skate for team usa back to the miners back to college and they get a real good look from the n h l. scouts as a function of this exposure. some do and there's one that plays for slovakia and as your ice lab coffee, 17 year old kid, he really put himself on the map. he's going to be a top 5 drastic. there's another young russian that wasn't part of the olympic team . mat may meet copper member that name those 2 guys are going to be top 5 picks, but the k h l guys. the playoffs, get going on march 1st. we're going to have all kinds of coverage throughout on portable tv. there's lab kosky right there. unbelievable talent. if you're familiar

with the n h l, he's kinda like a mico rant in a new place for colorado. 65 big body. great, reach, physical, great shot plays the game, hard and fast. he's going to be a star down the road, but the cage guys get back with their teams. i'll get a little bit of a respite and they'll start getting a cracked up for the class. i'm actually going back to michigan to do a game on big 10 network on saturday, michigan and ohio state. i don't think we're going to see any of the canadian players that play for michigan own power. the 1st pick in the draft this past summer. ken johnson was also on team canada, and of course, mattie been ears and brandon for some play right now ad michigan for mel pierson. so it's back to business, but i don't think we're going to see any of those guys play this weekend. they all just the u. s. guys. they just left wednesday. that's a hard turn around. even for young guys, when you're dealing with 20 hours a trial, they gotta be exhausted. yeah, i mean i'm hoping for the saturday i see, i see those guys in the line up and we do the game, but i think they're gonna get the week off about baseball. and i and i asked with fingers crossed you did with the major league baseball lockout underway,

pitchers and catchers did not report to spring training as scheduled this past week . and the players don't need to be in florida or arizona this month or, and that's just to get in shape. they can work out anywhere. but then what is lost in terms of the playbook, february and march time together as a team. and for many players, it's the 1st time they'll meet their teammates or the skipper. yeah it's, i think you lose some of it, but i think, you know, you look back at the 2020 year with the bubble in the way they tried to play. like i think at the end of the day, these guys are pros and they do like you said they're working out year round. it's not like it was 2030 years ago when when players didn't really do anything in the off season. now it's a 12 month year job and that's what it is. and these guys are paid a lot of money. i expect them to be ready. i have a friend that works for the washington national here in town and i was texting with him a little bit the other night. he did not seem very optimistic that this thing was going to be resolved anytime soon. so i have my fingers crossed for i like

a lot of people that are baseball fans. they get it right, but i don't know. again, i don't know that they lose a whole lot. i think it's just guys being pros and showing up being ready to play, to be honest with you. i feel bad for the mom and pop businesses all around those stadiums in florida and arizona because this is big business for them and they don't get a crowd this time while it is, you know, and even the, you know, old school bars around some of the stadiums sure they lose so much money and it's, it's a tough thing and it's, it's like i've always sat with baseballs billionaires over and arguing over and over with billionaires is really what it comes down to. so, you know, the players are going to stick and they're going to do what they gotta do and, and hopefully they can get, it worked out sooner than later. but i don't think it's going to start any time until the end of april. i think we talked about last week, hutch millionaires continue to argue with mere millionaires in uniform, been hold in portable tv, ultimate sport, southern k h l. hockey. thanks again for stepping into the big picture. i really

enjoyed coming on. i love your sat, i think it's a great look and sat and i always enjoyed chatting with you. thank that. all the canadian truck convoys seems not to have spawn an american version. our coast to coast quarrel over mandates seems only to be gaining, even as coven itself is gradually waning. however useful masks and vaccines are battling this novel corona virus. meaning like nothing we've ever seen before. better safe than, sorry, protocols were better tolerated 2 years ago. as too many have suffered and died resistors who relented and got the jab, save face by calling it their choice. not something government should require, but nannie state grievances are nothing new and rules intended to protect us are inconsistent enough to irk and confuse. example requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets. some states do others don't despite the risk of not wearing one. then new

york city mayor michael bloomberg got the late night comedians, horse laugh for restricting the sale of sugary soft drinks, larger than 16 ounces. like you couldn't just buy 2 food packaging and fast food, wal menus now list calorie accounts and a state legislator where i live in rhode island has introduced a bill to ban, nips those little booth bottles. they used to serve on airplanes, to fight roadside litter. and because people drink while driving, governments have been discouraging smoking for decades. the restrictions, very state, the state and even city to city, and none here. approach what's being proposed in new zealand in an editorial entitled to a band to far cigar. afficionado magazine admits we are all for keeping cigars and all tobacco products out of the hands of children. cigars are meant for adults,

but this plan has engineered to keep most types of tobacco out of their hands forever. and they explained that current li, people who are 18 years old and able to purchase tobacco and new zealand. but if this proposal becomes law, beginning and 2025, that minimum will increase by one year every year in perpetuity. so in 2025, the minimum age would become 19 in 2026, it goes to 20 and so on. do the math. should this pass anyone born after 2005 and new zealand will never ever grow old enough to buy a cigar or a cigarette boom times for the black market suggestion. instead of asking government the government stuff like this, ask your doctor about smoking or sugary drinks or if your dock has ever treated a motorcyclist who wiped out without a helmet or about eating and drinking smarter and about getting vaccinated.

and that is the big picture. thanks for watching and come on back next week. if you're watching real time, you can catch our live stream and youtube dot com slash r t. america. and 4 and a half years of my humble work is archived in youtube dot com slash the big picture . our tea and this show is just one of a wall of video on our free, portable tv app. you can download it from the app store or google play and watch it on any connected devices, portable dot tv. i'm holland cook in washington and i am at holland cook on twitter where we'd like to hear what you'd like to see here in the big picture. where if you follow me, i'll follow you question more. ah

. talking at cross purposes, this is at the heart of the west narrative, claiming russia plans to invade ukraine. from the russian perspective, ukraine is a symptom of a much larger issue. nato's relentless drive. east, where there is a solution though securing for all with

ah local to so if you go visionaries, me se shevardnadze while you follow j continues to be a french science and alien sorcerer's subject of speculation. my guess today has his own hypothesis of what my be out there. dr. michael, the masters professor of biological andrew apology, author of identified flying object, joins me now. doctor michael p masters, professor of biological anthropology, author of identified flying object and multi disciplinary purge to the u. f. o

phenomenon. welcome. it's great. how are you with us? thanks. it's great to be here. appreciate having me on. all right, so you suggest that you have those and aliens are our distant descendants coming from the future to visit us and where their ancestors, who live in their past 8th, u. f. o sightings are something to take seriously at all. what made you think that there are not indeed signs of alien presence? yeah, well, if we look at the physical form of these purported aliens and i'll admit that this is a somewhat tenuous aspect of the argument because we don't have full crew that these individuals inside the craft are real. in a true sense. there's a lot of people throughout the world who see them and who claim to have interacted with them been abducted by them. um, we do now recently have some level of proof of the cracks themselves. so the question becomes, what are.