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Author : E. Marakhovsky
Analyst, Russian Institute for Strategic Studies
TODAY, the old conflict between political and economic structures
of the West and the East is unfolding against the background of
another global crisis. The countries and business structures of the
"golden billion" have not relieved their economic pressure on the
developing countries. The globalizers do not hesitate to pile political
responsibility for regional tensions on the powers that the First
World finds unpalatable. Something similar is going on in the infor-
mation field.
The nature of economic warfare does not differ from the above.
Close scrutiny of the information field of the Western powers that is concentrated around the
respected media reveals the true intention of governments, the true level of threat in different
subject fields and degree of the "enemy's" readiness to act.
The Western media is not much interested in BRICS and related subjects: In 2013-2014, the sub-
ject Russia in the Context of BRICS was covered in 150 items, which is nothing compared with
over 1 thousand publications dealing with the Russian-Ukrainian relations and over 2 thousand
covering Russia's domestic policies.
WESTERN EXPERTS and journalists like to hold forth about lack of cohesion inside BRICS
which brought together countries very different economically and politically. Early in 2013, El-
Mundo wrote: "BRICS is a group of countries very different socially and economically. China
and India buy huge amounts of raw materials which Russia, Brazil and South Africa sell them."
A year later, the talks about BRICS' economic insubstantiality and the contradictions that were
tearing the club apart were moved into a different context. First, a new economic crisis became
a reality; second, Russia and the West entered a new phase of a Cold War of sorts waged in the
information sphere; sanctions and attempts at mutual economic strangulation were also used.
WHILE BRICS IS MOVING toward closer cooperation, a new world economic crisis that has
become a reality stands little chance to be defused, especially with the unfolding new Cold War.
THE YEARS 2013 and 2014 witnessed U-turns in world politics and economy. The Ukrainian
crisis detonated another Cold War, while the international non-Western alliances (BRICS as an
alliance of the world's biggest economies being one of them) were gradually consolidating. Any
careful observer of the way the Western press treated BRICS throughout 2013 and 2014 could
detect considerable shifts.
The changes which have taken place are but the first steps along the road leading to the consol-
idation of the club into a full-fledged organization in control of the larger part of world economy.
Judging by the support the BRICS members extended to Russia during the Crimean crisis and
anti-Russian sanctions the club stands a good chance.
http://interaffairs.ru
BRICS in the Western Media