Well, who funds US Media, "The People"? Or Italian media, Berlusconi? RT is funded directly by RIA Novosti, IIRC they share offices or at least are in the same area AFAIK it is government money. I think you'll find such connections in anything that could be classed as MSM. It's silly, really, speaking generally, to not know that and to act like it's an especially unusual thing. I'd like to see "Public Broadcasting", but I don't, that is unless it's something like Dahr Jamail collecting money online to finance a trip. So, buyer beware, and I do note a not very elegant tendency on the part of RT talking heads to change the subject when a guest is too sharply and honestly critical. If it's just Russophobic stuff they will counter. Russia has a lot of corruption and embedded problems. I think it's important to take note of the sweep of Russian history to understand that geographically, geopolitically, and culturally they will never be like the West. It's just different, and to make comparisons without that knowledge misses the peculiar (for us) situation they are in.
Here are some of my non-RT sources, there is plenty variety out there.
The eXiled, everyone knows these lovable punks.
poemless. the blog
A Good Treaty
Austere Insomniac
Stop NATO
The Ivanov Report
Sean's Russia Blog
The Vineyard or the Saker
Russia! Magazine
Siberian Light
Novosti Video
Moscow top News
And the very plucky and young Mark Adomanis at True/Slant who is currently only on Twitter His blog -- On Russia
Barents Observer
The Moscow Times
Unpublished Notes
And along more academic lines, Russia: Other Points of View, which has the excellent clear thinking Canadian Patrick Armstrong.
Another young and energetic blogger that you should bookmark is Anatoly Karlin at Sublime Oblivion who is just starting up a series or interviews picking up where Siberian Light has apparently burned out.
Another excellent is source is Sean's Russia blog who does a round up of Russian blogs as well as his own stuff.
Some of these blogs are dedicated to blowing up really horrible Western MSM articles. The Ivanov Report does this with Wapo almost exclusively. Gordon Hahn does this sort of stuff at Russia: Other points of View. These are good places to go if only to hear the other side.
Johnson's Russia List, is unfortunately in financial trouble, so the archives aren't as available as they once were. This guy works his butt off. He asks 50 but will take 25 or probably anything for a years worth of almost daily sends, his work comes in as a newsletter email.
http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/default.cfm
As to the deep politics, let's take Tarpley, he hates Zbig Brother, most of his geopolitical thesis are in line, I think, with Russia's perceptions. He's been on about it forever. I'll grant you though that some of the stuff on RTA is likely gloating or even maybe in the area of "payback" but I really don't actually see it, it's a supposition.
As for if the US and Israel will attack Iran... if you can tell me whether the leadership is sane or not I'll answer.
