Ukraine-Russia Megathread 9

We've been clowning on MSM for their puny showing for the last few years, but this whole situation really shows their true danger and their capability to crush any opposition to the western empire. MSM all those years sucked because it was peacetime, they honestly did not gave any shit for what they posted, they were just making some quick buck. All those op-eds we roasted in the dunk tank? They're all nothing, just filler material for the imperial media.
But now, we're all seeing the full might of the western media war machine looks like when they have a set goal in mind and with the full support of capital. Absolute information control, multi narratives meant to appeal to literally everyone, information overload preventing people from effectively discerning fact from fiction, and most importantly turning it into a spectacle thus disassociating people from reality.
And really have no right to be surprised by this because I was reading "How to Read Donald Duck" (Para leer al Pato Donald) a week before this war. It's written by a Chilean socialist during Allende's time and talked about how America uses Disney as a weapon to spread capitalist thought under the guise of innocent children entertainment. But even better is that the edition I'm reading is the latest one with a preface written after Pinochet's coup, where the author was targeted and entire printing of the book was burned or dumped into the ocean. Namely it talked about the influence of western owned- media in controlling the narrative and spreading capitalistic views in the lead up the coup, in particular how they attacked socialism as an evil foreign influence all while presenting themselves as innocent apolitical outlet, when in reality they're funded by the CIA.
We the left must NOT and NEVER underestimate the power of western media, all AES states views them with scorn and limits their publication for very good reason. And for those who still criticizes or doubts China's censorship of western media, it is because they fully recognized the influence it can have on the people's consciousness. The MSM have been in this business for over half a century, they perfected their craft in Indonesia, Chile, and many more victims of imperialism. Because when the time that the left will finally have to face capital head one, we must be aware about the full strength of the enemy.
- Agree with everything you said, just wanted to point out that we also got a taste of this in 2020 (and 2016) with the Bernie campaign. I don't think it's the only reason he lost, so it was still just a practice session, this is when it really counts though, like you said.
  
  I think Bernie's defeat and influence of the media on it was overlooked because most leftists thinks that Americans have little interest in the left in the first place, and that the fact that he had even a morsel of support was viewed positively. "Look how far he came, I wouldn't have been a leftist without Bernie!".
- In the past 24 hours NY Post published 3 articles attacking DSA for the statement condemning the role of the US and NATO in this. A ton of other media outlets have done so too, its kinda funny to see it all. Sputnik also published an article thats kinda disingenuous and its definitely gonna be used as a way to say "see DSA is giving cover for Putin propaganda"
  
  I've noticed all that too. I had to finally unfollow Robert Evans when he retweeted a thread talking about how unserious DSA is because of that statement for calling out NATO...
- And for those who still criticizes or doubts China’s censorship of western media, it is because they fully recognized the influence it can have on the people’s consciousness.
  This I am going to start yelling at all my lib Chinese relatives and friends.
  (E: “lib” as in they support the gov but wish there weren’t censorship of western media)
  
  Does your family not just VPN?
- and yet despite the full court press in consent manufacturing support for war only doubled from 25 to 50%
  there is simply a huge installed base of westerners who absolutely do not believe a damn thing the white media says or doesn't care.
- This is less about media, but I feel like it’s casually related: The CIA used the Aswang legend against the Hukbalahap.
- The Three Caballeros is literally an op.

I was born in a western country but have a very Russian sounding name. Already had coworkers give me shit like I personally invaded Ukraine. Knowing how dumb your average American is anyone vaguely eastern European is going to be labelled a Russian too. Seeing how openly xenophobic people are on the internet and how little pushback it gets is genuinely kinda terrifying to me. Anyone else feel worried about this shit?

Holy shit can people shut the fuck up. I've seen way too many people unironically saying that we need to uncritically repeat Ukrainian propaganda (even after it has been proven to be false) because it's 'necessary to keep morale high' or whatever.
- The BBC also had someone on saying that this conflict was really emotional for them because people with blue eyes and blond hair are getting hurt so this seems pretty tame in comparison
  
  Even their fact checking article contained lies. A clearly Ukrainian plane was on video and the BBC said they couldn't determine what country it was from.
- Change my mind, Russiagate broke more minds than Qanon did. The only difference is that ones better at disguising their brainworms better
  
  Agree. Russiagate broke the minds that control media AND the credentials of authority and professionalism. If Qanon is like a chronic bacterial infection in the body, Russiagate is like one of those parasites hijacks one’s brain.
- :19::84: is not even this insane. Like I don't think any dystopian fiction are ever this insane. Not even the fashies and Qanon nutters are this insane. Like all of them hinge on the idea that they're the one who's correct and everyone else are lying. Meanwhile, in this case the libs knew the truth and yet they explicitly rejects it because it goes against their goal.
- The Memelord of ‘Murica: single handedly made 69420 memes and fakes spreading pro-Ukraine propaganda in the West to unnecessarily prolong the war and cause more civilian deaths.

So a friendly work acquaintance messaged me this evening to say that they've lost two clients today because someone they know got in touch with them to say he was posting pro-Russia stuff on Facebook. He's an Ed Miliband level socdem who made a criticism of NATO and the rhetoric before the invasion two days ago. Apparently he messaged me because he knew I'm a commie and didn't know who else to talk to. He's freaking out about who sent the message to clients and whether they did / will to others, as well as the lost income obviously. People have lost their fucking minds.
:honk-enraged:
edit: Makes me glad for this place and you comrades. Keeps me sane while I keep my mouth shut at work.

- Comrade Putin removing capitalism from Russia. His regime will collapse and make way for a new communist revolution :inshallah-script:
- Wait they mean the entire corporations?!
  But ma treats!!
- At risk for what?
  
  Complete and total bimbofication
  
  Apparently those franchises are considered at risk in this capacity because the US is uncertain if Russia will close them in response to sanctions
  You could literally throw any Anglo restaurant chain that operates in Russia on this list lmao

"I just tried to explain to Evo Morales that opposing war will get a person 'cancelled' in Europe & North America. He didn't understand the concept. He was asking why European people aren't fighting back against NATO. I had to explain that no one there questions propaganda, and that anyone who does is immediately cancelled and driven out of public life. No dissent allowed there." - Ollie Vargas

Uh, Eugene V Dabs is gone
- I think the guardian copywrite striking the YouTube channel to hide the existence of Azov battalion Nazis was the final straw.
  
  Account here has also been scrubbed. Dabs, I hope to see your quality work again, whatever the alias. Stay safe :fidel-salute-big:
  
  That's like lowkey tragic to me if they're gone from the site. Consistently excellent takes, analysis, and scathing humor. Comments were up there among the best and the videos were :chefs-kiss: . I don't suppose anyone here backed up the videos or mirrored them anywhere? I was even going to send the "yanks to the rescue" one to some libs I know.
- Damn, I'm gonna miss his vids. And his takes on here. Hope he gets back stronger and redder than ever!
- i tried to use one of their videos for something which wouldnlt show up in search and i was like "damn geno got shadow banned" but it was much worse :powercry-2:
- :NOOOOO:
- :sadness:
- He truly was the poster's poster.
  Godspeed wherever you are and we hope you return comrade. :sankara-salute:
- :deeper-sadness:

You know, I truly think this war is Monstrous and Putin is almost entirely unjustified in what he’s doing here, but so much of the response from western radlibs has just devolved entirely into apologia for their preferred brand of capitalist imperialism. Literally making arguments about like “NATO is antifascist,” and shit like that. Motherfuckers, we have over 100 years of history and writing about how lesser eviling western imperialism and siding with liberalism has been a death sentence for socialism, and they’re still making all the same mistakes.

My flight to Poland is at the end of the week and I bought a road map to hitchhike from there. I have no military experience outside my paintball team, but I truly feel this is my duty. I'm not sure which side I'm going to join yet - if I'm not in uniform maybe I can try out a little of both.

Mexico declines to impose economic sanctions on Russia
MEXICO CITY, March 1 (Reuters) - Mexico will not impose any economic sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday.
He also criticized what he called censorship of Russian state-sponsored media by social media companies.

Another voice from inside the Ukrainian state confirms fascist groups and the systematic use of civilians as human shields. Kharkov.

VP Harris: Ukraine is a country in Europe. It exists next to another country called Russia. Russia is a bigger country. Russia is a powerful country. Russia decided to invade a smaller country called Ukraine. So basically, that's wrong.
:jokermala:
Audio here

Been following the combatfootage subreddit and it's wild to me that it's the only place I've seen that actually calls out Ukrainian propaganda and collectively hates Azov more than the Russians and separatists. Especially considering it's basically a sub for psychopaths who get off on watching people get killed. The Ukrainianconflict sub, on the other hand has been insanely deranged. Tons of comments saying that NATO should intervene and that the threat of nuclear war is overblown.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx_662805/202203/t20220302_10646982.html
China might mediate is the quote "[Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba] said China has played a constructive role on this issue and that Ukraine is ready to step up communication with the Chinese side. He looked forward to China’s mediation efforts for the ceasefire."

Someone on this site who also had one of my favorite YouTube channels apparently deleted their YouTube account and all of their posts here.
Not tagging them out of respect but it bummed me out and I am not sure what the appropriate reaction is to this. I wanted to make an appreciation post, or message them, but I also am mindful that they may be avoiding attention.
Big o7 to a fucking real one

Azov get fucked
- Did it? I know a Chechen warlord that did purges of LGBT+ people got got :sicko-crab:

having to explain to people that russia is REACTING to geopolitical developments is harder than i thought

The Anti-Fascism conference is still one of the most surreal things I've seen today. Like every one of those countries is doing or has been accused of doing ethnic cleansing.

X-posting from food mega:
Oh no what happened to @Eugene_V_Dabs their videos and comments were always really insightful and good :ohnoes:
(It’s not war stuff but they posted a lot of good info on it)

Worldwide oil shortages, you say? Shame about those sanctions. 🇻🇪 :maduro-coffee:

Just In: Russia to invite Pakistan, China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, India, Ethiopia & other countries in "Anti Fascist Conference."
■ Grand Conference aims at combating fascism, to be held in Moscow in coming months.
- UAE, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, India
  Only the noblest antifascists can include two literal absolute monarchies, a military dictatorship, and a """"democracy"""" run by a party that regularly tweets caricatures where they hang muslims :what-the-hell:
- Looking forward to even more right wing propaganda in the West against true anti-fascists.
- Right Wingers co-opting left wing terms
- Real we have antifa at home moment
- Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan at an anti fascist conference...
  
  Lmao. The world is truly fuck
- I want a multipolar world and a conference like that sounds like a good idea, but man, branding it as anti-fascist :cringe:
- china going to the anti fascist conference to fight all the fascists who have for some reason shown up to the anti fascist conference

I've been thinking lately that the "queer/trans" movement might be Russian in origin. Have chaos agents create discord in otherwise liberal communities and tear them apart.
Holy shit :what-the-hell:

During the war, his teenage mother and her sister were couriers for the Ukrainian insurgent movement. When the Soviets claimed Ukraine, their lives were at risk so they escaped to Canada
Who was it again who had to be afraid of the Soviets? Come on cowards, say it. :kkkanada: can we get a :CBC-cool: emoji?

ethnic Greeks prevented from fleeing Mariupol by Azov

If this war and the events leading to it has shown China and the rest of the world anything it is that you can't negotiate security on equal terms with the US empire. They will never agree to limit themselves.

Me: There's no historical examples of sanctions doing any good
My boomer dad: We might get one now.
Frankly I'm awestruck by the way the consent manufacturing machine is able to make otherwise intelligent people believe obvious bullshit.

This Baghdad Bob shit of hyping the Ukrainian people up with how invincible they are compared to the dumb brutish russian hordes who're losing is going to get a lot of people fucking killed. Just today we saw that the Ukrainian media weren't informing their people Russia was beginning to bomb targets in Kiev, instead they were too busy hyping people up to fight.
- It does feel like a big show for NATO which is so dangerous.

I wonder if people in the West will have needed maturity to examine in the future just how insane these days have been in terms of collective punishment of all Russians in Russia and abroad.

Yo that wrecker that came in here a few minutes ago saying how upset they were about the double standard white people have over Ukrainian white immigrants. Accidentally based.

Love how libs are simultaneously maintaining that Russia's invasion is failing horribly and Russia is about to collapse and that Russia is literally the modern Nazi Germany and is going to invade Poland, Finland, and the Baltics simultaneously. Liberalism is one hell of a drug.
- :parenti:
- Real, "we'll be greeted as liberators" and "the Fedayeen will ghost guerilla commando murder all American troops in their cots" vibes.

Belarussian map of the invasion, presented by Lukashenko himself, appears to confirm what's shown in the Wikipedia map we've been using, and shows Ukraine partitioned four ways.

It recognized that Russia, sharing deep ties and a 1,426-mile land border with Ukraine, might oppose such a move by force. “Ukrainian entry into NATO is the brightest of all redlines for the Russian elite (not just Putin),” William J. Burns, then U.S. ambassador to Russia and current CIA director, cabled from Moscow in 2008. “I have yet to find anyone who views Ukraine in NATO as anything other than a direct challenge to Russian interests.”

I know that I shouldn't be suprised by these kind of things anymore, but did you know that Stepan Bandera was actually after WW2 allowed to freely operate his anti-communist organisation from Munich even after everything he had done?
But, thankfully in 1959 the KGB got to him. :stalin-gun-1: :stalin-gun-2:

This might have been posted before, but:
"The United Nations says it records 136 civilian deaths - including 13 children - and 400 people injured including 26 children since the Russian “special operation” in Ukraine began"
That's a tiny amount of civilians killed so far relative to most invasions we've seen over the last century. Putin really is trying his utmost to not be seen as a genocidal villain here. The western media will say otherwise but I imagine he expected that. I'm obviously not about to start congratulating Putin of all people for his uhh checks notes human rights record in Russia and abroad but can you imagine a western country doing an invasion of this magnitude in any country and only having those figures so far?
I think this says more about how godawful the United States is than how good Russia is. The Gulf War killed 50,000 people and wounded 75,000 in 42 days, which is 1200 deaths and 1800 injured per day. Again, not trying to do a Who's The More Moral Imperialist competition and you do not gotta hand it to Putin under any circumstances but the comparison really highlights the genocidal programs of the United States and the degree to which the western media has a firm control on the narrative about which countries are good and which are bad.

Never thought I'd say this but a general on tv (western europe) had a pretty good analysis.
Said this was not a war between Europe and Russia, but one between the US and Russia, and only Putin or Biden could put an end to this quickly. Mentioned also that this is a war between extreme nationalists on the Russian and Ukrainian sides and this is why Ukraine is not fighting for European values. Even brought up stephan bandera

2020 made me rethink ever voting for a democrat for major office again, the recent "left-liberal" bloodlust is making me rethink voting D for dogcatcher

I know John Mearshimer is an anti-China, anti-Islamic freak but he makes an illustrative point that so far has converted several of my lib friends and family members on this whole situation. Imagine if China orchestrated coups and overthrew the presidents of Canada and Mexico and then installed pro-Chinese presidents in these countries. Then imagine China enters a military alliance with these countries and puts numerous bases and troops in them. How would the US react?

holy shit Biden, in the state of the union just now, just said he’s launching a full scale retaliation against the Argentines and taking control of the Falklands.
This motherfucker out of nowhere, hell yeah brother.

the war is really going badly
putin gets couped
communist revolution in 2 years
reparations to ukraine
Me coping rn

There's a meme on LateStageCapitalism that's titled 'Even this guy knows there's a problem with captalism', and it's a pic of Gorbachev saying 'we need a new economic system that is not based on hyper-consumption'
Like, I don't know if my reaction should be 'This 'guy' was literally the General Secretary of the Communist party you fucking libs' or 'damn, that's a way better joke than I expected from :reddit-logo: '

Hourly reminder that Ukraine is a hotbed of human trafficking and child prostitution and certain people do not want any of that information getting out.
https://khpg.org/en/1174567516
https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-human-traffciking-416319
- This is most eastern European countries post Soviet Union
  :sadness-abysmal:
- Ukraine is a hotbed of [...] child prostitution
  Ah, so that's why all the Redditors are supporting it
  
  Vaush too

alright yeah, I'm already tired of the takes on social media about how because Russia hasn't captured a country the size of Texas in less than a week (in what would be one of the greatest military feats in human history if he had) then they're on the ropes. I'm hanging out here again, where much fewer people have an attention span that can be measured in minutes
and my daily affirmation: fuck Putin the imperialist, fuck NATO and the US even harder, and I hope every Nazi in Ukraine is sent through a woodchipper.
also, I discovered a cool fact: I can read theory and pay attention to this megathread at the same time! does anybody have any literature on NATO and its multitude of crimes?