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The concept of "Russian Disinformation" is a hell of a propaganda tool (hexbear.net)

submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by sexywheat@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net

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It's exceedingly effective.

I was talking politics with someone earlier today, on the topic of the new BRICS payment system, and the conversation went something like this:

Me: Countries should be able to trade in their own currencies, and no one country (USA or otherwise) should be able to declare unilateral sanctions and cause sabotage just because they want to.

Lib: Shouldn't USA be able to sanction Russia for its invasion of Ukraine?

Me: I don't think any country should be able to declare unilateral sanctions. On the other hand, if the global community wants to decide on sanctions together, that's another story. However, maybe the USA themselves should be sanctioned for their involvement in the 2014/2015 coup in Ukraine that started this whole mess.

Lib: Were those democratic protesters not legitimate?

Me: It was a far right, violet coup that overthrew a democratically elected government [Provides sourced examples of far-right violence during the coup, evidence it was a coup, and how it was clearly in the interests of Western governments]

Lib: [Provides Wikipedia links of the "Democratic mass movements in Ukraine"]

Me: Yes that is a textbook example of a CIA backed colour revolution.

Lib: That is Russian disinformation.

Why exactly does "disinformation" always have to come from "the other, evil foreign governments"? Why the fuck does Russia care what I think? Wouldn't it make a lot more fucking sense that our own government is trying to manipulate our understanding of the world?

I don't think I have ever once heard a lib use the term "American disinformation" or "misinformation from our own government" - it's always the evil Russians or Chinese. Of course reactionaries and chuds always cry foul at what the government says but it's only about dumb bullshit like vaccines and bike lanes.

The second any information runs contrary to the Libs heavily propagandised worldview it can immediately be dismissed as "foreign propaganda" - no matter how thoroughly sourced or researched or documented. It's just an immediate off switch for both the conversation and their brain. And, conveniently, they have handy NATOpedia articles to counter with.

Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED Talk. Don't forget to like and subscribe.

Free Palestine 🇵🇸

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[-] Venat@hexbear.net 33 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

A nostalgia for the year 2014:

I disagree. It isn't effective propaganda but a quick slogan to dismiss criticism. If its not Russian disinformation, it'd be "conservative propaganda" or performative and ceremonial politics like it was during the Obama administration. The heart of the sentiment is indifference and annoyance.

In other words, "don't make me think about politics". Brace Belden mentioned this in a True anon episode a month ago, and a recent post on the_dredge_tank linked a redditor who echoed the same sentiment (despite working in politics and having a PhD thereof).

A sentiment articulated in that Red Sails article about propaganda, or how Morris Berman - an academic who describes the US - says that the "wool isn't over American eyes, but they are the eyes"; which means American culture makes Americans inherently delusional and prone to refute any challenge to it. Americans have been under such cultural hypnosis likely as long as the post-independence period from Britain.

These generations of Americans want to believe in their idealized version of it to the detriment of everyone else, including themselves, because they themselves have it pretty good. Their material conditions do not prompt them to question the American civic religion.

[-] sexywheat@hexbear.net 4 points 1 month ago

Would you happen to have a link to that TrueAnon episode?

[-] Venat@hexbear.net 6 points 1 month ago

I think it was when they were covering the DNC? It was fairly recent. I cna't recall the exact episode, but one of those DNC coverage episodes.

Brace talks about it briefly; he just says that Americans are exhausted from actually engaging in politics and that's just not where they were. He was dryly describing a situation rather than lamenting it or admonishing Americans for their apathy and resignation.