I can't believe I have to type this but as people tend to not read stuff in their entirety before casting Twitter stones - I condemn the Russian Government and their war of aggression. This piece is about misinformation and how I am scared at how effective it is with muddying the waters.
Long time, no type. This may be clunky, so please be patient. It's hard to think of the words to describe how I feel with this. There will be some glibness that may rub people a bit wrong.
The world has changed a lot since I last updated the blog. We're now in fear of nuclear war, something I learned of way back when by reading "The Brother in the Land" as a kid. Time is apparently a circle, as forever proven.
Like most folks, I've been reading the news, watching articles, listening to podcasts and trying to figure out what is happening and why. It screams 2003 again and I am no longer a teenager. Weaponised half truths becomes the informational superweapon and I don't know what to believe anymore. It fuels my nihilism and pessimism and this scares me. Anything I don't understand, I tend to ask or read up on it and that helps me process. This now leads me to further confusion - there are conflicting statements and videos, ill thought out reporting from media outlets and Iraq-esque Warmongering Journalism is rearing its ugly head.
Referendum? That's a shellin'
We're told by Putin that Russia recognises the People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, who have been shelled by the Ukrainian militaries (allegedly by the state backed Neo-Nazi Azov Brigade that numbered in the fucking thousands in 2017) after their referendums in, ignoring the Minsk Agreement. From what I've read, these are not the same "referendums" as per the Crimean one, i.e. Russia hasn't gone in and gone "look they've voted for their freedom under our banner". I liken this to the Scottish people having their referendum to say "ta-ta" to the United Kingdom and Westminster responds by getting the BNP to man artillery in Carlisle and bomb the ever living crap out of Dumfries.
Nazis are fine now. They're the Good Guys™
On Tuesday 8th of March, the UN celebrates International Women's Day by posting a picture of a woman in the Ukrainian military, showing their support and solidarity. Later, they will delete it. The reason? The woman was wearing the Black Sun, a Nazi symbol made by the SS.
We're told now that the Azov Brigade have been absorbed into the National Guard (which happened in 2014), we shouldn't worry. The DW writes "After that there was a separation of the movement and the regiment, which still uses right-wing symbols, but can no longer be classified as a right-wing extremist body." All good now folks - they've still got Nazi Symbols, but they're just supremacist-lite. Because they're on our side.
Putin will use this in his bullshit de-nazification declaration, which will (according to victims) eventually drive (alleged - for the legality) hate fuelled war crimes. This is how a half truth (there are Nazis in the established military, but not throughout the entire society of the Ukrainian people) becomes a blessing for the aggressor to carry out their power grab. Those who oppose Russia look stupid trying to defend Azov by whitewashing instead of talking with nuance and digging their graves years ago through apathy and CIA ops that proliferate Nazi fighters. This also ignored NATOs expansion, which is a topic unto itself with its whole "not one more inch east past Germany" declaration in the 90s.
The Ukrainian People are not Nazis
Despite the Nazi military members, you can't say that the entirety of the country is filled with Nazis. Even with cultural elements such as the horrific anti-Semitic restaurant built on the ruins of a 16th century synagogue in Lviv where you're greeted by a non Jewish waiter in wearing fake peyot and kippah who forces you to haggle for your food, you can't say that the entirety of the country is filled with Nazis.
Once you step past "peacekeeping" in democratically voted sovereign states into a war of aggression, no matter how well you spin half-truths into a "Special Operation", it is ultimately wrong. To Finish. The kicker? The information I read for the above will likely be proven bullshit or whatever by the end of the month and I'll have egg on my face, forcing me back to my "oh shit, I really know nothing" ways. War is awful. -C