• eldavi@lemmy.ml
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    3 days ago

    this is how american propaganda works; it doesn’t outright block the information that you need to make an informed decision like a chinese internet firewall. instead that information is hidden away from you, buried in news articles that you’ll never read (or even be are that you need to read); or reports that get little to no air time on tv or social media; or couched in dense legalese that requires a law degree to understand and it’s not because you’re lazy or ignorant, but because you’re distracted by your other shit that needs to get done and/or bills you need to pay.

    in this case: the knowledge that that’s been kept from you is that the orange revolution and the maidan protests are the result of american soft power exerting itself over ukraine’s political system and that “functional democracy” was dangled over them like a carrot on a stick to join nato in a reality were not even americans get to enjoy such a democracy.

    • torstein@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      That’s laughable.

      Both happened due to Ukrainians being fed up with political corruption.

      Ukraine went through horrible economical and political upheaval during the 90s. At the same time the western ukrainians were free to watch Polish TV, they interacted with their European brethren and were able to see how countries without chronical corruption worked.

      The difference between them and their Russian counterparts is that they rose up and threw their corrupted leaders out on their asses a few times. I hope the Russians grow a spine within my lifetime.

      Don’t forget that Maidan was about Yanukovic’s bait and switch when it came to Ukraine’s economic ties with the EU and a potential route to EU-candidate status.

      You may be convinced that the uprising were the result of American soft power, but I’m convinced that it was through experiencing the upheaval of the post Soviet 90s and their experience seeing neighboring former east-bloc brethren improving their lives during the same period.

      • eldavi@lemmy.ml
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        2 days ago

        the only thing that could be laughable is how uncritically most people accept the information that is given to them; but it’s not laughable since it leads to so much death and suffering.

        corruption is as rife in poland and the united states as much as it is in ukraine or russia; what makes any difference is that your regime green-lights the propaganda that informs you about the corruption that they want you to see while simultaneously red-lighting any other information. if you’re russian or any kind of easterner, then that red-lighting is done via blatant bans like a chinese firewall; but if you’re polish, american or any kind of westerner, then red-lighting is done by defunding (and/or making irrelevant) journalists/experts whose work could make you aware of the corruption that your regime doesn’t want you to see.

        i’m sure you’re already aware of this at some level somewhere, so not applying this knowledge and uncritically accepting the depictions on polish TV is just plain bonkers. likewise, uncritically accepting the nucleus of each protest is also just as equally bonkers; the bare-bones minimum for critical thinking is analyzing who benefits by the actions taking place and searching for information (beyond the information that your regime wants you to see) will give you the answers.

        • torstein@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          Poland, the US and Ukraine are absolutely corrupt societies, but while the US is devolving into a Russia-esque regime, Poland and Ukraine are trying to improve their lot.

          Let me respond in language you might understand:

          I’m sure you’re already aware of this at some level somewhere, so not applying this knowledge and uncritically accepting the depictions on Russian TV is just plain bonkers. Likewise, uncritically accepting the Russian talking points about each protest is also just as equally bonkers; the bare-bones minimum for critical thinking is analyzing who would have benefitted from the status-quo and searching for information (beyond the information that your regime wants you to see) will give you the answers.

          • eldavi@lemmy.ml
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            23 hours ago

            it’s understandable why you and an overwhelming majority won’t accept reality since the propaganda you’ve ingested has given you an ideology that will not allow you see reality; it’s also understand how this inability is leading us into yet another needless, bloody episode of history repeating itself as the western capitalist world descends into fascism because of it.

            the message i’ve tried to bring here is the same one that republican and democratic leaders alike going all the way back to reagan & carter. american ambassadors like gfoeller, rundell, matlock and american secretaries of defense like mcnamara, gates, perry have tried to bring this message to nato, the un, and the american & ukranian people; the russians likewise have their own people who tried to give the same warning. two things can be true at the same time and refusing to acknowledge that led to this entirely pointless death and suffering and it will lead to more so long as people like you continue to double down on “chinese bots” and “russian talking points” instead of rational discourse.

            there’s no good reason why half a million people should have been liquidated and nothing was gained from it; only lost and only because people stuck their heads in the sand and refused to acknowledge reality.