Just floored by this document, though I shouldn't be. This is an instruction for π·πΊ soldiers on how to talk to Ukrainians. A chart of propaganda talking points.
It's an exhaustive display of how far gone the Russian minds are. This cavalcade of madness deserves a full translation
Words (to avoid): "Shot, liquidated, killed"
Instead: "The problem was solved"
Clarification: In reference to pet dogs, marauders, territorial defense fighters
Note: Extremely negative effect on locals
Words (to avoid): "Death to (ethnic slur)", "It's Russia here now, forget Ukraine"
Instead: "People will decide how to live and whom to choose"
Clarification: In reference to who will be in charge, Ukraine or Russia
Note: Shifts the responsibility from π·πΊ to locals for the moment
Questions: "Why are you here?"
Answer: "We bring humanitarian aid. Where are your officials? Why did they abandon you?"
Clarification: Do not explain that people are being shelled in (Russian-controlled) Donbas. Locals do not take this well.
Note: Shifts the burden on the locals
Questions: "Why are you armed? We are scared"
Answer: "We are temporarily replacing the police that has abandoned you. There are looters about, criminals armed by Zelensky"
Clarification: "Do not say "war". Focus only on the police that has escaped"
Note: "Your main task...
... is to sow in the heads of the people thoughts about how weak the Ukrainian authorities are, how they have abandoned them."
Question: "We don't have electricity!"
Answer: "Yes, but we are also here without it. Think, why would we bomb our own power plants? Ukrainians did it!"
Question: "Are you Ukrainian or Russian?"
Answer: "Both, but most importantly we are all Orthodox Christian who have nothing to quarrel about"
Clarification: If an argument ensues, site examples of gay pride parades, the schism of Orthodoxy, sale of land to foreigners, biolabs"
Note: "Yes! We are Russians" is not appropriate. Nine years of propaganda have equated the image of a Russian to that of an invader. The image of an Orthodox Christian is spotless.
To avoid: "Blaming (ethnic slur) and Ukraine for everything.
Instead: Blame marionettes Zelensky and Poroshenko and their masters from the USA.
Clarification: Initially, until we establish state apparatus, we have to tolerate the terms "Ukraine" and "Ukrainians"
To avoid: "We are here, we will establish order"
Instead: "We will temporarily help the locals find someone from among themselves who is trustworthy, decent and responsible"
That's the gist of it.
Imagine being bombed to smithereens and then having to hear from your murderers about how they are protecting you against pride parades.
Russia is fucking insane. Totally and completely.
PS. Also, note the subtle antisemitism of the propaganda outreach: "Don't blame Ukrainians, avoid anti-Ukrainian ethnic slurs, even if you are used to them, blame Zelensky (an actual Jew) and Poroshenko (whom we have long accused of being a Jew) instead"
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Have you ever heard of weaponized grammar?
Well, one of the more esoteric aspects of Russia's genocidal war on Ukraine has been the usage of the Russian prepositions "na" and "v." Depending on which one is used when saying "in Ukraine", you can immediately tell who a person is...
"Na" is the Russian word for "on", while "v" is used for "in" (the same exact words are used in Ukrainian). Historically, Russians have always said "na Ukraine" (or "on Ukraine"), which made it sound like a region, an amorphous space somewhere in the southwest, not a country...
This is very much akin to some English speakers still saying "the Ukraine", despite the Ukrainian government's repeated please to stop using this colonial terminology.
Ukrainians ALWAYS say "v Ukraine", which is how one would always talk about an actual independent country...
It's amazing that people in the West take this comedy sketch by Zelensky, which makes fun of Russians' perceptions of Ukraine, as a satire of Ukrainian Nazism.
Does sarcasm exist here? Do people understand what it is?
Hey, @RepPress and other bots who crowd my timeline with this badly understood sketch. Here's another one, where Zelensky is even more scathing to Russians' stereotypes of Ukraine and perceptions of Ukrainian Nazism.
HE IS MAKING FUN OF RUSSIA YOU MORONS!
The best part about this idiot is that, even if what he was saying is true, even if Zelensky's joke was the unfunny denunciation of Ukrainian Nazism he thinks it is, what it proves is that UKRAINE IS A FREE NATION WHERE THIS COULD BE SHOWN ON NATIONAL TV. Unlike, you know, Russia
About that. As a public school teacher, I am obviously biased. But also furious. I am absolutely fucking furious about GOP's vision of America's education.
And I know quite well what that vision is.
For starters, they are against public schools. Entirely. As a phenomenon...
Republicans seem to be convinced that public education is some sort of communism that gives undeserving children (of poor families) a leg up in life at the expense of hard-working Americans, while filling kids' heads up with socialism.
But, most of all, Republicans hate us.
Public school teachers. Because we embody EVERYTHING they hate.
We are college-educated, unionized government employees. To the GOP mind, we are the very last people who should be teaching kids anything.
And to be paid for it! Gasp! PAID! FROM MA TAXES! And they get summers off!!
Yesterday, I responded to @RadioFreeTom's thread about Russia's perpetual wandering from one oppressive regime to another, despite all the "greatness" that Russian history exhibits.
Today, I'd like to talk a bit more about "greatness" and how Russians, sadly, define it...
What is it, even, to be a "great nation"? Traditionally, it meant conquering the shit out of everyone. This was how Rome became great. Persians. The Mongols. The British Empire.
Russia became "great" in this sense of the word in 1812-1814, after its key role in defeating Napoleon
This first period of "greatness" lasted throughout the 30-year reign of Nicholas I (1825-1855). At that point, Russia was known as the "gendarme of Europe", as it helped conservative European monarchies squash all revolutionary thought or nationalist movement...
Tom asks the right questions and starts with the right premise.
The premise is: Russia has been incapable of building a free state that values individual rights or indeed of accepting these ideas as foundational values.
The questions are: Why? And WTF?
But there are answers...
The problem is that Russia, for the last 5 and a half centuries, has lived in essentially the same state. Despite all the wars, revolutions and palace coups, despite all the name changes (Muscovy, Tsardom, Empire, USSR, Federation) it has never really changed since the 1470s.
The state build by Ivan III at around that time copied the model of the Mongol Empire. Simply because Ivan had no other model to copy, as Russians were under the Mongol rule for the previous 2+ centuries.
That model was a highly centralized, absolutist monarchy...
Joe is honest and speaks from the heart, but I really have an issue with the "These voters are gettable for Democrats of only they go to their diners, hold their hands and LISTEN" narrative.
They are not gettable. They will vote for assholes over pussies. Every single time...
I'm sorry, "rust belt voters", but one mysterious soul to another, you ain't that fucking mysterious. You like Republicans BECAUSE they are assholes.
You know perfectly well that their policies won't help you. That they are there to look out for the rich.
You aren't totally blind
You know that Democrats' policies might help you. Probably in a small way, but still.
But you fucking hate Democrats anyway. And you and I both know why. You hate Democrats because their policies will help someone else more than you.
Because you are assholes. Admit it.