Welcome back to Finnish #vatnik's! Today I'll be introducing a "gentleman" who goes by the name of Juha Korhonen (.@Juha_Korh2). His main contributions for the Finnish disinformation scene are two websites:
1/8
1) MV-media (currently UMV-lehti), where he acted as an editor-in-chief during 2018-2019, and 2) Tokentube, a Youtube alternative that mostly consists of videos about conspiracy theories such as the Great Reset and WEF. 2/8
It's also home for many charismatic Christian movements, Russia apologists and disinformation spreaders.
Juha's ambitions always seem to be overshadowed by the lack of funding - most of the time he's either critisizing the Finnish government or begging for money. 3/8
Currently he is running for the Finnish parliament and is yet again asking people for money. A word of warning for those who are thinking of donating - in 2014, Juha was sentenced for embezzlement for stealing money from a local rally association. 4/8
Juha, together with Johan Bäckman (.@johanbek) and Juha Molari (.@MolariJuha) also developed a stalking habit towards journalist Jessikka Aro (.@JessikkaAro), whose phenomenal 2019 book "Putin's Trolls" revealed the truth behind Russia's disinformation machinery. 5/8
He wrote several deragotary articles about her on MV-media and even followed her in real life.Juha is also one of the few people who have been interviewed on Russian TV:he shared some half-truths and outright lies on RT about Finland's NATO membership. 6/8
Lately Juha has been involved in organizing demonstrations. His latest circle-jerk "Towards Independent Finland" gathered around 30 usual suspects from the disinfo and conspiracy groups:
7/8
As a final note, some people have been following Juha's reckless adventures throughout the years - Janne Riiheläinen (.@veitera) is a real expert on this topic. 8/8
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Russian propagandist Sergei Tsaulin. He’s best-known for spreading pro-Kremlin narratives in Estonia, fleeing to Russia after breaking several laws in Estonia, and almost getting blown up by a bomb in St. Petersburg.
1/17
For years, Tsaulin was known for organizing marches and events glorifying the Soviet Union. Under the excuse of “remembering history,” these events were nothing more than Kremlin propaganda, wrapped in a red flag with a hammer and sickle.
2/17
One of his most infamous events was the “Immortal Regiment” march, held every 9th of May, where people carried portraits of Soviet soldiers. These marches are used by Russia to push the idea that the Baltics owe their existence to the Soviets.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce a podcaster and conspiracy theorist, Joe Rogan (@joerogan). He’s best-known for launching the biggest podcast in the world, promoting various conspiracy theories, his support for Donald Trump and his anti-Ukraine rhetoric.
1/22
Joe Rogan started as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s, found fame on NewsRadio, and became a household name with Fear Factor. But his biggest impact came in 2009 when he launched The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), one of the first major podcasts.
2/22
JRE started as casual but deep conversations, often covering countercultural topics like psychedelics, MMA & hunting. Joe’s podcasting style is largely non-confrontational, often allowing his guests to share their views without significant pushback or critical questioning.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce KOOS party leader and Estonian crypto businessman Oleg Ivanov. He’s best known for running shady businesses, spreading Russian false narratives in Estonia, and participating in the pro-Kremlin political party KOOS.
1/18
As a talented youngster, Oleg learned Estonian almost flawlessly, was a promising karate athlete, and landed a job at a law firm at just 20. He caught the eye of Estonian fuel entrepreneur Endel Siff, who quickly took him under his wing.
2/18
Oleg’s father, Vladimir Ivanov, was a longtime politician from the Russian-funded United People’s Party of Estonia. His career at the town hall ended abruptly when he was caught drunk at work. After that, he went into business with his son, Oleg.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll talk about the takeover of social media by illiberal, populist influencers. For the last ten years, social media has been dominated by these voices and it is one of the main reasons for the political rise of people like Trump and Orban.
1/25
“Illiberal populists” like Trump reject democratic norms while claiming to speak for “the people.” They centralize power, attack institutions, and push nationalism over rights. Elections exist, but checks & balances erode. This is democracy in name, autocracy in action.
2/25
The media landscape has changed drastically over the past two decades. The Internet and social media have changed how we interact online & how we consume media,but it has also become our main source of news. In many ways,social media companies have control over information.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Lithuanian far-right politician and Seimas member Remigijus Žemaitaitis. He’s best known for his extremist political views and for falling for a scam that convinced him he was flying to New York to meet Elon Musk.
1/17
Like many vatniks before him, Remigijus worked as a lawyer before entering the world of politics. Once just another politician, he gradually embraced far-right nationalism and populism, following a trend seen across Europe over the past 15 years.
2/17
Instead of real policies, he tapped into fear, resentment, and anger, turning 4chan talking points into a populist political strategy. His speeches became more extreme, targeting minorities, Western institutions, and Lithuania’s support for Ukraine.