In today's #vatnik soup I'll continue discussing propaganda and disinformation. During the information age, winning the online propaganda battle can be just as important as gaining the advantage on the traditional battlefields.
1/11
For example, 🇺🇦 is pretty much dependent on the modern weaponry from the West. These weapons will be delivered as long as the people support these efforts. If people either lose interest or start resisting them, the war will be prolonged and 🇷🇺's war efforts become stronger.
2/11
Propaganda and disinformation are by no means new phenomena. Textual "fakes" have been around since the invention of writing, and already in Ancient Rome propaganda was spread through poems and texts imprinted on coins.
3/11
WW1 was the first war in which mass media played a significant role. Propaganda in mass media had two goals: keep up the morale and keep the people informed about what occured on the battlefield: bl.uk/world-war-one/…
4/11
In WW2 the efforts to demonize the opposite side became a popular thing. Nazi Germany depicted British troops as cowards and Russians as dehumanized beasts. Propaganda leaflets that contained demoralizing messages were dropped to enemy territories from planes.
5/11
Even programs like Lend-Lease required the support from the people, and this required effective propaganda.
In Russo-Ukrainian War, we haven't really seen any technological breakthrough with propaganda and disinformation efforts.
6/11
Photo and video editing are still the most common way to spread disinformation, even though we saw some
creative use of video game material at the early stages of the war. We've seen photoshopped cocaine on Zelenskyy's table, Same Hyde's face on a Russian passport...
7/11
... fake Ukrainian fighter jets in MH17 related satellite images and Argentinian lawyers depicted as the "Ghost of Kyiv". There's also been a lot of images and videos where the context is changed. A video from military exercise in 🇫🇮 was descritbe as an preparation for war. 8/11
Photoshops are easy, fast and cheap to produce and they spread quickly around social media. Videos require much more effort, but we've seen a few. Crude and unbelievable deepfake video of Zelenskyy surrendering surfaced in March, 2022.
9/11
In the near future, most photos and videos will be done by AI. We already have algorithms such as Stable Diffusion and Dreambooth that create realistic looking photographs, and these algorithms become better all the time.
10/11
In near future, we will have interfaces that take commands such as "Ukrainian soldier burying a civilian in a forest" and then go on and create a
realistic depiction from this description.
That will truly be the age of confusion and mistrust.
11/11
• • •
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.