In today's #vatnik soup, I'll be discussing one of the most resilient and widespread conspiracies out there: World Economic Forum (WEF), The Great Reset and the "New World Order".
WEF is a lobbying organization founded by Klaus Schwab (@ProfKlausSchwab) in the 70s... 1/10
... and is best known for their annual Davos meeting where billionaires and politicians "shape global, regional and industry agendas".
The Great Reset is an initiative launched in 2020 by Schwab's club and it aims to rebuild the post-COVID-19 society in a sustainable way.
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The three key aspects of the program are: green growth, smarter growth and fairer growth. Sounds pretty demonic, eh?
Why do the Russians want to spread this conspiracy? Because it would neutralize their economic stronghold of fossil fuels.
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The Great Reset focuses on green, renewable energy that would slow down the climate warming. This paradigm shift would ruin their business model (although the war already did that...) of selling natural gas and oil to fund their war efforts.
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Many fringe groups have created conspiracies around this program, claiming that COVID-19 was created by a secret group to seize control of the global economy. This theory suggests that lockdowns and other restrictions were designed to crash the global economy ...
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...so that Schwab's socialist system could take over.
In addition, many groups and individuals claim that "deadly COVID-19 vaccines" are used to enslave humanity and reduce populations greatly.These stories often involve influential people such as Bill Gates and George Soros.6/10
Schwab has stated that his "4th Industrial Revolution" would blur the lines between real world and digital, and that it includes technologies such as AI, IoT & nanotechnology.
Based on Klaus' vision, Danish MP Ida Auken (@IdaAuken) published an essay called ...
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... "Welcome To 2030: I Own Nothing, Have No Privacy And Life Has Never Been Better" which emphasized the importance of sustainability through renting and borrowing instead of owning stuff in the near future.WEF also produced a video based on this essay.
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It was a PR disaster, and it became one of the most widely spread "evidence" for the Great Reset conspiracy theory.
Snopes has traced the origins of this conspiracy to QAnon groups and the 8kun social media site. Russell Brand made a video on it:
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One of the first countries where this conspiracy spread quickly was Canada. A British journalist Oliver Kamm has stated that the Great Reset conspiracy theory has been widely disseminated by Russian disinformation channels. It is especially popular on sites like 4chan.
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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.