Post

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
Click again on or Share Via icon
Click on Copy Link to Tweet
Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
More info at Twitter Help

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

Jan 1, 2023 • 13 tweets • 8 min read • Read on X

Scrolly

@TheGrayzoneNews

In today's #vatnik soup I'll introduce one of the biggest disinformation and propaganda blogs on the web: The Grayzone (@TheGrayzoneNews). It's best known for misleading reporting, disinformation and love of authoritarian regimes and dictators.

1/13

Basically, if somewhere around the world there is an authoritarian leadership, Grayzone boys and girls will be quickly licking their boots. Same goes for genocide: if one is happening somewhere around the world, these "journalists" will deny it.

2/13

@maxblumenthal

Grayzone was established by Max Blumenthal (@maxblumenthal) after his visit to RT's 10th anniversary party in Moscow. Allegedly the trip was paid for by the Kremlin.The main contributors of the site at the moment are Blumenthal, Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate), ...

3/13

@KitKlarenberg

... Kit Klarenberg (@KitKlarenberg), Max's partner Anya Parampil (@anyaparampil) and Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi).

Most profilic Grayzone bloggers have either visited RT/Sputnik shows as a guest or worked for them in the past.

4/13

Incidentally, their narratives are often in line with Russia's disinformation campaigns. Regarding the war in Ukraine, they have falsely reported that Ukraine uses civilians as human shields & that Mariupol theater massacre was staged by the Azov Battalion to provoke NATO.

5/13

@NermaJelacic

Grayzone bloggers have been a target of harsh criticism in the past. For example, Nerma Jelacic (@NermaJelacic) described them as "a Kremlin-connected online outlet that pushes pro-Russian conspiracy theories and genocide denial."

6/13

Academic writer Gilbert Achcar described Grayzone beautifully by saying that it's "pro-Putin, pro-Assad 'left-wing' propaganda combined with gutter journalism".Grayzone's invitation to Web Summit 2022 held in Lisbon, Portugal, was cancelled which made the bloggers pretty mad.7/13

https://twitter.com/themattdimitri/status/1287355528205615106

The blog & especially Max has also taken a stance on Chinese abuse against the Uyghur Muslim minority:

https://twitter.com/themattdimitri/status/1287355528205615106

Between Dec 2019 & Feb 2021, CCP-controlled media cited Max's blog at least 313 times. Blumenthal has also appeared on China's TV news channel CGTN.
8/13

@RealAlexRubi

They've also attacked NAFO, Georgian Legion and their crowdfunding efforts, suggesting that the rapid growth of NAFO was not organic. People actually tend to side with the defending country whose civilians are being murdered, @RealAlexRubi! Alex also doxxed a NAFO key figure.9/13

@neil_abrams

Maté likes to talk write about the Minsk agreement and "CIA-funded Ukrainian neo-nazis"

For example political scientist Neil Abrams (@neil_abrams) has debunked many of Aaron Maté's claims on Twitter, you can see a comprehensive list of them here:

https://twitter.com/neil_abrams/status/1593604628603715587

10/13

The thing about all of these bloggers is that when you ask them about atrocities done by Russia, Nicaraguan government, al-Assad regime, China or other authoritarian regime, they fall silent.

11/13

They will not discuss these topics at all, and that's how you know that they're not journalists that study matters objectively, but rather propagandist bloggers who side with dictators and murderers.

12/13

https://twitter.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1587377072200208384

An organization funding Al-Assad apologists rewarded some Grayzone bloggers back in 2019: bellingcat.com/news/2019/09/3…

By the way Max, who funds your little blog?

Related soups:
Max Blumenthal:

https://twitter.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1587377072200208384

13/13

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

More from @P_Kallioniemi

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

Jun 6

In today’s Vatnik Soup, we introduce Vincent Bolloré, a French billionaire and media tycoon. He’s best known for building a powerful media empire and for reshaping editorial lines across French media and publishing, pushing them toward far-right and pro-Kremlin positions.

1/25

Born in 1952 in Boulogne-Billancourt to a family of industrialists, Vincent studied law at Paris Nanterre University. He took over the family business and turned it into a sprawling conglomerate spanning logistics, port infrastructure in Africa, advertising, and media.

2/25

Bolloré’s African logistics empire also became the subject of a long-running corruption investigation in France. Legal proceedings against Vincent Bolloré personally are still ongoing, with a trial planned in December, after a judge refused to approve a plea deal.

3/25

Read 25 tweets

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

Jun 4

In today’s Vatnik Soup, we’ll introduce an American conspiracy theorist, podcaster & antisemite, Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO). She’s best known for spreading conspiracy theories, attacking Ukraine, promoting pro-Kremlin BS, and becoming a favorite of Russian state media.

1/21

Candace started her career as an intern at Vogue magazine but later moved into political commentary. Her early career focused on criticizing Republicans, calling their antics “bat-shit crazy.” In 2016, her blog even published an article about Trump’s penis size.

2/21

That same year, she launched a doxxing website called SocialAutopsy. In response, people began posting Owens’s personal information online. During the controversy, she gained support from figures such as @Nero and @Cernovich. And just like that, she became a conservative.

3/21

Read 23 tweets

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

May 27

In today’s Wumao Soup, we’ll talk about Taiwan, the sovereign country the Chinese Communist Party insists is not a country, but constantly threatens to invade just like a country, while the “antiwar” crowd is eagerly encouraging them to start that war, endangering millions.

1/20

Taiwan is a country, a state. It has its own territory, government, army, police, courts, taxes, passports and elections, just like any other country.

The only difference? Its neighbor, imperialist China, wants to invade it, and other countries try to please the big bully.

2/20

Taiwan’s official name is the Republic of China, or ROC. The ROC was founded in 1912, after the fall of the Qing dynasty. The People’s Republic of China, or PRC, was founded by democidal dictator Mao Zedong and his communist party, in 1949, after fighting against the ROC.

3/20

Read 20 tweets

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

May 25

In today’s Vatnik Soup, we’ll introduce Russian propaganda operations around military targets like Starobilsk. For over a decade, the Kremlin has used similar strategies, combining crisis actors, “independent journalists” and fabricated evidence.

1/13

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1611980244252258304

First, let’s go back to 2014. Russia funded separatist groups and sent its mercenaries to Donbas, which led to the creation of two puppet states, Donetsk and Luhansk, governed by Russian propagandists and soldiers like Igor Girkin.

2/13

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1611980244252258304

The fake genocide was touted as one of the main reasons for Russia’s war during the early stages of the full-scale invasion, and the claim was made even by Putin himself. Before his mutiny, late Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said that all this was fabricated bullshit.

3/13

Read 14 tweets

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

May 11

In this 9th Debunk of the Day, we’ll discuss “legitimate military targets”. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine, with no declaration of war, hiding behind a “special military operation”. Yet vatniks & useful idiots pretend Russia has any legitimate or lawful targets in Ukraine.

1/8

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1938237244537479275

Russia started the war in 2014 by seizing Crimea with unmarked soldiers, “little green men”. Russians have been waging an undeclared, illegal war with endless war crimes ever since, whether it’s kidnapping of Ukrainian children with genocidal intent…

2/8

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1938237244537479275

… the concentration camps for Ukrainians under occupation, conscripting Ukrainians from occupied territories, or the terrorist, deliberate bombing of civilians, including their infamous “double tap” strikes.

So no, Russia does not have any “legitimate targets” in Ukraine.

3/8

Read 8 tweets

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

May 1

In today’s Vatnik Soup, we introduce Hasan Piker, a Turkish-American streamer and millionaire. He’s best known for his champagne socialism, rabid criticism of the US and Israel, support for the Soviet Union and for Chinese and Russian invasions, and for mistreating his dog.

1/20

Born in 1991, Piker grew up in a privileged and well-connected environment. His father held senior roles at big corporations and his uncle, Cenk Uygur, is the founder of The Young Turks media network. He graduated cum laude from Rutgers, a top-tier university in New Jersey.

2/20

His main activity and primary source of income consists of hours-long livestreams on Twitch where he comments on news and yells at videos. He also keeps his dog in place the whole time with a shock collar.

3/20