Pekka Kallioniemi Profile picture
Jan 1, 2023 13 tweets 8 min read Read on X
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
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
... 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
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
The blog & especially Max has also taken a stance on Chinese abuse against the Uyghur Muslim minority:
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
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
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:

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
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:

13/13

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More from @P_Kallioniemi

Apr 1
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.

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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 Image
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.

3/17 Image
Read 18 tweets
Mar 28
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.

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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.

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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.

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Read 23 tweets
Mar 27
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 Image
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 Image
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.

3/18 Image
Read 19 tweets
Mar 26
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.

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“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 Image
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.

3/25 Image
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Read 26 tweets
Mar 25
Ladies and gents, it's time for some "Houthi PC small group" memes!

I'll start with my favorites, post yours below 👊🇺🇸🔥 Image
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Read 7 tweets
Mar 24
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.

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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.

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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.

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Read 18 tweets

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