In 2020, I played a key role in getting Belarusian secret police commander Mike Bedunkevich and his second in command at GUBOPiK Department 3-3 sanctioned.
By, like, accident.
I made this meme to commemorate it.
Here, I'll show you how I did it.
(🧵)
By, like, accident.
I made this meme to commemorate it.
Here, I'll show you how I did it.
(🧵)
Belarus is a "preemptive authoritarian state" because its government maintains power by preempting democracy.
It does so today by using Facebook evidence of "extremism" in arbitrary arrests, as my confidential human sources showed.
It does so today by using Facebook evidence of "extremism" in arbitrary arrests, as my confidential human sources showed.
https://twitter.com/JoohnChoe/status/1598075548127072256?s=20
Thanks to #BYPOL, an organization of dissident Belarusian police, it is possible to identify the specific government agency responsible for coordinating extremism arrests with local police with extreme particularity.
It's GUBOPiK Department 3-3.
It's GUBOPiK Department 3-3.
https://twitter.com/JoohnChoe/status/1598075560562814976?s=20
Department 3 at GUBOPiK is staffed with Belarusian cops with solid records of unwavering obedience and stark brutality.
You ever see movie henchmen and wonder, who shoots at Iron Man for, like, $40k a year?
With these guys, it's simple conformism.
You ever see movie henchmen and wonder, who shoots at Iron Man for, like, $40k a year?
With these guys, it's simple conformism.
https://twitter.com/JoohnChoe/status/1598075564803248128?s=20
I made the Belarus report for Facebook, but they have nothing to do with the way that these guys actually got sanctioned.
As you might expect from token human rights activists working for tech people, they didn't even really know what to make of it.
As you might expect from token human rights activists working for tech people, they didn't even really know what to make of it.
https://twitter.com/JoohnChoe/status/1598075587486437376?s=20
There are two or three people in my life where I'll talk about them fairly openly, but you don't know who the hell they are, and that's by design.
One of them - my oldest and most patriotic friend - circulated my report to the intelligence community.
One of them - my oldest and most patriotic friend - circulated my report to the intelligence community.
https://twitter.com/JoohnChoe/status/1598075589529047040?s=20
I don't get to flex, much, doing what I do; it's not like anyone is like "YEAAAAH, I SANCTIONED THAT DUDE! HIGH FIVE!"
Ever, really.
That's fine at some level. That's the nature of this kind of patriotism.
Because patriotism is about deeds, not about words.
Ever, really.
That's fine at some level. That's the nature of this kind of patriotism.
Because patriotism is about deeds, not about words.
Trumpers these days, the way they use the word "patriotism", is a lot closer to "jingoistic sanctimony". Patriotism is even derided as conformism these days; and this is all in the context of our country which has, let us not forget, been at war for over 90% of its existence.
This is different patriotism than what I see my peers doing.
For me, it seems patriotic to try to sketch out a world where, simply put, we don't fucking bomb people to get the policy outcomes we want, and to try to play some part in that.
It's the Cold War 2.0. I accept it.
For me, it seems patriotic to try to sketch out a world where, simply put, we don't fucking bomb people to get the policy outcomes we want, and to try to play some part in that.
It's the Cold War 2.0. I accept it.
You don't get to talk about it a lot, which is why I try to make somewhat of a minor big deal (for today at least) about it when it does come up.
It's probably not obvious given my tendency towards circumlocution, but... I'm proud of this.
And it's time for the next customer 😉
It's probably not obvious given my tendency towards circumlocution, but... I'm proud of this.
And it's time for the next customer 😉
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