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Zelensky's Use of Social Media Is Tipping the Scales Towards Democracy
Townhall.com ^ | April 23, 2023 | Ken Blackwell

Posted on 04/23/2022 3:47:07 AM PDT by Kaslin

Right now, the fight for control of Ukraine is taking place in the skies above Kyiv and in the streets of Mariupol. However while the conflict between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the sky and on the land has ground to a stalemate, Vladimir Putin and his virtual war machine dedicated to sowing disinformation are decidedly losing the information war.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine marks the first major conflict in Europe to take place in the age of social media, an online space that Vladimir Putin has spent decades working to dominate. Over the years, Putin has carefully constructed an enormous virtual apparatus designed to confuse, disorient, and dishearten his opponents, and he’s effectively used deception and disinformation to weaken democracy abroad, all while cementing his own power in Moscow.

While Putin has earned a reputation as a master manipulator of the online world, his disinformation efforts in Ukraine have fallen flat, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has flipped the script to use social media to protect democracy against advancing authoritarianism.

Zelensky, a performer-turned-politician, has used the virality of platforms like Twitter and his mass following on sites such as Instagram to flash a bright spotlight on the war in Ukraine and rally global support to his side. Before the conflict even started, official Ukrainian government Twitter accounts made news for posting memes to draw attention to brewing Russian aggression. Since Putin’s armies have poured into Ukraine, President Zelensky’s steady stream of inspiring pictures, moments, and videos, including his now-famous request for ammunition instead of evacuation, have continued to keep attention on the war.

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Russia
KEYWORDS: barfalert; clownhall; clownworld; conservativeinc; fecesbook; fecesbuch; kenblackwell; natoaggression; neoconaggression; nwoconaggression; russia; thetwittsewer; tiktokstar; ukraine; ukrainepropaganda; undershirt; wefaggression; zelensky; zelesnkyworshippers; zulu
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To: dforest

The interesting comparison here is Winston Churchill in 1940.
Zelensky is pulling a Churchill, to the extent he can.

Churchill was very successful in the “social media” of the day, which was closely controlled under wartime restrictions.
Churchill of course had exceptional rhetorical skills and a charismatic “schtick”, as Zelensky might have put it if he’d held on to his ancestral Yiddish. Such measures of control are nicely described in Orwell’s later work, which is in the main based on his experience with the BBC, not Pravda.

But it was and is war. Needs must.

Wars are bad for all sorts of things, especially free speech.


41 posted on 04/23/2022 8:28:29 AM PDT by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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To: JonPreston
Do you know what Op-Ed stands for? Obviously you don't because you are ignorant. So I will tell you what it stands for.

The Op stands for Opinion and the Ed stands for EDITORIAL. Meaning Ken Blackwell has a right to his opinion, just like you have a right to yours.

KAPISH. Probably NOT BECAUSE YOU ARE TO IGNORANT

42 posted on 04/23/2022 8:31:27 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: buwaya

It’s safer to assume that the Pro-Putin Perverts are Russian rather than American.


43 posted on 04/23/2022 8:33:20 AM PDT by Oklahoma
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To: Oklahoma

Its interesting that nearly all have join dates going back around 20 years or so. So if they are Russians these accounts were “sleepers” planted long ago. I rather doubt that degree of pre-planning. Or it is possible that at least some of these are the result of a hack of the FR database. I doubt that, because I can’t see that it was worth the trouble.

A mystery.


44 posted on 04/23/2022 8:58:20 AM PDT by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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To: Kaslin
The Biden regime is the one spewing disinformation. Virtually nothing they have claimed about the cause of this war or the details of it is true.

What we have a propaganda machine comprised of the the establishments of both parties (globalists, neocons) all under the direction at the present time of the Biden regime.

45 posted on 04/23/2022 10:06:14 AM PDT by Kazan
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To: ZULU

Is ZULU a screen name ?

Or your agency/code name ?

/-)

Come on man,,, you’ve failed your propaganda mission

Volunteer or employed , you still failed.


46 posted on 04/23/2022 10:08:35 AM PDT by cuz1961 (USCGR Veteran )
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To: Kaslin

Last I checked the Ukraine has no democracy at all. Last I heard he was telling his opponents. That doesn’t sound like a open and free democracy to me


47 posted on 04/23/2022 10:41:53 AM PDT by rottweiller_inc (inter canem et lupum)
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To: dforest
I just said that in my post. Are you lacking reading comprehension?

No, I'm just tired of you Russian trolls making bs comparisons. So, Zelensky closed 3 tv stations, that must be just like Putin closing ALL opposing stations. Moron.

48 posted on 04/23/2022 11:07:46 AM PDT by tlozo (Trump-the Russian invasion of Ukraine is " truly a crime against humanity")
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To: rottweiller_inc
Last I checked the Ukraine has no democracy at all. Last I heard he was telling his opponents. That doesn’t sound like a open and free democracy to me

What are you talking about? After Russia invaded, Zelensky banned the pro-Russian parties. Not ANY other opponents.

49 posted on 04/23/2022 11:09:40 AM PDT by tlozo (Trump-the Russian invasion of Ukraine is " truly a crime against humanity")
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To: mac_truck
...well before Russia decided to kick NATO's ass.

What are you smoking? Russian military is having great trouble with Ukraine, NATO would obliterate Russian conventional forces.

50 posted on 04/23/2022 11:12:39 AM PDT by tlozo (Trump-the Russian invasion of Ukraine is " truly a crime against humanity")
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To: tlozo

All you have is throwing nasty names at anyone who disagrees with whatever you say. That is a guy with a losing argument and that is what leftists always do.

Doesn’t matter what thread it is. If a person disagrees they get called a nasty name and a Russian troll by a pathetic person with a Daily Mail mentality such as you are.

Have a nice day.


51 posted on 04/23/2022 12:09:58 PM PDT by dforest (We have to put a stop to this now.)
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To: JonPreston

Social media and democracy are polar opposites.


52 posted on 04/23/2022 12:13:07 PM PDT by airborne (Thank you Rush for helping me find FreeRepublic! )
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To: Kaslin
Yeah, he's a real Internet celebrity.


53 posted on 04/23/2022 12:14:44 PM PDT by McGruff (Not our circus, not our moneys)
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To: backwoods-engineer

You are ignorant. Putinbis Hitler II and when he us dine with Zelenskyy, he is coming after you - assuming you are not a Wagner Group operative.


54 posted on 04/27/2022 4:38:26 AM PDT by ZULU (HOOVER, FREEH, MUELLER, COMEY, WRAY, SUCCESSION OF STATISTS)
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To: Sirius Lee

What on earth are you babbling about and what does the Sinai peninsula have to do with anything?


55 posted on 04/27/2022 4:40:11 AM PDT by ZULU (HOOVER, FREEH, MUELLER, COMEY, WRAY, SUCCESSION OF STATISTS)
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To: tlozo

👌👌👌


56 posted on 04/27/2022 4:41:00 AM PDT by ZULU (HOOVER, FREEH, MUELLER, COMEY, WRAY, SUCCESSION OF STATISTS)
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To: cuz1961

How much has Putin been stuffing down your shorts to be a propagandist for his resurrection of the Evil Empire?

Does Munich, Chamberlain and Sudetenland ring a bell??

Is “cuz” just a word or is it because you can’t spell “because.”


57 posted on 04/27/2022 4:45:51 AM PDT by ZULU (HOOVER, FREEH, MUELLER, COMEY, WRAY, SUCCESSION OF STATISTS)
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To: ZULU

Go back to sleep, nut burger.


58 posted on 04/27/2022 5:08:37 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (They intend to murder us. Prep if you want to live and live like you are prepping for eternal life)
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To: ZULU

/-)

You got charm / s

I just am tired of my country and fellow citizens being ripped off and chewed up financially and physically protecting a border not ours when ours is being breached daily that’s all. I feel sorry for both the Ukrainians and russians being killed. Im angry the shit is stirred by the district of cartels just so they can launder tax money and cover their trail of crimes up.

/

Is “cuz” just a word or is it because you can’t spell “because.”

\/

I realize that’s meant as an insult, but I’ll answer it anyways.

First semester in college I learned how dishonest and Marxist academia was.

The English teacher I had opened my eyes and shitcanned my respect for arrogant ilk that mostly brown nosed , and fornicated, their way through school and on to degrees.

Eisenstein couldn’t get an AA in today’s academia unless he bowed and worshiped Marx and Freud.

So,,, both as a tripwire for arrogant academics that cant resist going there , and as a hat tip to some of my southern ancestry, I chose cuz for a screen name.

It’s a nickname given to me by my cousins freind because they couldn’t ever remember my name.

I like it.

Ymmv.


59 posted on 04/27/2022 6:26:11 AM PDT by cuz1961 (USCGR Veteran )
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To: ZULU

Let him come after me. I and my neighbors will stand against all the tyrants you support.


60 posted on 04/28/2022 11:55:44 AM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Hold on, y'all, 2022 is going to be a ride you won't soon forget!)
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