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Best of the Web: Ukraine's propaganda machine is vital for Zelensky: Here is how it works

Petr Lavrenin
RT
Sun, 11 Jun 2023 20:22 UTC
Zelensky
© GettyUkrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is seen on a big screen at the Council of Europe summit. Ukraine's propaganda machine is vital for Zelensky: Here is how it works Kiev is waging an extensive information war against Russia and it began long before the military conflict.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict isn't just about the clash of armed forces on the battlefield. It has also been marked by unprecedented levels of confrontation in the fields of information and psychology, cognition and semantics.

Kiev has arguably achieved more success on the information front, than on the ground. There the "fighters" aren't just journalists and information and psychological warfare specialists, but content makers and PR experts. Influencing the psyche, mindset, and emotions of ordinary people has become a big deal, as shaping Western public opinion is vital for President Vladimir Zelensky's regime.

The symbols of war

Anyone familiar with advertising and PR knows that tying an product to a colorful, memorable symbol, or slogan, will boost its popularity, especially in this era of short attention spans. During wartime, the same strategy works just as well with the news as with advertising and election campaigns.
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Magnify

On the Ukraine counter-offensive, finally the bull charged

Scott Ritter
scottritterextra.com
Sat, 10 Jun 2023 10:14 UTC
matador
Finally the bull charged, the horse leaders ran for the barrera, the picador hit too far back, and the bull got under the horse, lifted him, threw him onto his back.

Zurito watched. The monos, in their red shirts, running out to drag the picador clear. The picador, now on his feet, swearing and flopping his arms. Manuel and Hernandez standing ready with their capes. And the bull, the great, black bull, with a horse on his back, hooves dangling, the bridle caught in the horns. Black bull with a horse on his back, staggering short-legged, then arching his neck and lifting, thrusting, charging to slide the horse off, horse sliding down. Then the bull into a lunging charge at the cape Manuel spread for him.

Ernest Hemingway, The Short Stories
Finally the bull charged.

The long-awaited Ukrainian counter-offensive has finally begun. After months of handwringing and speculation, the western investment in Ukrainian military might has been put on display for the whole world to see — billions of dollars of advanced weaponry, drawn from NATO stocks, manned by Ukrainian soldiers who have been trained by NATO instructors, and whose actions have been shaped by NATO intelligence and directed by NATO planners. Let there be no doubt — this is a NATO offensive, a sad reflection on the reality that what was once called a simple proxy conflict has morphed into so much more — direct force-on-force combat between the collective west and Russia.
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Bullseye

Ex-Pakistani PM Imran Khan claims US plotted against him after Russia deal


RT
Sun, 11 Jun 2023 10:08 UTC
imran khan
© Getty Images / Carl Court/Getty Images
Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan, who was arrested last month on corruption charges, has claimed in a wide-ranging interview with Newsweek published on Saturday that the United States exerted diplomatic pressure to remove him from office last year.

Speaking to the US publication, Khan said he visited Russia on the same day that Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 - and that while he didn't agree with the motives behind the offensive, he refused calls to condemn the action, so as to not jeopardize a trade agreement.

The US "wanted us, through the United Nations, to condemn Russia," said Khan, who explained that his government had arranged an agreement to import "cheap oil" and wheat from Moscow. "If we condemn them right now, what about the impact it's going to have on our population?"
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Red Pill

CIA informed Belgium about Ukraine's role in Nord Stream sabotage


RT
Sat, 10 Jun 2023 10:03 UTC
Nord Stream 2
© AFP / John MacDougallFloating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) Neptune is pictured behind a container painted with a map showing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
The CIA notified its Belgian equivalent, the ADIV, about Ukraine's possible involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines shortly before the incident occurred last September, well-informed sources have told the newspaper De Tijd.

The data on the undersea explosions, which crippled a key component of Europe's energy infrastructure, was provided on a strictly confidential basis by US foreign intelligence, the Belgian outlet wrote in its report on Saturday.

The people who spoke to the paper noted that the CIA did not reveal where it obtained the information pointing to Kiev's responsibility, citing the need to protect their sources.


Comment: There is no reason for the CIA to reveal a source when they were the ones responsible for the Nord Stream bombing.


Brussels has refrained from publicly speaking about Ukraine's alleged role in the sabotage, over concerns that it could cause "high tensions" in the Western alliance with Ukraine while the conflict with Russia continues, according to De Tijd.
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Megaphone

More than ten NATO states don't want Ukraine to join


RT
Sun, 11 Jun 2023 09:59 UTC
stoltenberg zelensky
© AFP / Dimitar Dilkoff
More than ten NATO member states out of 31 don't want Ukraine to join the US-led military bloc, Igor Zhovkva, the deputy head of Vladimir Zelensky's office, has stated.

Kiev already has 20 signed declarations of support for its NATO bid, Zhovkva wrote on Facebook on Saturday. This means that 11 member states have so far refused to back Kiev's application.

Zhovkva published his post hours after Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed a document in Kiev that signaled Ottawa's consent to Ukraine becoming a part of NATO.

"The joint declaration clearly fixes backing for Ukraine's membership of NATO from the Canadian side as soon as conditions permit this. This is the strongest wording among all G7 countries that are NATO members," Zhovkva wrote.

Comment: In the end it will only matter what the US wants. The rest of NATO just follows along according to the dictates of the Americans.

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Book 2

WEF calls for AI to rewrite Bible, create 'religions that are actually correct'

Frank Bergman
Slay News
Sat, 10 Jun 2023 12:57 UTC
harari schwab
A top official with the World Economic Forum (WEF) has called for religious scripture to be "rewritten" by artificial intelligence (AI) to create a globalized "new Bible."

Yuval Noah Harari, the senior advisor to the WEF and its chairman Klaus Schwab, argues that using AI to replace scriptures will create unified "religions that are actually correct."

Harari, an influential author and professor, made the call while giving a talk on the "future of humanity."

Comment: Harari is a puzzling person. He always seems to be saying the quiet part loud with a frankness that most elites would reserve for private back rooms at Davos. It's like he expects all of us plebs to be as excited about his psychopathic visions of the future as he is, visions which have us either completely wiped out, enslaved or mind-hacked. Can't wait!

See also:

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Vader

NYT outlines what Ukrainian counteroffensive 'success' means in the West


RT
Sun, 11 Jun 2023 06:53 UTC
A Ukrainian Leopard 2 tank and several Bradley fighting vehicles destroyed by the Russian forces in Russia’s Zaporozhye Region.
© Telegram / Russia's Defense MinistryA Ukrainian Leopard 2 tank, supplied by Germany, and several American Bradley fighting vehicles destroyed by the Russian forces in Russia’s Zaporozhye Region.
US and EU officials concede that Kiev reclaiming all territories lost to Russia is "highly unlikely," the paper claims.

The West would consider Ukraine's counteroffensive a success if Kiev were to retake key areas lost to Moscow or deliver a "debilitating" blow to Russian forces, the New York Times has reported, citing US and EU officials.
"Much rides on the outcome" of the counteroffensive as it will likely impact further Western military support for Ukraine and future discussions on security guarantees for the country, the US paper said in an article on Saturday.
Publicly, US and EU officials claim it's up to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to decide what to define as a success in the long-awaited operation, the NYT noted.

Comment: See also:

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Bad Guys

Best of the Web: Will the elites ever behave? Aspirational oligarchs could spark a revolution

Peter Turchin and Mary Harrington
UnHerd
Sat, 10 Jun 2023 03:08 UTC
elites
© Jack Taylor/Getty ImagesOff-duty masters of the universe
Why do even the mightiest societies collapse? In his new book End Times, complexity scientist Peter Turchin blames both "elite overproduction" and a malign "wealth pump" that funnels spoils to the super rich. His theory of societal apocalypse is rooted in science: using mathematical models drawn from vast datasets of human history, he claims to be able to predict future tumult. He has been proved right before: in 2010, in an article for Nature, he predicted the West's decade of populist instability.

This week, he spoke to Mary Harrington at the UnHerd Club about populism, Tucker Carlson, and how to swerve the next big catastrophe. Below is an edited transcript.

Mary Harrington: Peter, tell us the thesis behind your fascinating new book.

Peter Turchin: Ever since the ancient Greek historian Polybius wrote about how the Roman Empire was able to grow quite so relentlessly, people have also tried to explain why societies collapse.

There are many different theories, but the only way to adjudicate is with mathematical modelling. First of all, you translate those theories into mathematical language, so that the predictions follow inevitably from their premises. Then you bring on lots of data to work out which theory best fits the reality.
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Attention

Pathocracy: All-ages drag show held on Parliament Hill

Elie Cantin-Nantel
True North
Fri, 09 Jun 2023 02:38 UTC
canada drag show
Liberal cabinet ministers attended an all-ages drag show on Parliament Hill this week.

Women and gender equality and youth minister Marci Ien shared pictures of the drag event Thursday, which was held following the raising of the progress pride flag to kick off what the government calls "2SLGBTQI+ Pride Season."


Comment: This should not exist. The position, or the season.


"Let's embrace the beauty and power of this art, recognizing its rich history and its ability to foster acceptance and unite us."


"Drag is a vibrant and diverse form of art, it's about expressing yourself and pushing boundaries," said Ien. "From timeless glamour to cutting-edge creativity, their energy is truly unforgettable."

Ien shared several photos of the drag show, including one featuring a young child - indicating the event was not exclusive to adults.
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Target

Former President Donald Trump charged in classified documents probe

Julie Kelly
American Greatness
Thu, 08 Jun 2023 00:00 UTC
Fist in air
© James Devaney/GC ImagesFormer President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower May 31, 2023
Former President Donald J. Trump has been indicted in the district court in Miami on federal counts stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith's months-long investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents.

The indictment represents the first time in U.S. history a former president will face criminal charges. Trump announced the indictment Thursday night on Truth Social.

In a post at 7:21 p.m. eastern time, Trump said:
"The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax, even though Joe Biden has 1850 Boxes at the University of Delaware, additional Boxes in Chinatown, D.C., with even more Boxes at the University of Pennsylvania, and documents strewn all over his garage floor where he parks his Corvette, and which is "secured" by only a garage door that is paper thin, and open much of the time."
He will surrender to authorities in Miami on Tuesday.

Exact charges are unclear; the New York Times reports that the former president faces seven counts. Those charges potentially include obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and unlawful retention of classified material.

Comment: DOJ is pulling out all the stops in piling up 'criminal' charges:
NBC News soon after confirmed the indictment, which is the second time in recent months that Trump has been criminally charged. He remains under criminal investigation by the Department of Justice and a Georgia state prosecutor for his efforts to reverse his loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

The specifics of the latest charges against Trump are not public, as the indictment is sealed for now.

Trump's attorney, James Trusty, in an interview with CNN, said the charges include false statements, conspiracy to obstruct and willfully retaining documents in violation of the Espionage Act. Those charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if Trump is convicted, though the actual sentence would likely be lower because of federal sentencing guidelines.

Trump, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is the only U.S. president, former or otherwise, ever to be criminally charged. A Trump political action committee immediately began fundraising off news about the latest indictment.

In a video statement Thursday, Trump called the new charges "election interference at the highest level."

On Truth Social, Trump wrote:
"I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States. I AM AN INNOCENT MAN! This is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America."
Until this week, it was publicly known only that a grand jury in federal court in Washington, D.C., was hearing testimony and reviewing evidence related to the documents investigation of Trump, while a separate grand jury in the same courthouse investigated his attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.

But earlier this week it was revealed that another grand jury in U.S. District Court in Miami also had been collecting evidence in the documents probe. That disclosure raised the prospect that Trump would be criminally charged in Florida, not in Washington.

On Wednesday, a top Trump aide, Taylor Budowich, testified before the grand jury in Miami. Later that same day, NBC News and other media outlets reported that Trump had been formally notified that he was a target of the criminal probe, a step typically taken shortly before a person is indicted.
This snowballing vendetta indicates the level of desperation to keep Trump tied up in litigation and out of the running. Payback will be a bitch.

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