Russia Invades Ukraine 2022

[JimFoxvog]

And of course the US is doing the exact same thing. The USA empire is engaging in a proxy war and that silly drone was aiding the war against Russia and the USA’s assets are aiding in the anti-Russia propaganda both as counter to Russian activities in our own land and in Russia.

If you think Russia or the USA isn’t doing it, then you might be looking to buy a bridge.

Yes, the USA certainly puts out anti-Russia propaganda, but I doubt there is the same degree of misinformation. A free press makes that harder. I question the claim the US doesn't know who blew up the gas pipeline, though.

[Josh]

Yes, Jim, I’m one of these disinformation agents on the Kremlin’s payroll.

Really? That surprises me. I thought you just might be listening to them without knowing it. But, your denomination is made up of honest people, so I should believe you, right?

It's also made up of (some) sarcastic people.

[Soloist]

Yes, the USA certainly puts out anti-Russia propaganda, but I doubt there is the same degree of misinformation. A free press makes that harder. I question the claim the US doesn't know who blew up the gas pipeline, though.

And what is the definition of free press?

[JimFoxvog]

Yes, the USA certainly puts out anti-Russia propaganda, but I doubt there is the same degree of misinformation. A free press makes that harder. I question the claim the US doesn't know who blew up the gas pipeline, though.

And what is the definition of free press?

The government does not arrest or kill journalists who publish accounts they disagree with.

People or corporations can still sue for libel but must make a case for malicious disregard for the truth or knowing lies. That seems reasonable to me.

The other exception I'm aware of is publishing state secrets; generally, the journalists win in court but the government keeps more secrets than I believe it should.

[Soloist]

The government does not arrest or kill journalists who publish accounts they disagree with.

People or corporations can still sue for libel but must make a case for malicious disregard for the truth or knowing lies. That seems reasonable to me.

The other exception I'm aware of is publishing state secrets; generally, the journalists win in court but the government keeps more secrets than I believe it should.

Okay well let’s engage in a theory here, let us suppose someone was killed by the US government but no main stream media reported on it other then their enemies.
Second scenario a Russian reporter was killed and reported by Russian media be an accident. The USA reported it as an assassination.
The only difference between these two scenarios is official policy yes?
Both of these happen, and both happen too often. A much easier way to control the media is through the owner or pay offs. I’ve certainly posted about the military paying off CNN, we also have reports of certain media presentations of lies that they admitted to themselves in internal mail. Why do it then? Someone higher up is ordering it.
We also know that the majority of our media is owned by just a few people.
Naturally, both sides are going to admit circumspectly to some coverups but will claim the other side is worse.
Part of the issue with world powers and us plebs is that we have no real way of determining truth about an event that took place outside of our sphere of influence.

[Szdfan]

The government does not arrest or kill journalists who publish accounts they disagree with.

People or corporations can still sue for libel but must make a case for malicious disregard for the truth or knowing lies. That seems reasonable to me.

The other exception I'm aware of is publishing state secrets; generally, the journalists win in court but the government keeps more secrets than I believe it should.

Okay well let’s engage in a theory here, let us suppose someone was killed by the US government but no main stream media reported on it other then their enemies.
Second scenario a Russian reporter was killed and reported by Russian media be an accident. The USA reported it as an assassination.
The only difference between these two scenarios is official policy yes?
Both of these happen, and both happen too often. A much easier way to control the media is through the owner or pay offs. I’ve certainly posted about the military paying off CNN, we also have reports of certain media presentations of lies that they admitted to themselves in internal mail. Why do it then? Someone higher up is ordering it.
We also know that the majority of our media is owned by just a few people.
Naturally, both sides are going to admit circumspectly to some coverups but will claim the other side is worse.
Part of the issue with world powers and us plebs is that we have no real way of determining truth about an event that took place outside of our sphere of influence.

It's actually not that subtle in Russia.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/04/worl ... kdown.html

Russia clamped down harder Friday on news and free speech than at any time in President Vladimir V. Putin’s 22 years in power, blocking access to Facebook and major foreign news outlets, and enacting a law to punish anyone spreading “false information” about its Ukraine invasion with up to 15 years in prison.

Mr. Putin signed a law that effectively criminalizes any public opposition to or independent news reporting about the war against Ukraine. Taking effect as soon as Saturday, the law could make it a crime to simply call the war a “war” — the Kremlin says it is a “special military operation” — on social media or in a news article or broadcast. Announcements that the law was coming had already pushed Russian independent media outlets to shut down in recent days, and more followed on Friday.

In addition, the government blocked access inside Russia to the websites of major Russian-language outlets that are based outside the country, and to Facebook, the social network popular with the Westward-looking urban middle class where many have posted fierce criticism of Mr. Putin’s war.

The effect of these laws has been to shut down the last vestiges of independent media within Russia.
https://rsf.org/en/country/russia

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, almost all independent media have been banned, blocked and/or declared “foreign agents”. All others are subject to military censorship.

All privately owned independent TV channels are banned from broadcasting, except for cable entertainment channels. The Russian version of Euronews was suspended by Roskomnadzor, the media regulator, on 22 March 2022. Among the big print media outlets, which have belonged to Kremlin allies for a few years, those that had preserved their independence and were under constant threat of closure, like the independent tri-weekly Novaya Gazeta, have had to suspend their publications. Radio stations are in the same situation. Media outlets that have survived are faced with very strict self-censorship because of banned themes and words, and Western social networks are gradually being blocked.

My father lives in Russia and has often been a go-to person for Western journalists reporting on church issues in Russia. He is no longer commenting to foreign journalists out of safety concerns, even though he is generally supportive (my take) of Russia.

[RZehr]

Sounds a bit like Canada to me.

[JimFoxvog]

We also know that the majority of our media is owned by just a few people.

Yes, but there are plenty of far-right and far-left media. What one ignores the other makes headlines. There are many more that attempt not to slant the news. There are also many reporters who see themselves as a truth-finding professionals who have a strong sense of professional pride and ethics, and if they can't publish in one place, they will find another. This is how the free press makes it hard to hide the facts.

In the example I gave above, some sources are repeating Russian propaganda points, but others expose them. Similarly, pro-Russian sources can expose militaristic US propaganda. We see all this because of a free press.

[mike]

So what's happening over there these days? Is there a major Russian spring offensive? I saw Zelensky visited Bakhmut today.

According to this war map, the Russians are still largely holding territories that they occupied in February of last year.



Apparently, over a year into the war now, next to nothing has changed from the early invasion in terms of who controls what territory. Is this thing a stalemate? Will the Ukrainians ever gain the ability to retake these territories? It sure seems that if Russia had the ability to take the whole, or at least a much larger piece, of the Ukraine, they would have by now. Or don't they actually want to do that? Is their intent to just keep what they have?

[mike]

Better maps at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60506682