Unbeknownst to many Americans, a disinformation war against Ukraine is being promulgated by politicians and media personalities with hoax stories that Ukraine funding will bankrupt America or Ukraine is full of Nazis. All Americans should stop aiding and abetting Russia’s genocide by spreading this plethora of false information around.
First, those placing Nazi labels on ethnic Ukrainians are committing atrocities against adults and children. This harkens back to Germany’s humiliation of Jews living in Europe in the 1930’s prior to the Holocaust. Those living in Ukraine are no different than Americans, and merely want to live in a country with peace, liberty and freedom.
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Presidential candidates Donald Trump, Robert Kennedy, Jr. and some disinformed Americans advocating peace are unwittingly acting as quasi (unpaid) agents for Russia. They don’t understand Russia’s motivation for peace is a ploy for a temporary pause aimed at rebuilding their forces for future escalation of atrocities.
In recent decades Russia waged war in Moldova, carpet bombed Chechnya, invaded Georgia, and bombed Syrian cities to rubble. Currently, Russian forces in Ukraine are committing rape, murder, torture, terror, child kidnapping and ethnic cleansing. Peace is implausible since Russia plans to eradicate Ukraine’s National identity and its 40 million people.
Recently, far-right media sensation, Tucker Carlson, concocted a fantastic web of disinformation that Ukraine was persecuting Christians. Carlson, highly applauded by Russia and America’s far right, conveniently ignored Russia’s torture and imprisonment of Crimean Muslim Tartars, arrests of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and bombing of 500 Ukrainian churches. Russia is the country that persecutes Christians, priests or anyone opposed to their genocidal war.
US Must Address Russian Disinformation to Strengthen US Election Integrity
One of the most influential critics of Ukraine aid, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), sits on the House Homeland Security Committee. Greene, who is adored by the far right, has stated “not a penny more for Ukraine.” Her logic seems badly flawed considering $44 billion already spent on military aid is an investment for the defense of Ukraine and Europe. Halting military aid would likely give Russia a victory and a gift in the form of abandoned US weapons and munitions.
Of course, those Americans blindly repeating disinformation should be forgiven. Obviously, they’ve never been in wartime Ukraine to interview traumatized refugees. Instead, they’re being misled by influential politicians (on the far right and left) and media personalities indulging in their own self-serving agenda. Propaganda works by continuously repeating deception which eventually becomes accepted as gospel truth and spread throughout America.
Fox News host, Laura Ingraham, repeatedly castigates Ukraine funding for seemingly nonsensical reasons. During a July 21, 2023, broadcast she mentioned a $1.3 billion Ukraine package. This is a miniscule amount compared to the $813 billion FY 2023 defense budget and no reason for panic.
As of September, 2023 the US has spent $44 billion in security assistance since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. For comparison this means that for every thousand dollars of Gross Domestic Product, American taxpayers spent roughly one dollar. This is the cheapest method available for America’s defense. Those advocating “not a penny more for Ukraine” should take note: Ukraine soldiers are fighting NATO’s war, so that untold thousands of American soldiers aren’t fighting and dying.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, the kingpin of propaganda, has brainwashed Americans with geopolitical nonsense. Putin claimed Russia’s war was justified in order to cleanse Ukraine of Nazis and false claims that Ukraine’s national identity doesn’t exist. He conveniently failed to mention that Russia’s official Press Agency Ria Novosti altered the definition of Nazi to include anyone who identifies as “Ukrainian.” Based on this fallacy, a six-year-old Ukrainian boy killed from a missile strike on Oct. 5 would be considered a Nazi.
Perhaps the most damaging disinformation comes from faulty polls that Congress uses to gauge their support for Ukraine. A recent CNN poll claiming most Americans oppose Ukraine aid seems suspect for faulty results. Participants in future polls should be provided advanced historical, financial and geopolitical information about Ukraine.
War evokes rabid emotions in humans so that truth gets quashed by deception. During the last century, Germany’s infamous Nazi politician, Joseph Goebbels, effectively used propaganda to justify the holocaust. In the 21st century Russia has perfected and expanded propaganda so that Russians and Americans are being brainwashed for Russia’s nefarious benefit.
Those who value truth and sanctity of human life must support Ukraine to prevent Russian aggression from spreading. If tyrannical regimes and terrorists continue to invade sovereign countries undeterred, the world may repeat the chaotic disorder and genocidal transgressions of the last century.
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.
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