'I'll Stand on the Side of Russia': Pro-Putin Sentiment Spreads Online

[Eugene]

Source: New York Times

‘I’ll Stand on the Side of Russia’: Pro-Putin Sentiment Spreads Online

After marinating in conspiracy theories and Donald J. Trump’s Russia stance, some online discourse about Vladimir Putin has grown more complimentary.


By Davey Alba and Stuart A. Thompson
Davey Alba and Stuart Thompson, tech reporters based in New York, report on online information flows.

Feb. 25, 2022
Updated 1:00 p.m. ET

The day before Russia invaded Ukraine, former President Donald J. Trump called the wartime strategy of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia “pretty smart.” His remarks were posted on YouTube, Twitter and the messaging app Telegram, where they were viewed more than 1.3 million times.

Right-wing commentators including Candace Owens, Stew Peters and Joe Oltmann also jumped into the fray online with posts that were favorable to Mr. Putin and that rationalized his actions against Ukraine. “I’ll stand on the side of Russia right now,” Mr. Oltmann, a conservative podcaster, said on his show this week.

And in Telegram groups like The Patriot Voice and Facebook groups including Texas for Donald Trump 2020, members criticized President Biden’s handling of the conflict and expressed support for Russia, with some saying they trusted Mr. Putin more than Mr. Biden.

-snip-

The positive Russia comments are an extension of the culture wars and grievance politics that have animated the right in the United States in the past few years. In some of these circles, Mr. Putin carries a strongman appeal, viewed as someone who gets his way and does not let political correctness stop him.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/25/technology/pro-russia-pro-putin-sentiment-spreads-online.html

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[Lovie777]

1. trolls . ...

[PortTack]

2. Exactly!

[Captain Zero]

3. I'll say it.

After we get all our Top Secret Documents back.

[TheRealNorth]

4. Putin-loving Fascists everywhere can go Fuck themselves.

[luvallpeeps]

7. Here here

Or hear hear.

[bobalew]

11. That's really a diffucult thing to say, since they are already performing that very act,

At the moment....

[texasfiddler]

5. I really can't post what I want to because it would violate quite a few DU rules.

I know there were pro-fascist factions in the United States prior to WWII. The 1939 Madison Square Garden "America First" Nazi rally is proof this kind of thing is not new. I will say this. These are the things worth fighting against and in theory dying for if necessary. I believe the Ukrainians understand this.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

14. Strong agreement!

[OLDMDDEM]

6. Traitors

and pond scum.

[Irish_Dem]

8. Russian psy-ops.

Propaganda experts are out in force.

[Cheezoholic]

9. All I have to say to them is.....

Go Fuck Yourselves

[Best_man23]

10. To quote the Heroes of Snake Island

Go Fuck Yourselves, Republicants.

[slightlv]

12. Idiot Magats!

I think they all should be given one-way tickets to the Russian front and Putin can conscript them, as he is conscripting Russian men, young and old. If they're so gung ho for Putin and the war, they're traitors to us. They're giving aid and comfort (at the very least) to our enemies. Let them go live under Putin's rule. They may want to come back somewhat quickly. I'd deny that process. They need to understand what "freedom" is and that it's complement is "responsibility. They need to be taught the great life lesson that actions/words have consequences. Let Putin deal with these miscreants directly; he indirectly created them.

[lambchopp59]

13. Can we exchange these traitors for LGBT Ukrainians in peril please?

Our nation could use many more "woke" folk...

[lees1975]

15. I don't think taking the pro-Putin position will turn out well

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2022/02/american-politicians-and-media.html

Ironically, many of those who are apparently siding with Putin because of the influence of a segment of the extremist right are also those who have been screaming that mask mandates and vaccination requirements are tyranny. That's a laughable comparison to the kind of tyranny that is visible in Russia under Putin every day, and it's not even close to what we are about to see unfold in Ukraine under a Putin occupation. Such ignorance is inexcusable in America.