[OC] Friendly reminder: Putin’s trolls operate on sites like reddit EVERY DAY, stoking hatred and division. They want to obliterate reasonable discussion. See what has happened to the US? We cannot let Europe follow suit. IMO the antidote to their poison is simple: be curious, not judgmental.
![[OC] Friendly reminder: Putin’s trolls operate on sites like reddit EVERY DAY, stoking hatred and division. They want to obliterate reasonable discussion. See what has happened to the US? We cannot let Europe follow suit. IMO the antidote to their poison is simple: be curious, not judgmental.](https://meta.cdns.win/en/2025/03/OC-Friendly-reminder-Putins-trolls-operate-on-sites-like-reddit-860x648.webp)
Whenever you feel angry after reading something on the social media, ask yourself: was that the goal of the thing you read, to make you feel angry?
Just waiting for the first trolls to say OP is telling bs.
They have been doing this for over a decade, with the goal of obliterating reasonable political discussion and common ground – liberals to think of all conservatives as fascists, and conservatives to think of all liberals as communists.
And like I said, I think the antidote to their poison is simple: to quote Ted Lasso “Be curious, not judgmental,” in your discussion on- and offline. The hard part is that you have to do it again and again, no matter what you encounter. (Not easy.)
And this is most likely also done by other bad actors who profit from divisions within Europe, but Putin has the most to gain right now.
Good luck, European friends – remember that there’s more that unites us than divides us 🤝🇪🇺
The only way to combat disinformation is more information. The only way to combat hate speech is more speech. Not less.
Using the brain and thinking for oneself seems somewhat of a lost art in 2025, but with the multitude of data points, it can still make a comeback.
This is why it’s so important to call it out. As soon as you see it call it out.
We are in the misinformation age. But we can win with the truth.
And for the love of god. Use critical thinking, and diversify sources.
Social media must be regulated. kYC
Social media is used since years as a single world wide massive lie and disinformation platform.
I am absolutely convinced that MAGA and Trump, Brexit and so many far right movements wouldnt exist without Social Media.
Sources:
[https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/maxseddon/documents-show-how-russias-troll-army-hit-america](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/maxseddon/documents-show-how-russias-troll-army-hit-america)
[https://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-russian-trolls-ban-photos-examples-posts-2018-4](https://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-russian-trolls-ban-photos-examples-posts-2018-4)
[https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10584609.2020.1718257](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10584609.2020.1718257)
Putin’s Trolls by Jessikka Aro. Overview here: [https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jessikka-aro/putins-trolls/](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jessikka-aro/putins-trolls/)
For tolerance to remain -paradoxically- the intolerant at either side of the discussion must not be tolerated!
As long as we talk about our differences with respect, we are winning. Those who don’t CANNOT be allowed at the table.
They’re also trying to drive a wedge between Europe and the US.
Yes, Trump and the US actions are completely off the mark but it is not nearly as dire as people suggest.
The trolls also actively try to make you get more hysterical and fearful, take a breath before reading and falling into it.
we have a block button for a reason, but i do wonder, there are definitely people among us that try to find problems in everything 2, but i do wonder how many have been Russian.
You need to recognize them, they should be flagged and people should immediately block them.
Also fake news or misleading with a purpose, should be punished by law. If you write an article online or on paper, that create a fake news and or a misleading information, you should be punished. Comments with fake news without a source, should be automatically deleted.
We have to restore the information to be reliable again also with punishment.
What i find funny about these sort of posts is that youre right but will only accuse rightwing opinions of being russian trolls
most Reddit users are judgmental first. Look at any post criticizing Ukraine or the EU.
Have you played a lot of darts Ted?
Not about curiosity is about just spotting obvious attempts to trigger people and spread misinformation look up the misinformation.
Canadian here. Yes, trolling is a weapon now. I (and I suspect most people) are quite cordial on the internet. Don’t feed the trolls!
Delete ALL social media from your phone, its bliss.
They aren’t the only ones. Back when France stopped supporting US imperialism for a little bit US ran camping to make France look like a joke online, that’s where the France sucks memes come from.
As much as i despise Putin i have no doubt the americans did this to themselves.
Im old enough to remember how the republicans treated bill clinton bacause of monica lewinsky and they were just as they are now,the topics have changed,they are now going after other countries instead of just usas other party but the whole “im so holy i get to judge you ” , while acting wildly hateful and without any kindness or concern for anything or anyone,all that matters is power and money and to get more of both.
🇪🇺❤️
It’s amazing to look at the upvotes on this one. They’re doing their best to Down vote the Message.
Also sometimes, their interjections can be quite subtle. By way of a reply to or adding of a comment they introduces some form of doubt in to the readers minds about the veracity or purpose of something.
Also I am pretty sure that some or many of the quite MAGA comments about Ukraine, Zelensky, Foreign Aid are foreign trolls whipping up negative opinions.
In the same way that we have TV ads warning of stranger danger on the internet for kids, we could well do with a public services reminder about the same for ‘us adults’.
I would love if there was a internet forum where identitification to a real person is almost guaranteed correct – in the same way that banks for example perform identity verification through national ID documents, proof of residence and selfie checks.
Europe needs its own troll farms. I know that’s unpopular but it isn’t inconceivable that propaganda in favor of European values be posted on the internet by the EU and member countries. Remember “Keep Calm and Carry On” in Britain? Release the bots Europe!
Thank you for this. This over emotionalization of everything and everyone seemingly everyhwere nowadays is not only super exhausting, it is divisive and counterproductive. Unfortunately you have non-trolls/public figures doing this these days so I am not sure the trolls are to blame for everything.
Reddit is being affected by manipulation from all sides so lets not play pretend that only russians do it. But I understand that just pointing out the russian propaganda helps you maintain your bias, letting you dismiss everything else as muh russians.
Wef literally hired thousands of people to do damage control on their behalf, usa has been doing this shit since forever and probably every country does it one way or another. Remember the memory holed story about how china had infiltrated large amounts of big companies? Yeah, but that surely isn’t important since they’re communists and that’s a good thing nowadays.
You’re all being played while living in the delusion of thinking you’re on the right side as if there are any.
Westerners when you make a racist post:😡🫣
Westerners when you make a racist post about Russia:😂🥰🤩🤗
I’d say pin-worthy. Very quick to the point in this propaganda war is important for people to grasp it.