Below are posts associated with the “Russia” tag.
🔗 linkblog: Exclusive: US could cut Ukraine's access to Starlink internet services over minerals, say sources'
I have qualms about the U.S. providing military support to any cause, but if there is such a thing as good U.S. military support, Ukraine is a clear example of it, and either way, this is an embarassment.
🔗 linkblog: Mozilla Defies Kremlin, Restores Banned Firefox Add-ons in Russia - Slashdot'
Now, this is more the Mozilla I know.
🔗 linkblog: Firefox Browser Blocks Anti-Censorship Add-Ons at Russia’s Request'
This sucks. If even Mozilla is selling out, then we’re in a real bad place.
🔗 linkblog: Russia Hides Its War Toll. We Pieced Together the Clues.'
Russia is in the wrong in this conflict, but that also means that Russians are among those being wronged.
🔗 linkblog: Musk shut off Starlink to prevent Ukraine attack on Russian ships, report says | Ars Technica'
Don’t love the idea of a fickle billionnaire having this much influence in world affairs.
🔗 linkblog: In Washington, Putin’s Nuclear Threats Stir Growing Alarm - The New York Times'
Russia is currently demonstrating just how powerful and dangerous nuclear weapons are—and, unfortunately, how complicated disarmament is.
🔗 linkblog: TikTok resists calls to preserve Ukraine content for war crime investigations | Ars Technica'
So, here’s a case where TikTok’s Chinese ownership is actually a really big deal—though, of course, YouTube and other U.S. companies have also been quicker to moderate than to archive material that could be valuable in a similar way.
🔗 linkblog: When Vladimir Putin joined George W. Bush in Crawford, Texas : NPR'
Good article on our past optimism for Putin.
🔗 linkblog: Des crimes de guerre auraient aussi été commis par des soldats ukrainiens - rts.ch - Monde'
Faut pas transformer l’Ukraine un héros irréprochable.
🔗 linkblog: Russia’s Bucha “Facts” Versus the Evidence - bellingcat'
Not that I was inclined to believe Russian cries of fake news anyway, but I still appreciate Bellingcat on the case.
🔗 linkblog: The U.S. Has Its Own Agenda Against Russia'
This kind of article is why I read The Intercept—to give me fresh perspectives on important issues.
🔗 linkblog: Nokia Busted Helping Russia’s FSB Spy On Citizens, Activists, Journalists | Techdirt'
Do not be fooled by the headline, the article’s best contribution is its indictment of U.S. politicians and companies for their complicity in this sort of thing.
🔗 linkblog: Google Ordered Translators to Replace References to Ukraine “War”'
Speaking of the non-neutrality of platforms… Granted, Google has a difficult line to walk here, but this is still disappointing.
🔗 linkblog: So how do Russian cosmonauts feel about Russia’s war on Ukraine? | Ars Technica'
This article is the most helpful thing I’ve seen on the cosmonauts’ uniform choice so far.
🔗 linkblog: Yemen Crisis Has Only Worsened, Despite Biden Pledge'
Yemen has been on my mind a lot since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but mostly because I’m belatedly realizing I haven’t been paying attention. It’s not that Ukraine doesn’t deserve our attention, it’s that Yemen has long deserved just as much. There, we’re the ones complicit in civilian deaths, and we need to own up to that.
🔗 linkblog: U.S. Condemns Russian Bombing Of Hospital As Horrific Act That Any World Power Could Theoretically Commit'
The Onion speaks uncomfortable truth. Americans must hold Putin accountable, but we meed to turn our attention inward, too.
🔗 linkblog: How KONY 2012 Trained the Audience— and YouTube — to Love Reactionary Media | by Jamie Cohen | Mar, 2022 | OneZero'
KONY 2012 has been on my mind a lot lately, and this is a good read. It doesn’t bring up why I’ve had it on the mind, though. I’m afraid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could turn into a sequel of sorts: Something important and meaningful that people glom onto because they see something oversimplified on social media.
🔗 linkblog: Millions of Leftists Are Reposting Kremlin Misinformation by Mistake'
Interesting if disconcerting story. The idea of whataboutism as misinformation is particularly disturbing, and it’s important to remember that misinformation is a non-partisan phenomenon (even if the GOP is particularly keen on it). The worst part from a personal angle is how this relates to my own struggling to balance calling out the invasion of Ukraine with knowing that I haven’t been as attentive to other conflicts that deserve my brainspace.
🔗 linkblog: Russia Can Now Jail People for 15 Years for Tweeting About the War on Ukraine'
On one hand, this is actual social media censorship, not what bad actors in the U.S. complain about. On the other, it is a reminder that even the best intentioned laws against misinformation, etc. could have unintended effects. We need to tread carefully when figuring out legal responses to social media problems.
🔗 linkblog: Russia's still eligible for the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest : NPR'
Eurovision is not supposed to be political, but it always sneaks in. My money is on a lot of sympathy votes for Ukraine’s entry, and a very low score for Russia.
🔗 linkblog: How liberal Russians are reacting to Putin’s war with Ukraine.'
Lots of important reminders in here. I also feel ashamed that I have not protested my country’s wars in the way these Russians are doing so now.
🔗 linkblog: Fox News Hosts Keep Taking Putin’s Side in the War on Ukraine'
Putin has outwitted every U.S. President since W, not necessarily because he’s smarter, but because he doesn’t operate with the same constraints U.S. presidents do. To blame this on Biden is moronic. We obviously shouldn’t let this episode of the culture war overshadow the more important crisis happening in Ukraine itself, but this appropriation of the crisis really worries me in the context of U.S. politics. These stances are largely indefensible.
🔗 linkblog: Trump Thinks Putin Is a ‘Genius’ for Invading Ukraine'
There is no denying that Putin is smart and strategic, but expressing awe instead of concern is typically Trump in its idiocy.
🔗 linkblog: The Internet Is Debunking Russian War Propaganda in Real Time'
Bellingcat does good work. It gives me hope to see people using the internet to fight back against disinformation spread by the internet, but I’m also glad the article touches on the dangers involved.
🔗 linkblog: Russia's ‘Idiotic’ Disinformation Campaign Could Still Lead to War in Ukraine'
This is terrifying on so many levels. Besides the possibility of war, the thing I’m most spooked by is the sheer cynicism of Russian efforts here. It doesn’t matter how bad the disinformation is if you can count on enough people to believe it. Trumpian, but turned up to 14.