Sadly, Russian world war 3 is all about who controls the media narrative
The narrative has been a weapon used to juice up Americans since World War One. Death tolls are inflated to deflate confidence in opposing soldiers while instilling hope in others. The benefit of the internet is that through independent thinking, one can research for themselves another opinion. Unfortunately, we let propaganda news media do our thinking for us. We don’t feel that the truth is beneficial for us. A dislike and like bias is clearly evident in how people are responding to Putin’s “invasion’ of Ukraine. What’s the difference between what Putin is doing in Ukraine vs the west in the middle east? The answer will surprise you, unfortunately. Sadly, Russian world war 3 is all about who controls the media narrative.
“The first casualty of war is the truth-“
Hiram Johnson
Why is there power and what is the motive in controlling the narrative today? Firstly, the world is more connected that ever before. Whoever can have the most and powerful allies will be the most powerful and protect. You can send troops to allied countries to fight rather than fight on your home turf. This is why Russian dictator Vladimir Putin decided to “invade” Ukraine. Ukraine’s talks with joining Nato and setting up nuclear missiles that would arrive in Moscow in minutes is something Putin couldn’t afford. However, America is guilty of invasion that it’s using its media to stigmatize Russia for.
The war in Iraq for weapons of mass destruction that were never found. The war in Afghanistan lasted over a decade. Yet these countries were invaded, bombed, and destroyed, and decades later have yet to recover. Rather than the western media using the word invade, civilize and liberate were used. If I can convince public opinion that you need saving from ego manic dictators it’s hard to not want to save the citizens. After all, nobody likes the bad guy, except in the movies.
“How in the language of democratic theory, do great number of people feeling each so privately about so abstract a picture, develop any common will?
Walter Lippman public opinion
In real life, the public opinion of war criminals is unanimously negative. Even if war criminals are defended their country from strategic attack. While Putin wasn’t being directly attacked, letting Nato setup and Ukraine would ensure it in the future. Just ask Momar Ghadaffi of Libya who was overthrown violently by nato. America is allowed to have the highest incarceration rate in the world but wants you to hate all dictatorships.
Even with the internet access in our phones were still ignorant of the rest of the world as we were decades ago. It’s difficult for us to imagine different rules and structures in societies different from the Americas. Just because there isn’t one dictator that enables harsh murder in public of criminals isn’t an excuse. Death row, police brutality, prison industrial complex, death penalty, are just some horrific primitive dictator-like methods that could be used by other countries to invade the U.S.
Democrats and identity politics
As long as western media controls the narrative, most people won’t question what they’re being told. Nothing evokes fear like the words “Nuclear power” and “world war 3”. In fact the fear-mongering media is having a field day. Images of blown-up buildings and hurt civilians, and immigrants taking up arms is to garner our sympathy. The Ukraine president chose to put civilians’ lives in danger by arming them. Even without military experience. NATO isn’t supposed to be expanding eastward and Zalenski wants to continue talks with them. The blood is on Zalenski’s hand as much if not more than Putin. Life isn’t always black and white. Often times a few have to sacrifice or be sacrificed for the benefit of the many. Putin was in a lose-lose situation public opinion-wise, however.
When Putin was trying to be cautious and mindful of civilians. The media falsely reported he was losing the war and Zelensky armed citizens. The roller coaster of emotions the story is to continue to tug on the hearts of the people. Who doesn’t love a good underdog? Could Ukraine actually pull it off? Can they hold the Russian force in time for NATO or the west to save the day against the evil Russian regime? This is the narrative and public opinion the media wants to create. Bullets and missiles are real, unfortunately, narratives usually aren’t. The good and bad guy narratives are already set by the media. Russian world war 3 seems more likely than a China one.
“You may be able to unite them if you can find some symbol which is the antithesis of what they all hate”- Walter Lipmann public opinion
Nothing unites people faster than a commonly perceived enemy. Even if he or she is simply protecting and defending their homeland. The masses are too distracted and don’t exercise free thought to understand this. We’re being programmed to hate yet self-preservation is of if not our most basic instincts. A great example of a common enemy was former president Trump.
People united of all races and sometimes different political creeds to denounce him. The same thing is happening with Putin to set up Russian world war 3 narratives. Ironically how at least on camera Putin and Trump seemed to tolerate and enjoy one another’s company. Unfortunately, Putin has his work cut out for him..
With access to so many sources of social media, the war is also fought with online narratives. Who controls the conversation, who is the villain, and who is the hero? Why does this matter though? It appears whoever can tug the heartstrings of people and garner the most sympathy is the hero. This determines who will receive sanctions and boycotts from big business perhaps. Big corporations since black lives matter want to appear inclusive and socially conscious or are they soldier of war?. While Putin may not be worried about apple and Nike closing its stores in Russia, he learned too late how to control the narrative.
“Fear mongers are more dangerous than terrorists”-Yuval Noah Harari
Zelensky maybe being younger and an actor who understood how to relate to the masses uses his civilians as bait. Arming them as untrained soldiers. Holding immigrants hostage at the border and pleading for help in numerous videos. Zelensky thought he could outsmart Putin and that the U.S. and Nato would save him. Putin however knew that the U.S. and Nato would fail him.
Putin’s attempt to control the narrative was when he told media that Zalensky was holding 3,000 Indian college students hostage at a border. The claim couldn’t be verified and didn’t shift any momentum towards Putin for control of the narrative.
In conclusion, even a blind and deaf person can think independently to understand what’s going on her. The U.S. and Nato are forcing Putin’s hand, to push the button. Thus a Russian world war 3 seems highly possible. One would think that with so much information and news sources that people could form their own opinion. Unfortunately, emotional triggers still beat the hell out of common sense, and that is the real world war.