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Modern Russian propaganda is not all that similar to anything the Soviet Union was interested in. There is no serious ideological backbone to it. It's all abou

Modern Russian propaganda is not all that similar to anything the Soviet Union was interested in. There is no serious ideological backbone to it. It's all about putting out multitudes of conflicting narratives, giving people the "choice" to latch onto the ones they sympathize with most closely, and undermining the very concept of truth, democracy etc. "alternative facts", if you will. Timothy Snyder's description is more accurate to what goes on in the modern day state of Russia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um-SEQDQidM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um-SEQDQidM (particularly starting around 18m26s and later at 39m19s) Also the CIA questioned Bezmenov and found that he couldn't answer questions that he ought to know the answers to, about basic things like who his chain of command were.

sorokod 4y ago
There is no serious ideological backbone to it You are too kind, there is no ideological backbone at all.
- jabl 4y ago
  Sure there is. I mean, there's no ideology that promises a better future for the common man, like communism, but ideology there is; Imperialism, glory of the motherland, a peculiarly Russian variant of "Manifest destiny", power of the state, domination of lesser peoples, etc. Fascism, if you like.
  - sorokod 4y ago
    What motherland can be offered to the about 30% of non ethnic Russians? Just more of the corrupt same. How would motherland that follows a victory (even what constitutes victory is not defined by the Russian government) differ from the motherland the follows some other outcome?
    - jabl 4y ago
      Sure, it's corrupt shit, no argument there. And really, what's being offered for the other 70% if not pain and suffering, for the make believe goal of glory of the tsar? Sure, they might be treated a lot better than the non ethnic Russians, but it's not paradise for them either.
sebastianconcpt 4y ago
Like "choose your favorite lie"?
philwelch 4y ago
Modern Russia is fundamentally not the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union, at least according to its own mythology, was an instantiation of communist ideology. Modern Russia is not an ideological state in the same way; if it's motivated by anything, it's base nationalism.
- etiam 4y ago
  Contemporary Cheka is a direct continuation of the predecessors though? The promised ideology may have been revised and revised again, but in practice the implementation of authoritarianism seems pretty stable.
dragonwriter 4y ago
> Modern Russian propaganda is not all that similar to anything the Soviet Union was interested in. There is no serious ideological backbone to it. It’s all about putting out multitudes of conflicting narratives, giving people the “choice” to latch onto the ones they sympathize with most closely, and undermining the very concept of truth, democracy etc. “alternative facts”, if you will. The USSR had a core of ideological propaganda, but its geostrategic influence operations were more flexible than its core propaganda.

sorokod 4y ago

There is no serious ideological backbone to it You are too kind, there is no ideological backbone at all.

jabl 4y ago
Sure there is. I mean, there's no ideology that promises a better future for the common man, like communism, but ideology there is; Imperialism, glory of the motherland, a peculiarly Russian variant of "Manifest destiny", power of the state, domination of lesser peoples, etc. Fascism, if you like.
- sorokod 4y ago
  What motherland can be offered to the about 30% of non ethnic Russians? Just more of the corrupt same. How would motherland that follows a victory (even what constitutes victory is not defined by the Russian government) differ from the motherland the follows some other outcome?
  - jabl 4y ago
    Sure, it's corrupt shit, no argument there. And really, what's being offered for the other 70% if not pain and suffering, for the make believe goal of glory of the tsar? Sure, they might be treated a lot better than the non ethnic Russians, but it's not paradise for them either.

sebastianconcpt 4y ago

Like "choose your favorite lie"?

philwelch 4y ago

Modern Russia is fundamentally not the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union, at least according to its own mythology, was an instantiation of communist ideology. Modern Russia is not an ideological state in the same way; if it's motivated by anything, it's base nationalism.

etiam 4y ago
Contemporary Cheka is a direct continuation of the predecessors though? The promised ideology may have been revised and revised again, but in practice the implementation of authoritarianism seems pretty stable.

dragonwriter 4y ago

> Modern Russian propaganda is not all that similar to anything the Soviet Union was interested in. There is no serious ideological backbone to it. It’s all about putting out multitudes of conflicting narratives, giving people the “choice” to latch onto the ones they sympathize with most closely, and undermining the very concept of truth, democracy etc. “alternative facts”, if you will. The USSR had a core of ideological propaganda, but its geostrategic influence operations were more flexible than its core propaganda.