3 ms·

Son of CIA deputy director was killed while fighting for Russia, report says

22 points by n1b0m 1y ago

duxup 1y ago
I can’t imagine what drives someone to go to Russia and fight on behalf of a Kleptocracy.
- BLKNSLVR 1y ago
  Russia seems one of the least likely places to go given what's reported to have been his political and ideological leanings. Weird situation overall.
  - MattGaiser 1y ago
    A lot of supporters of X are more just opposed to America and reflexively support anything anti American.
    - BLKNSLVR 1y ago
      Damn the difficulty humans have of grasping second order thinking. In this case it caused a young man's death.
  - cyberpunk2066 1y ago
    He was only 21. Besides being brainwashed by anti-Americanism, it was probably also something of a delayed adolescent rebellion against his CIA family.
- inverted_flag 1y ago
  > “He was usually watching videos about Palestine and was so angry at America,” one acquaintance told iStories. “He started thinking about going to Russia. He wanted to war with the USA. But I think he was very influenced by the conspiracy theory videos.” He was brainwashed by online propaganda.
  - toomuchtodo 1y ago
    This. No different than religions, cults, masculinity podcast influencers, etc. Some people are more impressionable than others, and those that know how take advantage of these people.
  - morkalork 1y ago
    The crazy thing to me is that if he was terminally online enough to become brainwashed by this propaganda, how did he miss the thousands of videos of Russian soldiers getting turned into mincemeat. It is not the kind of war you can fight and believe that superior skill will keep you alive, it's just a waiting game till an artillery shell or drone blows you to bits. A complete meat grinder, really.
    - k310 1y ago
      Social media sites feed you news that reinforces your algorithmically derived interests in order to maximize screen time. Seldom is seen anything challenging, the echo chamber phenomenon. It's as if the other view doesn't even exist. More likely, it's sold as fake news. They are roach motels.
k310 1y ago
HN'ers probably don't see it, but the Russian bot/propaganda machine is very powerful on social media. Support for Palestinians was, IMO, meant to divide Democratic voters, and just may have succeeded, with so many "sitting it out" in 2024. I don't think that the Russians care one iota for Palestinians, but like certain leaders, view people only as pawns to be played. And that's not just the one you are thinking of.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- kstenerud 1y ago
  Actually, it goes further than that. Russia has always been the master of Realpolitik. In this case, they pushed Iran to encourage Hamas, in the hopes that it would distract America and draw their focus away from Ukraine. That it split voters was just icing on the cake. Most Russian initiatives are small, inexpensive, and speculative in nature. Do enough of them in concert, and some will succeed at very low cost to you, and with convenient deniability (undersea cables, for example). And since they don't have to fear Western armed belligerence anymore, it's very low-cost indeed!
- rainworld 1y ago
  Yeah, it wasn’t the mass murdering of civilians with full material (several Hiroshimas worth of conventional explosives, free of charge) and poltical support of the ruling Democratic party that divided voters. Wasn’t the senile president and his joke of a replacement. It was Russia. Via their unstoppable social media wurlitzer. If you disagree you’re part of it, ipso facto. And a bot. >HN'ers probably don't see it Takes a very special mind to see it.
cyberpunk2066 1y ago
> I hate fascism. I love my homeland.” He also posted the flags of Russia and Palestine. > According to the investigative website iStories, Gloss is one of more than 1,500 foreigners who have signed contracts with the Russian military since February 2022 Hates fascism, but fights for Russia?

22 points by n1b0m 1y ago

duxup 1y ago

I can’t imagine what drives someone to go to Russia and fight on behalf of a Kleptocracy.

BLKNSLVR 1y ago
Russia seems one of the least likely places to go given what's reported to have been his political and ideological leanings. Weird situation overall.
- MattGaiser 1y ago
  A lot of supporters of X are more just opposed to America and reflexively support anything anti American.
  - BLKNSLVR 1y ago
    Damn the difficulty humans have of grasping second order thinking. In this case it caused a young man's death.
- cyberpunk2066 1y ago
  He was only 21. Besides being brainwashed by anti-Americanism, it was probably also something of a delayed adolescent rebellion against his CIA family.
inverted_flag 1y ago
> “He was usually watching videos about Palestine and was so angry at America,” one acquaintance told iStories. “He started thinking about going to Russia. He wanted to war with the USA. But I think he was very influenced by the conspiracy theory videos.” He was brainwashed by online propaganda.
- toomuchtodo 1y ago
  This. No different than religions, cults, masculinity podcast influencers, etc. Some people are more impressionable than others, and those that know how take advantage of these people.
- morkalork 1y ago
  The crazy thing to me is that if he was terminally online enough to become brainwashed by this propaganda, how did he miss the thousands of videos of Russian soldiers getting turned into mincemeat. It is not the kind of war you can fight and believe that superior skill will keep you alive, it's just a waiting game till an artillery shell or drone blows you to bits. A complete meat grinder, really.
  - k310 1y ago
    Social media sites feed you news that reinforces your algorithmically derived interests in order to maximize screen time. Seldom is seen anything challenging, the echo chamber phenomenon. It's as if the other view doesn't even exist. More likely, it's sold as fake news. They are roach motels.

k310 1y ago

HN'ers probably don't see it, but the Russian bot/propaganda machine is very powerful on social media. Support for Palestinians was, IMO, meant to divide Democratic voters, and just may have succeeded, with so many "sitting it out" in 2024. I don't think that the Russians care one iota for Palestinians, but like certain leaders, view people only as pawns to be played. And that's not just the one you are thinking of.

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
kstenerud 1y ago
Actually, it goes further than that. Russia has always been the master of Realpolitik. In this case, they pushed Iran to encourage Hamas, in the hopes that it would distract America and draw their focus away from Ukraine. That it split voters was just icing on the cake. Most Russian initiatives are small, inexpensive, and speculative in nature. Do enough of them in concert, and some will succeed at very low cost to you, and with convenient deniability (undersea cables, for example). And since they don't have to fear Western armed belligerence anymore, it's very low-cost indeed!
rainworld 1y ago
Yeah, it wasn’t the mass murdering of civilians with full material (several Hiroshimas worth of conventional explosives, free of charge) and poltical support of the ruling Democratic party that divided voters. Wasn’t the senile president and his joke of a replacement. It was Russia. Via their unstoppable social media wurlitzer. If you disagree you’re part of it, ipso facto. And a bot. >HN'ers probably don't see it Takes a very special mind to see it.

cyberpunk2066 1y ago

> I hate fascism. I love my homeland.” He also posted the flags of Russia and Palestine. > According to the investigative website iStories, Gloss is one of more than 1,500 foreigners who have signed contracts with the Russian military since February 2022 Hates fascism, but fights for Russia?