This fucking guy
He's one for the ages
Ukrainians are angry at a tone in Western #media lately that #Ukraine is losing
#Disinfo from the usual #socialMedia #troll farms and #plutocrat influenced channels shilling a #narrative for a corrupt #agenda
So what does #Zelensky do?
He goes to the frontline in #Kupiansk and films himself there
While the #West repeats #Kremlin lies that #Russia controls it
😂
Zelensky is something else
Tough, crafty, true
In a world of dipshits
reshared this
tlariv
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to tlariv • • •#History is going to very kind to him
We're all groaning under the weight of corruption lies bigotry narcissism ignorance...
And he's just out there showing the world what a true leader looks like, like it's easy
Of course it's not easy. I can't imagine the difficulty. Putting on a strong show every day under the cataclysm #Ukraine faces
#Zelensky's the real deal
In 50 years:
"#Trump" will be said with a sneer
"#Putin" will be spit like a curse
"Zelensky" will be said with cheer
reshared this
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩, Mastodon Migration, the roamer and Patrick Hadfield reshared this.
@iveyline
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Grassroots Joe
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@tlariv
I know my mental health could be better dealing with all the shit going on while managing age related health issues and helping run our local Indivisible group, I can't imagine how much stress he is under.
It's a miracle he's been able to manage everything as well as he has.
History will be exceedingly kind to him.
Glory to Ukraine indeed.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Grassroots Joe • • •@joeinwynnewood @tlariv
yup, i hear you
we're dealing with shit, we're under stress, we're having difficulty...
well if zelensky can do it, we can do it!
inspiration
Anna Spanner 👩🏫🇪🇺🇬🇧 reshared this.
StuartB
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •What we need are people willing to build a team to do the job, then get out of their way, rather than try to keep themselves in the job, even if that harms the people they supposedly represent.
Aaron
in reply to Grassroots Joe • • •I recall how Zelenskyy looked winning his election, taking office: youthful. Full of energy. Clean shaven. Optimistic.
One of the most intense images of him, was touring Bucha after it's liberation, when the war crimes that happened there became clear to the world. He looked utterly crushed, distraught. He commented later - something to the effect of "That's when I knew true evil was here."
I've not seen a photo of him since where he didn't appear hardened, without any fucks. He's tempered steel now. He's in until the job is done.
Mastodon Migration reshared this.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Aaron • • •Aaron
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •There's another video I sharply remember from late February, 2022:
Petro Poroshenko, the former president of Ukraine that Zelenskyy defeated, was handing out assault rifles in Kyiv, while being interviewed by a journalist in English.
"How long do you think you can hold out?" the journalist asked.
He was disconcerted, paused for a while, looked sincerely distraught. I thought he was going to cry.
Then he pulled himself together, and looked directly at the camera, and said - with the same steel I see in Zelenskyy now:
"Forever."
TL;DR: don't fuck with Ukrainians.
viva supeR
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •If trump had been in Zelensky's place, the war would have been avoided: putin would already have gotten what he wants — a Kremlin puppet in Kyiv.
an actual bus
in reply to viva supeR • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to an actual bus • • •@renardboy @vivasupeR @tlariv
on the contrary, when does freedom ever not come at heavy cost?
i say the reason we're suffering under trump in the usa is because we gave up on internal maintenance against bigotry and ignorance
and now we're *really* going to pay
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
K_L_Cooper
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •🙏🏼🇺🇦👍🏼👍🏼
Stoneface Vimes
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Stoneface Vimes • • •@capnthommo @tlariv
no
putin is the same way, today, that stalin used to be
but i wish putin was the way stalin is today, if you catch my drift 😉
Stoneface Vimes
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Stoneface Vimes • • •zero problem! i got you. i was just riffing off your comment for joke possibilities
and then of course, what i did was read your comment out of context, and now that i see the context, your comment makes perfect sense and i sound like a lame reply guy 😅
Carolyn
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
Dark Phoenix 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇬🇱🇵🇦🇵🇸🏳️🌈
in reply to tlariv • • •@tlariv Russia thought that a comedian/actor with no real experience as a leader, would be a pushover. They were so fucking wrong.
He is a better leader, a better warrior, and a better man, than the orange cockwomble or 💩tin.
I named my house gargoyle after him.
Dark Phoenix 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇬🇱🇵🇦🇵🇸🏳️🌈
in reply to Dark Phoenix 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇬🇱🇵🇦🇵🇸🏳️🌈 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Dark Phoenix 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇬🇱🇵🇦🇵🇸🏳️🌈 • • •it changes everything
i have a feeling the next conflict the usa gets into is going to be humiliating
all this super expensive equipment
and it can be taken out with a drone for a couple hundred bucks
the whole world is watching what ukraine is doing keenly
Toni Aittoniemi
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Nobody has given the complete inventory of what’s been onboard all of those Russian cargo planes to Venezuela, just saying.
It could be that in addition to BUKs and Pantsirs, there were ample amounts fiber-optic drones and military drone warfare trainers on them.
And Trump is terrified of that precise thing happening you just described, because losing face is his worst nightmare. 🤔
mike805
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@Darkphoenix @tlariv The USA always gets knocked on its ass in the first round.
The USA usually wins in the last round. The Vietnam exception was political.
I remember when the Bradley was a boondoggle. The Ukraine seems to be getting good use out of them now.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to mike805 • • •@mike805 @Darkphoenix @tlariv
the usa is currently being destroyed by maga
this country is now far away from being in a celebratory mood about itself for a long time. and it will first get even worse
mike805
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to mike805 • • •@mike805 @Darkphoenix @tlariv
the problem is you're depending upon some sort of intelligence behind the scenes that can correct and perfect and prevail
maga is the antithesis of that. it's the elevation of the stupid. it's hubris. and that means the usa will not adjust, it will just depend on "rah rah america da best!" mindless bullshit while it gets its ass handed to it
there is zero intelligence in charge now
that is a profound weakness, especially as the morons think they can start a war
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
mike805
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •The "other side" doesn't have a plan either, besides just keeping things going for as long as possible.
It reminds me of the USSR. When the anti-Gorbachev coup happened, people thought there was some grand master plan. No, just a bunch of old drunks who wanted to keep their pensions and drivers.
The USA looks like nothing so much as the late USSR, which of course invaded Afghanistan thinking their tech would prevail.
Do we get a Putin someday?
mike805
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@Darkphoenix @tlariv Another place where the analogy fits: the USA screwed up the USSR's infrastructure. The USSR was buying Western tech covertly, but the CIA got their shopping list and sold them a bunch of defective parts, some engineered to fail after a short time.
China has similarly infiltrated American and European infrastructure. If we got into a war with them, a lot of things would just not work. People keep finding LTE modems in things that have no good reason to have one.
💀 𝓕airchild 💀
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Deb Nam-Krane
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Deb Nam-Krane • • •@dnkboston @Darkphoenix @tlariv
they are
but china is as well
😬
Deb Nam-Krane
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Deb Nam-Krane • • •@dnkboston @Darkphoenix @tlariv
what they have is hypersonic missiles, the best in the world
the bet- right or wrong, i don't know, i'm not a military analyst, is that these hypersonic missiles decimate the us navy in minutes
i have no clue how things actually stack up
but i do not believe the usa is in an easy position to repel china if they choose to invade taiwan
inexplicably, the usa is working on but has no operational hypersonic missiles. because they know something? colossal hubris?
Deb Nam-Krane
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •I agree, they'd be hard-pressed right now to repel China if they attacked Taiwan. They'd have to have a plan, but that requires intention and commitment. Xi knows how easy it is to buy Trump, so I have no delusions about us helping in any way.
How good is Chinese equipment and materiel? Everyone thought Russia could not be beat, but everything about them was all talk and bluster. My bet is that China is similarly, well, vulnerable.
@Darkphoenix @tlariv
Dark Phoenix 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇬🇱🇵🇦🇵🇸🏳️🌈
in reply to Deb Nam-Krane • • •But China is smarter than Russia,(and us, at the moment)
Deb Nam-Krane
in reply to Dark Phoenix 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇬🇱🇵🇦🇵🇸🏳️🌈 • • •@Darkphoenix I would say that Xi is less delusional than Putin, has more control of the other stakeholders, and most importantly, much more money. As of now and, let's say a decade forward.
But China is still plagued by corruption, which means massive budgets don't necessarily translate to good weapons and training. Yes, there have been purges, but that was of people not aligned with Xi. He let plenty of other corruption slide. @benroyce @tlariv
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Deb Nam-Krane • • •@dnkboston @Darkphoenix @tlariv
yup
i think Xi appointing himself president for life is colossal weakness
it leads to all the typical scenarios of yes men over true intelligence, blind loyalty over effectiveness, etc
however i also think that if china is going to decline over this weakness, that's something that is going to play out over decades
such that even with the weakness planted, china will not be internally hamstrung by it for a long time to come
Deb Nam-Krane
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@Darkphoenix @tlariv
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Deb Nam-Krane • • •all those extra guang gun men in china due to one child policy and misogynistic bullshit should meet all those russian women widowed by putin's stupid malice
however, there is another, far more scarier way china can "dispose of" the social problems that come with guang gun
start a war
Deb Nam-Krane
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Yes, but you also want to be wary of giving those men really good guns and training.
I like your other suggestion better.
@Darkphoenix @tlariv
bouriquet
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •But if we all stop buying what they make, China will have huge economic and social upheaval. But we’re inextricably intertwined with China manufacturing and it would probably take decades to undo it.
KimberlyN 🇨🇦
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to KimberlyN 🇨🇦 • • •@KimberlyN
"how do you a make a point simply, effectively, widely, and with pizazz that devastates Russia's sleazebag bullshit"
Zelensky knows. Every time
rk: it’s hyphen-minus actually
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@KimberlyN
I literally had a dream last night that Zelenskyy rode on drone with a helicopter above him with a wired harness and he was pulled off the drone as it flew into a Russian ship as a propaganda video.
I admire Zelenskyy and pray that Ukraine will be safe but I don’t idolize him, so it was definitely unusual.
I also dreamt that I made a very thorough inventory of lightbulbs in my house and which ones were burned out or dimming so you know. It was an exciting night.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to rk: it’s hyphen-minus actually • • •@rk @KimberlyN
😂
i on the other hand idolize zelensky, so in my version of your dream, he also changes out my bad lightbulbs
RustyRing
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •But he's a loser because he wears his soldier clothes in his other job, too. We needed JD Vance to remind us that he and his master are such awesome leaders they can't do anything but lead from behind.
'Way behind.
Florida behind.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to RustyRing • • •@RustyRing
Ass behind
Toni Aittoniemi
in reply to RustyRing • • •@RustyRing wtf you even saying? Can’t read your own text? Your script falling short?
He’s literally at the front, dumbass.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Toni Aittoniemi • • •it was sarcasm
but because there is no vocal tone or facial expressions on social media, we have to explicitly indicate when we are being sarcastic
like a (/s) or a winky emoji, whatever
some people resent this
that everyone should be able to see it. that the indicator cheapens their wit
ok
but somebody will think you're serious, regardless of who is at fault, and then we get drama
we have to indicate sarcasm
no way around it
reshared this
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 and Mastodon Migration reshared this.
MasterMischief
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to MasterMischief • • •@MasterMischief @gimulnautti @RustyRing
i don't like your tone of voice!
😂
Mark Harbinger
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@MasterMischief @gimulnautti @RustyRing
I really agree with everyone on this thread.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Mark Harbinger • • •@Mark_Harbinger @MasterMischief @gimulnautti @RustyRing
normally i would take your comment as a simple sign of agreement
but considering the topic, i think you're saying you hate us all
🤣
Mark Harbinger
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@MasterMischief @gimulnautti @RustyRing
😂 I just have to link to this classic bit, of course...
youtube.com/watch?v=ziH9St7aju…
- YouTube
www.youtube.comRustyRing
in reply to Mark Harbinger • • •@Mark_Harbinger @MasterMischief @gimulnautti
They owe me money for this. They stole my life.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to RustyRing • • •VulcanTourist
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@MasterMischief @gimulnautti @RustyRing
To quote Schultz: "I hear nuuuuuthink!"
Chuck
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Such an important part and one that too many people miss. Even when face to face with people who miss the cues of "making a joke" or "being funny" gets testy. This is ten times worse with written text.
@gimulnautti @RustyRing
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Chuck • • •and it's such an easy fix
just do the (/s)
just do it
whatever problems someone has with that is nothing compared to the drama they risk
RustyRing
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@ChuckMcManis @gimulnautti
OK, but how am I supposed to know if I'm being sarcastic? I'm Scottish. That's a type of neurodivergence. My brain just works a certain way. That would be like you having to end every comment with /e, meaning "I'm speaking English." Vaguely abusive, aye?
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to RustyRing • • •@RustyRing @ChuckMcManis @gimulnautti
"I'm Scottish. That's a type of neurodivergence"
Och! I'm not touching that one 😆
RustyRing
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@ChuckMcManis @gimulnautti
As well you shouldn't. But I'm a Scot. And by that I don't mean I have a right to say it. I mean all other Scots already hate me, so I've nothing to lose.
"Lousy Scots! They ruined Scotland!"
– Groundskeeper Willie, kilted janitor at Bart Simpson's primary school. (And proof there's at least one Scot on the writing staff there.)
Mastodon Migration
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@gimulnautti @RustyRing
💯 Every time anyone uses sarcasm and fails to explicitly tag it it leads to misunderstandings.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •@mastodonmigration @gimulnautti @RustyRing
you didn't use the sarcasm tag, and if you are intending sarcasm, i think you're trying to say never use the sarcasm tag
(/s)
🤭
Mastodon Migration
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@gimulnautti @RustyRing
🤦♂️
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Mastodon Migration • • •@mastodonmigration @gimulnautti @RustyRing
again, you didn't use the sarcasm tag, but i think you're being sarcastic, so i think you're indicating full support for my comment
ok, sorry, i'll stop now...
bituur esztreym
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@mastodonmigration @gimulnautti @RustyRing
i absolutely don't want to add fuel to the fire, yet i can't help noticing you didn't use it either, and left no hint if you did or intended to or not to..
ok, already got my coat, bye ¨__,¨
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to bituur esztreym • • •@bituur_esztreym @mastodonmigration @gimulnautti @RustyRing
test my sanity now why don't you!
(/ns)
(this is the no sarcasm indicator, which i just made up)
bituur esztreym
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@mastodonmigration @gimulnautti @RustyRing
noted the indicator!
and sorry, couldn't test your sanity with my actual level of sanity, you know..
(/ls)*
*with 'l' for 'light'
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to bituur esztreym • • •hömma
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@gimulnautti @RustyRing
Also, it’s an international audience here. For a LOT of people for whom English isn’t their first language, nuances and idioms requiring a shared cultural background may be difficult to understand. I think anyone who ever tried to learn a couple of foreign languages knows how it makes you feel when everyone around you is laughing and you have no idea why. Not nice. It’s better, kinder and more intelligent to „cheapen your wit“ and take everyone on board.
Kyla 🏳️⚧️
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Kyla 🏳️⚧️ • • •@asaflowerblossoms @gimulnautti @RustyRing
i've seen it on the fediverse
apparently mastodon plans on supporting markdown. which does not allow different fonts, but at least bold, italics, etc
i think it would pretty awesome if the fediverse decided on a certain font to mean "sarcasm"
i vote for comic sans
AnneTheWriter
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@gimulnautti @RustyRing
My personal favorite method for pointing out my own #sarcasm is to attach the famous #BigBangTheory gif (where Leonard holds up a "sarcasm" sign behind Penny to make sure Sheldon knows she's being sarcastic).
#TheBigBangTheory #TBBT #SocialMediaRules #BeingSarcastic
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to AnneTheWriter • • •@AnneTheWriter1 @gimulnautti @RustyRing
😆
RustyRing
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@gimulnautti
We also might consider that the incidence of rightwingedness on Mastodon is at single-digits-and-you-better-look-quick levels, so inversely, the likelihood that I'd be hanging out here if I were a Zelenskyy critic is at he's-probably-being-sarcastic levels.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to RustyRing • • •while true, personally i hunt vatnik accounts
i look for them, engage them, mock them, bait them, then develop enough material to get their accounts suspended
then i stencil another x-ed out vatnik decal on my trophy board, and get back to hunting
so they are indeed out there. but my level of exposure is artificial
hömma
in reply to RustyRing • • •@RustyRing : it’s good to label irony as such to avoid misunderstandings. Some instances‘ blocking services are swift and generous…
@benroyce
@gimulnautti
RustyRing
in reply to hömma • • •@kommaKucken @gimulnautti
Indeed they are. I wrote a blog post on the necessity of forgiveness and the host blocked it as hate speech.
Sounds like stand-up comedy, but it isn't.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to RustyRing • • •@RustyRing @kommaKucken @gimulnautti
mastodon can be incredibly harsh
blocks from individual accounts i don't mind
but blocks from servers, merely because things got heated (no bigotry, no ignorance), yeah there's something wrong with that
that needs to be fixed somehow
hömma
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to hömma • • •@kommaKucken
I think it ranges all over. There's amazingly run big servers. Then there's some servers, big ones, where pique prevails rather than professionalism
@iveyline
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •DonCC
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •an actual man in a world of boyman bullies backed by unending piles of $$$
much sac
DJ [REDACTED] 🇨🇦🇪🇺🇺🇦
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Allowing Trump the time & space to shape reality for the past decade has been a tragic mistake. He'll keep trying to hand Putin victory by convincing the world it is inevitable.
Publicly call Trump's bluff & dominate the stage, he'll fold like a sheet. Then Putin will have to change his tune once he knows the game is no longer rigged in his favour.
Hopefully this brilliance shows everyone else the way.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
Gurre Vildskägg
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Gurre Vildskägg • • •your observation is accurate and a segue into another funny "calling the sleazebags out on their bullshit" routine zelensky did recently:
he said he's ready for elections now
he did it to call out trump when trump repeated kremlin disnfo that ukraine isn't a democracy because there's no elections (because it's war, fuckwit: the UK didn't have elections in WWII either)
counteroffensive.news/p/newsfl…
NEWSFLASH: Zelenskyy readies for elections in 60-90 days
Tim Mak (The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak)Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
StuartB
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •And it is notable that the ruling Conservative Party was thrown out in a landslide victory for Labour, despite the Cult of Personality the Tories had tried building around Winston Churchill.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to StuartB • • •what you're saying is misleading so i have to press the point here
the UK suspended the general election in 1940
that some minor elections happened, or that they unsuspended before japan surrendered, doesn't mean anything
was japan an existential threat to the UK in 1945?
no
that's the point:
ukraine's elections are suspended because it's under existential threat
and yet this stupid fucking "UkRaInE iSn'T a DeMoCrAcY" from shitwits, liars, orange morons and kremlin ghouls
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
CaliCarol
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •I'm not really plugged in to main stream media anymore so wasn't even aware of that messaging.
Zelensky's pretty wily.
#SlavaUkraini #PutinIsAWarCriminal
Frawaradaz 🇺🇦
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •wnter
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •The Sleight Doctor 🃏🍉
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •The interesting thing about Zelenskyy is that he'd have been an unremarkable, middle-of-the-road leader - little more than an historical footnote - had the Russian threat not thrust greatness upon him.
He really stepped up for his country, and that's difficult not to admire.
reshared this
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GhostOnTheHalfShell
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •A guy who had been an actor. It proves that what one does for a living may not be an indication of the capacity of one’s character.
People like this give us all hope
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
Toni Aittoniemi
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Russia plays the long game.
Through corruption, influence & dirty money they make all the rest of the world Russia, very very slowly…
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Toni Aittoniemi • • •@gimulnautti
it's not that in certain ways you're wrong
it's that in certain ways, there's so many fucking morons in the world that can be tricked into advocating against their own interests, that you're unfortunately right
François @Jura
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •reshared this
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 and Mastodon Migration reshared this.
Mim54
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Mim54 • • •@mim54
never
they're cowards, and their motivations are cowardice
and their moronic followers believe the opposite
Havyhh2
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Will 🇯🇵
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •K_L_Cooper
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Marcos Dione
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Dodo
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
xs4me2
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •actually not all media do this, it's mostly US affiliated one.
other are more neutral
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺 • • •unfortunately bild in germany betrayed ukraine here, repackaging kremlin lies
english.nv.ua/russian-war/russ…
ukraine is angry about that
i'm not in any way saying usa media is better than european media
usa media is 1,000% worse than europe's
ukraine already knows usa media fucking sucks
it is just that, in this specific instance, it is more accurate to talk about the failure of western media
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺 • • •this is it
when we talk about why bild said what it did, to aid putin, we can talk about
1. generalized incompetency
2. we can talk about pushing a narrative just because it sells, no other reason
and:
3. we can talk about somebody getting paid. corruption. plutocrats warping our media because they can, fuck principles, fuck right and wrong, and fuck the people
you are absolutely correct
our media is captured and it lies and it serves plutocracy
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
Peter Brown
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Peter Brown • • •@peterbrown @lexinova
for the cat pictures
duh
🤭
LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •EVEYONE is here for #Carturday
And there is 2 type of people : those who acknoledge it ..
And the liar 😂
VulcanTourist
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@lexinova
I have long thought that news mediums need to be non-profit and publicly owned. Note here that I didn't say "state owned", which would make me a legion of knee-jerk enemies.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺
in reply to VulcanTourist • • •@VulcanTourist and for me blogger and influencer could not relay news.
EVERY single news person would need a licence, (automatically granted (fredom of speech yada yada yada)), but if revoked it's for life, and you lose any right to report any infromation in public.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺 • • •@lexinova @VulcanTourist
you let social media weed out the fakers
and you let social media annoint the quality reporting
big assumption: social media like mastodon, certainly not anything plutocrat controlled
LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@VulcanTourist question of time before horde of bot submerge the moderation team of server.
So for me it's better to put every social in the "untrusted by default" basket
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺 • • •moderation on the fediverse is under constant attack by that
me personally, i hunt vatnik accounts. most people just block them but i find them, bait them, report them, and get their accounts nuked
it's constant work
but we're still holding
i agree that with more attention, that means more attacks, and things could fail
but it hasn't yet, and the mere existence of a threat does not mean the threat automatically wins
i am more hopeful than you. i could be wrong
Jimmy
in reply to VulcanTourist • • •@VulcanTourist @lexinova Back when newspapers made money hand over fist, we had an effective and free press. Classified ads meant they
might as well have been printing money, and it made them too expensive for anyone to buy, and too rich for anyone to threaten.
Now we have a press that barely ekes by, billionaires buy and subvert them, and the government can bully them.
reshared this
diana 🏳️⚧️🦋🌱 reshared this.
LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺
in reply to Jimmy • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺 • • •@lexinova @jhavok @VulcanTourist
but so what
if we gatekeep the sources, from the ground up, say on something like mastodon, let a billion bots bleat their lies. we exclude them
LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺 • • •@lexinova @jhavok @VulcanTourist
i'm just chatting. i'm not representing myself as authoritaritative. i could be wrong
but if you have a social media ecosystem like mastodon that actively excludes the ignorance and bigotry, the underreported finally has a chance to bubble up
LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Peter Brown
in reply to LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺 • • •LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺
in reply to Peter Brown • • •D2
in reply to LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺 • • •LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺
in reply to D2 • • •D2
in reply to LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺 • • •@lexinova @peterbrown Darn. I’d hoped ‘the worst’ was just an expression. Hard disagree that social media is worse than oligarch-tuned media. Arab spring was on uncorrupted twitter. Several Ukraine journos tell me their news. theContinent.org drops an excellent alt paper in my lap each Friday via Signal.
A sure curated source to see even important news from obscured voices is Hard. But worse than fedi clearly exists.
LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺
in reply to D2 • • •@cascheranno @peterbrown just hope that in sometime a fedi version of ground news could happear.
So you see everything can determine bias, and exclude fake news, while sharing / sourcing from the fedi.
Diane 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Diane 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 • • •@madameoconnel86
unfortunately they are learning
don't get me wrong, russia's performance has been abysmal
but every single military in the world is watching ukraine's innovations on the battlefield keenly
and watching most keenly of all, and adopting their tactics, is russia
also of note:
the usa is a big loser here, for better or worse
so much super expensive military equipment
and the world learns a couple hundreds bucks worth of drone neutralizes it
Diane 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Do yourself a favor and, if you haven't already, look into NAFO. They're a worthwhile group to help out
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAFO_(gr…
2022 Internet meme
Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Diane 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 • • •🤭
i giggle because i was a NAFO account before i left twitter
i treasure the moment we got the russian stooge in austria to have a meltdown over our harassment and it was a big enough deal to hit news coverage
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_…
Russian diplomat
Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)Drey
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
soup2nuts
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •pprimar
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to pprimar • • •@pprimar
didn't you hear?
Putin is dining in Kyiv tonight
🤪
wobweger
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •indeed
🖖
Cyb3rrunn3r
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Cyb3rrunn3r • • •@cyb3rrunn3r
they bet the world is full of complete morons who can easily be tricked against their own interests
and that works, unfortunately, far too well
Cyb3rrunn3r
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Cyb3rrunn3r • • •@cyb3rrunn3r
as an american i meanwhile unfortunately have to note the sea of mind wiped obedient zombies who support the orange turd
Martin
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •McWabbit 🇺🇦🍋🌻🍉
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Living in a world where everything around me is built on lies, deceit, colonialism and the media drinking the coolaid to amplify the idiocracy: The only beacon of hope is #Ukraine.
It's so silly. Up until about 10-ish years ago, I knew next to nothing about the country: "Must be one of these ultra-corrupt ex-Soviet countries wanting to join the EU to benefit from the cash injection."
But now, while still imperfect, it is a shining beacon of what all of us should strive to be.
The Maidan Revolution.
The full invasion.
Standing their ground and fight back with grit, ingenuity and despite the obvious propaganda, courage. It is so much more sincere and honest. Much more than we in the West, which is corrupted with greed and hate in such a rapid way, it got me disillusioned.
I am sure discrimination exists in Ukraine, along other similar problems we still face. But they as a nation and people are on the up. 'We', the complacent West however, are being swallowed up by russian propaganda. There is nothing I c
... show moreLiving in a world where everything around me is built on lies, deceit, colonialism and the media drinking the coolaid to amplify the idiocracy: The only beacon of hope is #Ukraine.
It's so silly. Up until about 10-ish years ago, I knew next to nothing about the country: "Must be one of these ultra-corrupt ex-Soviet countries wanting to join the EU to benefit from the cash injection."
But now, while still imperfect, it is a shining beacon of what all of us should strive to be.
The Maidan Revolution.
The full invasion.
Standing their ground and fight back with grit, ingenuity and despite the obvious propaganda, courage. It is so much more sincere and honest. Much more than we in the West, which is corrupted with greed and hate in such a rapid way, it got me disillusioned.
I am sure discrimination exists in Ukraine, along other similar problems we still face. But they as a nation and people are on the up. 'We', the complacent West however, are being swallowed up by russian propaganda. There is nothing I can be proud of in my country full of idiots.
That is why cheer for those sometimes brutal videos where russian fighters are being unalived in the most terrible way. Something any ordinary person would find awful.
But every time I see those videos, I imagine a Trump, a Wilders, an Orbán, or any of those russian-rectum huffing "strong"men getting the same treatment. Because that is, in my opinion, how it should be in a just world. Redemption is not an option for monsters like these people.
And Zelenskyy: He has his own flaws like any person. But currently, he is the only real leader I respect fully. Weaving his way through from having to tolerate demeaning meetings in the White House, to being an absolute hero showing his face at the front while not an combatant.
And then... Look... At... Our... Leaders...
They fucking suck!
My former PM texted "Daddy" to a child rapist as a SG of the fucking NATO. I will never fly the Dutch flag anymore. This asshole has embarrassed ours for generations.
Dagnabbit, Pascaline! 🌼
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Dagnabbit, Pascaline! 🌼 • • •he makes it look so *easy* how he cuts through the lies and bullshit we meanwhile get crushed under
(and of course it isn't easy, but that just makes it all the more brilliant)
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •Ukraine will not join NATO
NATO will join Ukraine
reshared this
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 and kali reshared this.
the roamer
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Absolutely, he's the real thing. I have unbounded respect and admiration for this man.
No doubt, were I to live in Ukraine I would have a whole list of complaints. There will be flaws and mistakes. But at this historical juncture, Zelenskyy represents the side of freedom in the struggle against evil. A true leader.
#VolodymyrZelenskyy #Zelensky #SlavaUkraini
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 reshared this.
VulcanTourist
in reply to the roamer • • •It might be that comedians in general are better leadership material than most of the choices we're allowed.
#ColbertForPresident
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to VulcanTourist • • •@VulcanTourist @the_roamer
when the world is an absurd joke, comedians speak reality
VulcanTourist
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@the_roamer
I've had that observation for a long time, but Zelenskyy has made me revisit it more often. I'm not "joking" about Colbert: he would make an awesome President.
A_Minion
in reply to the roamer • • •|| From local comedian to world leader in a heartbeat. I don't know if there are many who could have pulled this off with as much success or panache. He does sort of set the standard doesn't he.
kali
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •i've done that
i mean instead of use (/s) i write it out: "i am being extremely sarcastic here"
because my humor, such as it is, that my children remind me regularly totally sucks, is walking an extremely dangerous line in that moment
WhichOne'sPink 🇫🇮
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •@Wyatt_H_Knott @dnkboston @Darkphoenix @tlariv
i have a better plan:
don't be confident like Wyatt
worry like Ben
after all, it was worrying about russia's lies about its capabilities that led to the f-35, which therefore meets not only all contemporary threats, but dominates
so in other words, if we're paranoid and unconfident, we pull off amazing success
overkill
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •Deb Nam-Krane
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
Unknown parent • • •@Wyatt_H_Knott @dnkboston @Darkphoenix @tlariv
You Can't Fight In Here! This is The War Room!
Wyatt H Knott
Unknown parent • • •Wyatt H Knott
Unknown parent • • •Deb Nam-Krane
in reply to Wyatt H Knott • • •Deb Nam-Krane
Unknown parent • • •Alex
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Alex • • •thank you, anonymous vatnik, for letting us know zelensky is a pos
i'm kind of a weird guy, but in my estimation, little anonymous cowards supporting mass murdering ethnofascist imperialism with weak lies are the true pos
i'm deeply sorry for this comment painting you out to be a pathetic piece of shit
not really
Alex
in reply to Alex • • •Ukraine is only able to last this long because they have been armed to the teeth by western countries while Zelensky is embezzling which is so obvious.
It is actually funny people like you spreading propaganda which is hypocrisy.
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Alex • • •this is true
lies and propaganda on social media is a big problem in the world
you seem to know how to shovel it well, vatnik
so how does putin's feces taste, "Alex"?
you seem to know very well
since you eat it, and believe it, like a complete moron
🤣 🤣 🤣
VulcanTourist
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@VoordeMus
Well and succinctly said.
`Da Elf
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to `Da Elf • • •forged in a crucible of adversity
as is how all true leadership is revealed
it is certainly not forged on an oligarch's gold toilet
tlariv
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •@Wyatt_H_Knott @dnkboston @Darkphoenix
StasiekB
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Godfrey642
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Godfrey642 • • •@Godfrey642
he would be helping russia do it
Godfrey642
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •One day, as will be the case for every single one of us, Mother Nature will take Trump's last breath.
I wonder how he will be remembered ?
I wonder what history will write about the things he did.
I wonder ...
Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Godfrey642 • • •@Godfrey642
people will laugh, and also laugh at the usa as that being what doomed it, so many millions of morons that saw something in him
Godfrey642
in reply to Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩 • • •Read this.
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/19/din…
As a European Im filled with fear.
If you don't know of Alexander Dugin read up about him asap and check out some of his writing.
Dinner with Mr Brexit: Bannon’s European Revolution – Planned with Farage, Backed by Epstein – Byline Times
Peter Jukes (Byline Times)Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
in reply to Godfrey642 • • •@Godfrey642
yeah i know who he is
i'm not impressed by him. don't imagine these turds have some sort of great power. they're losers. at the very least, that's the proper mentality you need to defeat these fuckwits