[OC] Friendly reminder: Putin’s trolls operate on sites like reddit EVERY DAY, stoking hatred and division. They want to obliterate reasonable discussion. See what has happened to the US? We cannot let Europe follow suit. IMO the antidote to their poison is simple: be curious, not judgmental.

https://i.redd.it/lziveawiz8ne1.png

by DaffyD82

30 comments

  1. Sources:

    [https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/maxseddon/documents-show-how-russias-troll-army-hit-america](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/maxseddon/documents-show-how-russias-troll-army-hit-america)

    [https://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-russian-trolls-ban-photos-examples-posts-2018-4](https://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-russian-trolls-ban-photos-examples-posts-2018-4)

    [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10584609.2020.1718257](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10584609.2020.1718257)

    Putin’s Trolls by Jessikka Aro. Overview here:  [https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jessikka-aro/putins-trolls/](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jessikka-aro/putins-trolls/)

  2. They have been doing this for over a decade, with the goal of obliterating reasonable political discussion and common ground – liberals to think of all conservatives as fascists, and conservatives to think of all liberals as communists.

    And like I said, I think the antidote to their poison is simple: to quote Ted Lasso “Be curious, not judgmental,” in your discussion on- and offline. The hard part is that you have to do it again and again, no matter what you encounter. (Not easy.)

    And this is most likely also done by other bad actors who profit from divisions within Europe, but Putin has the most to gain right now.

    Good luck, European friends – remember that there’s more that unites us than divides us 🤝🇪🇺

  3. Just waiting for the first trolls to say OP is telling bs.

  4. This is why it’s so important to call it out. As soon as you see it call it out.

    We are in the misinformation age. But we can win with the truth.

  5. Whenever you feel angry after reading something on the social media, ask yourself: was that the goal of the thing you read, to make you feel angry?

  6. And for the love of god. Use critical thinking, and diversify sources.

  8. The only way to combat disinformation is more information. The only way to combat hate speech is more speech. Not less.

    Using the brain and thinking for oneself seems somewhat of a lost art in 2025, but with the multitude of data points, it can still make a comeback.

  9. most Reddit users are judgmental first. Look at any post criticizing Ukraine or the EU.

  10. For tolerance to remain -paradoxically- the intolerant at either side of the discussion must not be tolerated!

    As long as we talk about our differences with respect, we are winning. Those who don’t CANNOT be allowed at the table.

  11. They’re also trying to drive a wedge between Europe and the US.

    Yes, Trump and the US actions are completely off the mark but it is not nearly as dire as people suggest.

    The trolls also actively try to make you get more hysterical and fearful, take a breath before reading and falling into it.

  12. You need to recognize them, they should be flagged and people should immediately block them.

    Also fake news or misleading with a purpose, should be punished by law. If you write an article online or on paper, that create a fake news and or a misleading information, you should be punished. Comments with fake news without a source, should be automatically deleted.
    We have to restore the information to be reliable again also with punishment.

  13. Not about curiosity imo its about spotting obvious attempts to trigger people and spread misinformation. Instead, look up the misinformation.

  14. Canadian here. Yes, trolling is a weapon now. I (and I suspect most people) are quite cordial on the internet. Don’t feed the trolls!

  15. Delete ALL social media from your phone, its bliss.

  16. They aren’t the only ones. Back when France stopped supporting US imperialism for a little bit US ran camping to make France look like a joke online, that’s where the France sucks memes come from.

  17. Do they really need trolls anymore? They got the Americans doing their work for them now.

  18. Social media must be regulated. kYC

    Social media is used since years as a single world wide massive lie and disinformation platform.

    I am absolutely convinced that MAGA and Trump, Brexit and so many far right movements wouldnt exist without Social Media.

  19. It’s amazing to look at the upvotes on this one. They’re doing their best to Down vote the Message.

  20. Also sometimes, their interjections can be quite subtle. By way of a reply to or adding of a comment they introduces some form of doubt in to the readers minds about the veracity or purpose of something.

    Also I am pretty sure that some or many of the quite MAGA comments about Ukraine, Zelensky, Foreign Aid are foreign trolls whipping up negative opinions.

    In the same way that we have TV ads warning of stranger danger on the internet for kids, we could well do with a public services reminder about the same for ‘us adults’.

    I would love if there was a internet forum where identitification to a real person is almost guaranteed correct – in the same way that banks for example perform identity verification through national ID documents, proof of residence and selfie checks.

  21. Europe needs its own troll farms. I know that’s unpopular but it isn’t inconceivable that propaganda in favor of European values be posted on the internet by the EU and member countries. Remember “Keep Calm and Carry On” in Britain? Release the bots Europe!

  23. Russia is like a spreading cancer, the west has vastly underestimated the power of their hate propaganda machine, everyone is addicted to being angry and it shows.

    I’m glad we’re starting to see some change in Europe though.

  25. Hello from France. Our TV channels often have a Youtube channel where they post excerpts from the news every day. These videos are FLOODED with users with a first and last name, followed by 4 number. All these people either call for the end of the war, the removal of Macron or praise Putin, all done in broken French.

    Is the same happening in your countries ?

  26. Check r/conservative, the amount of russians there is insane. And the few Americans who buy that shit is also alarming. 

  27. The internet was a great place in the 90s when it was mostly enthusiasts who were creating and consuming content.

  28. Critical thinking is so important, even more so these days. Always ask yourself:

    – What source am I reading? Is it reliable?
    – Who is the author? What is their intention/what do they want to express/achieve with this? I.e. do they have an agenda?
    – Is this the only source mentioning this or can it be corroborated from a different source?
    – Is this other source actually independent from the first one?

    The last one is not always necessary, but in times of oligarchs buying up media, it becomes more and more important. Stick to this and it will be much harder to fool you.

  30. Or better yet lets spend more time in our incredible and world leading Cafes, Bars, Pubs and Resturants debating and conversing. This is after all where some of our greatest thinkers did their best work.

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