Just that. Someone uploaded this photo of Zelensky allegedly taking a selfie in Kupiansk, which is supposed to be a city already taken by Russian forces. I am not really informed of the situation in Kupiansk, but this is not the issue for me.
In the Politics subreddit, where this was published, the comments are overwhelmingly pro Ukraine, which, well, checks out. But what I find kind of trollish, are the comments surrounding Zelenksy. It’s like reading the five-star comments of the Google Play Services app in the Play Store, or something. They repeatedly talk about how big and glorious are Zelensky’s balls? Praising his balls, even though, he is a smaller guy? They praise the bold actions of Zelensky calling him a European hero, imagining his heroic dialogues as in some cheap hollywood movie, etc. To me, it just feels utterly fake? I mean, AI fake.
What do you make of this, guys? Please, remember, it’s not about the conflict itself.
The article I read which had this photo featured stated that Putin had invited a bunch of reporters to Kupiansk to see how the Russian forces had surrounded the city.
Then Zelensky went there and took this photo to be like “oh no, Russia has this place surrounded? I would have never known”
No Idea if that’s true, but that’s the gist I took away from that post.
Therefore the balls, it figures. Some other comment includes a song by Primus vocalist from three years ago, unashamedly titled “Zelensky, the man with the iron balls”. And yeah, this trend of talking about his balls, I remember it started several years ago, but it amazes me right now, after years of war and loss.
I don’t doubt a lot of the hype around Zelenskyy specifically is some psyop.
That being said, Ukraine is objectively the victim of Russian aggression and facing a genocidal war of aggression from Russia.
I see supporting Ukraine as the most pro-democracy, pro-proletariat position.
Russia is a fascist oligarchy sending immigrants and kidnapped folks (like those from India) to go commit atrocities and die for Putin’s imperial ambitions.
If you only stick to the big media points, he seems a pretty heroic figure, still standing after getting invaded by one of the world’s superpowers (inb4 corrections and shit - Russia is the big bad in basically any modern conflict film. We’re talking layman optics here).
Wow. This forum.
“Ukraine has corruption so…” (Implied: the US should let Russia invade and annex them)
“Russia and the US have some details in common if you blur your eyes so they are morally and politically identical”
“Zelensky sucks”
“How can anyone know what truth is in this topsy-turvy world?”
I refuse to believe the default subs in reddit aren’t dominated by bots. There’s still good content in the niche subs, but I stay far away from any of the big ones, it’s all LLM generated ragebait.
I don’t have a Reddit account. It’s hard to navigate today’s Reddit niche subs without one. Also, I don’t care enough to somehow circumvent this problem, nevertheless, I think you’re right and niche subs out of the mainstream are probably doing fine.
That’s valid. I’m in the process of ditching the site entirely, but, yaknow, network effect, especially for the more niche stuff.
You seem to have gotten several decent answers that you’ve dismissed. Do you just wanna talk about balls, OP? Because, I’m something of an expert on them.
“Truth is the first casualty of war”
Sure, but in this case? How “truth” becomes a casualty by putting an army of bots and trolls in a competition to praise Zelensky’s balls? That’s what I think it’s happening. I find it really sad, that they are not praising his strategies, his leadership, or statesmanship.
My point is that you don’t know the actual truth. Nor do I. We can’t.
Bots and paid agents are not a new technique - in ancient times, countries would send spies undercover into enemy territory to sow discord. To rabble rouse and change public opinion. It’s the same now, just the tools have changed. No news source is entirely unbiased, even word of mouth is influenced. The only way you can determine the truth is by seeing it with your own, naked eyes. And even then, your own personal bias can change the context.
Reddit is a platform where its’ easy to get the ears of a lot of people, so it’s a big target. It’s not Reddit’s fault, and Lemmy would suffer exactly the same if we had the numbers they do.
What is different now on the world stage, mostly thanks to Trump, is that there’s no longer even any pretence to truth. The most powerful person in the world lies constantly, and his example proves that works. No shame, no integrity, no honesty - just lies and crude manipulation.
That’s not how selfies work, but it’s exactly the type of thing you get when you prompt an image generator for someone taking a selfie. Just saying.
Not all of it is organic. In 2013, the city “most addicted to Reddit” was a US air force base that houses “offensive cyberspace operations.” Presumably they use VPNs to obscure their location nowadays.
Archive of Reddit blog entry: Get ready for Global reddit Meetup Day, plus some stats about top reddit cities and languages.
DuckDuckGo search: “eglin air force base cyberspace”
Not all of any social media, including Reddit but also fediverse, is going to be organic. Not that that means the general sentiments aren’t real.
The organic sentiments are real, but they’re also manipulated by inorganic “offensive cyberspace operations.”
For example: A Reddit AMA Claiming To Be A Uyghur Quickly Exposes A CIA Asset Slandering China
I’m not seeing anything in that article saying she isn’t Uyghur. It mentions that she has a degree from Xinjiang University which is located in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
I think you could better word your post to reflect that you’re suspicious about her claims for who she has worked for instead of her being Uyghur, if I understood correctly what’s happening
Uyghur or not, she was lying for US empire. Previously:
The US tried to foment division in China by funding and organizing Salafi terrorist into Xinjiang, and once its efforts failed, it made lemonade out of its lemon by concocting and promoting a genocide narrative.
The only countries pushing this narrative are the “always the same map” imperial core countries, which just so happen to be largely the same ones supporting Israel’s genocide.
Almost no predominantly-Muslim country buys the Uyghur genocide narrative, because they know it’s bullshit, because they talked to the Uyghurs themselves.
https://twitter.com/un_hrc/status/1578003299827171330 #HRC51 | Draft resolution A/HRC/51/L.6 on holding a debate on the situation of human rights in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of #China, was REJECTED.
- The Uyghur Human Rights Project is a product of the National Endowment for Democracy, which is the American government’s main regime change NGO.
- The Xinjiang Genocide Allegations Are Unjustified
- Uyghur genocide allegations
- American Debunks All Major Western Propaganda on Uyghurs and Xinjiang
- US-Funded Uyghur Activists Train as Soldiers of Empire
- The blueprint of regime change operations How regime change happens in the 21st century with your consent
See also, Citations Needed podcast:
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US Meddling, the Limits of ‘Agency’ Discourse and How Media Chooses Which ‘Voices’ To Center
In this episode, we discuss the uses and misuses of liberal standpoint theory to promote US meddling, sanctions, and bombing. With guest Vincent Bevins.
“Tony Blair says world must listen to Iraqi exiles,” reads a 2003 New York Times subheadline. ‘I Want To Get The Hell Out Of Here’: Thousands Of Palestinians Are Leaving Gaza,” NPR told readers in 2019. “Will Iran’s hated regime implode?,” The Economist wondered earlier this year, in June 2025.
In recent decades, when the US, or one of its client states, has sought to invade, bomb, occupy, or otherwise destabilize and destroy a country and its people, media and policymakers who support these aims––which is to say the vast majority––have employed ad hoc liberal standpoint theory to frame these efforts as in support of “the people” of said country, insisting that we listen to those people–whose platonic voice, we are told, share the US security state’s desire for regime change, sanctions, bombings and/or meddling.
Whether in Vietnam, Iraq, Bolivia, Gaza, or Iran, we’re told this “Platonic Voice of the People” not only objects to their government’s policies, but supports, either implicitly or explicitly, aggressive US intervention.
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The Human Rights Concern Troll Industrial Complex
The conceit that the U.S. has been a dedicated and earnest promoter of “freedom”, “democracy,” and “human rights” throughout the world — even if, at times, a “flawed” one — is a defining narrative, largely taken for granted by major media. But how accurate is this assumption? What do we mean when we talk about human rights? What abuses are highlighted and which aren’t? Where do labor rights fit into the broader discussion of human rights?
It’s just that when it’s titled “Reddit AMA **claiming** to be A Uyghur…” you sorta expect it to be scrutinizing that particular claim. Should be titled differently imo
The beggar king masters the green screen.
