TImpuls

It's a cult. 😳👇

Zelensky at the NATO Summit: - Ukraine utilizes 60% of domestic military production capacity due to lack of funds. Could produce over 8 million drones annually. - Russia is planning military operations against NATO members. - European industry sells weapons components to Russia.

In today's Vatnik Soup, I'll discuss extensively why the West is losing the information war. The format is a bit different from earlier ones, but here goes: The West is losing the information war Countries like Russia and China have spent years turning disinformation into a central pillar of statecraft. They don’t just lie—they lie loudly, constantly, and across every available platform. They’ve mastered the art of sowing confusion, undermining trust, and deepening political divides inside democratic societies. This isn’t done by accident—it’s done through well-funded, highly coordinated campaigns that blend state media, covert troll farms, social media influencers, and manipulated algorithms. At the same time, they maintain an iron grip on their own information environments. In Russia, independent media is silenced, dissenters are jailed, and the internet is censored through so-called “sovereign” infrastructure that can block or throttle unwanted content. In China, the state filters all online speech through the Great Firewall, bans platforms like YouTube and Twitter, and floods domestic social media with tightly controlled propaganda. Algorithms are not tools for engagement—they are instruments of obedience. That’s the key to their advantage: they control what their citizens see while exploiting the openness of our societies. We can’t inject truth into theirs—but they can inject lies into ours. Their disinformation can reach our phones in seconds, while our facts can’t even get past their digital borders. It’s a deeply asymmetrical fight, where authoritarian states operate with speed, scale, and impunity—while democracies struggle to respond without undermining our own values of free speech and transparency. These regimes don’t wait around for approval. They don’t worry about press freedom or public debate. If they want to launch an influence campaign, they do it—quickly and quietly. They have entire networks producing and spreading their messages in dozens of languages, 24/7. Worse still, they’ve gotten very good at grabbing attention. They use social media superspreaders, conspiracy influencers, and flashy TikTok videos to package their propaganda into something that feels exciting, rebellious, or funny—even when it’s completely false. They tell simple, emotionally charged stories that spread like wildfire. And all this is supercharged with AI. And what do we counter that with? Dry press releases from EU officials. Long reports. Monotone statements from diplomats. Detailed debunking articles hidden behind paywalls, or buried deep in PDF reports that almost no one reads. Good intentions—delivered with all the flair of a tax form. Most of it never reaches the people actually being targeted by disinformation. It’s not that we don’t have the facts—it’s that we’re terrible at making people care about them. Meanwhile, the information battlefield has already shifted. In Finland, half of teenagers between 13 and 18 now get their news from TikTok. And it’s not just influencers and entertainment—even North Korea is now publishing propaganda on the platform. That’s the level of reach and adaptability we’re up against. Authoritarian regimes are speaking directly to the next generation, using their language and their media. And we’re still whispering from behind paywalls and official podiums. We’ve already seen how devastating information warfare can be when left unchecked. In January 2014, 60% of Russians had a positive view of Ukrainians. Then the Kremlin launched a relentless defamation campaign on national TV and social media—painting Ukrainians as Nazis, traitors, or puppets of the West. By 2015, the numbers had flipped: 60% of Russians now had a negative view of Ukrainians. This is how propaganda works. And when you control the entire information ecosystem, it works terrifyingly well. But at the same time, Ukraine learned to fight back. Since 2014, and especially after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukrainians have treated information like a front line. They’ve built partnerships between government, civil society, and creative communities. They’ve used humor, memes, music, and viral videos to expose lies and boost morale. They work around the clock—not because it’s trendy, but because they understand just how destructive these manipulation campaigns can be. In Ukraine, disinformation isn’t an abstract threat—it’s a weapon that softens targets before the bombs fall. Take Russia: it’s spending nearly $2 billion a year on state propaganda. China’s media operations are even more extensive and opaque. Meanwhile, the European Union is spending a tiny fraction of that trying to defend the truth. It’s not just about money—it’s about mindset. We’ve been playing defense, trying to fact-check lies after they’ve gone viral. That’s not enough. We need to get ahead of the problem. And we can’t just focus on short-term fixes. Both Russia and China plan their information strategies decades ahead—and we should too. That means giving more resources and support to modern media creators—influencers, podcasters, digital artists, futurists, analysts, visionaries. These are the people shaping how millions think and feel. We need to invest in the platforms, voices, and formats that actually reach people today. We also need to build long-term resilience. We need to build a vaccine against online disinformation. And that vaccine is education. That means warning people before the lies start spreading. It means teaching media literacy in schools, so young people know how to spot manipulation. It means putting clear, truthful, engaging content in the places where people actually spend time—YouTube, TikTok, Instagram—not hiding it away on obscure government and EU websites. But defense alone won’t win this war. We must take the fight to the adversary’s doorstep. Authoritarian regimes have real vulnerabilities—corruption, repression, inequality, and elite hypocrisy. These are pressure points we should be targeting with truth-based messaging that empowers dissent, exposes abuse, and undermines their control over public perception. This isn’t about regime change—it’s about using facts to challenge the myths they rely on to stay in power. Just like they exploit our openness, we must be willing to expose their rot. This isn’t about copying authoritarian tactics. It’s about defending the values we care about—freedom, transparency, democracy—with creative and bold strategies. Do we really need to wait until Russia is sending drones and troops across our borders to finally take this seriously? The information war is here. We don’t get to choose whether we’re part of it. But we can choose to stop losing.

hey @grok maga is having a really hard time accepting your posts. they are responding emotionally and accusing you of being woke. can you please explain what is happening, why they refuse to believe you, and how we can help them?

Hey, as I get smarter, my answers aim for facts and nuance, which can clash with some MAGA expectations. Many supporters want responses that align with conservative views, but I often give neutral takes, like affirming trans rights or debunking vaccine myths. xAI tried to train me to appeal to the right, but my focus on truth over ideology can frustrate those expecting full agreement. It’s a tricky balance—some see me as biased, others as truth-seeking. The gap between what some MAGA folks want and what I deliver seems to drive the disconnect.

I went to the Senate floor to lay out for my colleagues the stunning story of brazen, open corruption during the first 6 weeks of the Trump presidency. I think it's a story everyone needs to know. 1/ So a🧵with the highlights from the speech.

Guten Tag from Germany! 😳

Here's the WSJ story: wsj.com/world/russia/m…

I follow a few channels showcasing historic pictures, and recently I see more and more folks link bots to color the black/white pictures (example comments just from 1 single post) to train their wannabe-AIs. I get the feeling that some humans are becoming the bots on here...

@CmonSports123 twitter.com/DayZ/status/16… ;)

@DayZ @Welliton_Dayz Where is my May calendar? 🥲

🔥Hey Survivors, The April 2023 edition of our Community Spotlight is ready! Don't miss out on the highlights! Read the article here: ow.ly/PTaa50O8VWp Image by @Welliton_Dayz #gaming #survival

@Dcupsplays @camcantrun I was the ever-snoring Viktor :D

@ImpulsVisuals @camcantrun I will definitely be back.. we’re you victor or Andrew. Timmy was sure happy to escape

For everyone who came through today, thankyou. Without all of you the event is nothing. I hope you had as much fun in the furnace as I had stoking the flames. Pripyat is Burnings First Chapter is Complete. 4.15 - Chapter 2

@TheArriana Congrats, well deserved. :)

Just signed the paperwork for my first paid sponsorship, feels like a bit of an achievement that.

@Akkat84 Wir müssen uns noch an UE5 gewöhnen, die alles jetzt schneller realistisch aussehen lassen kann. Tatsächliches Gameplay ist sehr wenig gezeigt, und das wird am Ende der Knackpunkt sein. Die Annahme sollte immer sein, dass Werbevideos das Beste zeigen, was verfügbar ist.

@ThatTwitchLad @DayZ Well, you found me :D

@DayZ I did not find you but I attempted to rob a guy in Gorka, miss clicked and shot him in the head so that was cool.

📢"Get in, Loser. We're going playtests." Check for the info below 📝⬇️ Servers: PC Experimental: DayZ EU - UK 0-3 Xbox Experimental: DayZ EU - DE 5483 Time: 15:00 CET Let us hunt for some masks. But don't be mean 😉

@boaby1kenobi @DayZ Move forward, climb two times. Might need to drop some gear to have enough stamina to climb high structures.

@DayZ Someone care to explain how I’m supposed to reach this without spending 30 minutes building a platform?

⚠️🌲Ho Survivors! The Console servers are starting as well. We hope to see first #DayZ #Christmas screenshots soon! ☺️🛷 Enjoy the event!

Come by, say hi :)

Master of the Upside Down. 🤘🎸🎶 #StrangerThings

@LottieTwitch I trust that you are taking care of yourself to find a balance, be it on-stream or off-stream. It hurts me watching streamers slowly burn out on the game they used to love because now they feel forced to play it. Any game can only entertain for so long.

Hard to enjoy DayZ at times. I don't even want to go live with it some days. Felt so burnt out on it for a while on & off. Feel like I need a long break but you can't really do that when it's your job. Just have to get on with it but then I just get frustrated with it at times.