re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Way to derail our OCS old fart thread

My mistake sir. By your leave please sir.

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Since I have to be very specific I will clarify. Which story do you think gets more air time? Ukrainian or Russian war crimes?

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So a couple of thoughts here..

This turned out to be a much longer diatribe than I expected, so here’s the TL;DR: I think the perception of media coverage has a lot more to do with what generates clicks than media agendas.

1. The idea of “air time” feels a bit dated to me, given the way media works in 2022. It certainly still applies for cable news channels (which many people, myself included, don’t watch). But print media? Maybe. It seems like this happens all the time - someone says “why don’t you ever see anything about [story x] in the media?” Someone else posts a link to an article about [story x]. The first person replies “yeah but they spend way more time covering [story y].”

And the truth is.. probably somewhere in the middle? I think the big newspaper outlets actually run a ton of stories that people don’t realize, simply because nobody cares about them. And yeah, if nobody cares they probably move on to other stories than actually generate traffic/subscriptions. But is that because they don’t want to report on the other story, or because they are in the business of generating revenue? Which brings me to..

2. In a discussion earlier about the difference between coverage of Ukraine in 2022 vs. Georgia in 2008, someone mentioned the fact that modern social media was in its infancy in 2008. I think this is a huge factor. Not only does social media allow stories to spread much faster, it gives the media orgs a much clearer view of exactly what their consumers care about.

The curated nature of social media has a lot to do with how people perceive the coverage as well. If you think that the reports of Russian losses or the reports of Russian atrocities have been exaggerated, you are more likely to see reports about Russian advances or Ukrainian atrocities. If you think Ukraine is winning the war and that the Russians are indeed committing egregious war crimes as they retreat, you are more likely to see reports that support those positions.

So then people get drawn into the extremes, which bleeds into non-curated forums like this one - where they start arguing against each other and bringing more people into the conversation. This is not specific to the war in Ukraine, it’s just what happens nowadays.

I’m not saying individual writers and organizations don’t have agendas - they certainly do. But the extent to which these orgs go out of their way to over- or under-report certain events purely because of a media agenda is largely overblown, IMO. I think it has much more to do with simple economics - what generates clicks?

It’s also why the partisan leanings of specific networks get amplified. A hardcore republican isn’t likely to go to MSNBC to get their daily dose of outrage about Hillary Clinton. Neither is a hardcore democrat likely to go to OAN to get their daily dose of outrage about Donald Trump. So those networks will tend to cater to what their viewers are interested in hearing about.

So, bottom line, the PB isn't entertaining yall, so you come contaminate our thread.

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So, bottom line, the PB isn't entertaining yall, so you come contaminate our thread.

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Somebody may need to start another just the facts man thread.

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Our position on the global stage is materially weaker because of the means in which we are “fighting” the Russians. I’m glad you are content with this. Continue on with the circle jerk.

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I read this thread just about everyday and just felt the need to say you are dumb.

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The poliboard really has lost the plot. Last time I venture over there

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It's been fricked for years but I still touch the poop sometimes

They are fricking potential targets and I guarantee residents don’t want them there. What a dumbass

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Did you have the fortune of wearing the black berets during a July summer in Columbus? Nothing like being covered in sweat just marching to class in the morning.

I still remember our first two week FTX during that time. We got back on the buses....no problem.

We entered the enclosed barracks after two weeks of no showers in the hot Georgia summer. I think half my platoon had to hold it down from yakking everywhere. My god the smell.

I'd never do it again, but I'll be damned if I still don't have some great memories of those times.

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Worst was one of ours during boot got caught smoking in the woods when he was supposed to be on battalion duty. We had pt next morning so DS didn't say shite until after. Around noon he brought us all up and lined us in front of bunks at attention. Slowly went and checked every window to make sure it was closed.

Granted it's August in south Georgia, he then put heater all the way up and just let us stand there until it got hot as a mother fricker. He then said get out the NBC suit and started screaming gas, gas, gas

Proceeded to have us do over and under bunks until people started puking and falling out.

Brought us to attention at end of the beds again and then knocked over all the bunks and lockers like fricking dominoes. Explained why he was pissed, who did what and screamed clean it the frick up and left.

Next drill sergeant snuck in middle of the night and caught guard sleeping.......same shite over and over again.

I have a lot of memories from Benning that I will cherish but frick those couple of days.

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Ukrainian Nazis just pulled up to this quiet residential neighborhood and set up shop.

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It's amazing how well propaganda works. The Russians are actually building a case that they are ridding Europe of Nazis. They were bad guys in WWII and are bad guys on the cusp of WWIII.