Comments by "Marc Joly" (@emjizone) on "General Ben Hodges (Ret.): Will Russia Accept Defeat? | Jake Broe Podcast (E009)" video.

  1. 21:39 The Ukrainians try to inform the Russians about their rights, but they are not necessarily believed! Russian propaganda is so effective that many Russians are genuinely surprised that they are not tortured once captured. They are surprised to hear the Ukrainians speak Russian to them. They are surprised to be treated and fed better than in their ranks. They are surprised the Ukrainian save their lives when they are wounded. It's a reality they cannot believe in until they see it. And once they have seen it and want to tell their families about it, it's their turn not to be believed, and they are accused of having given in to blackmail or being brainwashed. The Nazis of the past also offered their enemies to surrender, saying that nothing bad would happen to them, and yet sometimes proceeded to hang them afterwards. On top of that, Putin's propaganda, deliberately full of contradictions, creates a kind of paranoia. Therefore, from the point of view of many Russian fighters, the kind offers from the Ukrainians are not necessarily reassuring. Many actually think they are indeed saving the world, or at least Russia, against terrible barbarians. This war itself is so insane that not believing the propaganda can turn mad of anger. So many are so stressed, under so much fear and pressure, that they prefer to believe anything they are told than take the risk of thinking it through. Ultimately, *fear dictates their behavior*, so they often can't follow your logical reasoning about surrendering, even physically. *Some brain parts are actually turned off by fear*. Chanting, alcool, drugs or despair do the rest. Maybe the only success of Putin in this war is to have almost cancelled the effect of the Internet in his country, to have created a huge and persistent illusion, and to have succeeded in breaking the trust between Russians and Ukrainians despite they have no difficulty to understand each other in normal times. Unless they pay more for a VPN, Russians don't read the same Wikipedia, they never listen to neutral translations of many foreign sources. Imagine what picture they have in mind if you want to predict their behaviour, and don't be surprised they don't surrender, sabotage or revolt that much against pure madness. I have called for less mockery and taunts and more efforts to repair communication lines between Russia and the rest of the world*, using *translations and fun games so more Russians accept to listen something else than national TV and reconnect with the world despite it hurts, but it seems nobody took me seriously. It's a huge task. I'd like not to be alone trying. I know I'm not alone but we aren't united enough trying. Out of anger, many Ukrainians fail to keep talking with their relatives in Russia, too. I still believe this could save much more lives than any weapon, by ruining the old trick Putin&Co uses to divide people and keep so many Russians under control.
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