Observer in a Black Sea Town …. with highlights being those imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi
This cartoon, which appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald (29/12), is a nice contrast to the RT Christmas song I sent a few days ago.
Admittedly, the song and the cartoon are both forms of propaganda. The key difference is that the cartoon is a distortion of reality, while the Russian song was relatively truthful in its depiction. Putin is often made the bogeyman for everything from the price of gas to the influx of migrants. Putin is seen as the architect of Europe’s current crises, real or perceived. By weaving sarcasm into the narrative, the RT video adopts an Euroskeptic slant that viewers may find either compelling or contentious.
In reality, Europe’s political leadership displays a profound lack of insight into how their own policies have contributed to the continent’s crises. The cartoon reveals more about the West’s motives than it does about Putin’s behaviour. In real life, Putin isn’t standing armed on a blazing sleigh, the apparent killer of Santa Claus. The cartoon offers only a narrow, Western viewpoint, not a factual representation of Putin. It reveals the cartoonist’s biases more than anything about Putin.
From a design perspective, the piece exhibits very good draftsmanship and a stable layout that effectively anchors the subject (Putin) within its environment. The message is nothing but a calculated deception, like most cartoons today in Australia.
NOTE B:
In 2025, Russia says that 6,640 sq kilometres were liberated by the Russian military. 6,640 sq kilometres is the equivalent of 2,564 square miles which is not such a tiny advance as Western politicians often claim. As the Ukrainian defences continue to splinter and collapse, we can expect the Russian advance to accelerate in 2026.
NOTE C:
… EXCLUDED ITEM OF NEWS
So, if you decide to post any of the comments in this email trail, that’s fine but exclude all reference to a Ukrainian strike on Putin’s kitchen until we know for sure.
The most insidious thing about propaganda wars is that at the end of the day, total chaos emerges and no one knows what happened for certain. It is one of the things I despise about the media and intelligence agencies who drive this type of behaviour. We could do without it but unfortunately those in power cannot resist using propaganda and disinformation
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
