This article explores how words have been employed to incite violence, and how we can also help the truth shine through dangerous misinformation. Note: This is my best effort to add my voice to one of many, as requested by a Ukrainian friend. Hopefully, together we can help the truth be heard for the people of Ukraine.
When it comes to making a difference from afar, many people feel helpless and hopeless. How do we help people in a war zone separated by distance and corned by armies? Though weapons are what kills, words can be employed to help make a difference or to cause enormous harm. Right now, Putin is employing propaganda to muddy the truth and create a dangerous false reality. As history recalls, this tactic is not unique to the corrupt leader of Russia. Words can be used to incite fear, hate, violence, and falsity, which is why it is critical to speak the truth and spread correct information.
How Can I Help Ukraine?
The most pressing and urgent question is this- how do we help the people of Ukraine from home? Disinformation is one of Putin’s biggest tools at the moment. This means that sharing actual news and information so that the people of Ukraine understand their allies and options is critical. It is also imperative that the people who are being swamped with Putin’s lies are aware of the reality of what is occurring and why he is invading Ukraine. Putin is not helping the people of Ukraine. Putin is not liberating the people of Ukraine. This needs to be said again and again because some people are blinded by Putin’s propaganda.
The people of Ukraine are supported worldwide, as evidenced by this list of which countries are accepting Ukrainian refugees. The Ukraine Critics Media Center has a list of links to organizations that will directly finance the Ukrainian army and its volunteers. Making a donation, contacting local representatives, and offering to house refugees (for those in Europe) are other direct ways that we can help the situation. As listed by Time, UNICEF, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and the International Rescue Committee, are all verified organizations to donate to. Here is an additional link of charities to explore that support businesses and best distribute money. Money can help fuel the right side, but truth can also shape the outcome.
History of Dangerous Words
History sheds insight into just how much people can warp words to create false and dangerous realities. Adolf Hitler is responsible for the death of some six million people, but he was far from the only person who incited violence. How did Hitler amass the support for a widespread genocide? Hitler lacked the charisma of say, Charles Manson, yet he managed to grow the Nazi Party and spread widespread hate, violence, and misinformation. Like Putin, Hitler employed words and false media as his tool for crafting people and building a group of loyal followers. Hilter stands as a grim example of just how much words can incite unconscionable violence when they are wielded as a tool of manipulation.
Hitler learned how to employ rhetoric as a weapon to incite the German Workers’ Party. His speaking style propelled him to prominence and helped him gain traction in the party, which later became the Nazi party. Hitler’s passion and force as a speaker combined with his emboldened and shameless violence made him a force that people stood behind. Hitler relied heavily on the media to expand his popularity, while he created a domestic portrayal of himself that helped to paint a false image of a gentleman worth following. Hitler presented himself to the media as someone of culture, someone who was adored and respected. Hitler stands as a chilling example of just how much damage false narratives can cause.
Misinformation In The 21st Century
Unfortunately, misinformation is not something of the past. What is happening with Putin’s propaganda is an extremely disturbing case of the power of words and the weight of lies. However, false information is something that has infiltrated mainstream media to the point where people struggle to separate “false news” from facts. The COVID-19 pandemic has been infamously riddled with misinformation, leading to people taking horse tranquilizers in a sorely misguided attempt to cleanse their bodies. People are poisoning themselves out of ignorance and viciously defending lies that they inhale as truths, tearing apart friendships in favor of regurgitating something they read on Facebook.
Needless to say, people cannot believe everything they say or hear. A salacious meme can’t be taken as fact, nor unfortunately, can the words of a news anchor. People have to dig deeper to sift through the various media reports and elicit the truth amid the murkiness. Meanwhile, we mustn’t repeat everything we hear. Carelessness can help falsity spread like a plague, which can and is causing damage. What is happening to the people of Ukraine is a terrifying reality and a grave example of what can happen when someone attempts to spin their own reality into facts. We cannot allow dangerous lies to be accepted as reality.
As a final parting thought, consider which countries or groups of people you feel are your enemies. Ask yourself this- are you against these people because they have personally offended you, or because the media has told you they are against you? Why are you conditioned to dislike groups of people? Why are you demonizing entire countries? Learn to distinguish the truth from the outpouring of false propaganda. Don’t allow the lies you hear to blind you to the truth and to create hate for someone else’s agenda.
Together we will speak the truth. My voice is just one, but yours is another.
Additional Reading: Supporting Ukrainian Businesses and Charities: The Best Places to Spend and Donate Money