Polina Kondratieva:
I’m totally concerned that this phrase can describe the situation with the news-broadcasting russian propaganda. Okay, let’s start from the beginning. We knew that Russian news sources aren’t truthful enough, especially because they create incompetent and fake news, but from the start of the full-scale invasion to Ukraine, we see that people there just don’t want to hear the truth.
They feel comfortable to believe in their propaganda, as it blames others for something often absurd, but also they lie about the strength of their “great” country. For instance, we can see that all russians are proud of their army. They scare us with the words that they could occupy Kyiv for 3 days maximum, however when they started the full-scale invasion, we saw that their technics were left on the roads, because of their malfunction. Their SU-34 were easily crashed. Their army couldn’t even think logically. Their troops were crashed for 14 times near Chornobaivka. And I can continue telling about their army faults. But why russians still believe in their propaganda, while all civilized world tell them truth?
Firstly, I think because they haven’t enough wealth, and they just want to blame for it all the world, but not themselves, because they are lazy and envious. Also, they just want to replace their successes with fictional successes of their country. It’s their mentality. They historically grew up where the lie is the truth, where the evil is the good and where the war and violence are indicators to their “greatness”.
Secondly, they believe propaganda, because they don’t want to think critically and sometimes think at all. The majority of russians don’t have an education degree, and other majority just bought it.
Thirdly, they believe liars because it is profitably for them. We know that level of corruption in russia is high, so we can see such results.
To sum up, I agree with the phrase about people are deceived because they want it. We can see that on the russians’ example. When a person want to find the truth, he/she will definitely find it.
Natalia, Kyiv:
“The Cave,” Socrates describes a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all their lives, everything they have seen are shadows projected on the wall from objects passing in front of a fire behind them. They know the world just watching the reflections on the wall. Once someone could escape from the captivation, he runs away and sees beautiful world around, the sun, the sea people wearing bright colours. The person was so excited he wanted to share his discovery with people who are left in the cave. He comes back and tells them the story about wonderful world outside, he wants them to see the world in real perception, but happens what has to happen. Slavers do not believe him even more they are furious with him, they are used to living in chains and stories about fascinating life are for gullible ones.
The same story we can retell or rewrite, keeping in mind our life today. russian television, although it keeps them on a chain, but it’s so habitual and convenient to think about your superiority, and the chain has already grown into the skin and muscles, it will hurt to remove it.
Those who inhabit the territory to the east of our borders, they do not believe that we have the right to live our own life separately from them. They call us “zombified” Ukrainians, supposing that everyone must be happy to live under their patronage. How to explain to them that we are not them and how to make them leave us alone, I do not know.
Only our strength and will can stop them.
