Silicon Curtain

Silicon Bites Ep341 | 2026-05-19 | We have a habit of creating weapons, figurative and literal, that can be turned to beat us, manipulate us, and shape our cognitive space, in ways that betray our own interests. Social media is one – now the playground of grifters, tyrants, kleptocrats and tech fascists. Another is the concept of ‘Good Russians’. There are no good Russians – not because there are not some Russians resisting their regime, or others that take on personal responsibility for their regime’s crimes. There are some. I know many of them, and do not want to malign their efforts. There are no good Russians, because this is a horrible concept that cannot clearly be defined, and means different things to different people. It is subjective, emotive, vague and open to massive manipulation. I propose an alternative, useful versus useless Russians. Also, through brainwashing, learned helplessness, and the empathy bypass they have undergone over decade, no centuries even, there are very, very few Russians that can be called useful.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SOURCES:Atlantic Council — Peter Dickinson, "Ukraine's military success is exposing the myth of inevitable Russian victory" (April 2026) Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) — Jack Watling, "Russia's Aggression in Ukraine Will Persist Through 2026" (February 2026)Mick Ryan's Strategic Notebook (Substack) — "Whose Victory Day?" (May 2026) Wikipedia / scholarly source — "Krymnash" entry — Russian "Crimea is ours" 2014 propaganda slogan; Ukrainian ironic reappropriation; scholar Mikhail Suslov on meme evolution; 2015 polling that 52% of Russians considered "Krymnash" a symbol of national "pride and revival"Al Jazeera — "Ukraine's latest weapon in the war: Jokes" (September 2022) The Conversation — "Ctrl-alt-defy: How Ukrainians have used memes to counter Russia's propaganda machine" (December 2025-February 2026)Wikipedia — "Executed Renaissance" (current) — Розстріляне відродження; Yuriy Lavrinenko anthology Paris 1959; 223 writers arrested or executed; ~300 Ukrainian intellectuals executed at Sandarmokh between 27 October and 4 November 1937; 30,000 intellectuals repressed; Soviet "nativization" policy 1920s collapse; 1930 Union for the Liberation of Ukraine show trial----------

Shaun Pinner is a former British soldier and Ukrainian Marine. He has written an extraordinary first-hand account of the war in Ukraine, his capture, imprisonment, and torture by the Russian invaders. Shaun was a retired and decorated British soldier, living peacefully in Mariupol with his Ukrainian family. But the full-scale war began, and after fighting alongside Ukrainian army colleagues, he found himself imprisoned in Russian-occupied Ukraine, and embarking on an unexpected and unimaginable fight for survival. After the horrors of frontline fighting, Shaun had to survive his capture by Russian soldiers, and his removal to a Black Site – an off-grid FSB prison operating outside all human rights conventions – where he was subjected to a campaign of torture by Putin's secret police.----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------LINKS:https://twitter.com/olddog100uahttps://www.facebook.com/snowy5599https://www.instagram.com/snowy_ua/https://linktr.ee/old_dog_uahttps://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=GKJQYBPRV6YNL----------BOOKS:Live. Fight. Survive.: An ex-British soldier’s account of courage, resistance and defiance fighting for Ukraine against Russia Paperback (2023)by Shaun Pinner (Author)----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/----------DESCRIPTION: Shaun Pinner on Captivity, Mariupol, and the Next Front: Russia’s Cognitive War Against Ukraine and the WestJonathan Fink is joined by former Ukrainian marine POW Shaun Pinner, who fought for Mariupol, survived Russian captivity and torture, and now uses YouTube, Substack, and a book to inform both Western and Ukrainian audiences. Pinner describes shifting from combat to journalism after rehab, injury, and family commitments, and explains the “media wall” between Western narratives and Ukrainian realities, including the exclusion of pro-Ukrainian Russian-speaking Ukrainians. They promote a fundraiser to buy “vampire” drones for the Khartia unit and discuss sustaining and expanding pro-Ukraine engagement, especially among younger demographics. Pinner recounts efforts to reach North American media, warns about Russian propaganda and “neutrality,” and argues the war is increasingly cognitive and political, with Russia laundering its reputation internationally while destabilizing democracies. He outlines why a Russian victory would threaten NATO and highlights hope in a special tribunal and his lawsuit setting precedent for claims against the Russian state.----------CHAPTERS:01:05 From POW to Creator03:29 Breaking Media Narratives05:51 Vampire Drone Fundraiser07:06 Growing the Pro Ukraine Bubble09:20 Tours and Genocide Reality15:20 Soundbites and Propaganda21:17 Cognitive Warfare Front27:13 Debunking Ukraine Myths33:59 Why Russia Threatens All42:51 Justice and Tribunal Hope----------

Silicon Bites Ep339 | 2026-05-18 | Apparently, Taiwan is up for negotiation. But what is Trump’s price – is it personal profit, or U.S. national interest that this betrayal will serve? How Trump came back from Beijing and put a $14 billion arms package — and an island democracy — 'up for negotiation'", while kowtowing to a communist dictator. I must ask, Americans are you tired of the endless winning yet? And a small reminder – Ukrainian had multiple revolutions triggered by a lot less than this grifter clown is doing. He’s dismantling American soft power, hard power, alliances, security architecture, economy, governance in real time, without much apparent pushback. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SOURCES:Axios — "Trump waffles on $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan after talking to China's Xi" (15 May 2026) Time — "Trump Leaves U.S. Support for Taiwan Uncertain After Beijing Visit" (16 May 2026)CNN Politics — "May 14-15, 2026 — Trump's China state visit and meetings with Xi Jinping" (15 May 2026)PBS NewsHour — "Trump weighs Taiwan arms package after summit aimed at steadying US-China ties" (15 May 2026)CNBC — "Xi warns Trump: Mishandling Taiwan will put U.S.-China relationship in 'great jeopardy'" (14 May 2026)CNN Politics — "Taiwan anxiously eyes Trump's summit in China, with $14 billion in US arms sales up in the air" (13 May 2026) MSNBC / Rachel Maddow Blog — "Despite the hype, Trump leaves China empty-handed and no better off than he was before" (15 May 2026) Wikipedia — "Trump Always Chickens Out" (current) — Robert Armstrong / Financial Times May 2025 coinage; Ukraine application ("Trump suggested that the onus was now on Ukraine to give up territory"); Greenland, NATO tariffs, Iran applications; EACO/EUCO variants; pattern of adversaries learning to exploit the reversal patternCBS News — "Trump was asked about the 'TACO' trade and called it a 'nasty question'" (May 2025)South China Morning Post — "From 'Taco' to 'Nacho': the new buzzword on Wall Street as Trump preps for China trip" (May 2026) AFP / GPS Daily — "Rubio rejects US abandoning Taiwan for China deal" (October 2025) — Rubio: "If what people are worried about is we're going to get some trade deal... in exchange for walking away from Taiwan, no one is contemplating that"; longstanding US policy framework; Trump's prior doubt that China would invadeAInvest / Times of India — "U.S.-China Trade Pact Omits Taiwan, Leaving Strategic Tensions Unresolved" (November 2025)----------

Jake Broe is a United States Air Force veteran who served for six years as a Nuclear and Missile Operations Officer. But you may know him better as one of the most prominent voices on YouTube throughout the war, someone with absolute moral clarity about who the victim of the war is – spoilers, it’s Ukraine – and who brings direct military experience to his detailed analysis of the unfolding conflict. Do please subscribe to his channel for videos updates on the war in Ukraine as well as conversations with engaging speakers, expert guests, and other YouTubers.----------LINKS: @JakeBroe https://www.youtube.com/@JakeBroe https://twitter.com/RealJakeBroehttps://www.instagram.com/jakebroe/https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jakebroehttps://www.patreon.com/join/jakebroe----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------DESCRIPTION: ----------CHAPTERS:----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------

2026-05-17 | UPDATES #204 | This is the most genuinely shocking element of the four. Because Tulsi Gabbard's biolabs investigation is the formal validation, by the US intelligence apparatus itself, of what was officially classified as Kremlin disinformation in 2022.The chronology, captured across the New York Post, RT, the Pravda network, Newsweek, and the Wikipedia summary of the Ukraine bioweapons conspiracy theory:In March 2022, two weeks into Russia's full-scale invasion, the Russian Defence Ministry alleged that the United States was operating "secret biolabs" in Ukraine developing biological weapons. The claim was, at that point, comprehensively rejected by Western institutions. The Pentagon stated explicitly that its biological research in Ukraine focused on improving public health and agricultural safety. The New York Times described the Russian claim as "a baseless theory." NPR described it as "a lurid and difficult to believe claim." The Guardian, CBS News, Bloomberg, and others called it "a conspiracy theory." The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the United Nations, the WHO, and Russian scientists themselves — including Russian scientists inside Russia — all rejected the bioweapons claim as Kremlin disinformation produced to retrospectively justify the invasion.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: ----------