Phil Butler - Putin's Praetorians - Confessions of the Top Kremlin Trolls

Discounting the millions of dollars spent by corporate or government controlled western media on social media platforms, efforts by western intelligence agencies and “so-called” NATO trolls dwarf the pitiful fairytale U.S. Senators and the technocrats have come up with. Since the end of this book was not intended to be about digital intelligence insurgents and Big Brother, I’ll simply call the reader’s attention to an effort by western intelligence that the Russians now lovingly refer to as “Pokemons in epaulets” . It turns out, my FSB colleague Stanislav Stanislavic has been on the trail of infiltrators, spies, and saboteurs of the Russia message on social media for some time now. Stanislavic’s role in Alpha Team was focused on new digital intelligence and even countermeasures, if I recall correctly. So, once the over the top social media investigations began in September and accelerated in October, I asked Stanislav (Stas) for any information at all on the alleged St. Petersburg troll factory, the Internet Research Agency, and anything else pertinent to the mudslinging effort from the west. As fate would have it, the former FSB colonel had just completed an investigation into western intelligence services and so-called “NATO trolls” creating bogus identities on Facebook for the purpose of intelligence gathering and sewing discontent in Russia, and etc. According to a document Stanislav shared with me entitled “Pokemons: Fake Secret/Special Service Men” (ПОКЕМОНЫ: САМОЗВАНЦЫ «ОТ СПЕЦСЛУЖБ) details the investigation by former Alpha Team members into the true identities of imposters. The was an investigation by the organization of veterans of the FSB’s Team Alpha, was shared in interviews in October of 2017 with the Ministry of the Interior of the Russian Federation concerned about the “Pokemon” issue.

Once again, I am forced to leave off deeper revelations here. This Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole is deep and expansive. As a last discovery here, I know it will not surprise most readers to know that the source of the “breaking” CNN story on the financier of the alleged “troll factory” is none other than CNN’s and CNBC’s Russian partner RBC TV, the business news channel formerly run by Yelizaveta Osetinskaya, who joins Alex Navalny and others as top Putin haters. And the hole does not lead to many reputable western media entities, I will assure you. A Business Inside piece with the stunning title “’Our task was to set Americans against their own government’: New details emerge about Russia’s trolling operation” links to and cites these unfounded stories as if they were religious icons. Even a shallow investigation into facts refutes nearly everything the U.S. Senate has in front of it. At least concerning “who” bankrolled an imaginary troll farm bent on disrupting America. [51] ‘ Our task was to set Americans against their own government’: New details emerge about Russia’s trolling operation , by Sonam Sheth, Business Insider , October 17, 2017

Summing up here we find a multitude of facts, logic, and probability pointing to a rather simple explanation for recent moves by U.S. lawmakers, technocrat business interests, and their media partners against Putin and Russia. If I were CNN, I would put the story to readers like this. “Exclusive: Globalists tied to failed Russian oligarchs make our laws” , or something to this effect. A CNN story of this type would probably link Alex Nevalny with ousted oligarch and alleged Russian mafioso Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who would in turn be linked to Rothschild banking interests that failed in Russia because of Putin. Subsequent stories might “reveal” further ties in between Alex Nevalny and CNN affiliates, imaginary NATO farms run and funded by CIA operatives, as well as hearsay evident and supposition pointing to U.S. politicians and the deep state colluding with money interests that control these media resources. A story of this kind, should a journalist or publisher like me decide to fabricate it, would then be disseminated across a massive network of desperate and/or broken publications/networks worldwide. Without so much as a scrap of paper proving Senator John McCain (for instance) has connections to the Mafia (let’s say) a false narrative (or fake news) could in fact become an alternative truth for hundreds of millions of people. As was the case with the highly publicized “Panama Papers”, the research for which was shown to have been funded by George Soros, this Putin election meddling fairytale hasn’t an inkling of proof. Nothing ties Vladimir Putin to the offshore tax evasion schemes of the real mafiosos, and nothing ties Putin or the Kremlin to a puny Facebook ad budget. My own efforts at promoting editorial and analysis by me on Facebook, probably exceed the Kremlin’s expenditures. The reality is simple, everybody promotes on Facebook, and Russiagate is hyperbole, as can be seen in stacks of reports and independent news stories. [52] Russiagate Is More Fiction Than Fact , by Aaron Mate, The Nation , October 7, 2017 As author Aaron Maté points out in the cited The Nation article, “the media has substituted hype for evidence”. More significantly, it appears U.S. lawmakers have also substituted desired policy for truth.

If only Putin’s troll army had the resources and reach the opposition does! But more on that in my final confession.

Now I am sure “my cover is blown.” I confess to having connections with some of Russia’s most loyal citizens in high and common positions. In just over three years I’ve been befriended by the producers of Russia’s most popular TV shows, by photographers and writers, by artists and ballet legends, local and federal politicians, Olympic athletes, and even Spetsnaz officers. This happenstance was not because of any special character of mine, not because any money changed hands, and especially not because Vladimir Putin sent me out from the Kremlin to engage in his anti-NATO propaganda. The ordinary and extraordinary Russians befriended me and some of these others because we defended them — period. As difficult as this may be for some to imagine, the hand of friendship goes a very, very long way in Mother Russia.

So far, I have presented many of the most well-known pro-Russian influencers in the digital world. They have contributed in their own words, their motivations, ideas, and ideals concerning the clearly anti-Russia propaganda war that has raged the last three or four years. I’ve also attempted to explain my own motivations and role in all this, which turns out to be a mirror of my colleagues’ involvement. The noted international correspondent, Pepe Escobar introduced the book and the prevailing “Putin troll” sentiment you’ve read over-and-over again. The Saker, Charles Bausman, Graham Phillips, and Vanessa Beeley showed you the broad and sweeping independent media path of truth, and on the dissenting view on Russia. And the real Kremlin heroes, if I may, they showed you the crisp reality of this war on Russia and Russians — and this is common decency heated to a raging boil.

People like Eric Anderson down on the Amazon, artist Carmen Renieri, and disabled veterans like Paul Payer, they show us all the real power behind Vladimir Putin, the wisdom, and strength of truth. Facing the biggest lie in the history of humanity dead in the face, decent people of every nationality just said, “Wait one damn minute!” Ordinary people, people watching their grandkids, people in wheelchairs, old soldiers on breathing machines, bloggers and stock market speculators, teachers, lawyers, adventurers, and stay at home moms got tired of unsportsmanlike conduct — there is nothing more to it. This book has shown this irrevocably for anyone with an ounce of moderation and decency in their soul. The simple truth is, there are paid journalists like Pepe Escobar, Robert Parry, scholars like Stephen Cohen, and experts like Dr. Paul Craig Roberts in the mix for moderation on Russia. I confess my admiration for them all, for their courage in the face of overwhelming dangers.