I finally had a long hard look at Russia’s 2016 Facebook ads.
The Vladster had a Facebook Page for everyone.
Were you a Blacktivist? Vlad was there with a false story
to convince you your government has always hated you:

Actually, the Black Panther’s formed as an armed citizens’ patrol to monitor the behavior of officers of the Oakland Police Department and challenge police brutality in Oakland, California. The Justice Department was formed to fight the KKK.
Are you LGBTQ? Vlad wants you to think of Bernie Sanders as a gay rights
superhero (especially ‘Berniacs’ who didn’t know Clinton and Sanders held
the same positions on Gay Rights):

Or maybe you’re concerned about Police Brutality and the killings of
unarmed African-Americans:

Perhaps you wondered if Black Lives Matter was a problem:

Or maybe you were a ‘Woke Black’ willing to think the ‘Democrat welfare
state’ keeps Black People down:

If you were a white supremacist who kept his racist shit to himself, Vladdy
was there to set you free, with this:

And this:

And this:

And these:


And if you happen to hate Trump, Vladdy has a Facebook page for you, too!

Information is your best defense against Russian bullshit.

If you see one or more of the following 15 points in a news story, or hear them used by a public figure be suspicious:
- A black and white division of the world into “ours” and the “alien” other;
- Epithets that imply more than they describe;
- Constant assertions that those supporting Putin or Trump are more numerous and united. (The results of manipulated and flawed polls are often used to support such assertions);
- Empty declarations that mean nothing but seem to promise or
prove everything; - Playing games with cause and effect, often reversing their true order;
- Making false accusations but not providing proof;
- A vicious circle or tautology where the second part of an
assertion is simply a repetition of the first; - Confusing the part with the whole by focusing on only one part
of something such as liberals within the opposition; - Creating false dilemmas that don’t exist;
- Careful preparation of headlines which are the only thing
most people pay attention to; - Citations to experts, often false and even more often out of context;
- Claiming all media reports when only one media outlet does;
- Using weasel words like “so-called” or “it would appear” to give an appearance of objectivity;
- Outright falsification; and
- Conspiracy theories and suggestion of hidden motives.
The 15 Point Propaganda Check List is from Euromaidan Press
Russian Facebook ads found at the NYT and Google Search