Now that we have a new thread, in order to ensure that this thread continues to meet TL standards and follows the proper guidelines, we will be enforcing the rules in the OP more strictly. Be sure to give them a complete and thorough read before posting!
NOTE: When providing a source, please provide a very brief summary on what it's about and what purpose it adds to the discussion. The supporting statement should clearly explain why the subject is relevant and needs to be discussed. Please follow this rule especially for tweets.
Your supporting statement should always come BEFORE you provide the source.
And before the Minnesota video and to fill in oBlade on Shirley's work in Ukraine: He misled his viewers by claiming during his trip he went to eastern Ukraine, implying he was on the ground and close-ish to the front lines. Which, after all, his reputation is as oBlade put:
And he always goes right to where current event news is coming from. Think: Hurricane in North Carolina, in a couple days he's there streaming from it.
Instead he stayed in Kyiv, scoped out some luxury cars and mugged in front of the camera with the text:
POV: your [sic] in Ukraine and you realize where your taxes are going
With the description text saying
175 BILLION dollars goes a long way... This is the capital of Ukraine
So here we have Shirley, furthering the lies spread in both MAGA and Russian propaganda that the US' support was cash that largely disappeared through Ukrainian corruption.
When confronted, it turns out he never went further east than Kyiv and he dishonestly walked back his claim by saying it was 'satire'... but couldn't explain in what way it was satire, and then in the course of conversation looped back to effectively saying it was true that the US sent $175B in cash and that corrupt Ukraine made it disappear. So it wasn't satire.
But then he fell back to claiming it was satire again.
Between this and the daycare 'reporting', I'm seeing something more than just youthful mistakes. If you've not only become a conduit for misinformation but are creating new lies whether through stupidity or ideological capture, it's just a mistake. No participation trophies for his youth. Maybe he put out good interviews in the past and got audience captured and is now hustling for those clicks. But I see someone who has likely fallen for lies and is spreading lies and therefore his critical thinking and content is compromised. But he also is dishonest and possibly not very intelligent based on some of his reasoning... unless he doesn't actually believe what he is saying on camera, in which case more dishonesty.
edit. Actually, I'm walking back the 'maybe he was okay before.' This clown was paying migrants to hold up signs in front of the White House supporting Biden. When you stop reporting the news and instead create the news, you are a militant propagandist and you know what you are doing. That's only 'interesting' insofar as following along with Roger Stone's dirty tricks to get Nixon re-elected. That's what Nick is, one of Roger's rats.
JAQing off intentional propagandist or a moron unintentionally spreading propaganda because he bought into the lie? Or maybe both, depending on the occasion.
“The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes." "If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do."
JD Vance. Vice President of the United States of America.
Looks like Taiwan is fucked and Trump is selling them out to China. Wants TMC to move their factories to the US. Will never happen. If they are smart and they can do it on the down low they get nukes now. Otherwise they already know how to speak Chinese I guess.
I imagine a future crisis is a chip crisis. I don't want to say the next because it's several years along and Trump will for sure fuck up something else before that.
China isn't stupid enough to make it 3 for 3 for super powers that start needless wars that humiliate them on a global stage.
you thought the strait blockade was bad for the economy or that the AI bubble is making computer parts expensive, watch what happens as 5 minutes after the shooting starts Taiwan blows up all its chip factories.
Remember just a couple of months ago, when everyone needed to realize that Russia wasn’t a threat and China was what the world needed to be worried about.
Trump is by far the most spineless US president and it’s not close.
On May 17 2026 02:00 Falling wrote: And before the Minnesota video and to fill in oBlade on Shirley's work in Ukraine: He misled his viewers by claiming during his trip he went to eastern Ukraine, implying he was on the ground and close-ish to the front lines. Which, after all, his reputation is as oBlade put:
And he always goes right to where current event news is coming from. Think: Hurricane in North Carolina, in a couple days he's there streaming from it.
Instead he stayed in Kyiv, scoped out some luxury cars and mugged in front of the camera with the text:
175 BILLION dollars goes a long way... This is the capital of Ukraine
So here we have Shirley, furthering the lies spread in both MAGA and Russian propaganda that the US' support was cash that largely disappeared through Ukrainian corruption.
When confronted, it turns out he never went further east than Kyiv and he dishonestly walked back his claim by saying it was 'satire'... but couldn't explain in what way it was satire, and then in the course of conversation looped back to effectively saying it was true that the US sent $175B in cash and that corrupt Ukraine made it disappear. So it wasn't satire.
But then he fell back to claiming it was satire again.
Between this and the daycare 'reporting', I'm seeing something more than just youthful mistakes. If you've not only become a conduit for misinformation but are creating new lies whether through stupidity or ideological capture, it's just a mistake. No participation trophies for his youth. Maybe he put out good interviews in the past and got audience captured and is now hustling for those clicks. But I see someone who has likely fallen for lies and is spreading lies and therefore his critical thinking and content is compromised. But he also is dishonest and possibly not very intelligent based on some of his reasoning... unless he doesn't actually believe what he is saying on camera, in which case more dishonesty.
edit. Actually, I'm walking back the 'maybe he was okay before.' This clown was paying migrants to hold up signs in front of the White House supporting Biden. When you stop reporting the news and instead create the news, you are a militant propagandist and you know what you are doing. That's only 'interesting' insofar as following along with Roger Stone's dirty tricks to get Nixon re-elected. That's what Nick is, one of Roger's rats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2L90-fpDjM JAQing off intentional propagandist or a moron unintentionally spreading propaganda because he bought into the lie? Or maybe both, depending on the occasion.
“The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes." "If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do."
JD Vance. Vice President of the United States of America.
The Kyiv thing is stupid and crude. I did see that story soon after the daycare reporting. It reflects badly on Shirley as a reporter. He acted like a provocative influencer seeking clicks above story. The narrative he tried to sell is so idiotic.
The daycares in Minnesota story appears to be true, but his own conduct is more of provocateur than reporter. He barges into a couple places asking questions with his cameraman. Nobody operating a business is going to be polite and informative in that situation. So the public lucks out that such a guy did bring real fraud to public notice, but his conduct means that his reputation remains public partisan goofball. I would liken him to obviously partisan protesters that yell at police, but their cameras happen to catch police misconduct so their videos rise to national attention.
He's still young so he has a chance, and a very remote chance considering today's political times, to reform into an actual independent journalist. My instinct is that he'll continue to operate in the politically partisan mold and not improve to something better.
On May 17 2026 03:58 Billyboy wrote: Remember just a couple of months ago, when everyone needed to realize that Russia wasn’t a threat and China was what the world needed to be worried about.
Trump is by far the most spineless US president and it’s not close.
It's not spinelessness. Dude just hates America and is intentionally dismantling it out of revenge for all the indictments and times he was publicly booed.
On May 17 2026 03:58 Billyboy wrote: Remember just a couple of months ago, when everyone needed to realize that Russia wasn’t a threat and China was what the world needed to be worried about.
Trump is by far the most spineless US president and it’s not close.
It's not spinelessness. Dude just hates America and is intentionally dismantling it out of revenge for all the indictments and times he was publicly booed.
No, he became Kaiser in 2019 and has been redistributing from the population to the loyalists with the intention of paving the way for a dictatorship-like government form.
On May 17 2026 03:58 Billyboy wrote: Remember just a couple of months ago, when everyone needed to realize that Russia wasn’t a threat and China was what the world needed to be worried about.
Trump is by far the most spineless US president and it’s not close.
It's not spinelessness. Dude just hates America and is intentionally dismantling it out of revenge for all the indictments and times he was publicly booed.
Way to much credit, he's no evil mastermind. Just a stupid, insecure selfish narcissist. one of the weakest public figures of all time. And dumb as shit.
On May 17 2026 04:49 LightSpectra wrote: I didn't say there was a masterplan. He just picks whatever's bad for America in the long-term whenever the opportunity presents itself.
That is how it works out, because the people bribing him and fluffing his ego want it. But it does not matter to him in the slightest, he cares about no one but him. How it impacts America doesn't even factor into the equation.
On May 17 2026 02:00 Falling wrote: And before the Minnesota video and to fill in oBlade on Shirley's work in Ukraine: He misled his viewers by claiming during his trip he went to eastern Ukraine, implying he was on the ground and close-ish to the front lines. Which, after all, his reputation is as oBlade put:
And he always goes right to where current event news is coming from. Think: Hurricane in North Carolina, in a couple days he's there streaming from it.
Instead he stayed in Kyiv, scoped out some luxury cars and mugged in front of the camera with the text:
POV: your [sic] in Ukraine and you realize where your taxes are going
With the description text saying
175 BILLION dollars goes a long way... This is the capital of Ukraine
So here we have Shirley, furthering the lies spread in both MAGA and Russian propaganda that the US' support was cash that largely disappeared through Ukrainian corruption.
When confronted, it turns out he never went further east than Kyiv and he dishonestly walked back his claim by saying it was 'satire'... but couldn't explain in what way it was satire, and then in the course of conversation looped back to effectively saying it was true that the US sent $175B in cash and that corrupt Ukraine made it disappear. So it wasn't satire.
But then he fell back to claiming it was satire again.
Between this and the daycare 'reporting', I'm seeing something more than just youthful mistakes. If you've not only become a conduit for misinformation but are creating new lies whether through stupidity or ideological capture, it's just a mistake. No participation trophies for his youth. Maybe he put out good interviews in the past and got audience captured and is now hustling for those clicks. But I see someone who has likely fallen for lies and is spreading lies and therefore his critical thinking and content is compromised. But he also is dishonest and possibly not very intelligent based on some of his reasoning... unless he doesn't actually believe what he is saying on camera, in which case more dishonesty.
edit. Actually, I'm walking back the 'maybe he was okay before.' This clown was paying migrants to hold up signs in front of the White House supporting Biden. When you stop reporting the news and instead create the news, you are a militant propagandist and you know what you are doing. That's only 'interesting' insofar as following along with Roger Stone's dirty tricks to get Nixon re-elected. That's what Nick is, one of Roger's rats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2L90-fpDjM JAQing off intentional propagandist or a moron unintentionally spreading propaganda because he bought into the lie? Or maybe both, depending on the occasion.
“The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes." "If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do."
JD Vance. Vice President of the United States of America.
The Kyiv thing is stupid and crude. I did see that story soon after the daycare reporting. It reflects badly on Shirley as a reporter. He acted like a provocative influencer seeking clicks above story. The narrative he tried to sell is so idiotic.
The daycares in Minnesota story appears to be true, but his own conduct is more of provocateur than reporter. He barges into a couple places asking questions with his cameraman. Nobody operating a business is going to be polite and informative in that situation. So the public lucks out that such a guy did bring real fraud to public notice, but his conduct means that his reputation remains public partisan goofball. I would liken him to obviously partisan protesters that yell at police, but their cameras happen to catch police misconduct so their videos rise to national attention.
He's still young so he has a chance, and a very remote chance considering today's political times, to reform into an actual independent journalist. My instinct is that he'll continue to operate in the politically partisan mold and not improve to something better.
he needlessly provoked and lied, then went on to do another thing where he blatantly lied, but maybe you should give him a chance.
Why?
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
On May 17 2026 04:49 LightSpectra wrote: I didn't say there was a masterplan. He just picks whatever's bad for America in the long-term whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Bad for everyone. You're not even safe from the US machinations while in some Austrian village. You think there are no sympathizers around here that get recruited ? Lmao.
Can not go into a more concrete example of that on here. The party that touts security is an expert at hollowing it out, apparently. Unless you lick their boots.
On May 17 2026 04:49 LightSpectra wrote: I didn't say there was a masterplan. He just picks whatever's bad for America in the long-term whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Bad for everyone. You're not even safe from the US machinations while in some Austrian village. You think there are no sympathizers around here that get recruited ? Lmao.
Can not go into a more concrete example of that on here. The party that touts security is an expert at hollowing it out, apparently. Unless you lick their boots.
Because they have no principles.
They don't tout security because they care about it, its just a convenient excuse for control.
On May 17 2026 03:48 Gorsameth wrote: China isn't stupid enough to make it 3 for 3 for super powers that start needless wars that humiliate them on a global stage.
you thought the strait blockade was bad for the economy or that the AI bubble is making computer parts expensive, watch what happens as 5 minutes after the shooting starts Taiwan blows up all its chip factories.
I've been hearing about "AI bubble" for 2 years, yet companies report real earnings and AI helps with productivity in my work. It's overhyped at times, and some companies' stocks grew too much too fast (e.g. Sandisk) but it's wrong to call this black & white. Which companies do you think of when you say "AI bubble"? Amazon, Google and Microsoft are definitely not.
@dyhb It's more than stupid and crude. It's furthering a lie. By and large, American support was donation of old equipment. America ramped up their number so high because they valued donated equipment at the cost of replacement. So they donate an APC built in the 80s, but valued the donation of what it would cost to build a modern APC with all the bells and whistles. This inflated value made their donations look good on the world stage but backfired domestically when liars like Shirley use the large number to lie that billions have gone missing.
And even when Congress authorized 400 million to be spent to aid Ukraine, Hegseth can sit on his hands because the base has been convince on the lie. (I finally manged to get one fellow to understand that it was material not money sent, but he only pivoted to thinking it was sold on the black market... but couldn't point to where these black market APCs and HIMARS were re-appearing. Which third world country suddenly had an influx of American APCs? Or are there gangs in eastern Europe that are rolling up with APCs and HIMARS?)
For such a short career, seems like Shirley has a pretty long track-record of being a partisan provocateur. Paying people to create a photo/ video op is well over the line for anyone calling themselves journalist amateur, independent or otherwise.
On May 17 2026 06:32 Falling wrote: @dyhb It's more than stupid and crude. It's furthering a lie. By and large, American support was donation of old equipment. America ramped up their number so high because they valued donated equipment at the cost of replacement. So they donate an APC built in the 80s, but valued the donation of what it would cost to build a modern APC with all the bells and whistles. This inflated value made their donations look good on the world stage but backfired domestically when liars like Shirley use the large number to lie that billions have gone missing.
And even when Congress authorized 400 million to be spent to aid Ukraine, Hegseth can sit on his hands because the base has been convince on the lie. (I finally manged to get one fellow to understand that it was material not money sent, but he only pivoted to thinking it was sold on the black market... but couldn't point to where these black market APCs and HIMARS were re-appearing. Which third world country suddenly had an influx of American APCs? Or are there gangs in eastern Europe that are rolling up with APCs and HIMARS?)
For such a short career, seems like Shirley has a pretty long track-record of being a partisan provocateur. Paying people to create a photo/ video op is well over the line for anyone calling themselves journalist amateur, independent or otherwise.
I think you’re putting a little too much malicious intent on the situation. He is dumb and knows he will get clicks and follows if he blasts a smear job out onto his socials. It’s similar to when I run across a high school kid that knows nothing but has strong views on everything. Ok, he’s a little too old to be acting this way, but also too dumb to be seeking to further a lie because he really hates Ukraine. The cogs don’t understand the operation of the larger machine. The profit motive is at the forefront. Ethics aren’t anywhere. Don’t attribute to malice what is adequately explained by stupidly. The influencer side is stupid.
I don’t know what to make of the rest of the post, so I’m only wondering if you also hope he reforms his ways and does ethical independent journalism instead? The incentives are wrong and the hope is thin, and I acknowledge both. (I might assign more blame than you do on Trump for anti-Ukraine sentiment)
Furthering a lie doesn't specify an intent. It is a factual description of what his actions are doing. He could be a patsy for Russian propaganda or he could be malicious. What he doesn't have is good judgment as an interviewer or journalist or whatever, which is decidedly unpromising. I also blame Trump as well as the rest of the MAGA alternative media ecosystem. It's a positive feedback loop.
I do think his provocateur actions in the US do speak to intent, however.
He's also not a high school student. He's 24, which is young, sure. But let's not infantalize him. However, if you think he's in over his head, maybe he shouldn't be doing what he's doing.
Just seems like a goofy interview done by somebody who's experimenting with media, not enough oomph to get a case of Republicans in his walls or nuclear villages or people who banged their parents writing smut pieces.
On May 17 2026 03:48 Gorsameth wrote: China isn't stupid enough to make it 3 for 3 for super powers that start needless wars that humiliate them on a global stage.
you thought the strait blockade was bad for the economy or that the AI bubble is making computer parts expensive, watch what happens as 5 minutes after the shooting starts Taiwan blows up all its chip factories.
I've been hearing about "AI bubble" for 2 years, yet companies report real earnings and AI helps with productivity in my work. It's overhyped at times, and some companies' stocks grew too much too fast (e.g. Sandisk) but it's wrong to call this black & white. Which companies do you think of when you say "AI bubble"? Amazon, Google and Microsoft are definitely not.
They're all losing money from the AI venture at the moment. The public companies are burning profits from other services on it, and the private companies are burning investor money on it.
The current prices for LLMs aren't real, they're subsidized by their current focus on acquiring users and getting them hooked, but eventually they'll have to start trying to break even.
On May 17 2026 02:00 Falling wrote: edit. Actually, I'm walking back the 'maybe he was okay before.' This clown was paying migrants to hold up signs in front of the White House supporting Biden. When you stop reporting the news and instead create the news, you are a militant propagandist and you know what you are doing. That's only 'interesting' insofar as following along with Roger Stone's dirty tricks to get Nixon re-elected. That's what Nick is, one of Roger's rats.
Had to look this up and I'm not surprised in the least by your representation of it.
You know that was in his own video? Giving them $20 and lunch and a ride to the White House?
The way you phrase this, dirty tricks, rat. You're posting like you just read it somewhere and think he secretly paid them, then went to the White House and pretended to stumble on like "Oops what have we here, illegal migrants supporting Biden, how interesting and news worthy and typical for the Democrat machine, let's get a video that pretends to be organic so people vote for Blumpf" - because that's not what happened. They could write whatever they wanted and say whatever they wanted. One of them was not particularly happy with Biden. He paid them because people don't just abandon their day and get in the vans of strange youtubers, especially working poor people who were waiting in front of Home Depot for work, with nothing in it for them.
Where else have you ever seen such an unfiltered platform given to real people so their voices can come out?
EPT
