Does Arnold really believe that his message will make it through to the Russian people?

From what I’ve read, lots of hackers are working at getting messages through to the Russian people. I think it was worth a shot on Arnold’s part.

With the internet the way it is, the message is bound to get through somehow. And it doesn’t hurt to try.

I take it you haven’t watched the video? Because he mentions in the beginning that he’s sending the message out through all possible channels in the hope that it makes it through one way or another. Anyway, all of Russia’s bans can be circumvented through fairly basic measures. And like @janbb mentioned, people outside of Russia can work to get the message through via non-banned platforms. If nothing else, someone could just email a video file to Russian friends and acquaintances. So if Putin and the oligarchs are laughing, the joke’s actually on them.

I watched the video, and it is, in my view, a sympathetic attempt at convincing that what the Russian population thinks/knows about their government, and more importantly, the war, is wrong.
In the same time I’m thinking what would I do with this message, as a European (you might do that being American), assuming it was brought to me by a Russian, or Belarusian celebrity.
Would I give it the importance, the urgency, that the speaker has intended?
Would I believe them, over my ‘own’ media cq government?
The ones that have told me my whole life that everything ‘they’ say should be treated as not true?

It’s a commendable gesture, but I’m afraid it’ll fall on deaf ears (for the most part).

It doesn’t matter if he was effective – Arnold gets huge credit for trying something – using the power of his voice to make a difference.

And I imagine some percentage of Russians will hear it. Maybe not huge, but people talk.

@ALL I’m NOT trying to say that Arnold was doing anything wrong!!! I was under the impression that the Russian people had lost all access to their internet which would mean NO emails going through. NO news from the West either. Russian prisons are brutal, so WHY would anyone over there be willing to risk 15 years in jail for daring to think for themselves??? They have been brainwashed for so long that I felt that they wouldn’t take the time nor opportunity to challenge what is going on in Ukraine or US for that matter!!!

My thought process is more in alignment with @rebbel. They’ve been told for so long that the West lies that they will be skeptical of anything they hear from us even IF they want to believe it!!!

@Irukandji I did watch the video. As a matter of fact I watched it twice before posting. Thinking that their internet had been completely cut off, I could think of NO way for the message to get through. With no internet, it would be almost impossible to receive a video file via the internet.

Maybe Russia has more Patriots than I’m giving them credit for having!!!

It’s actually easier to break through Putin’s media blockade than most people think :

“Russians Are Finding Ways Around Putin’s Internet Blockade”
https://www.bloombergquint.com/amp/technology/russians-are-finding-ways-around-putin-s-internet-blockade

“Anonymous Information Warfare Intensifies with 7 Million Text Messages to Russians, New Email Campaign”
https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/cybersecurity/anonymous-information-warfare-intensifies-with-7-million-text-messages-to-russians-new-email-campaign/

What makes it possible is that the Russian public is starting to feel the full impact of economic sanctions, and realize somthing is missing from the “official story” being sold by state media. Arnold’s vid will reach people who want to see it, along with thousands of other messages & stories.

@JLoon THANK YOU for the info!!! It seems that everything that I’ve read was NOT necessarily the facts!!!

Yes. I watched it and glad he did it. It will be seen.

I don’t think the video will do much to persuade Russians, even if the message gets through to them, but what the hell, it was worth him giving it a try.

Why would the Russians care what an Austrian-American actor thinks? Russians eventually fought against the Nazis, but the Russians are being told the Ukrainian people are Nazis. People who believe Putin’s propaganda will keep believing it.

I am not so sure the Russians who like Putin will blame Putin for their economic woes, I think they will blame outside forces.

Apparently Russians LOVE Arnold. Even the Russian government follows him on all of his social media. This is per ABC evening news on 3/18/22.

@chyna This is how I see it, I don’t think the Trump supporters listened when one of their favorite actors or singers supported Biden. They likely either ignored or got angry at that famous person.

Look at the backlash Garth Brooks got for performing at Biden’s inauguration.

I hope I’m wrong and Arnold has some influence.

No. I guess that he is declaring that he is on the right side of history. I didn’t watch the video.

Shame on you @RedDeerGuy1!!!

@LadyMarissa Sorry. I looked at the link you gave. Do you have a link to the whole nine minute message?

@RedDeerGuy1 Payback’s a bitch huh???

Your wish is my command. 9 minutes 17 second long enough for you???

ENJOY!!!

@LadyMarissa Ok I watched the whole video. Thanks. I didn’t know that Arnold wasn’t Russian. I don’t know what to say about the video. I hope that the war ends soon. Too many are suffering.

@RedDeerGuy1 You’re right. Sadly, too many are suffering ONLY for the pleasure of one man!!! I truly hope his message makes it through & helps to STOP THE MADNESS!!!

@RedDeerGuy1 Arnold was born in Austria with his mother coming from Czechoslovakia

According to the BBC, it is being viewed all over Russian social media. Sorry I can’t provide the link right now.

I’ve searched everywhere to find anything telling how well received his video was to no avail. I did find one Yahoo News item, but I’m not sure how reliable YN is considered to be. I would feel better if there was at least one network reporting the same. I feel that if it had been so well received that Tucker Fox would be disparaging the success of same

Arnold is mostly a good man who is just trying to do the right thing. He knows he has more influence than normal people, so he is doing something.
But will it have a lot of effect? Probably not.
Arnold also condemned the lies of Trump, in a video he made for that very purpose. But did he get through to a single Trumper? Probably not.

I NEVER questioned Arnold’s motives!!! At the time of posting this Q, I was under the misconception that Putin had shut down ALL internet in Russia so I was wondering how the message would even make it into the hands of the general population. I’ve since learned that it wasn’t the entire internet banned from the public, but was certain influencing social media sources.