NATO has been slammed for a tweet comparing the conflict in Ukraine to Harry Potter, Star Wars, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Last week, writing in the NATO Review, former Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Kazarin recounted his journey since joining his country’s armed forces after the Russian invasion occurred 12 months ago.
“I found myself joining a true people’s army. It contained ordinary workers and company directors, parents and their children, schoolteachers, theatre people and new university graduates,” Kazarin wrote. “I met two gay men in the queue at the recruitment office. We went on to serve in the same battalion.”
The journalist argued that the war will “shape the European continent… [and] set rules and draw frontiers.” However, Kazarin then went off on an unexpected tangent, and began comparing the conflict to battles in popular culture.
“We are Harry Potter and William Wallace, the Na’vi and Han Solo,” he wrote. “We’re escaping from Shawshank and blowing up the Death Star. We are fighting with the Harkonnens and challenging Thanos. Ukraine is hosting one of the great epics of this century.”
🗣️ Ukraine is hosting one of the great epics of this century
❝We are Harry Potter and William Wallace, the Na’vi and Han Solo. We’re escaping from Shawshank and blowing up the Death Star. We are fighting with the Harkonnens and challenging Thanos.❞
[9/10] pic.twitter.com/HBji5RoWws
— NATO (@NATO) February 23, 2023
Following the publication of a thread on Twitter which summarised Kazarin’s article, NATO was immediately slammed for seemingly having endorsed the comparison between the Ukrainian conflict, and Harry Potter, Star Wars, and other inconsequential pop culture content.
“We’re being forced into a third World War by people who write tweets like this,” wrote Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona. “Americans are suffering while the globalists LARP,” added Kari Lake War Room Twitter account. “This isn’t fantasy. This is real life. And there are very real consequences to provoking a conflict with a nuclear power.”
We're being forced into a third World War by people who write tweets like this https://t.co/GKf5DnFKRZ
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) February 23, 2023
Americans are suffering while the Globalists LARP.
This isn't fantasy. This is real life.
And there are very real consequences to provoking a conflict with a nuclear power. https://t.co/WCc9KMdbcC
— Kari Lake War Room (@KariLakeWarRoom) February 23, 2023
Journalist Michael Tracey argued that while the tweet seemed like a “ridiculous self-parody,” it serves as “an authentic reflection of how ‘Western’ officialdom encourages the moral and ideological dimensions of the war to be viewed through the prism of commercial mass entertainment.”
Others joked that the tweet was so “cringe” that they were now supporting Russia, while some suggested it was a candidate for the “worst tweet of all time.”
While this tweet may seem like ridiculous self-parody, it's an authentic reflection of how "Western" officialdom encourages the moral and ideological dimensions of the war to be viewed through the prism of commercial mass entertainment https://t.co/4XK9pOPaPX
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) February 23, 2023
NATO seems to be adopting a new strategy of trying to goad everyone not totally onboard with their war into committing suicide just to stop the cringe. https://t.co/tkAQxxyrZA
— Martyr Made 🦉🪓 (@martyrmade) February 23, 2023
Holy crap NATO did my meme https://t.co/7jHydB1fkV pic.twitter.com/SgkudZMvmz
— Auron MacIntyre (@AuronMacintyre) February 23, 2023
Alright I’m rooting for Russia now https://t.co/3LJk3pXCmY
— intelwave (@inteldotwav) February 23, 2023
Those stories are all carefully written fiction designed to entertain audiences and generate billions of dollars in profit.
…What are you trying to say? https://t.co/RiFLfqlMdh— George Alexopoulos (@GPrime85) February 23, 2023
— Xavier Muvila (@XavierMuvila) February 23, 2023
North Atlantic Reddit Organization
— Liam 🫡 🔴 (@liama134) February 23, 2023
Candidate for worst tweet of all time
— Daily Roman Updates (@UpdatingOnRome) February 23, 2023
It’s not even noon and you’re making people throw their back out cringing this hard?
Enough reason to leave NATO for me
— Tom Pappert (@realTomPappert) February 23, 2023
Joe Biden concluded his trip to Ukraine and Eastern Europe on Wednesday, with a clip of him falling down the Air Force One stars at Warsaw Chopin Airport going viral. This week, 45th President Donald Trump warned that “globalists” and “warmongers” were pushing America closer to World War Three than ever before.
