If you think your social media experience is unimpeded, we have proof to the contrary.  Just before the Fourth of July, Military Miniature Press announced the reveal of The Russia-Ukraine War Factbook, a comprehensive and unobstructed guide to the ongoing conflict.  As we describe it, the book is an "objective look" at the war, geared not by propaganda or political influence, but by facts.  Yet when we tried to advertise the book on Facebook and Twitter, we received the same response — it fell under a blanket ban merely for being about the Russia-Ukraine War. 

We're not ignorant of the fact that propaganda does exist, and the censorship of topics relating to the war is a direct response to it, but how is one supposed to better understand the conflict if the actual facts are being hidden from the public?  And with how much the United States is investing in the war (hint: it's in the billions), it seems appropriate that the American people know and understand what their taxpayer dollars are being put toward.

We launched preorders of The Russia-Ukraine War knowing there would be some pushback.  We expected a few scattered voices suspicious of the political agenda and were prepared to educate, but we were not ready to be completely blockaded from the public's eye.  We worked closely with author Craig Reed, Jr. to guarantee that this book isn't pushing an agenda.  We understood the lack of information available to the public and now completely see why there are many without even rudimentary comprehension of why the war even started.

This degree of censorship has been going on for some time with all manner of topics, but what's strange about the Russia-Ukraine War blocks is that, toward the beginning of the conflict, there were no limits.  Hashtags weren't banned, and you could talk freely without worrying about your post being lost in the ether that is the social media blacklist.  You may still see posts and news stories about the conflict, but what you're getting is a very surface-level view of an incredibly complex and lengthy relationship between two nations.  We had hoped that The Russia-Ukraine War Factbook would blow away the fog of war and provide the general public with the information they weren't seeing.

Unfortunately, with major outlets like Twitter and Facebook working against our marketing plan, we fear that the factual and well researched information we had to share will continue to be largely unseen by the general public.  And that's the issue with a blanket ban on something.  Sure, you cut down on propaganda posts, but you also sever a chain of information — one that could be critical in informing the public about an ongoing and important issue.

Of course, this isn't us waving the white flag.  We stand by the factbook and Reed's work and will continue to push back against Facebook and Twitter's near authoritarian control of information.  For as long as the United States is shelling out billions to Ukraine, its citizens shouldn't have to struggle to understand what that money is being used for.  We're not suggesting anything nefarious on the government's end, but it's merely the principle that we have an easy-to-read guide to the Russia-Ukraine War, and the outlets that tout the truth are our biggest adversary.

Image: Military Miniature Press.