'There Is No Justification for Evil' - A Reminder That the KGB Weaponized Peace
Republishing my interview with disinformation analyst Dietmar Pichler on how the peace movement was infiltrated by the KGB and how the word 'peace' is still weaponized by those who wage war
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In July 2024, I learned from my friend Dietmar Pichler how the peace movement was infiltrated by the KGB and why that still matters today.
He explained:
“What we know is that starting in the Cold War… we saw huge peace rallies all around Europe and in Germany, and these peace rallies, this peace movement, was infiltrated by the KGB. There was an organization called the World Peace Council, some called it a KGB front organization, it was financed by the Soviet Union… It was anti-Western, pro-Soviet Union… the strategy of the KGB was to make it look like it was very diverse… but the point was to weaken the West, to infiltrate and demoralize societies, to make us think that only us, the Western side, needs to lay down weapons. There’s a script behind all this.
“Being Austrian and knowing our history, if there’s one thing we learned about the crimes our own ancestors committed is there are times when things are black and white… if you take a look at the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and take a look at movements like Code Pink — they were here in Vienna for a Peace Conference… we know that this ‘peace’ movement during the era of the ‘80s — the actors that were active back then — a lot of them are active now, propagating that we should not support Ukraine, the same people! So what we always forget is that it’s not only that Putin is using the same techniques, they can rely on the same people they brainwashed back in the Soviet era.”—Dietmar Pichler on Bette Dangerous Podcast Ep91
Have a listen to our interview here:
When the KGB Weaponized ‘Peace’: A Q&A with Dietmar Pichler — Bette Dangerous Podcast Ep91
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It’s important to understand how words are twisted and undermined in a propaganda war — peace sounds like a nice thing, but this illustration found on a reddit Ukraine forum explains what’s really at play:
As Dietmar said in our interview:
“There is no justification for evil. What is happening in Ukraine, you have an evil empire attacking a neighbor. Ukraine is a developing democracy, but there is no way to say these countries are the same. There is a good guy in this — it’s a really simple story. We don’t need a false equivalency here. There is a good guy.”—Dietmar Pichler for Bette Dangerous
And as our recent Bette guest Michael MacKay said:
“Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014. Russia is the aggressor. It is Russia's war.
“Until the United States recognizes reality it cannot be a mediator, conduct negotiations or participate in any peace process. It's impossible to ignore Russia's culpability and practice diplomacy..”—Dr. Michael MacKay, geopolitical analyst
As we wade in Orwellian waters, we must wrestle truth from words.
Crimea is Ukraine.
Russia is the enemy.
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I really appreciated this quote: "So what we always forget is that it’s not only that Putin is using the same techniques, they can rely on the same people they brainwashed back in the Soviet era."
Growing up in a Navy town during and after the Vietnam War, I saw firsthand the deep wounds left by that conflict. Several friends’ fathers, particularly those who served in the brown-water Navy, returned with severe PTSD. Presumably well intentioned elements of the peace movement often protested near local Navy bases or along the tracks of white trains headed our way. At times, however, they showed little empathy toward service members labeled as "baby killers"—or toward their families, especially their children.
In that context, what’s missing from the quote is recognition of the lasting impact on those traumitized by radicalized movements. I remember in 2016 seeing classmates share emotionally charged, misleading, and I suspect inauthentic memes on Facebook claiming refugees were treated better than homeless Vietnam veterans.
People who had witnessed the suffering of Vietnam veterans were especially vulnerable to such emotional triggers, which short-circuited critical thinking about whether the claims were true and, if so, in what specific context—such as city-specific refugee programs in places like New York.
The ability to microtarget children of Vietnam veterans—those already deeply affected by earlier radicalization—is also a serious concern to consider. When people are intentionally triggered, they are more likely to react emotionally rather than reason thoughtfully, making it easier to justify harmful actions or do them on accident as a reflex.