In the heat of political campaigning, it is not uncommon for parties to trade barbs, but a recent social media advertisement from the National Party has sparked a significant backlash, with critics and fact-checkers labeling it as “misinformation.” The 41-second video, shared widely on Facebook, centers on the Green Party’s tax reform proposals, specifically claiming that if a citizen aspires to earn $160,000, they would be forced to hand over 45% of that salary to the government. This dramatic assertion, however, fundamentally misrepresents the core mechanism of New Zealand’s progressive tax structure, which applies higher tax rates only to the…

Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a sophisticated and persistent disinformation campaign has taken root, weaponizing humor to erode the credibility of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian state. This phenomenon, frequently labeled as “hahaganda,” leverages satire, parody, and mockery—rather than overt fabrication—to systematically undermine trust. By portraying the Ukrainian leadership as ridiculous, compromised, or insincere, these campaigns aim to detach Ukraine from its international allies, creating a false narrative that the country stands alone and that its leaders are unworthy of global support. The mechanics of this strategy are explored through the ATAFIMI…