Article 1 (http://www.zdnet.com/article/russians-test-a-gun-that-turns-people-into-zombies/)
Written in 2012 by Tuan C. Nguyen for ZDnet.com, a technology news site owned by CBS.
For the record: I'm not saying microwave weapons aren't real, I'm just saying they're nowhere near as advanced as Mr. Patch would have people believe. Also, I'm saying this is a VERY poorly written article.
Mr. Nguyen starts his article by writing:
Although it's probably technically accurate that "It's been widely speculated. . . " (of course depending on the definition of “widely”) it's also the worst type of journalism. This statement has no source, it's simple hearsay. He then goes on:
Again, he isn't lying, it's just that by saying "If so," everything that follows is dependent upon the presumed speculation by the unspecified people in the previous sentence. Nothing new has been brought to the table this far. Anyway, he goes on:
Okay, that's better. There's "a new report." That's interesting. Except there's STILL NO SOURCE. Only later do we find:
Oh look, it's a link. Finally, we have a source. Well, ALMOST, The Herald Sun refers to president Putin and defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov, but that's it. When and where did they say these things? Nobody knows. Why? Well, it takes a bit of digging, because sources-schmources, right? Just trust the media. Hahaha. But Forbes actually say they're quoting the Daily Mail. EXCEPT, if you read the DM article it says:
Oups. "SOURCES in Moscow," how awkward. But I'm sure it's an honest mistake. I mean if you're a journalist, reporting on Russia, you can't be expected to be able to tell the difference between the president and people in Moscow, who're NOT the president! That's clearly asking too much. Hahaha. I have zero training in journalism, and I'd do a better job than Mr. Nguyen. This also explains the diplomatically stupid quote from president Putin:
It is in fact a source saying that Putin has been overheard saying this. Of course, that actually makes it more believable, if this is a trustworthy source. But writing about it as if it's from some kind of press release, just makes it sound like fake news, to make Putin look bad. This also explains the disconnect from what Putin has allegedly said, and what Serdyukov has been directly quoted as saying:
They're NOT talking about the same thing. The above seems to describe a version of ADS. And, in the end, Mr. Nguyen concedes that:
And he even writes outright that:
Followed by the icing on the cake:
Microwave weapons are real. To some extent. But this article is so bad it borders fake news. It is no more than sensationalizing a whole lot of common knowledge, to drive traffic to ZDnews.
Written in 2012 by Tuan C. Nguyen for ZDnet.com, a technology news site owned by CBS.
For the record: I'm not saying microwave weapons aren't real, I'm just saying they're nowhere near as advanced as Mr. Patch would have people believe. Also, I'm saying this is a VERY poorly written article.
Mr. Nguyen starts his article by writing:
"It's been widely speculated that the U.S. military has been developing weapons with the capacity to scramble brain activity. . . "
Although it's probably technically accurate that "It's been widely speculated. . . " (of course depending on the definition of “widely”) it's also the worst type of journalism. This statement has no source, it's simple hearsay. He then goes on:
"If so, we might be seeing a new kind of arms race. . . "
Again, he isn't lying, it's just that by saying "If so," everything that follows is dependent upon the presumed speculation by the unspecified people in the previous sentence. Nothing new has been brought to the table this far. Anyway, he goes on:
". . . as a new report claims that the Russia government has been testing a gun that does exactly that."
Okay, that's better. There's "a new report." That's interesting. Except there's STILL NO SOURCE. Only later do we find:
". . .Australian publication The Herald Sun reports that Russia's main man, President Vladimir Putin, plans to have them ready within a decade. . . "
Oh look, it's a link. Finally, we have a source. Well, ALMOST, The Herald Sun refers to president Putin and defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov, but that's it. When and where did they say these things? Nobody knows. Why? Well, it takes a bit of digging, because sources-schmources, right? Just trust the media. Hahaha. But Forbes actually say they're quoting the Daily Mail. EXCEPT, if you read the DM article it says:
"Sources in Moscow say Mr Putin has described the guns, which use electromagnetic radiation like that found in microwave ovens, as ‘entirely new instruments for achieving political and strategic goals’."
Oups. "SOURCES in Moscow," how awkward. But I'm sure it's an honest mistake. I mean if you're a journalist, reporting on Russia, you can't be expected to be able to tell the difference between the president and people in Moscow, who're NOT the president! That's clearly asking too much. Hahaha. I have zero training in journalism, and I'd do a better job than Mr. Nguyen. This also explains the diplomatically stupid quote from president Putin:
"Such high-tech weapons systems will be comparable in effect to nuclear weapons, but will be more acceptable in terms of political and military ideology."
It is in fact a source saying that Putin has been overheard saying this. Of course, that actually makes it more believable, if this is a trustworthy source. But writing about it as if it's from some kind of press release, just makes it sound like fake news, to make Putin look bad. This also explains the disconnect from what Putin has allegedly said, and what Serdyukov has been directly quoted as saying:
"When it was used for dispersing a crowd and it was focused on a man, his body temperature went up immediately as if he was thrown into a hot frying pan. . ."
They're NOT talking about the same thing. The above seems to describe a version of ADS. And, in the end, Mr. Nguyen concedes that:
". . . the effort to come up with something that can enable bona fide mind control has proven immensely challenging, despite decades of work . . ."
And he even writes outright that:
"Right now, there's no indication that anyone's perfected anything close to an actual "zombie gun". . . "
Followed by the icing on the cake:
"MSNBC's science editor Alan Boyle says he's skeptical of Russia's claims and that we probably shouldn't expect a brain-frying gun for a very long time: [Mr. Boyle says:] '. . .there's nothing in the comments from Putin and Serdyukov to suggest that the Russians are anywhere close to having psychotronic weapons."
Microwave weapons are real. To some extent. But this article is so bad it borders fake news. It is no more than sensationalizing a whole lot of common knowledge, to drive traffic to ZDnews.
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