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BusinessInsider: NDAA Legalizes Propaganda on US public(M.E.T.)


DeaconTheVillain

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http://www.businessinsider.com/ndaa-legalizes-propaganda-2012-5

he newest version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes an amendment that would legalize the use of propaganda on the American public, reports Michael Hastings of BuzzFeed. The amendment — proposed by Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and passed in the House last Friday afternoon — would effectivelyicon1.png nullify the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948, which explicitly forbids information and psychological operations aimed at influencing U.S. public opinion.

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Nothing to see here, just a Congress and President once again abusing power

This, and cementing the drone wars will be the legacy of President Obama. NDAA might be the worst piece of legislation signed since the end of WW2

Couldn't agree more. This is legislation that's supposed to specify the budget of the DoD and yet they shove garbage like this inside of it.

And isn't it heartwarming that this is a bipartisan bill?

Disgusting.

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Is propaganda illegal?

I guess I could be wrong, but I don't see propaganda as "psychological coercion." Maybe that's not what people see.

Why does it have to be psychological coercion? Even if it is not there is good reason to ban it. This sounds like an absolutely terrible idea, no wonder it has bipartisan support.

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According to govtrack.us this is not a law yet. It has been passed in the House but the Senate made changes and sent it back to the House yesterday.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr4310

In actually reading the bill it says

‘SEC. 208. CLARIFICATION ON DOMESTIC DISTRIBUTION OF PROGRAM MATERIAL.

‘(a) In General- No funds authorized to be appropriated to the Department of State or the Broadcasting Board of Governors shall be used to influence public opinion in the United States...'

Maybe they realized they ****ed up and amended the language in the bill afterall. We can only hope.

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Deliberate misinformation.

Too bad that's not the actual meaning....

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propaganda

ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause; also : a public action having such an effect

Propaganda is not in and of itself wrong. It's the abuse of propaganda that worries me. Who controls how it's used and when?

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Too bad that's not the actual meaning....

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propaganda

Propaganda is not in and of itself wrong. It's the abuse of propaganda that worries me. Who controls how it's used and when?

It's in the eye of the beholder, or at best intentionally presenting only one side of an argument. The intent of the act was that press & media would act as a filter on government sponsored information and avoid the concerns over government institutions such as Woodrow Wilson's Committee for Public Information (aside from the obvious excesses of Nazi propaganda) as a way of inappropriately influencing domestic public opinion.

One of the knocks on Fox News is that they just spout GoP talking points with no filter. The Smith-Mundt act wanted to prevent government agencies presenting and interpreting the Executive government's position as facts.

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According to govtrack.us this is not a law yet. It has been passed in the House but the Senate made changes and sent it back to the House yesterday.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr4310

In actually reading the bill it says

‘SEC. 208. CLARIFICATION ON DOMESTIC DISTRIBUTION OF PROGRAM MATERIAL.

‘(a) In General- No funds authorized to be appropriated to the Department of State or the Broadcasting Board of Governors shall be used to influence public opinion in the United States...'

Maybe they realized they ****ed up and amended the language in the bill afterall. We can only hope.

Hopefully, but then again, the indefinite detention clause is still there. The only thing standing in its way is Judge Katherine Forrest

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It's in the eye of the beholder. The intent of the act was that press & media would act as a filter on government sponsored information and avoid the concerns over government institutions such as Woodrow Wilson's Committee for Public Information (aside from the obvious excesses of Nazi propaganda) as a way of inappropriately influencing domestic public opinion.

Oh stop it. It's NOT in the eye of the beholder. IT IS CLEARLY DEFINED. To say otherwise is disinformation on your part.

There are plenty of good arguments agains the US using propaganda on it's own population without trying to change the definition of words to fit your agenda.

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Oh stop it. It's NOT in the eye of the beholder. IT IS CLEARLY DEFINED. To say otherwise is disinformation on your part.

I edited my post to better explain what I'm getting at.

Disinformation, may be a little strong, but it's certainly missing information. A position taken by a politician for their gain will often lack facts that present a balanced view.

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