Federal Government Funding Agit-prop
(posted by Mona)
Greenwald has been on fire analyzing the document dump the DoD was forced to make to The New YorkTimes — and Josh Marshall has had a bit to say as well — about all the retired military “analysts” spewing forth on the news networks for lo these past many years, who were directed and scripted by the Pentagon as to what the “correct” positions were. (All of which is probably illegal.) But tax-payer subsidized psy-ops is nothing new; the DEA has been doing it for years, as for example by publishing a “debate manual” (originally titled How to Hold Your Own in a Drug Legalization Debate) to use during exchanges with those advocating drug-policy reform. (But the DEA counsels avoiding any debate at all, if possible.)
We’ve been paying for the government to fund lies and propaganda defending its own tyrannical powers since well before Bush and 9/11.
May 11th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
The realization is another ache of frustration, if uttered in a complete vacuum, and the “suspension” of the practice is only until the “masses” forget! And Congress is probably the recipient of these infomercials as well!
In August of ‘06, there was a “revolt of the Generals”, during which former Generals and National Security officials called for a course change on Iraq and Iran. Instead we got the “surge”.
My thought is that there must be a way to resurrect the efforts of these real patriots, to get THEIR enlightened views before the befuddled and bribed members of Congress as well as the American public.
A letter was circulated by “Win Without War” on August 17, 2006, signed by nearly a score of former high level professionals whose insights are so very sorely needed right now.
Fallon, the recently deposed Admiral and top “Chief”, was adamant against the expansion of this war, and an outcry of citizens who know of the danger afoot must resurrect his wise counsel and drag him before Congress even if he is unwilling to appear!
May 11th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Really good book I bought and read years ago called Buzzed, which took a sober, purely factual look at the effects, dangers, etc. of just about every popular drug one could think of. It dispeled so many myths, and with such surgical precision, I just knew I would hardly hear about it elsewhere.
May 11th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Chris in DC: As you know, there are a few commenters at Greenwald’s blog who, no matter what the topic of the post, feel they must rant on and on about the drug war. I don’t do that, even tho I know that Glenn is completely on all fours with me in opposing drug prohibition. It is inappropriate to hijack his non-drug-related threads with that issue.
That all said, what these folks say is right: the drug war was founded in racism, and eroded the 4th Am well before Bush 43. As a 1L in ‘91, my crim law professor wrote on the blackboard:
Much of that has to do with government-generated hysteria about illicit substances. Drug cases cause judges to suspend rational thought.
May 12th, 2008 at 5:46 am
Mona -
True what your Crim Law prof said!
I just saw your question at Glenn’s place - my email is now listed on my blog.