Congressmen Seek To Lift Propaganda Ban

More proof that our two headed hydra for a government do not work for the best interest of the people of the country.

www.buzzfeed.com...

Propaganda that was supposed to target foreigners could now be aimed at Americans, reversing a longstanding policy.

An amendment that would legalize the use of propaganda on American audiences is being inserted into the latest defense authorization bill, BuzzFeed has learned.
The amendment would “strike the current ban on domestic dissemination” of propaganda material produced by the State Department and the Pentagon, according to the summary of the law at the House Rules Committee's official website.
The tweak to the bill would essentially neutralize two previous acts—the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 and Foreign Relations Authorization Act in 1987—that had been passed to protect U.S. audiences from our own government’s misinformation campaigns.
The bi-partisan amendment is sponsored by Rep. Mark Thornberry from Texas and Rep. Adam Smith from Washington State.

I guess those of us awake will have to do our best in continuing to wake others up on the treacherous criminals and terrorists running our government.

It's about time there be some truth in advertising.

This does not make sense to me
Why make it public that you want to make propaganda legal on the US public?
First you must keep in mind that the legal arm has already found a way to make propaganda FULLY legal here in the US.
We call it media commentary shows
Therefore, this here story must be misdirection of some sorts.

(Edit)
I mean think about it, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act happened in 1987 and FOX became a NETWORK.....
Mmmmhm, think about it.

Haha I hope it's awesome Disney's DER Führer's Face kinda stuff.
I want it as cheesy and blatant as possible.
Maybe we can bring back the whole "charlie" thing.

But really, I mean, we've got war movies, war games, everyone is a terrorist, blahblaahblah. I'm interested in what they'd come out with.

They are probably legalizing it out of fear they will be found out in the near future breaking this law to begin with. I dont believe things will change at all after they pass this simply do to the fact they are already doing it and need justification for using it to begin with. I hate what this country is becoming. Why do they need so much power over the people? Things were great before they started this bs and as things get worse they keep clinging to more power in hopes of dominating us even more. God forbid we live in a world of peace and equality.

Much of the media and govt information is propaganda and always has been. From Disney to every flavour of partisan news coverage. Those old grainy black and white Government information films. Pledging allegiance to something. Fashion. Banned (or effectively banned) words and phrases. Endless adverts that promote consumption between the other more entertaining propaganda shows, like sports and soaps. It's all propaganda suited to the target audience.

Propaganda doesn't have to have a hammer and sickle on it with inspiring images of workers.

As an outsider let me tell you that americans are already brainwashed by the media, giving them a reality that does not exist. Imagine what this new bill will do to the american population? This going to be truely insane and this is a sign that we are nearing the SHting TF moment.

They will have constructed such a amazing network of organizations and methods that by the time stuff goes down they will be able to keep the population under control. The fact that these kind of bills get made/passed in the first place is for me enough proof of a conspiracy.

Yet people will keep laughing at us for thinking it. Untill they are on the ground with a boot on their necks having a flashback of what all the "looney conspiracy theorists" were saying. And regretting their small mindedness. Alas its too late you moron.

This is really shameful. The gall of these to Congressmen is astounding ( I wonder how much gratuity they get from Defense contractors?) but the gall of the Defense Department is even worse:

The bill's supporters say the informational material used overseas to influence foreign audiences is too good to not use at home, and that new techniques are needed to help fight Al-Qaeda, a borderless enemy whose own propaganda reaches Americans online...

The new law would give sweeping powers to the State Department and Pentagon to push television, radio, newspaper, and social media onto the U.S. public. “It removes the protection for Americans,” says a Pentagon official who is concerned about the law. “It removes oversight from the people who want to put out this information. There are no checks and balances. No one knows if the information is accurate, partially accurate, or entirely false.”

According to this official, “senior public affairs” officers within the Department of Defense want to “get rid” of Smith-Mundt and other restrictions because it prevents information activities designed to prop up unpopular policies—like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan...

The Pentagon spends some $4 billion a year to sway public opinion already, and it was recently revealed by USA Today the DoD spent $202 million on information operations in Iraq and Afghanistan last year.

In an apparent retaliation to the USA Today investigation, the two reporters working on the story appear to have been targeted by Pentagon contractors, who created fake Facebook pages and Twitter accounts in an attempt to discredit them.

In bold is what they did even with the ban in place (details below) - imagine how bad it will be, the tactics they will use, if the bill passes.

Misinformation campaign targets USA TODAY reporter, editor

WASHINGTON – A USA TODAY reporter and editor investigating Pentagon propaganda contractors have themselves been subjected to a propaganda campaign of sorts, waged on the Internet through a series of bogus websites.

Fake Twitter and Facebook accounts have been created in their names, along with a Wikipedia entry and dozens of message board postings and blog comments. Websites were registered in their names.

Just in time for the election.

Sigh...I feel a sudden need to be careful what I post...