I was told and taught in school way back when that there were laws barring government sponsored domestic propaganda operations in the USA. Just like the immigration situation though, I guess rules and laws were meant to be broken.
The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act was signed into law by Barack Obama in 2012. It authorizes the federal government to lie to the American public en masse via propaganda paid for by the American public. The biggest single source publisher has long been Pentagon. "Modernization" and the prefix "neo-" both mean "the opposite of" or "the destruction of" in US parlance, which makes perfect sense if the future has knowingly been perceived as a totalitarian one all along.
Sadly, I read about this act just yesterday. I had thought myself politically aware of significant legislation. Obviously I'm not. That this law exists is just further proof of a Unload th that cares nothing for our Constitution and individual rights.
Smith-Mundt is recognition that we're now engaged in a digital-information war with other adversarial nations. It's a new paradigm of global conflict that the U.S., comparative to other nations, has been slow to acknowledge and adopt. It's recognition that we're now fighting a different sort of global stochastic war of propaganda. Is this a good thing? Difficult to argue that it is. Surprising? Difficult to argue that it is. Welcome to the 21st century, citizen.
Personally, I'd worry more about the bad corporate actors who are mining your personal data from your phone than dull-witted news releases with a little coloring-in from low-level desk jockeys at the State Dept. or Rand Corporation. Why not embrace Big Brother? We all need a big hug from time to time.
Not to deflect, but question: what are you going to do about it? What have you as a citizen done about nuclear proliferation? Or the the fact that your drinking water is most probably poisonous compliments of a multitude of U.S. corporations? Or that American automobiles and the roads they travel is one big Death Network Ponzi scheme? And as a citizen of the U.S., one could on and on, no?
You are thinking of the 1948 Smith-Mundt act. It was amended in 2012 to allow that which it had been specifically intended to prevent, with additional changes in 2016.
Matt.....Jen Easterly, Director of CISA, and other Deep Staters today said that the Chinese are planning a massive Cyber Attack on the USA to "induce societal panic." Part of me is insulted as Americans are perfectly capable of inducing societal panic on their own, without any external assistance. The other part of me (the part that read every word of the Twitter Files) wonders if this is the first fusillade in an effort to pre-condition the information environment in advance of Election 2024. That is how little I trust these people.
Sir Galahad - look out your window. The sun is still shining. The sky is still blue. Don’t let this stuff drag you down - be cognizant of it, and continue to live your life. If you don’t, they win.
Excellent thought. I’m a well-to-do early retiree who has always voted Democrat, because I believed them that they were the party of workers’ rights and free speech. Now even those are gone from any Dem platform. No way in hell am I voting for Biden this time.
But regardless of whether he or Trump wins, neither of which I believe would be especially good for America, my life won’t change much. And the sun still shines in that beautiful blue sky you mention.
There are far too many people in both parties who believe life will end for them if the other wins. It won’t.
100% correct! Everyone needs to give thoughtful consideration of what hills are truly worth dying on. It can’t be very many, and you better make sure it’s worth it.
Yes, and it's reminiscent of the incessant fearmongering of the "imminent China cyber attacks" back in 2011/12 the government used as a pretext for increasing digital surveillance of the citizenry. I didn't buy it then, and I don't buy it now.
Independent journalism has been one of the few bright rays to emerge from our current dark times. It is shining a light into the dark and rotten corners of legacy media at a time when the rot threatens to fill the whole room. My heroes are Musk (for bringing independent journalists in to inspect), and all of you brave souls that answered the call for the good of our democratic republic.
"As anyone who’s read Thomas Frank’s excellent The People, No knows, the propaganda technique of denouncing populist challengers to the status quo as bigots or traitorous trumpeters of foreign disinformation is an ancient method, one proven to work across more than a century. "
A favorite trope in the Civil Rights Era South was "outside agitators are stirring up our negroes!"
It's becoming more prevalent for government employees and agencies to use personal emails in order to avoid FOIA. That gives you an idea of the mindset of these people.
Who knew Hillary was such a trailblazer! And I suspect that anyone in the CIA has never used any phone other than a burner. But those FOIA requests are always refused anyway, for “national security” reasons.
Remember when we could actually have faith when the government talked about national security?
How is this different from al shartpton's national action network which openly promotes candidates and policy and is a 501c? Or other groups... aclu , common cause, rainbow coalition etc?
I was told and taught in school way back when that there were laws barring government sponsored domestic propaganda operations in the USA. Just like the immigration situation though, I guess rules and laws were meant to be broken.
The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act was signed into law by Barack Obama in 2012. It authorizes the federal government to lie to the American public en masse via propaganda paid for by the American public. The biggest single source publisher has long been Pentagon. "Modernization" and the prefix "neo-" both mean "the opposite of" or "the destruction of" in US parlance, which makes perfect sense if the future has knowingly been perceived as a totalitarian one all along.
Sadly, I read about this act just yesterday. I had thought myself politically aware of significant legislation. Obviously I'm not. That this law exists is just further proof of a Unload th that cares nothing for our Constitution and individual rights.
Uniparty not unload th. Spell check should be abolished.
Yeah! What the duck!!!
Right! I couldn’t recall the moniker. Thanks!
🏆
I will definitely have to look this one up. Thanks!
see my reply up above for link
Smith-Mundt is recognition that we're now engaged in a digital-information war with other adversarial nations. It's a new paradigm of global conflict that the U.S., comparative to other nations, has been slow to acknowledge and adopt. It's recognition that we're now fighting a different sort of global stochastic war of propaganda. Is this a good thing? Difficult to argue that it is. Surprising? Difficult to argue that it is. Welcome to the 21st century, citizen.
Personally, I'd worry more about the bad corporate actors who are mining your personal data from your phone than dull-witted news releases with a little coloring-in from low-level desk jockeys at the State Dept. or Rand Corporation. Why not embrace Big Brother? We all need a big hug from time to time.
Not to deflect, but question: what are you going to do about it? What have you as a citizen done about nuclear proliferation? Or the the fact that your drinking water is most probably poisonous compliments of a multitude of U.S. corporations? Or that American automobiles and the roads they travel is one big Death Network Ponzi scheme? And as a citizen of the U.S., one could on and on, no?
@Someone From Texas
You are thinking of the 1948 Smith-Mundt act. It was amended in 2012 to allow that which it had been specifically intended to prevent, with additional changes in 2016.
https://www.brightworkresearch.com/the-establishment-media-lying-about-the-us-removal-of-the-propaganda-act/#Executive_Summary
But at least now it is noticed.
It most definitely is being noticed and noted, and that’s why they’re freaking out.
Your comment reminded me of one of the first poems I ever wrote. Valid then (1965); still valid now.
I read somewhere
That people have a right
To speak and assemble and petition.
I think I saw written
In the back of a textbook
That has been
Discontinued.
There was a “legal” rule change passed I believe at the end of the Obama administration, to allow domestic propaganda if I am not mistaken.
Edit:
The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act was signed into law by Barack Obama in 2012
Props to Bret Bowman and Billy Masterson for verifying and naming.
See and decide for yourself https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/5736
However the first result when search on "Obama made it legal to propagandize Americans" is from AP, clearing the matter up for us confused pleebs. https://apnews.com/article/archive-fact-checking-7064410002
Designed to be broken with all those lawyerly loopholes, more like.
"...they’ll have to at least make a conscious decision to suck each time now."
I can't imagine half the stories the MSM has put out over the last 8 years as being the result of anything else.
"...they’ll have to at least make a conscious decision to suck each time now."
That assumes they are capable of such self awareness.
Matt.....Jen Easterly, Director of CISA, and other Deep Staters today said that the Chinese are planning a massive Cyber Attack on the USA to "induce societal panic." Part of me is insulted as Americans are perfectly capable of inducing societal panic on their own, without any external assistance. The other part of me (the part that read every word of the Twitter Files) wonders if this is the first fusillade in an effort to pre-condition the information environment in advance of Election 2024. That is how little I trust these people.
Sir Galahad - look out your window. The sun is still shining. The sky is still blue. Don’t let this stuff drag you down - be cognizant of it, and continue to live your life. If you don’t, they win.
Excellent thought. I’m a well-to-do early retiree who has always voted Democrat, because I believed them that they were the party of workers’ rights and free speech. Now even those are gone from any Dem platform. No way in hell am I voting for Biden this time.
But regardless of whether he or Trump wins, neither of which I believe would be especially good for America, my life won’t change much. And the sun still shines in that beautiful blue sky you mention.
There are far too many people in both parties who believe life will end for them if the other wins. It won’t.
100% correct! Everyone needs to give thoughtful consideration of what hills are truly worth dying on. It can’t be very many, and you better make sure it’s worth it.
Yes, and it's reminiscent of the incessant fearmongering of the "imminent China cyber attacks" back in 2011/12 the government used as a pretext for increasing digital surveillance of the citizenry. I didn't buy it then, and I don't buy it now.
Independent journalism has been one of the few bright rays to emerge from our current dark times. It is shining a light into the dark and rotten corners of legacy media at a time when the rot threatens to fill the whole room. My heroes are Musk (for bringing independent journalists in to inspect), and all of you brave souls that answered the call for the good of our democratic republic.
"As anyone who’s read Thomas Frank’s excellent The People, No knows, the propaganda technique of denouncing populist challengers to the status quo as bigots or traitorous trumpeters of foreign disinformation is an ancient method, one proven to work across more than a century. "
A favorite trope in the Civil Rights Era South was "outside agitators are stirring up our negroes!"
I continue to be proud to be a subscriber. Keep up the good work!
SUPER important that we protect FOIA laws from Congressional meddling.
It's becoming more prevalent for government employees and agencies to use personal emails in order to avoid FOIA. That gives you an idea of the mindset of these people.
Who knew Hillary was such a trailblazer! And I suspect that anyone in the CIA has never used any phone other than a burner. But those FOIA requests are always refused anyway, for “national security” reasons.
Remember when we could actually have faith when the government talked about national security?
And then pseudonyms.
Yea for independent journalists! Continue to bring (and reveal) the receipts.
This American is not shrugging.
Atlas is currently.
more good work!
UK, like US, is governed by a fascist uni-party.
Go Racket News. Proud to support.
Thanks & keep it coming Matt! This all matters!
How is this different from al shartpton's national action network which openly promotes candidates and policy and is a 501c? Or other groups... aclu , common cause, rainbow coalition etc?
Good point. But Rev Al isn’t a formal party official. Maybe that’s the difference. And the rev ain’t trying to undermine speech.
(Did you deliberately write his name as Shart-pton? 😂)
Would be great to reprint these 2 pieces together.
Thank you for your ongoing great work!