This Terrifying Amendment Legalizes The Use Of Propaganda On The US Public

[FarCenter]

The 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 effectively nullify the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948, which explicitly forbids information and psychological operations aimed at influencing U.S. public opinion.

Thornberry said that the current law “ties the hands of America’s diplomatic officials, military, and others by inhibiting our ability to effectively communicate in a credible way,” according to Buzzfeed


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

[FirstLight]

1. ...

don't they ALREADY use propaganda on us? the main reason I disconnected from the TV...and I only come here in fits and starts when I am feeling strong. otherwise, i'll just stay focused on my own small town politics and my own life...

[Lint Head]

2. This is absolutely fascism. They do not want to communicate they want to control.

They want to be able to twist a half truth into a lie so the "People" will get behind killing other human beings for the good of the fascist corporate state.

[datasuspect]

3. it's already too late

[skepticscott]

14. Uh, exactly

Not sure how this amendment changes what's already going on every day. We're drowning in propaganda from the government and every other conceivable source.

[OregonBlue]

4. Has anyone seen this covered in the NYT of Washington Post? I haven't and I've been looking.

[FarCenter]

8. The NYT and WashPost might get some DoD money if this passes

The National Security establishment might pay for story placement.

[IDemo]

5. "communicate in a credible way”

Really??

[Warren DeMontague]

6. If they couldn't already, what in the sam hell was "Red Dawn"?

Of course, I suppose it can always get worse.

[ladjf]

7. Legalized fascism just as the Stand Your Ground law legalizes lynching. nt

[slackmaster]

9. Anyone who believes the government ever STOPPED using propaganda is hopelessly naive

[marmar]

10. ........

[denverbill]

11. Yes thank God we are right now propaganda free.

Frankly, the amount the US government would spend on propaganda pales in comparison to the amount corporations and wealthy individuals spend. And seeing as how the media simply regurgitates anything anyone says rather than doing any critical analysis, we are already being spoon-fed.

Now excuse me while I turn on the Rush Limbaugh show. Thank God there is no government propaganda on the airwaves.

[The Wielding Truth]

12. So lets use Smith-Mundt now and indite FOX NEWS and Limbaugh.

[daaron]

13. So STUPID!!

Now we won't believe a DAMN THING they say, instead of believing only 1% of what comes out of their lying, war-mongering, corporate-bung-sucking spewholes.

[slackmaster]

22. A message doesn't have to be false or even misleading to qualify as propaganda

For example, anti-smoking ads.

[daaron]

27. Tell me about it.

That's why it's going to undermine public confidence - how do we tell truth from lies, when we know there might be grains of one in another?

[slackmaster]

29. How can we tell the difference NOW? What difference will this "amendment" really make?

We're bombarded by propaganda FROM THE GOVERNMENT 7/24! Some of it is noble and good, some of it is politically motivated, some of it is just plain bullshit.

[JDPriestly]

15. We have the news media. The military-industrial

complex already owns it, and since they also own the government, they spread the official propaganda. We don't need any additional laws to give that greedy bunch authority to spew their poison on us and our children.

[treestar]

16. Propaganda is already legal

We have this filter called a brain.

Rush Limbaugh is allowed to be on the air - that doesn't mean anyone has to agree with him.

Question everything and there is nothing to worry about.

[Uncle Joe]

20. Yes but Rush Limbaugh isn't the government and that "filter we call a brain"

can only filter out so much information particularly when your own trusted democratically elected representative government is intent on brain washing the masses.

"Question everything" doesn't help when the overwhelming messages are lies and propaganda.

It's like they say, you can't fool all people the all the time but you can fool enough of them to start a World War.

[NoPasaran]

17. If we're not careful, someone's going to bamboozle us into a war for no good reason

Remember the Maine!

[Iliyah]

18. They already use propaganda

especially Fake news...

This will be voted down either by the Senate or vetoed by Pres O. No need to overturn the present law.

These goppers have deepen fears of themselves don't they.

[randome]

19. I thought this amendment had already been pulled.

Regardless, it's a stupid idea that doesn't have a prayer of passing both houses of Congress AND the President.

I'm embarrassed that a Democrat is co-sponsor.

[LadyHawkAZ]

21. There were stories a week or two ago about

the FCC taking a look at the Faux News broadcast license. I wonder if one has anything to do with the other.

[slackmaster]

23. Fox News doesn't have an FCC broadcast license

Many of its affiliates do.

[LadyHawkAZ]

25. Serves me right for not paying more attention to

the stories when they were posted, doesn't it. I caught the headlines but didn't peek further.

[lovuian]

24. the propganda machine wants full reign

Like they haven't already

[RainDog]

26. We already have official propaganda via the Drug Czar

The Office of National Drug Control Policy was created to spread propaganda about the War on Drugs.

One stipulation of the office of Drug Czar is that he or she can never admit there is any reason to legalize marijuana, for instance.

We pay a lot of money, already, for the govt. to lie to us.

[cynatnite]

28. Am I the only one that finds this absolutely hilarious?

Probably, but here is the reason why...

Teaparty types, conservs and others of the same ilk won't believe a word of it with Obama in the WH. If a repub is in the WH, dems, libs and others of our ilk won't believe a word.

Of course, there is an Alex Jones segment of the population that won't believe any of it no matter who is in the WH.

The thing is, if the DOD, WH or whoever puts out a commercial promoting themselves they're a lot more accountable these days than they would have been in the past. They're likely to be fact-checked these days and if they do a crappy job of it, they'll get raked over the coals...well, Faux Noise is always the exception to that rule.

I'm just not taking this awfully serious. Flame away.

[slackmaster]

30. The tea partier types ALREADY don't believe a word that comes out of Obama or the White House.

It won't make any difference at all!

[cynatnite]

31. And it would be the same with those of us if a repuke was in the WH...

We didn't believe a word when bush was in the WH. No difference whatsoever.