After participating in the journalism field for over a year now I have found that propaganda is the name of the game. No matter who is writing the story, someones propaganda is being reported. It has nothing to do with "fairness" because as long as you report on all propaganda equally you are being fair. There is hardly a news article, a movement, a speech, a rally, a fundraiser, or any social event that is not in promotion of some ideal or cause. Our lives revolve around propaganda, in America we call it "free speech."
There are many in the country who believe that free speech comes at a cost, namely responsibility for one's actions. However the current culture of victimization has made it impossible for people to expect that anyone be held responsible for their actions, unless of course they are people who attempt to enforce laws or morals. Congress has adopted this mentality and made it paranoid by aiming once again at hindering any and all who would put their lives on the line for the country.
The military already has many restrictions when it comes to free speech, military members are expected to represent the military appropriately when they are in uniform. They are not permitted to give away defensive positions, tactics, troop movements, or strategy. These are all restrictions that have been willingly accepted by members upon entering the military. it is understood that having the freedom to speak is a powerful tool. As Uncle Ben said, "With great power comes great responsibility."
The media has been on a full out assault on American policies and the American military. The amount of misinformation, propaganda, and outright lies told in the past 5 years by the media and civilians has caused a rift in the public and a polarization not seen since the Vietnam Era. The "youngsters" from that era are now coming to full power in the United States government. It seems their latest order of business is not to make sure the country runs smoothly, you can see that their job approval rating is even lower than the President at a current 18 percent of the population in approval.
The Associated Press reported new legislation that has passed the House that would prevent the military from expressing " any form of communication in support of national objectives designed to influence the opinions, emotions, attitudes or behavior of the people of the United States in order to benefit the sponsor, either directly or indirectly." Programs approved by congress, like recruiting, are exempt from the law. However, if congress ever decides to take recruiting off of that list, well, then if the military members say anything positive about the military that may benefit them by procuring a new recruit would be essentially illegal. Even though they acknowledge that enforcing this law would be difficult it is still going through.
Apparently this latest congressional hissy fit is in response to the Pentagon putting together a program that made sure positive news about Iraq would be released to the public. The writer from the AP uses some rather charged language to make it seem nefarious and clandestine, but in reality if the Pentagon did not make an effort to make sure that information was given to the public they would only be hearing one side. Call it information, call it propaganda, call it what you will, Congress is upset that the Pentagon took an interest in the lives of the military members and went on an offensive in unconventional warfare tactics used by the enemy from without and from within.
A recent report shows that the negative media has lead to the death of Iraqi civilians and soldiers by emblodening the enemy. The enemy who has employed "irregular warfare" to destroy America. On high information days in the media that shows a polarized America with weak resolve, attacks were stepped up 7-10 per cent. Irregular Warfare (IW) is define as "a violent struggle among state and nonstate actors for legitimacy and influence over the relevant populations. IW favors indirect approaches, though it may employ the full range of military and other capabilities to seek asymmetric approaches in order to erode an adversary's power, influence, and will." Propaganda and misinformation are weapons of irregular warfare.
It is not radical thinking that the current actions of congress smell of subversive tactics from within. Consider the words of Osama Bin Laden.
"It has been made clear during our defending and fighting against the
American enemy that this enemy's combat strategy is heavily dependent on the
psychological aspect of war due to its large and efficient media apparatus and
of course its indiscriminate aerial bombing which hides the cowardice and lack
of fighting spirit of the American soldier. …
Osama Bin
Laden: Al-Qaeda Intends To Launch "A Media Campaign ... To Create A Wedge
Between The American People And Their Government." (Letter From Osama Bin Laden To Mullah Omar, Released By The White House Press Office, 9/5/06)
Bin Laden: This Media Campaign Will Stress "That [The American]
Government Would Bring Them More Losses, In Finances And In Casualties." (Letter From Osama Bin Laden To Mullah Omar, Released By The White House Press Office, 9/5/06)
Bin Laden: The Media Campaign "Aims At Creating Pressure From The American
People On The American Government To Stop Their Campaign Against Afghanistan." (Letter From Osama Bin Laden To Mullah Omar, Released By The White House Press Office, 9/5/06)
Just remember,It is okay for Osama Bin Laden tapes to be played on all outlets, but a U.S. General cannot speak about he positive facts in Iraq.
It is okay for the Winter Soldiers to have entire press outings about the negative aspects of war, but a soldier talking about the benefit the war is having would be illegal.
It is okay for Code Pink to protest using what are propaganda signs, but the Marines they are harassing will not be able to make any public statements in support of the military or the benefits that have come from Iraq.
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