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New Bill Would Make It Legal To Target Propaganda And “Psychological Operations” Directly At U.S. Citizens

by Michael

 

Should it be legal for the U.S. government to spend billions of dollars on propaganda designed to change public opinion in the United States?  Should it be legal for the U.S. government to use television, radio, newspapers, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs and Internet forums to conduct “psychological operations” targeted at the American public?  An amendment that has been added to a new defense bill in Congress would make it [...]

Congress just snuck another outrageous amendment in the latest defense bill. There are no checks and balances

From Washington’s Blog:

Michael Hastings reports:

An amendment that would legalize the use of propaganda on American audiences is being inserted into the latest defense authorization bill….

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 [...]

Meanwhile in Japan: Water supply in prefectures neighboring Tokyo found contaminated

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-05/19/c_131598630.htm

 

Pakistan to test nuke capable missle while Obama snubs Zadari

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-Pakistan-rift-hits-NATO-s…

http://www.rt.com/news/pakistan-nuclear-missile-test-677/

And US lifting propoganda restrictions?

Buzzfeed‘s Michael Hastings reports on a revision to the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 and Foreign Relations Authorization Act in 1987, which prohibit the use of government disinformation and propaganda campaigns within the USA. The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Mac Thornberry from Texas and Rep. Adam Smith from Washington State, would allow the US government to knowingly tell [...]

An amendment that would legalize the use of propaganda on American audiences is being inserted into the latest defense authorization bill. The bi-partisan amendment is sponsored by Rep. Mark Thornberry from Texas and Rep. Adam Smith from Washington State.

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 [...]