It is legal for the government to lie to your face.

[Fire Walk With Me]

Michael Hastings BuzzFeed Staff posted May 18, 2012 4:27pm EDT

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mhastings/congressmen-seek-to-lift-propaganda-ban

The amendment would “strike the current ban on domestic dissemination” of propaganda material produced by the State Department and the independent Broadcasting Board of Governors, 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.

snip

“I just don’t want to see something this significant – whatever the pros and cons – go through without anyone noticing,”
“ says one source on the Hill, who is disturbed by the law. According to this source, the law would allow “U.S. propaganda intended to influence foreign audiences to be used on the domestic population.”

The new law would give sweeping powers to the government 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.”

(More at the link. Note the sentence which begins "In an apparent retaliation..." as reporters were directly targeted; Mr. Hastings himself is dead under mysterious circumstances after saying he had to go under the radar because he was going to break something big and was under surveillance.)

I'm sure there are those here who would not imagine the government would mis-use such a fuzzy piece of legislation to push upon US citizens their version of...well, whatever they want to push at any time in any amount. Obama cites the rule of law as being one of the touchstones of this administration...and of course, all you have to do is make legal anything you wish to do and bingo, anything you wish to do is then legal. Big Brother is talking.

[woo me with science]

1. Thank you. It went into effect in July.

The arguments in favor of it included Americans' finally having access to propaganda produced for overseas, i.e., greater transparency for information that we previously were prohibited from seeing.

The glaring problem with that rosy interpretation of the situation is that there is absolutely nothing in the law that prevents the government from aiming the propaganda AT American audiences.

It is a creepy neoAmerica we live in.

[chimpymustgo]

4. Michael Hastings is dead. Edward Snowden is in exile. Bradley Manning is in prison. Truthtellers.

[IncessantPerfidy]

2. If the Government did not lie we would have total anarchy

If the Government did not lie we would have total anarchy and the 1% would not stand for that unless they had a totally secure enclave free from the unwashed masses but anarchy does not make them money so even if they were safe and secure in their Randian Enclave they money world not last long or worth much when anarchy rules.

Rule #1 in Government if there is no law saying you can’t do something than it is legal.

[Demeter]

12. If the government did not lie--we would have a democracy

Can't do that, wouldn't be prudent. All those People, making the rules for EVERYONE?

Taxing Corporations, and Rich People, putting White Collar Criminals in Jail, Shutting Down Criminal Banks?

[IncessantPerfidy]

15. The lies are what currently hold this country together

We live under the illusion of freedom and democracy.

Once more people take the red pill we can start to move forward until then the majority are happy taking the blue pill and living in blissful ignorance.

Truth and Reality is painful for most people and most people don't want to hear or even know what our Gov is really doing to its people and people all over the world.

Face it we (this country and Gov) are now the bad guys.

[Demeter]

20. I don't dispute your diagnosis

But I think we need to take the cure. Otherwise, we will die as a nation and a people.

[chimpymustgo]

22. Too many people "can't handle the truth." The blue pill of blissful ignorance palliates, till the

knock is on the door of their own houses. Too late then, for teh stupid.

Welcome to DU, where some discussion is still tolerated - despite an organized, determined effort within to shut it down.

[Pholus]

3. DARPA has a program SMISC that would need this.

The ability to "strategically" respond to things propagating through social media in real time.

[hobbit709]

5. If it's legal for the government to lie to me

Why should it be ILLEGAL for me to lie to the government.

[John2]

6. I don't see

any positive purpose for propaganda period, even if it was overseas. I think telling the Truth and honesty should always be the standards. It is one of the major reasons they have problems now. People lack trust in the Goverment. The only reason those in Government would lie is to carry out illegal acts.

[IncessantPerfidy]

7. If I can lie to my priest I can lie to the government!

[bemildred]

8. Legal and habitual. nt

[KG]

9. even ones favorite dem president lies to us. incessantly.

let the teeth gnashing and vein popping begin!

[magical thyme]

10. Ah! More "newspeak!" Lies = Transparency. Got it. Hello 1984! nt

[spedtr90]

11. ACLU calls the amendment "A positive step for 1st amendment"

http://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech/new-government-propaganda-bill-positive-step-first-amendment

Disturbing.

[dgauss]

13. Wow, I hardly ever disagree with the ACLU, but that article almost sounded like...

propaganda. The ACLU?

I might as well get used to this new feeling of paranoia in the land of surveillance and the "we, too, create our own reality" democratic party.

[Recursion]

23. It's saying the State Department can have a Facebook account

Conceivably we could also listen to Voice of America.

[gulliver]

14. Anti-government positions are generally pro-Republican.

Republicans have hit the jackpot lately in the nickel slots.

[Fire Walk With Me]

16. I'm anti-corruption in government. Republicans are anti-government (unregulated = massive profit).

If anyone wonders at my position.

[reformist2]

18. When it comes to spying on and lying to its own citizens, everyone ought to be "anti-government"

[reformist2]

17. Of course - they'll wrap themselves in the flag and tell you they *have* to do it, for our security!

[Californeeway]

19. I remember the good old days

when I had to go over to Infowars to get my paranoia on.

[Fumesucker]

21. DU has been paranoid from the beginning

From the Brooks Bros Riot, to Bush's cousin calling the 2000 election on Fox, to WMDs to Cheney's secret energy talks to Tora Bora.

[Recursion]

24. Meh. Crap like "I'll never trust this government" didn't used to fly here

Virginia Thomas's mission is accomplished, IMO.

[leveymg]

26. If you're not paranoid, you're not paying attention. ;-)

Paranoia is a survival skill in a hostile political environment. Doesn't mean we have to be all grim about it, though.

Reasons to be Cheerful, 1,2,3:

[Fire Walk With Me]

29. Now the government is taking it mainstream. Is it more frightening when they don't even try to hide

their evil, but make arguments to normalize it in our expectations?

[Octafish]

25. We're a democracy.

You are not a slave.

We've always been at war with Eastasia.

[woo me with science]

27. K&R

[woo me with science]

28. kick

[Fire Walk With Me]

30. Kick