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independenceday ago

What I don't understand is why hasn't this Smith-Mundt Act been repealed? This is total mindfucking of the American people. Trump seemed clearly pissed about it in today's commentary about this incident. He knows what is going on.

RweSure ago

It hasn't been repealed because DarkMath is lying to you about it is. He doesn't know he is lying because he is an exceedinly gullible sort and he swallowed this Smith Mundt Act thing Hook, Line and Sinker.

This is the sort of thing Smith-Mundt authorizes. Remember when Donald Trump JR met the Russians in Trump Tower. And American's learned a bunch of names they never heard before? A year before that this profile of one them was published by RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty https://www.rferl.org/a/rinat-akmetshin-russia-gun-for-hire-washington-lobbying-magnitsky-browder/27863265.html

This is literally the type of stuff Smith Mundt authorizes.

DarkMath ago

"he swallowed this Smith Mundt Act thing Hook, Line and Sinker."

If by swallowed you mean I believe the Smith-Mundt "Modernization" Act of 2012 allows the State Department to stage hoaxes "Public Diplomacy Broadcasts" and pass it off as real within the MSM then I stand guilty.

For those playing along at home the original Smith-Mundt act of 1947 was passed by congress to keep what had become a massive propaganda industry during the war from staying in business by targeting a domestic audience. You must remember at the time America's economy was on a war footing and there was ample incentive to keep it on one. Had Smith-Mundt not been passed you could easily have seen a daily struggle to capture the public's attention using dishonest half-truths to highlight one issue over another.

The 1950s was fake enough as it is, imagine if it had actually been so. Perish the thought. Can you imagine. Why you'd start to see what we're seeing today: a society drowning in Fake News.

:-D

RweSure ago

"he swallowed this Smith Mundt Act thing Hook, Line and Sinker."

..

If by swallowed you mean I believe the Smith-Mundt "Modernization" Act of 2012 allows the State Department to stage hoaxes "Public Diplomacy Broadcasts" and pass it off as real within the MSM then I stand guilty.

Yes. This is precisely what I mean. You swallowed a fact-free theory who no independent thought or evaluation of it.

We agree.

DarkMath ago

"You swallowed a fact-free theory"

I see you're familiar with the sanitized explanation of the Smith-Mundt "Modernization" Act of 2012: http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/07/14/u-s-repeals-propaganda-ban-spreads-government-made-news-to-americans/

A former U.S. government source with knowledge of the BBG says the organization is no Pravda, but it does advance U.S. interests in more subtle ways. In Somalia, for instance, VOA serves as counterprogramming to outlets peddling anti-American or jihadist sentiment. "Somalis have three options for news," the source said, "word of mouth, al-Shabab, or VOA Somalia."

This partially explains the push to allow BBG broadcasts on local radio stations in the United States. The agency wants to reach diaspora communities, such as St. Paul, Minnesota’s significant Somali expat community.

I could give two fucks about the U.S. Government countering Al Shabab propaganda. The problem is there's no clear distinction between what is domestic opinion and what is Russian "propaganda" for example. All the State Department would need to justify countering someone like George Webb is to show the Russian's were pushing the same news story.

And worse there doesn't even need to be a foreign narrative for the State Department to produce domestic propaganda. All they need is to start a campaign to counter "violent extremism" (sound familiar) somewhere outside the United States. They can put on a hoax "Nazi" white supremacist march in Charlottesville Virginia and pass it off as real in the foreign press and voila the State Dept is "countering violent extremism" abroad.

Your naivete is breathtaking AreWeSure.

:-D

RweSure ago

You're basically writing conspiracy fan fiction with no basis in reality. Call me whatever the hell you want, you still have zero understanding about which you speak.