Subverting the press with propaganda on the rise (Shaw / LAT)

[struggle4progress]

<snip> But as appalled as I am by Bush's willful misreading of history, I'm even more upset by his hypocrisy. He seems determined to destroy the very foundations of American democracy that he insists are our bulwark against our enemies and the cause of our enemies' hatred of us. He launched a preemptive war against Iraq by lying to the American public. He helped create an atmosphere in which the torture of enemy prisoners in violation of the Geneva accords was tolerated, if not encouraged. And his administration has consistently tried to subvert our free press by masking government propaganda as legitimate news and opinion. <snip>

Shortly after 9/11, reports began to circulate that the administration's Office of Strategic Influence was planning to plant false news stories in the international media. In 2002, amid much controversy, the office was shut down. But as my Times colleague Mark Mazzetti subsequently reported, "much of OSI's mission — using information as a tool of war — has been assumed by other offices throughout the U.S. government." <snip>

Early last year, several news stations around the country broadcast a story on plans for a White House advertising campaign on the dangers of drug abuse. But the "journalist" who reported this story was not a journalist, and his report was actually produced by the Bush administration. <snip>

But few administrations have actually tried to subvert the news media and use taxpayer dollars to mislead the American public as blatantly as has the Bush administration. When you combine those efforts with Bush's record of media avoidance — he had fewer news conferences in his first term than any first-term president since William Howard Taft — it becomes clear that for all his speechifying about American freedoms, he has no interest in the unfettered operation of a free press properly serving a free society.

http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/cl-ca-shaw16jan16,0,7554071.column?coll=la-home-utilities

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Major kick.

[atommom]

2. Honestly, I think he has no interest at all in having a free society

here, or anywhere else!

:kick:

[biscotti]

3. Nothing seems to stick

Great column. There has been others. The general public is comatose and self absorbed.

[rodeodance]

6. and we used to think Reagen was the Teflon President!!!

[tom_paine]

7. Raygun's "teflon" was manufactured by the same ReichsPravda Machine

Call it "intial feasability studies" on the New and Improved "Goebbels v2.0".

While I suspect it had some to do with Raygun the man, in retrospect the PARTY was gearing up for a situation where the PERSON didn't matter, where no matter what odious fraud they put forth, he would be hailed as the Kidn and Noble and Godly Fuhrer.

we have lived to see the fruition of those goals.

[ikojo]

4. Of course if there was an OPPOSITION party to

call Bush on his lies he would be forced to back down. With the Dems supporting many of his policies and unwilling to challenge him in the name of 9/11 he is allowed to get by with his excesses.

Imagine how the pugs would have reacted had the Clinton administration PAID a commentator to shill for Americorps or something similar. They would STILL be complaining about it and it would be a talking point on the right-wing talk shows to this day.

The Dems remain supine in the presence of government excess. Then they wonder why so many stay home on "election" day.

[rodeodance]

5. hope more stories like this continue to be written!!