Would it be acceptable to contract with the government to invade blogs?

[Just Me]

In other words, if a person were given a government "position" or an outside contract/position to post on blogs,...would that be an agregious abuse of American trust?

[prodigal_green]

1. looking for work? eom

[Robbien]

2. Why would the government duplicate what the RNC already has set up?

The RNC can do the propaganda legally desguised as opposition "research".

[dogman]

3. There was an interesting discussion of blogs on Franken today.

Powerline was discussed since it recieved blog of the year award. Reporter from Minnesota has exposed some of the bloggers there. He said there is going to be a huge push by the RNC to use bloggers to discredit MSM. Seems to me like they've already discredited themselves. Funny how the right and left both feel that way. I think the GOP is just in love with the meme since it serves their purpose.

[JerseygirlCT]

5. That's all I could think:

why would THEY be interested in discrediting the MSM? They own them!

[Nothing Without Hope]

11. It's sort of a bonsai project. You trim and distort and twist

until you get exactly what you want. They trimmed off Rather and some people involved in that story that they wanted to "get." They want compliant yes-men on every level; there is no place for professional journalists in their scheme. Rather came from an earlier time predating the neocons and he had a loyal viewer following and his own tenure and independence in his position. There were some lines he wouldn't cross. That would not do.

The blivet** administration propaganda machine must run smoothly, and they are making their adjustments. To continue my metaphor, what would have been the healthy tree of investigative journalism, putting out roots and branches to the most promising places, is now a stunted, dwarfed little thing, rootbound in its pot and totally dependent on regular attention. Any strong-looking shoots are cut if they cannot be tamed and twisted, and the weakened, blocked roots are not allowed to reach past the shallow pot.

[JerseygirlCT]

13. Nice metaphor!

You're right.

I realized, too, that it's imperative for them to continue the myth of the liberal media. So they have to be seen as railing against it.

[Nothing Without Hope]

15. Yes, you're right. They do need to preserve the Liberal Media myth

It's been useful to them and an amazing number of people foolishly believe it.

And thanks for your kind words re my bonsai metaphor. It popped into my imagination and somehow seemed to fit.

[dogman]

7. Here is a link to article.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/357/5158765.html

[K-W]

12. Well, they are using it dishonestly

to push everything further to the right.

[Botany]

4. Rove already has an in w/ bloggers

.... Creative Response Concepts.....

They planted the "documents are forged story" on Dan Rather.

[Last Lemming]

6. And then generated

a planned spontaneous simultaneous recognition amongst "bloggers" that the documents were false--it was never even clear that they were false--much of the arguments didn't really hold--but they were using against dems what dems used against them--"groundswell" response from fact and document checking bloggers--problem is--I'll bet--the blogger response was as much of a hoax as the documents (or maybe more so). The MSM is too stupid to tell true blogging from the carefully manufactured stuff so they were fooled twice which maybe can be called "whipsawed with confusion."

[Nothing Without Hope]

8. Can you suggest some links for this story?

I could google, but if you know good ones, I'd like to read them. I'm doing some research on abuse of blogs and internet boards by RW "agents."

Thanks!

[Nothing Without Hope]

9. Along these lines, can anyone give me some recommendations

for links to good articles, web sites, or other resources for researching the deliberate abuse of the internet blogs and discussion boards by right-wing disruptors and story-planters? I've just begun a project which will include researching this area and would love to have a jump start from people who are are already knowledgable about it.

Thanks for any help.

[Cleita]

10. What makes you think it doesn't happen?

Paid disruptors in the media have become a business in the last decade. Articles are written and mainstream publications carry them like they were really well researched and factual instead of propaganda. I always felt we were always being marketed to because of our commercial and advertising driven culture. But at least with ads and commercials we knew we were being marketed to. It was honest in a weird way, but now they are marketing to us as if they are presenting us facts from authorities. This is perverse.

[orpupilofnature57]

14. Rovian tactic for sure,trust is a function of faith,they rob both daily.