Pentagon: 27,000 employees, $4.7 billion for "influence operations" per AP boss

[Gold Metal Flake]

AP CEO: Bush Turned Military Into Propaganda Machine


LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Bush administration turned the U.S. military into a global propaganda machine while imposing tough restrictions on journalists seeking to give the public truthful reports about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Associated Press chief executive Tom Curley said Friday.

snip


Much like in Vietnam, "civilian policymakers and soldiers alike have cracked down on independent reporting from the battlefield" when the news has been unflattering, Curley said. "Top commanders have told me that if I stood and the AP stood by its journalistic principles, the AP and I would be ruined."

snip

Curley said a military program to embed reporters with battlefield units in Iraq was successful in 2003, the war's first year. But afterward, the military expanded its rules from one to four pages, and Curley said they're now so vague, a journalist can be expelled on a whim if a commander doesn't like what's being reported.

snip

His remarks came a day after an AP investigation disclosed that the Pentagon is spending at least $4.7 billion this year on "influence operations" and has more than 27,000 employees devoted to such activities. At the same time, Curley said, the military has grown more aggressive in withholding information and hindering

27,000 employees. Enough so that more than one could be fucking around on DU in triple shifts.

OK, full disclosure. I posted this earlier today in GD:P when I thought I had posted it in GD. Then I was here in GD wondering why I could not see it when I had kicked it. :eyes:

[bottomtheweaver]

1. "turned the U.S. military into a global propaganda machine"

Yep, in collusion the Bushler private army, I mean the CIA, which long ago made a science out of brainwashing, the torture technique being their latest innovation.

[Gold Metal Flake]

2. Torture is a tool to rally the hateful base of the republican party.

It is also a weapon of fear aganst the moderates and liberals. Torture is a device for domestic politics.
it has nothing to do with international defense efforts.

JMO

[arcadian]

3. I'm going to agree with you on that.

TPTB know that information gleaned from torturing prisoners is virtually useless, it's to scare the shit out of citizens.

[Hydra]

4. Creating reality is expensive

And it's a full-time job. Ask the Israeli propagandists: the truth is like a weed- it pops out of all sorts of cracks in the pavement and requires large amounts of effort to stamp out.

All I have to do it water the "weeds." I have the easy job.

[Historic NY]

5. I think we could save some money by cutting this out of the budget immediately.

[Hydra]

6. And let the world see what assholes we are to most nations?

W tried that- didn't work so well.

[wildbilln864]

7. ttgpwy! nt

[specimenfred1984]

8. The Nazi comparison is fitting here

as it is in a million other instances of repuke crimes.