Centcom creates "blog team" to scan blogs

[Oilwellian]

Your tax dollars at work:


Army Reserve Maj. Richard J. McNorton, CENTCOM's chief of engagement operations said the team contacts bloggers to inform the writers about any given topic that may have been posted on their site. This outreach effort enables the team to offer complete information to bloggers by inviting them to visit CENTCOM's Web site for news releases, data or imagery.

The team engages bloggers who are posting inaccurate or untrue information, as well as bloggers who are posting incomplete information. They extend a friendly invitation to all bloggers to visit the command's Web site.


The team also has as its mission to spread "good stories":


"Now (online readers) have the opportunity to read positive stories. At least the public can go there and see the whole story. The public wants to hear these good stories," he said, adding that the news stories the military generates are "very factual." <...>

The team's motto is "Engage," and Flowers and others work with more than 250 bloggers to try to disseminate news about the good work being done by U.S. forces in the global war on terror. The effort, officials here said, has reached more than 17 million online readers.


The contacted bloggers, the press release states, are surprised that the info CENTCOM feeds them isn't presented in the "mainstream media" (CENTCOM's term, not mine). This newest effort, I think, should be viewed in the context of the military's PR blitz. Almost two months ago, the Army hired a PR firm to funnel "exclusive editorial content" to selected bloggers (diaried here).

And so, the military takes on a new role: concern troll.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/3/3/141233/7763

[MADem]

1. Who'd they hire to run this scam, Armstrong Williams???? nt

[converted_democrat]

2. Certainly explains the recent infestation.. I wonder how many do it

from their Mommy's basement for kicks, and how many are actually paid.. You know there are a couple here..

[Horse with no Name]

19. A couple?

:eyes:

[converted_democrat]

26. I really don't think there are a bunch..

The ones that do it from Momma's basement just to piss us off normally get canned within their first 100 posts.. I just wonder exactly how many are paid to be on here.. I honestly don't think the number is that big.. They are pretty easy to catch.. Every time I "wonder" about someone I post a response with an ACLU link.. As hard as they try they can never hide their disdain for the ACLU..

[DBoon]

3. To intimidate critical bloggers?

If I got a contact from Centcom about my blog, I would be more than a little put off.

I don't care how "friendly" they pretend to be, this is like getting a visit from the FBI.

[phusion]

5. no kidding

*.mil would go in my blacklist.

[converted_democrat]

7. I know I spend way too much time on here, but haven't you noticed

all of the "feel good" military stories that have ended up locked over the course of the last couple days on here?? They all have a theme, and they usually get busted because we have so many members here that actually were in the service, or have a family member in the service that they call them on the bullshit, and they foul their stories up.. There have been a bunch in the last couple days..

They all start out like.."My second cousins uncle just got back and things are going much better than they say on TV.."

[Viva_La_Revolution]

12. good.

somebody besides me spends too much time here. :P

[converted_democrat]

14. I thought I was the only one!!

:woohoo:


Now I know I'm not alone!!

[FormerRepublican]

4. I thought it was illegal to spread propaganda in the US...??

How do WE know if the info they're spreading around is accurate or not? Isn't this similar to the propaganda that's being spread around in Iraq?

Any lawyers out there want to comment?

[Marie26]

8. How is it illegal?

You can spread propaganda all you want, unless maybe it's defamatory. I just wonder why CENTCOM is spending the time & $$$ to monitor the frickin blogs. Don't they have a couple wars to fight?

[FormerRepublican]

15. It's illegal for the GOVERNMENT to spread propaganda. Not us.

Misuse of taxpayer funds and all that.

For example:

http://www.boston.com/ae/media/articles/2005/06/30/us_house_toughens_law_on_publicity_propaganda/

I'm not sure if this ever was approved by the Senate... If so, it would appear this particular program is yet another way to skirt the law.

[converted_democrat]

16. Good catch..n/t

[Marie26]

20. Passed in HUD Appropiations bill.

It WAS approved by the Senate. Thanks, I didn't know about this new law. It's good to see the Congress is actually doing something right. This law makes it illegal for them to pay journalists for false stories, or to use federal money for propaganda purposes. It looks like CENTCOM is contacting bloggers to offer info or tours. It's undoubtably a PR effort, but it seems like it could fall into a gray area because it's not actually paying third parties for favorable info. Still, if there's a whole unit devoted to only the PR effort, it could still be considered a misuse of CENTCOM appropiations under this law. Maybe bloggers could quote this law back at CENTCOM if anyone is contacted under this program.


Sec. 821. No part of any funds appropriated in this or any other Act
shall be used by an agency of the executive branch, other than for
normal and recognized executive-legislative relationships, for publicity
or propaganda purposes, and for the preparation, distribution or use of
any kit, pamphlet, booklet, publication, radio, television or film
presentation designed to support or defeat legislation pending before
the Congress, except in presentation to the Congress itself.

Sec. 823. None of the funds made available in this Act or any other
Act may be used to provide any non-public information such as mailing or
telephone lists to any person or any organization outside of the Federal
Government without the approval of the Committees on Appropriations.

Sec. 824. No part of any appropriation contained in this or any
other Act shall be used directly or indirectly, including by private
contractor, for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United
States not heretofor authorized by the Congress.

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ115.109

[petronius]

6. I wouldn't have a problem with this

if they would not cherry-pick only the good stories. They should correct the overly-positive stories as well as the overly-negative...

Even so, I'm not all that bothered here - the information that people feel is worthy of dissemination about an organization is nearly always negative (nobody gets excited or interested enough in the good stuff to fire up a web page; when was the last time you saw a positive post or e-mail about IRS experience for example?). As a result, organizations generally need to make an effort to tell their own side of the story - it used to be done through press releases and news conferences, and now the technology is changing...

My main caveat is that what a government office puts out shouldn't be "very factual" - it had better be entirely factual.

[lyonn]

10. "Factual" now there is the problem

Have you ever watched the Pentagon briefings? Talk about feel good news from Iraq & Afghanistan. It is nauseating and counter what we see in films from those places. Total destruction is all I see.

[Emit]

9. Here's an example of a blogger who got a letter

mid page here at source watch on Hass MS&L:

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:_HbS9sr2DRwJ:www.sourcewatch.org/index.php%3Ftitle%3DHass_MS%2526L+Hass+MS%26L&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4

The full email from account executive, Charlie Kondeck, to blogger Donald Sensing (http://www.donaldsensing.com/index.php/2006/01/07/getting-on-the-blog-train/) states:

From: “Charlie Kondek”
Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 3:17 PM
Subject: Exclusive Contact from the Army
Hi, Donald. I’m writing from a PR firm on behalf of the U.S. Army. We’re contacting a few bloggers to test a new outlet for public information. The Army believes that military blogs are a valuable medium for reaching out to soldiers. To that end, the Army plans to offer you and selected bloggers exclusive editorial content on a few issues you’re likely to be interested in. If you do decide you are interested in receiving this material, whether you choose to write about what we send you is, of course, entirely up to you. (I notice you’ve been on a blog sabbatical for a while so am not sure where you stand there.)

Like I said, we’re only contacting a handful of bloggers at this time. If you are interested, please let me know, and we’ll send you further information as it becomes available. Either way, thanks for your time.

Charlie Kondek
Account Executive
Web Producer
Hass MS&L

[soup]

17. Hass MS&L

a subsidiary / sidekick / spin-off / any connection / with 'The Lincoln Group'?

Man the catapults!

“Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise.” Adolf Hitler

“See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." GWB
http://en.thinkexist.com/quotations/propaganda/

[Marie26]

21. Hass MS&L - Public Relations

Is CENTCOM employing a public relations agency to spread propaganda? Wouldn't that violate the new appropiations law?

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Hass_MS%26L

[leftchick]

27. since when has breaking laws ever bothered them

there is no one holding them accountable for any of their crimes. Save patrick Fitzgerald.

[Oilwellian]

11. I wonder if this also is part of the "plan"

Pentagon Surveillance

Despite the Posse Comitatus Act’s prohibitions against U.S. military personnel engaging in domestic law enforcement, the Pentagon has expanded its operations beyond previous boundaries, such as its role in domestic surveillance activities.

The Washington Post has reported that since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the Defense Department has been creating new agencies that gather and analyze intelligence within the United States.

The White House also is moving to expand the power of the Pentagon’s Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA), created three years ago to consolidate counterintelligence operations. The White House proposal would transform CIFA into an office that has authority to investigate crimes such as treason, terrorist sabotage or economic espionage.

The Pentagon also has pushed legislation in Congress that would create an intelligence exception to the Privacy Act, allowing the FBI and others to share information about U.S. citizens with the Pentagon, CIA and other intelligence agencies. But some in the Pentagon don’t seem to think that new laws are even necessary.

In a 2001 Defense Department memo that surfaced in January 2006, the U.S. Army’s top intelligence officer wrote, “Contrary to popular belief, there is no absolute ban on intelligence components collecting U.S. person information.”

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/022106a.html

[mmonk]

13. I don't care if they want to engage in discussion.

I like to have proof to any claims though.

[shadowknows69]

18. adding that the news stories the military generates are "very factual."

Yep, this news story has nearly 85% facts in it. Very factual indeed.

[Nikki Stone 1]

22. lol! Of course, living in the reality based community, we are all hung up

on little things like facts

[shadowknows69]

23. I'm about ready to trade in my reality based life

for some of what the rethugs are smoking. Ignorance might indeed be bliss if things keep going south.

[Hubert Flottz]

24. For it is written, so it must be so...

The US Department of Kool-Aide
Secretaty of the Kool-Aide
Donnie Rumbow

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light. No one can come to the father but through me."----Jim Jones

"If we can't live in peace then lets die in peace. We are not committing suicide-its a revolutionary act." ---Jim Jones on the last day at Jonestown

http://www.conncoll.edu/academics/departments/relstudies/290/newage/jimjones.html

Drink up, my children, for to do so, means that today, we shall all walk in paradise...Together!

snip>

"When you meet the friendliest people you have ever known, who introduce you to the most loving group of people you've ever encountered, and you find the leader to be the most inspired, caring, compassionate and understanding person you've ever met, and then you learn the cause of the group is something you never dared hope could be accomplished, and all of this sounds too good to be true-it probably is too good to be true! Don't give up your education, your hopes and ambitions to follow a rainbow."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peoples_Temple

Jim Jones and George Bush

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/11/15/0212/5986

Who are these people and what do they believe in?
James Warren Jones was born in Lynn, Indianapolis on the 13th May 1931. He managed to get himself ordained in one of the many branches of the evangelical 'Disciples of Christ' and from the early 1950's (the now Reverend) Jim Jones acted just like any other ordinary bigoted, egotistical, power grabbing, arrogant, crusading preacher.
In 1953 Jim founded 'The People's Temple' which, after lurching around California in a haze of evangelical fervour and marijuana with a mixed following of mostly unemployed African immigrants and those who believed that signing up and dropping out was the cool thing to do, landed in San Francisco in 1971.
By now Big Jim had elevated himself to the rank of Messiah and started to make grand promises that a new Utopia was just around the corner.
His followers (once they had stolen a dictionary to look up the word) were even more convinced that their Jim was just the man to take them away from the depressing reality and into this mythical land of plenty.
Their financial contributions were, naturally expected and required.

http://www.godulike.co.uk/faiths.php?chapter=77&subject=who

People are often misled by misleaders...beware of the sweet, sweet, Kool-Aide you see placed before you.

Warning: The aftertaste of some types of kool-aid, may be nasty, and forever, just like a taste of the Army, may be.

[Hubert Flottz]

25. Kick & I would R too, but the time has passed to do so...pity!