Ministry Of Thought
 

Pentagon Funds Diplomacy Effort

Contracts Aim to Improve Foreign Opinion of United States

By Renae Merle
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, June 11, 2005; Page D01

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...061001910.html

The Pentagon awarded three contracts this week, potentially worth up to $300 million over five years, to companies it hopes will inject more creativity into its psychological operations efforts to improve foreign public opinion about the United States, particularly the military.

...Some previous Defense Department efforts in the field have been controversial. In 2002, the Pentagon abandoned its Office of Strategic Influence after reports surfaced, which the Pentagon denied, that it would disseminate inaccurate information to foreign media.

After other agencies were criticized for hiring journalists to promote their policies, the Pentagon asked its inspector general to review its use of Fairfax-based Anteon International Corp. to run Web sites aimed at audiences in the Balkans and North Africa. The Web sites, known as the Southeast European Times and Magharebia, include articles from journalists paid by the Pentagon through the company, as well as articles translated from U.S. newspapers. That review is ongoing.


So, how many governments spend millions a month on propoganda? Also, how many intentionally hire reporters to report fake news, made up on a sound stage, to influence people in other countries to adopt their way of thinking?

Why is it that the people they claim to be fighting don't have to make such progogand videos, and yet their fighters are willing to die for their cause? On the other end, the us government fighting this 'war on terror' has to pay extra money, offer free shit, and issue a stop loss program to keep its soldiers on the battlefield?

Just curious...

Because they're religeous fanatics.

Re: Ministry Of Thought
 

Wow. WOW. That is such an ignorant thing to say.

Don't have to disseminate propaganda? I've watched some of the videos that you believe do not exist. They're sickening.


I do not care to comment on any other part of that article. Please do not read any more into my response than what I have written.

Hmmm, well let me put your curiosity to rest by saying that groups such as al-Qaeda do indeed put out propaganda videos. Let's also point out that Ayman al-Zawahiri and Bin Laden are master puppetiers. If you think al-Qaeda is waging a religious war, that's a laugh. Their real war is political, not religious.

Read publications by al-Zawahiri (I suggest 'Knights Under the Prophet's Banner'). You'll find that his biggest beef with the US is over the fact that they've taken major steps to ensure a fundamentalist regime will never hold power in Egypt and other places, not the poor innocent muslim casualties (that these guys/al-Qaeda actually kill all the time, intentionally by the way) in other wars. Hell, just look at that insurgent that was recovered after his truck blew up. He said that his "handlers" lied and decieved him in what he was doing. Most of these poor fools are brainwashed.

Look at Chechnya. Most of the "black widows" sent into Russia are brainwashed on drugs or manipulated based on personal beliefs. Really, you don't have to look far to see alot of muslim terror groups are politically motivated, not religiously. That's, of course, when you pull back the veil of deceit that you apparently swear by. Seriously, read into the publications and teachings these guys truely abide by. Watch the propaganda videos that al-Qaeda and other major terror groups spend money on and put out there.

Your seriously suggesting these people watched a video or read a pamlet and now they are so brainwashed they are willing to die to prove their loyalty to the message on that pamlet or video?

And by that also saying that growing up in a war zone, watching their families get killed, die of starvation, be imprisioned without cause, and generally abused on a daily basis - all that has nothing to do with the people they are?

Sternn - You're a fucking dumbass.

You started this thread comparing the U.S. to Big Brother for trying to change its image abroad with videos and pamphlets. That analogy does not hold if you believe those things have minimal impact.

And if you had ever watched some of the propagandic videos, you would understand their potential power. How can you be so dismissive of something that you've never seen? That you didn't even know existed before today?

I am not saying that a video can completely change someone's opinion and make them go out and blow themselves and/or other people up-there has to be some initial receptivity to the ideas contained within the propaganda. But it can get someone riled up enough to make the switch between being upset about something and killing people over it.)

Neither Binkie nor I said anything to that effect, although I would like to know which country/countries/people you're talking about here.

http://www.zabrze.net.pl/~s5_haker/m...oto/new5/1.jpg

oh, and tstone - i'd click on a link if it would enlarge my penis. hell, i'd click on it a thousand times and then wield my monster cock like the thousand year old tree trunk i believe it to be.

yee-haw!

Most gov.'s use propaganda.

Granted, had we not elected the Village Idiot as Cheif we might not need to spend quite so much, but everybody's doing it. Just look at tourism...

First, I don't believe propoganda works, which has nothing to do with this thread. I don't think it really works at all, and the us trying to use it as a weapon is a silly idea. The fact they would need to attempt such a futile act idea shows how desperate they are.

Second, gran - any country in the middle east and most of africa pretty much falls into this category.

And TS - this is not about just the want or the idea of physically obtaining anything. These people are willing to die so that the next generation might be able to be free. This is not selfish self gratification. These people are dedicated long before they ever see a video.

Years of abuse at the hands of people who are being paid off by the us leads them into their life choices very young and very quick.

It has everything to do with this thread. You titled it "Ministry of Thought," so I'll start with that. Most of Big Brother's power was derived from its total use of propaganda. Did you even read 1984? It doesn't seem like it. It is simply impossible to reconcile your constant accusations of America being Big Brother with a belief that propaganda has no effect. The Ministry of Thought wouldn't be such a terrifying part of 1984 if propaganda did not fucking work.

It is also impossible to reconcile your view of propaganda with history. Judging from your comment in another thread that there's no need to study Soviet Russia because present-day America is worse, it seems pretty clear that you also have not studied Nazi Germany, Mussolini's Italy, etc. How in the world do you think Hitler came to and kept power? You think when Jews were taken to concentration camps, Hitler told Germany and the world the truth about what was happening and logically explained the reasoning behind it? And who do you think controlled all the media in Soviet Russia? The government. Why? Duh. Did it work? For a long time, yes.

Don't try and pass yourself off as even marginally knowledgeable on this topic, because it was only two days ago that you did not know that these videos existed. You clearly have a very busy, influential life-you don't have the time in two days to do the research that would back up your statement.

This is the last time I'm going to respond to you, unless I can sufficiently shut down your argument without saying anything new, only quoting you and/or other people. I've wasted so much time on you already.

Propaganda doesn't work... Good lord.

Gran - so some extent you are right - a sustained propaganda campaign, properly funded, state controlled, with adequate resources could be used to manipulate a society.

However, a small contengent of a few thousand with limited resources and less than average access to media outlets is not going to be able to do more than print out a few brochures, make a few home videos, and print a few posters. That kind of propaganda is not going to make anyone go kill for them.

But your right, bush, like hitler, has the resources to brainwash your society.

Slán

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...bigbrother.gif

Actually, al-Qaeda's propaganda seems to be alot more effective, as they decieve muslims into thinking they're fighting a holy war. Couse, I don't have to explain to someone like you, Sternn, that a Muslim is very dedicated to his/her faith. This is why we've seen al-Qaeda grow so much in the past few years. Capture a terrorist and ask him why he's fighting America and he'll say silly statements that even you've bought into (*cough* propaganda puppet *cough*) about this being a religious war against Islam.

Hell, most mosques in Saudi Arabia and in Pakistan will use propaganda to get these fighters wanting to fight America. Play off the faith of an extremist and you're ready to go. Oh, and by the way, you've been subjected to a massive amount of propaganda that you'll never realize. You see, British Psy-Ops was operating in Northern Ireland for a while, and I wouldn't be surprised if a clandestine operation was still being run in the media.

al-Qaeda's got the hang of this, how come you haven't caught on? Your propaganda here at Gothic.net seems to be the only one that fails horribly.

See, once again why you are so wrong.

It is a holy war against Islam. I explained this before, but look at it this way - the 'liberation' that is being brought to them is a direct conflict with their religion.

I mean, their laws forbidding women to vote, walk around without a burka, etc. were all laws based on Islam. To institute a government and tell them that it will not follow the laws of Islam, but infact of a form of government formed by people who believe in another god. Also to institute laws based on a religion that has direct conflicts as well.

Also, doing things like linking the african aid promised last week to all faith based initiives so it can only be delivered by church affiliated groups, well sends out the message your trying to colonise the area with religion rather than politics.

(I know I said I wouldn't respond any more, but I'm about to amend that statement.)

Ouch. Been shooting yourself in the foot again?

Anyways, I don't know if you realize this, but islamic nations such as Saudi Arabia are the ones who have the most human rights abuses. They're on the ball now-a-days trying to implement reforms to correct that themselves. So, are you the only one against human rights? Shouldn't be an individual's choice whether or not they practice their religion? It should be the state's?

I think I already spent a good deal of time arguing you over this. I believe it ended in you simply amending some such thing Mael said and completely dropping the subject.

I'll just repeat myself again though for the hell of it. Iraq's population isn't all muslim. There are people of other religions, as it's a free country, not an Islamic state. It never was, actually. If women are walking around with out their veils, it's by choice, not because the US is demanding that they not wear them. A bunch of young girls in Afghanistan are thrilled with their freedoms.

I'll liken it to something of relevance on this site by saying that women having the choice to walk about in whatever they want is equivelant to Goths being allowed to dress in black clothing with skulls and tomb stone prints all they want without that needing to be ceased because it's not traditional. Are you saying you're all against basic human freedoms? You want Iraq to be a "Police State?"

Thanks Binkie, for a second there i thought i was horribly wrong ( again ;) ) for i believed with all my heart that Iraq is one of the most secular Middle Eeastern nations. Btw, Tariq Aziz is a Chaldean Catholic.

8)

I know! I mean, with the rosey picture these people keep posting, you would think it's all rainbows and lollipops right there now! Who would have even thought a war was going on? I mean, obviously there is no war because you can't see it happening here.

Watching you justify the war and saying its not against muslims is just as convinving as David Duke, former KKK Grand Wizard and current Republican in the states still holding an office somewhere last time I checked (and he came to Richmond to support 'White Rights' and held a confederate flag march).

When he gave his 'I was in the KKK for all the good reasons, not to hate black people' is the same as bush saying 'I did all this for good reasons, not because I hate muslims'. No one is buying it, except a few rich white people who don't know any muslims and only talk to other rich white people.

If you want truth, then go out and ask people outside your bubble.

Alright, that was a quaint attempt to draw attention away from the actual topic of discussion and from answering my question. I can understand why you're doing that though, cause you know the answer makes you look not only like a hypocrite but makes your "US is Big Brother" arguements even more ludicrous.

But I'll try this again: Do you think Iraq should be a "Police State" where women are not allowed to walk around unveiled? Is that what you support since you've taken a stance against basic human freedoms?

When have I ever taken a stand against freedoms? My country doesn't run todays new gulag. My country doesn't torture innocent people. My country hasn't executed over 12,000 innocent men women and children.

Tell me, you support all that but say I am against freedoms? The blood of those innocents killed is on your hands, not mine. You support that war, you support those deaths.

Tell me how restricted is the freedoms of those who are killed? Thats the ultimate deprevation of freedom if you ask me. Next followed closely by handicap for life, which 20,000+ are now thanks to you. So you tell me how you justify depriving all those people of their freedom.

I say let them decide what they want. Who are you to send your forces half way around the world to execute innocent people so that you can then tell them how they should conduct their lives. All because you feel your way of life is better?

Explain how thats not taking away their freedom?