Should it be legal to propagandize the American populace?

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   Kyler J Falkposted 5 weeks ago

   We all know the government can't be trusted beyond the hindsight used to observe their actions compared to their promises. It doesn't matter whether a representative is left or right, extremist or centrist, full blown Marxist or fascist; the only thing anyone knows for certain is that seedy characters will always seek positions of power and subsequently abuse legal grey areas.
   
   Propagandizing the American public is an extremely hot topic, but one that I feel is being treated with too much partisan scrutiny. This isn't a partisan concern, it's a humanitarian crisis.
   
   That being said I just wanted to leave this here as a primer for discussion, and add a few questions for everyone that I'm particularly interested in hearing answers to:
   
   https://scholarlycommons.law.northweste … ntext=nulr
   
   1. Did you know that it is legal for our government to propagandize the American public?
   
   2. Are you aware that government agencies (USAID being the only one to be targeted for defunding as of yet) can disseminate propaganda via proxy, thus not requiring government attribution nor regulation?
   
   3. Do you feel that you have been made a victim of propagandizing within America?
   
   4. Do you have any examples of media that you would consider to be propaganda pieces that you would like to expose as such?
   
   5. Prior to this post, did you have functional knowledge of the Smith-Mundt Modernization act?
   
   6. Do you feel that there should be more legislation in place to protect the American public from the abuse of propaganda laws, or that the government should be permitted to disseminate this propaganda to the public for use without regulation?
   
   7. What do you feel are the political implications of the wider public being made aware that the government-issued information they consume has no enforceable regulation as it concerns objectivity, accuracy, nor use?

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      gmwilliamsposted 5 weeks agoin reply to this

      The government through media try to propagandize Americans.  It is up to individual Americans to discern news & messages.    People unfortunately have become easily led by the government & media.  The government wants to tell people what they feel is in the "best interests" of the people.  The government inherently feels that they know more than the people it represents & acts accordingly.   The government maintains that the American people are de facto children who really are unknowledgeable about the intricacies of the governmental process.  They consider the American people to be the hoi polloi so the speak.   However, there are smart, savvy people who can see through the government & media & can adequately analyze the government &/or media.

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         Kyler J Falkposted 5 weeks agoin reply to this

         That number of people is growing smaller by the day with the government's active efforts to flood the knowledge market with conflicting ideas.
         
         They no longer operate by influencing opinion, but by flooding the knowledge market with so much logically viable, conflicting information that even the sanest and most discerning of us must expend unreasonable levels of effort to get a complete, objective picture. We can pretend that some of us are just intrinsically able to glean truth with minimal effort, but that's more a mythical unicorn, a marginal statistic, than it is a comforting notion.
         
         Divide and conquer through apathy contrived from manufactured mental exhaustion.
         
         I'd like to know how our community at large here on HubPages feels about it.

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      Credence2posted 5 weeks agoin reply to this

      “We all know the government can't be trusted beyond the hindsight used to observe their actions compared to their promises. It doesn't matter whether a representative is left or right, extremist or centrist, full blown Marxist or fascist; the only thing anyone knows for certain is that seedy characters will always seek positions of power and subsequently abuse legal grey areas.”
      
      That has always been here, it can only be measured by the extent and frequency. And I say that in present time, lines that heretofore were not touched are now being rolled over by freight trains in realtime.
      
      The only real weapon that is available is our vote and the oligarchs are trying to neutralize that so that they can lie and violate law and principles with impunity and without reprisal from the public or any of its institutions. We expect a certain amount of honesty from our leaders. Unless, you are part of the inner circle all we have to discern propaganda from fact is our desire to dig for it and then hold dishonest actors accountable. Has that always been true since the founding of the Republic?

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         Kyler J Falkposted 4 weeks agoin reply to this

         I think the founding of our Republic was upon the idea that the wealthy of our nation should govern themselves, and be as sparsely regulated by outside entities as possible. While commoners died in the fields and forests, many of the leaders were in Europe having orgies and feasts negotiating the division of land among themselves and their supporters. However, I also believe they had a vision of most Americans being superior to other nations' peoples in ideology and overall wealth, so they attempted to balance things not knowing what the future could hold.
         
         The abuse of power and evildoing has always been there, yes, but black and white, ink-to-paper law promoting the unrestricted use of propaganda against the American people by its own government is by any metric in its infancy. It makes me want to recall Nazi-era Germany, though I don't believe we have quite entered the era of the Fourth Reich. I'm mostly concerned about the lack of public discourse on the matter, as I don't believe it is any more than a marginal subset of Americans aware that we have such laws and practices taking deep root in our infrastructure.

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            Credence2posted 4 weeks agoin reply to this

            “The wealthy should govern themselves” Quite true which is the very foundation of Republican hatred of “government”.
            
            For the powers that be to confess in writing what they have always been doing undercover is news to me. I did not think that they would ever candidly admit to such a thing…. If more people actually could access the truth as to how things are really run and done, we would have had our 2nd revolution already. I believe that Government and the so called free press have a role to play in keeping masses ignorant.

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               Kyler J Falkposted 4 weeks agoin reply to this

               The article I included in the OP is an excellent primer for people.
               
               It's down the proverbial rabbit hole from there.
               
               I'm all for keeping the masses complacent, but I'm widely against allowing any private entity to appropriate the same tools, patterns, and procedures for their own gain without heavy regulation. There needs to be more awareness, and where that isn't possible there needs to be nice, big labels warning people what they're consuming.
               
               Much like cigarettes and alcohol now have giant warnings on them, and in California the carcinogen warnings on literally everything, propaganda against the American people should be required to do the same. It's a mental carcinogen, thought cancer meant to metastasize in the mind and the communities it touches.

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                  gmwilliamsposted 4 weeks agoin reply to this

                  Unfortunately, most people are raised to be slaves metaphorically.  They are taught to, even rewarded when they conform to the prevailing culture.  People who are nonconformists are oftentimes ostracized, even demonized.   It takes a brave person to confront establishmentarian politics/policies.  Most people are content to be masses because it is an easier road.    They don't want to do the work to be independent & questioning thinkers which they have a crowd mentality.

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   Sharlee01posted 5 weeks ago

   Kyler, I completely agree with your concerns, and I think more people—regardless of political affiliation—should be paying attention to this issue. The reality is that government, no matter who is in charge, will always seek to control narratives and influence public perception. It’s not a partisan issue; it’s about power and how it’s wielded against the people.
   
   Did you know that it is legal for our government to propagandize the American public?
   Yes, and it’s a serious problem. The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 removed prior restrictions, allowing government-produced messaging (originally intended for foreign audiences) to be distributed domestically. Essentially, the government is allowed to manipulate public opinion under the guise of "public information."
   
   Are you aware that government agencies (USAID being the only one to be targeted for defunding as of yet) can disseminate propaganda via proxy, thus not requiring government attribution nor regulation?
   Absolutely. This is one of the biggest loopholes in modern information warfare. The government funds NGOs, think tanks, and media outlets that push certain narratives while maintaining the illusion of objectivity. This allows them to influence without accountability.
   
   Do you feel that you have been made a victim of propagandizing within America?
   Without a doubt. The media landscape is filled with half-truths and carefully crafted narratives designed to push political agendas. Whether it’s selective reporting, omission of key facts, or outright falsehoods, Americans are constantly subjected to manipulation.
   
   Do you have any examples of media that you would consider to be propaganda pieces that you would like to expose as such?
   The mainstream coverage of immigration, Trump’s policies, and foreign conflicts (like Ukraine) often reads more like government PR than journalism. For example, how the media framed the southern border crisis as a "challenge" instead of an outright disaster, or how they pushed the Steele Dossier despite it being debunked. These aren't just bad takes—they are deliberate efforts to mislead.
   
   Prior to this post, did you have functional knowledge of the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act?
   Yes, and it should be talked about more. It’s one of those laws that quietly passed without much public debate, and now we’re seeing the consequences.
   
   Do you feel that there should be more legislation in place to protect the American public from the abuse of propaganda laws, or that the government should be permitted to disseminate this propaganda to the public for use without regulation?
   There should absolutely be restrictions. No government should have the right to manipulate its own citizens without oversight. If officials truly believe in their policies, they shouldn’t need propaganda to convince us. Transparency is key, but as long as politicians benefit from keeping us misinformed, they will resist any efforts to limit propaganda.
   
   What do you feel are the political implications of the wider public being made aware that the government-issued information they consume has no enforceable regulation as it concerns objectivity, accuracy, nor use?
   If more people realized the extent of this manipulation, trust in government and media would erode even further—which is exactly why they don’t want the public thinking about it. But that distrust can be a good thing if it pushes people to seek out independent sources, question narratives, and demand accountability. A well-informed public is the biggest threat to government overreach.
   
   This is a conversation that needs to happen more often. Too many Americans still believe everything they hear just because it comes from an official source, and that’s exactly how those in power want it.

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      Kyler J Falkposted 4 weeks agoin reply to this

      Theoretically, every news source around the USA can fall victim to and create victims of government-created propaganda, and even worse can take that propaganda and repurpose it to any end they so choose due to the verbiage of our current propaganda laws.
      
      What do you think could/should be done to protect the American populace from abuse of our government's propaganda laws?
      
      What actions would information sources need to take to spread the word without completely eroding American trust in their news sources and government?
      
      Who should be allowed to disseminate propaganda, and should those sources be allowed to repurpose and reform government propaganda strategies for the benefit of private conglomerates, interests, and parties?
      
      Would you want harsh consequences imposed upon those misappropriating the system such as imprisonment and fines, or would something mild like a permanent public label (think "Propagandist-produced") attached to any and all content released by offending entities work? How would you punish abuse of America's propaganda system?

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         Kathleen Cochranposted 4 weeks agoin reply to this

         "What do you think could/should be done to protect the American populace from abuse of our government's propaganda laws?"
         
         Freedom of the press.

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            Kyler J Falkposted 4 weeks agoin reply to this

            Do you feel that the first amendment no longer fully applies in America, or are you stating that the press is and should be free to utilize/repurpose government propaganda in any way they see fit?

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               Willowarborposted 4 weeks agoin reply to this

               The Trump Administration is mounting a ferocious attack against freedom of speech .  We are now  arresting students for writing opinion pieces in their school newspaper.
               
               https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl … 22397.html

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                  Kyler J Falkposted 4 weeks agoin reply to this

                  These arrests are quite concerning. I struggle between my support for punishing sedition and treason, and my support for unobstructed freedom of speech in all forms. Trump needs to tiptoe across eggshells as he flirts with the first amendment's scope.
                  
                  Truly, fascinating and jarring times.

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                     Willowarborposted 4 weeks agoin reply to this

                     The woman is a graduate student and wrote an opinion piece in her school newspaper... That isn't sedition or treason.  The Trump Administration is trying out these tactics on green card holders and Visa holders, mainly students.  It's just a trial run before they start squashing the speech of citizens.  It's a natural progression

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                        Kyler J Falkposted 4 weeks agoin reply to this

                        I see any support for Israel or Palestine as both seditious and treasonous as it concerns the fundamental interests of the American public.

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   Willowarborposted 4 weeks ago

   Extremely skilled Russian scientist who studies genomes at Harvard and is wanted by Putin for opposing the invasion of Ukraine and calling for his impeachment was arrested by ICE and sent to Louisiana to be deported to Russia
   
   She was detained for bringing frog embryo" samples for her research. She has been in Louisiana prison for 6 weeks. ICE is literally our Gestapo.
   
   A mistake... but tell me more about melania's "Einstein" visa...
   
   Braindraining ourselves so Putin can kill a dissident...wow.
   
   https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ru … rcna198528

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      Kyler J Falkposted 4 weeks agoin reply to this

      This just seems like typical bureaucracy making things more difficult than they need to be, and her professor who is familiar with handling samples as it concerns crossing international boundaries really let her down.
      
      This one doesn't seem like there's any malicious intent behind it, just tomfoolery born from rigid red tape and procedure. I've always said there should be wiggle room for things of this nature, the kind of wiggle room that doesn't see someone detained for weeks without even the promise of comforting resolution come the end of it.

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