Posted on 12/11/2016 11:24:17 AM PST by TigerClaws
While we wait to see if and when the Senate will pass (and president will sign) Bill "H.R. 6393, Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017", which was passed by the House at the end of November with an overwhelming majority and which seeks to crack down on websites suspected of conducting Russian propaganda and calling for the US government to "counter active measures by Russia to exert covert influence … carried out in coordination with, or at the behest of, political leaders or the security services of the Russian Federation and the role of the Russian Federation has been hidden or not acknowledged publicly,” another, perhaps even more dangerous and limiting to civil rights and freedom of speech bill passed on December 8.
Recall that as we reported in early June, "a bill to implement the U.S.’ very own de facto Ministry of Truth has been quietly introduced in Congress. As with any legislation attempting to dodge the public spotlight the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act of 2016 marks a further curtailment of press freedom and another avenue to stultify avenues of accurate information. Introduced by Congressmen Adam Kinzinger and Ted Lieu, H.R. 5181 seeks a “whole-government approach without the bureaucratic restrictions” to counter “foreign disinformation and manipulation,” which they believe threaten the world’s “security and stability.”
Also called the Countering Information Warfare Act of 2016 (S. 2692), when introduced in March by Sen. Rob Portman, the legislation represents a dramatic return to Cold War-era government propaganda battles. “These countries spend vast sums of money on advanced broadcast and digital media capabilities, targeted campaigns, funding of foreign political movements, and other efforts to influence key audiences and populations,” Portman explained, adding that while the U.S. spends a relatively small amount on its Voice of America, the Kremlin provides enormous funding for its news organization, RT.“Surprisingly,” ADVERTISING
Portman continued, “there is currently no single U.S. governmental agency or department charged with the national level development, integration and synchronization of whole-of-government strategies to counter foreign propaganda and disinformation.”
Long before the "fake news" meme became a daily topic of extensive conversation on wuch mainstream fake news portals as CNN and WaPo, H.R. 5181 would rask the Secretary of State with coordinating the Secretary of Defense, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Broadcasting Board of Governors to “establish a Center for Information Analysis and Response,” which will pinpoint sources of disinformation, analyze data, and — in true dystopic manner — ‘develop and disseminate’ “fact-based narratives” to counter effrontery propaganda.
* * *
Fast forward to this past Thursday, December 8, when the "Countering Disinformation and Propaganda Act" passed in the Senate, quietly inserted inside the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report.
Here is the full statement issued by the generously funded Senator Rob Portman (R- Ohio) on the passage of a bill that further chips away at press liberties in the US, and which sets the stage for future which hunts and website shutdowns, purely as a result of an accusation that any one media outlet or site is considered as a source of "disinformation and propaganda" and is shut down by the government.
Senate Passes Major Portman-Murphy Counter-Propaganda Bill as Part of NDAA
Portman/Murphy Bill Promotes Coordinated Strategy to Defend America, Allies Against Propaganda and Disinformation from Russia, China & Others
U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) today announced that their Countering Disinformation and Propaganda Act – legislation designed to help American allies counter foreign government propaganda from Russia, China, and other nations – has passed the Senate as part of the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report. The bipartisan bill, which was introduced by Senators Portman and Murphy in March, will improve the ability of the United States to counter foreign propaganda and disinformation by establishing an interagency center housed at the State Department to coordinate and synchronize counter-propaganda efforts throughout the U.S. government. To support these efforts, the bill also creates a grant program for NGOs, think tanks, civil society and other experts outside government who are engaged in counter-propaganda related work. This will better leverage existing expertise and empower local communities to defend themselves from foreign manipulation.
“The passage of this bill in the Senate today takes us one critical step closer to effectively confronting the extensive, and destabilizing, foreign propaganda and disinformation operations being waged against us. While the propaganda and disinformation threat has grown, the U.S. government has been asleep at the wheel. Today we are finally signaling that enough is enough; the United States will no longer sit on the sidelines. We are going to confront this threat head-on,” said Senator Portman. “With the help of this bipartisan bill, the disinformation and propaganda used against our allies and our interests will fail.”
“Congress has taken a big step in fighting back against fake news and propaganda from countries like Russia. When the president signs this bill into law, the United States will finally have a dedicated set of tools and resources to confront our adversaries’ widespread efforts to spread false narratives that undermine democratic institutions and compromise America’s foreign policy goals,” said Murphy. “I’m proud of what Senator Portman and I accomplished here because it’s long past time for the U.S. to get off the sidelines and confront these growing threats.”
NOTE: The bipartisan Countering Disinformation and Propaganda Act is organized around two main priorities to help achieve the goal of combatting the constantly evolving threat of foreign disinformation. They are as follows:
Hmmm...I dunno....kind of sounds unconstitutional
Free speech also means having the right to be wrong. This looks like it makes the government the final arbiter of what can and should be said.
Fake news.
Fake election interference.
Fake bills.
Fake Republicans.
Yes, what I am thinking, but not before Portman, McConnell and a slew of democrats cause considerable damage to free speech.
If only the Trump Supreme Court had prosecutorial powers to go after elected officials that knowingly support policy intended to suppress free speech. And Portman et al. know with certainty that is just what they are intending to do, it is evident on its face by simply reading the legislation they voted on.
There are two things happening here. It is amazing to see this come to complete fruitition.
Posted above is an excerpt from OPSEC blog discussing the first half of this attack on the First Amendment. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3503429/posts
The Portman Bill was posted earlier this week in breaking news, but was removed later by a moderator. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3503030/posts
They already gave themselves permission to use propaganda against the American People. Is this what the Benghazi Attack excuse of a video was? Is this what the Arab Spring reporting here was? We definitely know the refugee issue is propaganda. Government propaganda? I really do think so.
Now, this addition to the NDAA about controlling ‘fake’ news sources! Freedom of the Press is about to die when 0bama signs this. The day of the Internet pamphleteer has just a few short weeks. It might even be days as we approach the Electoral College vote.
Nut neutrality.
Eugene McCarthy is alive and well.
Who gets to decide what speech is protected and what’s not.
Getting their thought crime legislation passed now before Trump can veto it.
Blacklisted by History is a good read for anyone that thinks they know anything about McCarthy.
Portman wouldn’t have sponsored this bill and it wouldn’t have passed if it didn’t have McConnell’s blessing.
The uniparty lives.
But even if it gets signed into law, Trump needs to hold the House to not ever funding it—so he never has to implement it.
Still—don’t anyone ever think Portman is other than an unAmerican weasel. Like too many GOP pols.
This may have been a reason for wanting Hillary to win.
Congress eliminated the law that barred the Gov. from propagandizing to a domestic audience a few years ago and it was not a big story.
Just another spoke in the wheel of world dominance by the global elite.
This could end up with very ironic and counterintuitive results. Wouldn’t it be interesting if funds found their way to supporting free speech alternatives to the corporate media.
Freedom is the right to hear and say whatever by an uncensored media. Censored media represents dangerous propaganda. Most of the MSM is now propaganda.
“Congress eliminated the law that barred the Gov. from propagandizing to a domestic audience a few years ago and it was not a big story.”
It needed to be a big story but the lying MSM covered it up.
You are so very correct. This is fascism under a new name.
I can't believe people are accepting this. When they decide FR is propaganda, and Jim is from Russia but has hidden it all these years, we can understand what the Soviet people endured all those many long years.
A violation of the first amendment. Yes?
*crickets*
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