JOURNAL ARTICLE
FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PROPAGANDA
FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PROPAGANDA
By Francis Biddle (Solicitor General of the United States)
Some of this article is more than chilling to realize there have been constant concerns about propaganda, foreign propaganda and it's direct effect on the electorate. So, here are some excerpts I found intriguing.
Page 797
...As of May 1, 1940, approximately four hundred agents were registered with the State Department under the Act, not all of them, of course, engaged in dissemination of foreign political propaganda. In the last six years several states have passed legislation calculated to suppress subversive propaganda....
One of the things the defendants from the Mueller investigation face is they did not register as a foreign agent. The problem with this as a remedy to the influx of Russian propaganda to the media is the fact there is a sympathetic President in the White House. As far as I am concerned the USA is compromised and continues to be so. The best the American people can hope for is Congressional oversight. Don't know if that has actually happened yet.
The immediate problem is to meet in peace time, the flood of subversive propaganda directed to break down our faith in our own institutions; and perhaps, too, in revising our traditional concepts of war and peace in order effectively to delineate our plans of action. The problem is entirely different from what it was during the World War.
Is the USA at war? The idea this might apply to peacetime might be completely mute. If Trump, as Chief Executive, desires to control the media of any kind there is some precedent for that and the Robert's Court would be completely sympathetic as was the case with "The Muslim Ban."
Democratic institutions are evoked to protect an attach against those same institutions. Censorship and punishment are clumsy weapons to cope with the doctrine of appeasement, illusory promise of economic betterment, the praise the praise of successful might, the pretended doubt as to whether, after all, democracies can be efficient.
"What is war," said Hitler to Hermann Rauschning, President of the Danzig Senate, in 1933, "but cunning, deception, delusion, attacks and surprise. What is the object of war? To make the enemy capitulate. Why should I demoralize him by military means if I can do so better and more cheaply in other ways?" (Lavine & Wechsler, War Propaganda and the United States, 36.) (click here)
Page 797
...As of May 1, 1940, approximately four hundred agents were registered with the State Department under the Act, not all of them, of course, engaged in dissemination of foreign political propaganda. In the last six years several states have passed legislation calculated to suppress subversive propaganda....
One of the things the defendants from the Mueller investigation face is they did not register as a foreign agent. The problem with this as a remedy to the influx of Russian propaganda to the media is the fact there is a sympathetic President in the White House. As far as I am concerned the USA is compromised and continues to be so. The best the American people can hope for is Congressional oversight. Don't know if that has actually happened yet.
The immediate problem is to meet in peace time, the flood of subversive propaganda directed to break down our faith in our own institutions; and perhaps, too, in revising our traditional concepts of war and peace in order effectively to delineate our plans of action. The problem is entirely different from what it was during the World War.
Is the USA at war? The idea this might apply to peacetime might be completely mute. If Trump, as Chief Executive, desires to control the media of any kind there is some precedent for that and the Robert's Court would be completely sympathetic as was the case with "The Muslim Ban."
Democratic institutions are evoked to protect an attach against those same institutions. Censorship and punishment are clumsy weapons to cope with the doctrine of appeasement, illusory promise of economic betterment, the praise the praise of successful might, the pretended doubt as to whether, after all, democracies can be efficient.
"What is war," said Hitler to Hermann Rauschning, President of the Danzig Senate, in 1933, "but cunning, deception, delusion, attacks and surprise. What is the object of war? To make the enemy capitulate. Why should I demoralize him by military means if I can do so better and more cheaply in other ways?" (Lavine & Wechsler, War Propaganda and the United States, 36.) (click here)
This was so pervasive in the country there was a meeting called by "The Governors' Conference, et.al.. The folly here is obvious if there is no ill conditions within the USA causing domestic problems.
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
The idea of protecting the USA's people against propaganda such as espoused by FOX News and it's affiliates and any other entity such as Talk Radio and it's harmful distribution of propaganda is possible to assail. When American children are killing themselves in numbers that are disgusting and worrisome, there needs to be a strong rethink as to what exactly is occurring in American households, in American schools and other institutions that have influence over young and innocent minds.
The Governors Conference came up with several ideas to implement and end propaganda in the USA.
1. "In view of the Alien Registration Act of 1940 which deals with sedition against both federal and state governments and in view of the national character (it should be considered a method to eliminate subversive elements in society).
2. "The Federal Government should make a careful and continuing study of foreign propaganda in the United States. To this end it is recommended that the Federal Government provide an agency devoted to propaganda analysis."
I don't think the FBI, CIA or NSA has such a unit, however, the NSA does have more of a cyber focus than the other agencies. With Bolton at the NSA there is sincere doubt he would even deal with such issues because he panders to Trump.
3. "Committees of private citizens should be stimulated within the several states to provide the utmost possible dissemination of American aims and ideals through the press, radio and other media of publicity."
Isn't this FOX and Talk Radio already. Trump can come in and effect American values to the point of sedition of the US Constitution. There is every indication he and the Murdoch machine does exactly that and revels in it. There needs to be a limit as to the extremism of these media outlets. There are very few days when major media has any similarity to the Murdoch machine.
4. The publication and dissemination of all papers, pamphlets, leaflets and other printed matter having for its purpose the undermining of the American principles of government is hereby condemned. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT A THOROUGH STUDY OF THIS PROBLEM BE MADE BY BOTH THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS, COOPERATING WITH THE LEGITIMATE PRESS OF THE COUNTRY, TO THE END THAT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION BE ENACTED REQUIRING THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH PRACTICES TO REGISTER AND DISCLOSE THE GOVERNMENTS OR PERSONS IN WHOSE BEHALF OR FOR WHOM THEY ARE ACTING AS WELL AS THE SOURCE OF ANY FINANCIAL AID RECEIVED FOR SUCH PURPOSE."
There are, as the Republicans say it, good actors and bad actors in regard to expressing American values. The Murdoch machine practices nationalism. There is no general concession by the public that Murdoch's media empire does nothing but spew nationalism. The one issue in today's society most receiving oppression by FOX News is the expression of Free Speech by football players. It is the intention of the right wing media to assist Trump in punishing these men for their activism. That is not American. What is American is to lock arms with the activists and end the practices that compelled their actions.
There are specific values espoused by Murdoch and they hurt the American people. They back criminals and allow their media service to be used to the harmful end of society. It has to stop.
There are limits and it is time to revisit the limitless venues the media now enjoys. RESPONSIBLE journalism has been abandoned by Murdoch and his minions for some bizarre content of "INFOTAINMENT." This is ridiculous and not at all the sign of responsible media or government.
The United States of America does have the right to limit media when it becomes toxic to our society which results in pervasive violence and the ultimate death of children. No one should stand by and tolerate these growing statistics.
There are several topics that come to mind to include in any study that will ultimately create a happier country for children; childhood violence, childhood depression, the effect of the family and school on same and the direct effect practicing violence in the media, including video games are a contributor.
I don't want to hear how violence is not propagated by media and video games. The USA military uses video games to enhance the opportunity to prepare potential volunteers for war. The entire idea American minds are exempt from every image that is presented to them is nonsense and it is dangerous.
What happened to Lassie, Benji and the next great animal adventure with REAL ANIMALS! Every parent in the country should be up in arms with the news that came out today of four deaths of children by their own hand. This is a growing issue and not a stable percentage that is expected in large populations.
Every idea is not a great idea and are in fact harmful if not regulated in media presentations.
Criminologists, (click here) too, are sensitive to the impact of media exposure. For example, Jacqueline Helfgott summarized the research:
Peer review of Murdoch's media circus and Talk Radios derangement has to include the fact they enforce nationalism and not patriotism.There have been over 1000 studies on the effects of TV and film violence over the past 40 years. Research on the influence of TV violence on aggression has consistently shown that TV violence increases aggression and social anxiety, cultivates a “mean view” of the world, and negatively impacts real-world behavior.(Helfgott, 2015, p. 50)
Patriotism is national pride and today in the USA there is a whole lot not to be proud of in an artificial way through nationalism. Nationalism is an extreme whereby the country can do no wrong and has no sincere problems to solve. The Murdoch media and Talk Radio phenomena focus on THE INDIVIDUAL as the problem when in fact, it is societal and not the individual that is the problem. The individual is a SYMPTOM of the problem. Individual failure in the USA is a manifestation of a society, culture and government that has failed the individual.
There is absolutely no excuse for such despair or violent values in American children. SUICIDE BY ANY CHILD IS AN ABHORRENCE!
