What's That Smell?
From the Washington Post:
As a blogger, it's hard to know which part of the story to jump on. Perhaps the pathetic idea that somehow an ad campaign using text messaging and podcasts will convince millions of Muslims without cellphones or iPods to love America? The desperation behind the thought that this could "win the whole thing for you"? The role of SAIC in the debacle of the FBI's new case-management software? The other things that the money could be spent on? The implication that the problem is not with our actions and policies, but with the way we are using the media?
Or the way this really appears to be a way of giving Pentagon dollars to partisan Republican PR operatives to maintain the ongoing Republican political campaign?
Other bloggers are on the case of Lincoln Group, which appears to be a well-connected Republican outfit that has made Iraqi war profiteering its niche, and has talked its way into government contracts to supplement its previous work doing opposition research for political campaigns. One of its principals is a young Republican who is proudly working on "building a dynamic future for the Republican Party" and trying "to make a lasting impact on election outcomes". See Billmon and Corrente for more details, assuming you can stomach them.
Why go through the complication of giving big reconstruction contracts to people who then turn around and give part of that money to the Republican party to use to promote their message, when you can just use the money to promote the message directly?
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.Hey, can I get a taste of that? Here, I'll give you an idea for free: stop breaking down doors in the middle of the night, shouting at people while pointing guns at them, and carrying their men off to prison, only to let them go the next day. That'll really touch their emotions! Hey, I've got more where that came from, but the next one will cost you $100,000.
"We would like to be able to use cutting-edge types of media," said Col. James A. Treadwell, director of the Joint Psychological Operations Support Element, a part of Tampa-based U.S. Special Operations Command. "If you want to influence someone, you have to touch their emotions."
He said SYColeman Inc. of Arlington, Lincoln Group of the District, and Science Applications International Corp. will help develop ideas and prototypes for radio and television spots, documentaries, or even text messages, pop-up ads on the Internet, podcasting, billboards or novelty items. ...
"What's changing is the realization that in this so-called war on terrorism, this is not a force multiplier; this might be the thing that wins the whole thing for you," said Dan Kuehl, a specialist in information warfare at the National Defense University. "This gets to the importance of the war of ideas. There are a billion-plus Muslims that are undecided. How do we move them over to being more supportive of us? If we can do that, we can make progress and improve security."
As a blogger, it's hard to know which part of the story to jump on. Perhaps the pathetic idea that somehow an ad campaign using text messaging and podcasts will convince millions of Muslims without cellphones or iPods to love America? The desperation behind the thought that this could "win the whole thing for you"? The role of SAIC in the debacle of the FBI's new case-management software? The other things that the money could be spent on? The implication that the problem is not with our actions and policies, but with the way we are using the media?
Or the way this really appears to be a way of giving Pentagon dollars to partisan Republican PR operatives to maintain the ongoing Republican political campaign?
Other bloggers are on the case of Lincoln Group, which appears to be a well-connected Republican outfit that has made Iraqi war profiteering its niche, and has talked its way into government contracts to supplement its previous work doing opposition research for political campaigns. One of its principals is a young Republican who is proudly working on "building a dynamic future for the Republican Party" and trying "to make a lasting impact on election outcomes". See Billmon and Corrente for more details, assuming you can stomach them.
Why go through the complication of giving big reconstruction contracts to people who then turn around and give part of that money to the Republican party to use to promote their message, when you can just use the money to promote the message directly?
posted by Paul at 10:05 AM |
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