Using Holidays as a Distraction, Obama Just Signed NDAA Propaganda Provision to Destroy Free PressBy Claire Bernish Although the NDAAs true purpose is to fund the military, notorious provisions particularly of the variety which erase yet more freedoms are often added to the overall legislation. In this case, the propaganda and disinformation provisions mentioned above had been attempted in a stand-alone bill which remains stalled in Congress partly due to scathing criticism and unpopularity from wary politicians. And that seems justifiable, given legitimate parallels drawn to 1950s McCarthyism and the Red Scare. According to the text of the $619 billion bill, the Secretaries of State and Defense and other pertinent officials will be tasked with creating an innocuous-sounding Global Engagement Center. The purpose of the Center, states the text, shall be to lead, synchronize, and coordinate efforts of the Federal Government to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining United States national security interests. In actuality, however, countering propaganda amounts to silencing dissenting opinion particularly in the press of anything deemed shining a favorable light on one of the many countries the U.S. considers a foe. Such as Russia which has been the target of choice for blame concerning the election of Donald Trump. But it could also be a vehicle to initiate censorship of independent and alternative media for reporting on corruption rife in the Democrat establishment and corporate press as exposed by documents published by WikiLeaks. It also means creating and furthering propaganda of the American government because, theoretically, you cant combat foreign agitprop without filling the void with something convincing and favorable to governmental agendas. As text of the new law explains, the center will support the development and dissemination of fact-based narratives and analysis to counter propaganda and disinformation directed at the United States and United States allies and partner nations. Many of the Global Engagement Centers duties concern targeting disinformation and propaganda being disseminated in other nations; however, it subtly suggests the effort would seek to prevent such content from reaching the United States thus, domestic actions are, by no means, ruled out. Indeed, as the law states: The Center is authorized to provide grants or contracts of financial support to civil society groups, media content providers, nongovernmental organizations, federally funded research and development centers, private companies, or academic institutions for the following purposes: Seeming at least somewhat innocuous, had the law been passed in a vacuum, the current hysteria over putative Russian interference during the election cycle presents alarming potential implications for the future of free speech and unobstructed access to information. A subsequently partially backtracked report by the Washington Post, Russian propaganda effort helped spread fake news during election, experts say, originally published on November 24, boldly declared The Russians had been behind disinformation during the election cycle, and had facilitated the election of Donald Trump to suit a shady but noticeably unspecified political agenda. First to obtain an ostensibly damning list of news organizations affiliated with The Russians, the Post failed, negligently or intentionally, to investigate the nascent organization which provided said list, or to even contact a single outlet named yet reported as if the information were so damning as to be indisputable truth. In fact, the supposed experts cited by the once-illustrious outlet inhabited a single, newly created website, PropOrNot, whose owners sophomorically responded to outrage giving the Post a black eye in the process tweeting, Aww, wook at all the angwy Putinists, trying to change the subject theyre so vewwy angwy!! Its cute [gloating emoticon] We dont censor; just highlight. The website encourages reporters and anyone with questions to reach out via Twitter or email, but says, If youre a Russian troll, though, dont bother. Well just ban you. Although the Post, itself, did not publish or link to the unsourced and unverified index of organizations incidentally, comprising 200 independent, alternative outlets, and those whod dared endorse presidential candidates other than Hillary Clinton the damage exponentially worsened as countless corporate presstitutes parroted the non-information at a rapid clip. After its half-hearted retraction of that misstep, the Post further embarrassed itself with a report titled, Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House but stunningly provided even less evidence and again failed due diligence to back this assertion, other than the putative claims of unnamed officials. Worse, its own article disputed the audaciousness of the headline the Post admitted no report would be forthcoming from a consensus of all 17 U.S. Intelligence agencies, since minor disagreements among officials persist. When the public had a difficult time swallowing such allegations, the White House stepped in and, rather flippantly, proclaimed Russian President Vladimir Putin played a direct role in hacking the U.S. presidential election again, despite any evidence the election had been hacked. Couple this renewed Red Scare with what, in essence, marked the legalization of one of the most nefarious covert domestic government operations in U.S. history Operation Mockingbird and any iterations this program wont severely cripple legitimate but dissenting American media ring hollow. Notably, though the Obama administration cited pernicious pro-Russian propaganda and the proliferation of false reports for causing the election of Trump, no unassailable evidence has yet been proffered proving this theory true nor has any indication fake news so much as changed a single vote. Yet, these propaganda-slaying provisions now the law in the newly-signed NDAA put this shirked blame for a lost election strawman directly in the crosshairs, as if The Russians meddled was irrefutably evident. What we can now expect in the coming year is quite up in the air; but, for purveyors of information critical of the political establishment, the NDAA portends censorship beyond the current, heightened, and unusually judicious level were currently experiencing. For everyone concerned about the ability to speak freely and those who choose to challenge themselves with information outside their personal echo chamber the legislation constitutes a potentially abhorrent overreach into previously sacred territory. In fact, for all intents and purposes, the NDAAs single phrase, dissemination of fact-based narratives, summons a near specter to newspeak, the propagandistic and revisionist language created by the Ingsoc governments Ministry of Truth in George Orwells now eerily portentous 1984. Innumerable tongue-in-cheek references to that dystopian classic have been made in recent times, but the new law seemingly cements the parallels naming the modern iteration of the Ministry of Truth an even creepier, Global Engagement Center. Given the renewed Cold War atmosphere, perhaps politicians wouldve been better served by discarding pretense and inserting into the legislations text Orwells famous line, Oceania was at war with Eurasia; therefore Oceania had always been at war with Eurasia. None of this, it must be noted, is intended in any way to instill fear; however, history specifically the era of Senator Joseph McCarthy and his ill-reputed witch hunts against dissenting voices teaches that the imperative for caution greatly precludes the polite delicacies of not treading far enough. And it is precisely the foible human penchant for failing to grasp historical lessons that makes a degree of alarm necessary in yet another attempt not to repeat our most ill-fated mistakes. Claire Bernish writes for TheFreeThoughtProject.com, where this article first appeared. Treason. Well Done, Claire Bernish! The article covers the subject and possible consequences with insight, only you could have tied this action into the recent manipulations destroying ICANN/Internet integrity. just go shopping and STFU! whats wrong with you people. stay asleep and suck it up. fact-based narratives as opposed to factual. The government and all of its tentacles officially verified government facts,will be the norm. Oh, wait- had a karate kid momentMost of the country has been conditioned and trained to accept without question any facts disseminated ftom the administration and/or their puppets known as the media, more likethe propaganda and narrative repeater services. Wax on, Wax off; Up.Down; Side to Side;- except the only thing they have learned is how to believe everything their superiors who are always correct and honest or so they think.Nothing should surprise anyone after the last eight years of lies and propaganda and more lies I think this is aimed to destroy mudslinging and other agenda based media company pushes. this is fantastic! Seems someone read President Snows lines from The Hunger Games films. like I have been saying for the past 8 years. If youre not stocked up on food, medical supplies and bullets, you are behind the power curve I have put a lot of faith in Trump.if he doesnt correct this crap, well. More people need to know that the Washington Post is a mouthpiece for the CIA propaganda as it is owned by the same guy who owns Amazon MAKES MILLIONS FROM THE PRIVATE CLOUD HE CREATED FOR THEM TO STORE THEIR DATA. Not to worry, Trump will make all right again.hahaha!! Ministry of Truth! Afore this man in the W-H can order anything, shouldnt he be Gooferment and Hollywood are same-o-same-o. Disgusting swamp creatures, tied by the goat worshipers to do their bidding. this seems to be a anti mudslinging and stick to facts you can actually properly cite or source. no more bs agenda crap, no more fake science or abstracts, no more fake news. Claire Bernish, did it occur to you with all the socialists currently in power in the capitalist center of the world, that Joseph McCarthy was RIGHT, and that the Red Scare wasnt a witch hunt as the MSM, Hollyweird, and you call it to this day, but a coup d etat?! THINK before you write, honey. well actually this looks to kill nonsense posts. no more fake news. no more mudslinging. no more fact lacking, non credible sources bullshit. no more entertainment fake posts or abstract sucking dr oz crap. You think THIS will apply to CNN Clinton News Network and Yahoobama, and the real fake news? Why would the people in power who have benefitted from the real fake news (which has been working as their unofficial PR firm) suddenly destroy it? Hey, I was young and naive many years ago, too. Good luck (to us all). 