Obama Quietly Signs The "Countering Disinformation And Propaganda Act" Into Law

[Monk Of Reason]

After reading it it seems that it is mostly directed at Russia but also China. It is giving budget money to counter-propaganda operations that deals with attempting to subervert intentinoal foreign propaganda from usurping American interests at home and abroad.

Kind of like how N. Korea has people believing that America is horrible and that they would shoot the president on sight. Though it doesn't go into how it will do this. Though it does single out Russia as the main target.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

After reading it it seems that it is mostly directed at Russia but also China. It is giving budget money to counter-propaganda operations that deals with attempting to subervert intentinoal foreign propaganda from usurping American interests at home and abroad.

That's what I don't like about this. It lead to terrible consequences when anything similar was tried during the Red Scares, and it could have been used to silence opposition from the Banana Wars, many times during the Cold War, and even today. Hypothetically speaking, if we ever have our own civil war against an authoritarian regime, this regime now has a tool to silence the opposition before a take over even begins. Anywhere people are fighting for freedom, but their freedom effects American bottom lines, communication among those fighting for freedom and trying to recruit can now be easily thwarted.

Kind of like how N. Korea has people believing that America is horrible and that they would shoot the president on sight. Though it doesn't go into how it will do this. Though it does single out Russia as the main target.

While that is terrible, we must ask if we really must consider potential consequences and asking if we really want our government to be able to try and counter such a thing?

 

[Monk Of Reason]

That's what I don't like about this. It lead to terrible consequences when anything similar was tried during the Red Scares, and it could have been used to silence opposition from the Banana Wars, many times during the Cold War, and even today. Hypothetically speaking, if we ever have our own civil war against an authoritarian regime, this regime now has a tool to silence the opposition before a take over even begins. Anywhere people are fighting for freedom, but their freedom effects American bottom lines, communication among those fighting for freedom and trying to recruit can now be easily thwarted.

The problem is that the bill is very vague. I don't know by what mechanisms they would subert oppositions and by what discresion they would use to determine when action is to be taken. I don't know as of yet if this is a bad or good move by the president. It may be in direct response to the Russian attempts to sway the election.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It may be in direct response to the Russian attempts to sway the election.

I suspect it was. It's a pretty lame response if that is the case. Or, who knows...maybe he's laying a trap for Trump to fall into first time he hears something about himself he doesn't like? Still not a good response, but I just cannot see any real gains of such a measure, but a world of possible future abuse.