Cass Sunstein, Supreme Court Justice?
16 January 2010 7:53 am by Noogan
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/01/15/sunstein/
Back in the USSA…..The United Stalinist States of America, we’re embarking on a new “5 year plan” against our enemies acts of sabotage against the “homeland.”
FRIDAY, JAN 15, 2010 08:16 EST
Obama confidant’s spine-chilling proposal
BY GLENN GREENWALD
Cass Sunstein has long been one of Barack Obama’s closest confidants. Often mentioned as a likely Obama nominee to the Supreme Court, Sunstein is currently Obama’s head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs where, among other things, he is responsible for “overseeing policies relating to privacy, information quality, and statistical programs.” In 2008, while at Harvard Law School, Sunstein co-wrote a truly pernicious paper proposing that the U.S. Government employ teams of covert agents and pseudo-”independent” advocates to “cognitively infiltrate” online groups and websites — as well as other activist groups — which advocate views that Sunstein deems “false conspiracy theories” about the Government. This would be designed to increase citizens’ faith in government officials and undermine the credibility of conspiracists.
[...]
Sunstein advocates that the Government’s stealth infiltration should be accomplished by sending covert agents into “chat rooms, online social networks, or even real-space groups.” He also proposes that the Government make secret payments to so-called “independent” credible voices to bolster the Government’s messaging (on the ground that those who don’t believe government sources will be more inclined to listen to those who appear independent while secretly acting on behalf of the Government). This program would target those advocating false “conspiracy theories,” which they define to mean: “an attempt to explain an event or practice by reference to the machinations of powerful people, who have also managed to conceal their role.” Sunstein’s 2008 paper was flagged by this blogger, and then amplified in an excellent report by Raw Story’s Daniel Tencer.
[…]
“…note how similar Sunstein’s proposal is to multiple, controversial stealth efforts by the Bush administration to secretly influence and shape our political debates. The Bush Pentagon employed teams of former Generals to pose as “independent analysts” in the media while secretly coordinating their talking points and messaging about wars and detention policies with the Pentagon. Bush officials secretly paid supposedly “independent” voices, such as Armstrong Williams and Maggie Gallagher, to advocate pro-Bush policies while failing to disclose their contracts. In Iraq, the Bush Pentagon hired a company, Lincoln Park, which paid newspapers to plant pro-U.S. articles while pretending it came from Iraqi citizens. In response to all of this, Democrats typically accused the Bush administration of engaging in government-sponsored propaganda — and when it was done domestically, suggested this was illegal propaganda. Indeed, there is a very strong case to make that what Sunstein is advocating is itself illegal under long-standing statutes prohibiting government ”propaganda” within the U.S., aimed at American citizens:
As explained in a March 21, 2005 report by the Congressional Research Service, “publicity or propaganda” is defined by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to mean either (1) self-aggrandizement by public officials, (2) purely partisan activity, or (3) “covert propaganda.” By covert propaganda, GAO means information which originates from the government but is unattributed and made to appear as though it came from a third party.
Covert government propaganda is exactly what Sunstein craves. His mentality is indistinguishable from the Bush mindset that led to these abuses, and he hardly tries to claim otherwise. Indeed, he favorably cites both the covert Lincoln Park program as well as Paul Bremer’s closing of Iraqi newspapers which published stories the U.S. Government disliked, and justifies them as arguably necessary to combat “false conspiracy theories” in Iraq — the same goal Sunstein has for the U.S.
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/01/15/sunstein/
This post was submitted by Noogan.
This is really no different than the CIA’s Penetta claiming that he had shut down the bush/Cheney secret CIA assassination squads and then franchising that work out to Blakwater (XE). Proof of that having been done became obvious when two of the seven (some say eight) CIA operatives killed by the Jordanian double agent and suicide bomber were named as Blackwater employees. bush called it a “war on terrorism” so that he could kill whomever he wanted wherever and whenever he wanted. He justified his actions by claiming some legal right under his “war on” label. Obama is doing the very same thing only he claims that pseudo-legal authority by declaring a “war against al Qaeda.” Just because Al Capone dressed up in a Santa suit at Christmas didn’t mean that he was no longer a ruthless murderer. Peace
I had the pleasure of enjoying the back and forth between two of my favorites – Krugman and Greenwald – this morning.
Based on all I’ve read so far, including Wheeler’s stuff on FDL, I really think this is a minor issue.
“I really think this is a minor issue.”
Wait. You think that a possible Supreme Court Justice nominee who advocates a policy of illegal government propaganda is a “minor” issue?
Well. Things that make you go HMM.
The apathy with which most liberals greet these hideous ideas strikes me as familiar. Oh, yeah; now I remember. It’s the very same apathy I saw from Republicans when Bush did them.
Ramsgate, fair enough. Now tell us what you believe to be a major issue? Peace
Imhotep says:
16 January 2010 at 11:40 am
Lying the country into a war.
Noogan says:
16 January 2010 at 11:36 am
Noogan, I usually agree with you, but here you use the terms “illegal government propaganda.” That’s quite subjective, isn’t it? And I’m not prepared to go that far as yet.
I read Greenwald daily and I generally agree with his take, and I DO in this case as well, however as I weigh and balance the facts I have to come to feel it is more about disclosure than anything else. That is why I call it a minor issue. Something that was not known (purposely hidden?) was uncovered, and that’s the problem.
Noogan/Imhotep:
Minor Issue: No, Major issue.
I was caught up in the ongoing battle between Krugman and Greenwald about Gruber on this very issue. That is what I was referring to as a minor issue.
While you were talking to this:
“Obama Information Czar Outlined Plan For Government To Infiltrate Conspiracy Groups”, which in my opinion is a major issue. Its nuts. No need to even discuss.
Ramsgate, how about lying to the country to remain at war? As in we’re “at war against al Qaeda.” That’s what Noogan means by propaganda. I’m sure you’re not down with that, right? Peace