I was kind of shocked to hear about the recently discussed 'psyops' program initiated by the Pentagon. It's a meme flying through the 'sphere as we speak. Apparently, as I read it, a bunch of 'ex-military' heads had been funded to speak to particular media outlets with the answers that the Pentagon wanted out there.
The existence of this program was certainly predictable, what's unusual is the designation of 'psyops'. What is it? Basically spin, and talking point coordinated from a unexpected source, the US Military itself.
In the blogosphere, a number of us wouldn't be writing if we didn't believe that the 'liberal media' or the 'mainstream media' was doing its job. It's certainly the case for me. I saw the necessity of an independent 'black voice' many years ago in the wake of the LA Riots. Actually before, but I turned up the heat afterwards. Just recognizing the difference between what my people knew and thought, what got into local newspapers, what made it to the LA Times and what made it to the NY Times was sufficient to show me clearly that half the story is never told. Part of that is because most people are not subjected to any editorial criticism or review of their opinions outside of the barbershop, and secondly because journalists and academics think that they are the only ones who are. In fact, anybody with an opinion on a sports team could conceivably apply that same critical intelligence to other parts of their life. They could..
Some folks have obviously taken advantage of the various conundrums of information theory and moved to exploit French intellectual theories about 'regimes of truth'. And the internet has accelerated the phenomenon. What is fascinating is how it is taking so long for somebody of the stature of say Bloomberg (of Murdoch for that matter) to step in and go highbrow. Into that gap, opportunists of all capabilities and motivations are offering their 'expert' opinion and insight. We are all somewhat on our own to get what facts and analysis we can handle. I happen to both like and distrust the ensuing chaos.
From my perspective, I have always rather expected what's going on. After all, I grew up in Los Angeles, the most non-hierarchical city in Western Civilization. Everyone here is expected to have their own mythologized personality - their own take on reality and their own neighborhood of that flavor. As you drive from one end to the other, you are expected to deal with people with different cultures, different languages, different means. This is a town of earthquakes, it simply doesn't support large hierarchical structures. You have to navigate the flatlands. I've fallen out of several hierarchical trees, and I trust my legs from running between them with some pity for those in the higher branches who have atrophied theirs. But I don't have the patience to run from pillar to pole just to hear it's all relative. Instead, I'm climbing big old traditional trees.
Information fights. Knowledge is pain.
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