Ministry of Truth?
Orwell warned us of a future Socialist government having things like "The Ministry of Truth" - with absolute power to propagandize inside a nation's borders. Up to now that has been prohibited by The Smith-Mundt Act of 1948. That act forbid the dissemination of propaganda produced for foreign audiences within The U.S. But now that's under assault in Congress. It's in H.R.5736, laughingly called The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012. It was created in May by Republican William Thornberry of Texas and Adam Smith of Washington (state). The original act was created expressly to prevent any sitting administration from using U.S. government media to influence the American pubilc and promote any specific political agenda.
Did you know that there's already a technical mechanism in place to allow government to seize ALL radio, TV and cable systems instantly? It was originally "intended" to allow communication with various regions for things like hurricane and tornado warnings. Then it was expanded to support "Amber Alerts" - concerned with locating missing children. In the latest iteration, for which every broadcaster was forced to buy expensive new equipment, it allows a sitting president to seize all channels of communication at his/her (yes, Hillary would love to have a button to do that) "discretion".
Next step? Legislation to require FM receiver chips to be built into every cell phone so they, too, could be seized using the existing system.
Doubt it?
http://www.radioworld.com/default.aspx? ... ntryid=869
also.....
http://www.radioworld.com/article/fm-ch ... ess/214795
Radio World is NOT a political publication; it's a trade paper circulated only to people in the broadcast industry. Curiously, though, the on-line article is much "softer" than originally appeared in print.
It's not hard to see a whole lot of 1984 in this concept. Outdated, though, are the fixed-tune radios and loudspeakers on poles with no way to turn them off. Don't need it when you can just seize every electronic device and dump your propaganda into it at will. Don't even have to buy any additional equipment; the network already exists. Only extra cost will be about 25-cents in the manufacture of every cell phone, iPod or similar device. That's right; the chips are that cheap now. The real cost to manufacturers is in the design of new units and, spread over the millions manufactured, the price of that unfunded mandate is miniscule.
Except, of course, the cost of lost freedom. But, taken away a little at a time you won't notice. Just as lobsters don't notice the rising water temperature. Until it's too late.
Orwell warned us of a future Socialist government having things like "The Ministry of Truth" - with absolute power to propagandize inside a nation's borders. Up to now that has been prohibited by The Smith-Mundt Act of 1948. That act forbid the dissemination of propaganda produced for foreign audiences within The U.S. But now that's under assault in Congress. It's in H.R.5736, laughingly called The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012. It was created in May by Republican William Thornberry of Texas and Adam Smith of Washington (state). The original act was created expressly to prevent any sitting administration from using U.S. government media to influence the American pubilc and promote any specific political agenda.
Did you know that there's already a technical mechanism in place to allow government to seize ALL radio, TV and cable systems instantly? It was originally "intended" to allow communication with various regions for things like hurricane and tornado warnings. Then it was expanded to support "Amber Alerts" - concerned with locating missing children. In the latest iteration, for which every broadcaster was forced to buy expensive new equipment, it allows a sitting president to seize all channels of communication at his/her (yes, Hillary would love to have a button to do that) "discretion".
Next step? Legislation to require FM receiver chips to be built into every cell phone so they, too, could be seized using the existing system.
Doubt it?
http://www.radioworld.com/default.aspx? ... ntryid=869
also.....
http://www.radioworld.com/article/fm-ch ... ess/214795
Radio World is NOT a political publication; it's a trade paper circulated only to people in the broadcast industry. Curiously, though, the on-line article is much "softer" than originally appeared in print.
It's not hard to see a whole lot of 1984 in this concept. Outdated, though, are the fixed-tune radios and loudspeakers on poles with no way to turn them off. Don't need it when you can just seize every electronic device and dump your propaganda into it at will. Don't even have to buy any additional equipment; the network already exists. Only extra cost will be about 25-cents in the manufacture of every cell phone, iPod or similar device. That's right; the chips are that cheap now. The real cost to manufacturers is in the design of new units and, spread over the millions manufactured, the price of that unfunded mandate is miniscule.
Except, of course, the cost of lost freedom. But, taken away a little at a time you won't notice. Just as lobsters don't notice the rising water temperature. Until it's too late.
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