this post was submitted on 22 May 2024
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“We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.”
William Casey, former director of the CIA, upon being asked what the goal of the agency was (in 1981).
But they do it for a reason. For a purpose. Not just for funsies. I don't see how them spreading misinformation weakening themselves is a logical goal. This is what you are arguing for. You need to support this. And the quote you just quoted does not
Sure. Sometimes that purpose is merely to cast aspersions or muddy the water. Look at the flat earther community, or Jackson Pollocks career.
Without context these just seem like the government having a laugh, but if you understand the metrics they are trying to shift, their actions take on a different meaning.
The idea isn't to make the voting population unified behind the president, it's to divide them against each other.
I'm not denying that all countries do it including the United states. What I'm simply pointing out is the absurdity of the claim that the United States and their military are even very prevalent let alone effective at it these days on line.
There are much better/ safer ways of keeping the population divided without turning them into acolytes of a foreign adversary.
Combine that with the fact that China and Russia are even bigger Echo Chambers than the United Statesever was. The fact there was even debate about Banning Tick Tock no matter how stupid the decision in the end was. Just proves it.
Whatever influence operation they're pushing domestically will largely be through TV and radio. Anything they do over the internet is going to meet far higher diminishing returns and require far more effort. They are absolutely still doing it. But they're spending much more time defending against it than employing it themselves.