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December 14, 2016

Should the U.S. Government employ journalists to propagandize you?

Did Obama & Congress just create a Ministry of Truth to generate fake news? Retweet

What if politicians could deem your favorite website “propaganda” and shut it down? What if politicians could “create truth” by using your taxes to buy journalists, non-profit groups, and public figures? Well…

  • Obama used an executive order to create a Ministry of Truth to fight ISIS.
  • Congress has just passed legislation to validate Obama’s action and expand the concept to target the Russian Federation

Congress took this action by cramming the authorizing legislation into a completely unrelated bill, the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The NDAA could be the posterchild for why we need the One Subject at a Time Act.

The NDAA always get stuffed with bad things. It’s easy to see why. The NDAA is sure to pass because few politicians want to be seen as voting against national defense or the troops. So when Congressional leaders have a bad idea that can’t pass on its own merits, they cluster it in the NDAA. For example…

The 2012 NDAA is where Congressional leaders hid a provision that permits the Feds to kidnap people and hold them indefinitely without due process. We were among the first and the few to sound that alarm. Now we have to sound an alarm again!

America does not need a Ministry of Truth

They call this new, $60 million agency the “Global Engagement Center (GEC).” It will develop and synchronize the official U.S. propaganda line, label it truth, and thereby counter foreign propaganda lines. But it won’t stop there.

The GEC will also create a cadre of journalists and work with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), including think tanks, media organizations, civil society groups, and experts. It will put hundreds of these actors “on the payroll” to help spread the official U.S. federal government line — you know, because the Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, and so forth don’t already do that for them!

Which brings me back to the indefinite detention/kidnapping provisions from the 2012 NDAA. Congressional leaders were outspoken in their repeated denials of our claim that they had legalized kidnapping by The State. It wasn’t until THIS YEAR (2016) that one of those loud-mouths who called us liars (Sen. Dianne Feinstein) FINALLY admitted we were right! Well…

We’re right about this too. The proposed Global Engagement Center really is a Ministry of Truth The political class will use to promote its own brand of “fake news” using your tax dollars.

We want to oppose this using our campaign to promote the One Subject at a Time Act.

The hardwired message to Congress for that campaign reads…

I want my representatives to co-sponsor Downsize DC’s “One Subject at a Time Act” in the House (HR 4335) and the Senate (S. 1572).

Copy or edit the following sample letter for your personal comments to your reps…

The recently passed NDAA is a perfect example of why we need OSTA. It included text to create a $60 million Global Engagement Center (GEC). I believe three things about this…

ONE: I think the GEC is really a Ministry of Truth that will create disinformation to foster trouble abroad and ignorance at home.

TWO: We already have millions of private sector entities promoting American values. We don’t need an official “government” agency for this.

THREE: I don’t believe this proposal was adequately debated on its own merits. It’s been imposed on me by clustering it with the sure-to-pass NDAA. Therefore, I don’t believe I was truly represented.

ENOUGH. I want you to introduce legislation to close the GEC. I also want you to co-sponsor the One Subject at a Time Act. I look forward to hearing that you have done both things.

–END OF SAMPLE LETTER–

Thanks for being an ACTIVE DC Downsizer,

Jim Babka & Perry Willis

Downsize DC

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