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View Full Version : The Pentagon’s War on the Internet (shills, trolls, etc)



PatColo
26th April 2010, 05:59 PM
Edit 1/6/12: this thread was posted when the old GSUS board was turning quotations marks, apostrophes and other stuff into garbage characters. I fixed the title but recommend following the links to read other articles posted at their source. -PC

This thread shall be a continuation of my infamous (if you asked Shill-A-Thon! ;D) thread at GIM1: The Pentagon’s War on the Internet (shills, trolls, etc). It's a relevant and timely thread, I believe cutting right to the chase regarding the truth behind the "abrupt changes" which caused GIM1's amazing 7+ year body of knowledge to be flushed down the memory hole, leading to the current GIM2.gov shill-fest.

Firstly, I've saved an offline copy of the entire GIM1 thread for y'all, 11 pages, to a 3.2 MB zip file called The Pentagon’s War on the Internet.zip which you can download anonymous/free here:

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?omymkclzxdj
or here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/380539658/Pentagon___s_War_on_the_Internet.zip.html

When you open the .zip you'll find there's an .htm file for each of the 11 pages, and you'll also see a corresponding file folder for each page. I gather this file folder keeps a copy of all the icons, avatars, images etc on the page. You should be able to launch any of the .htm files (IE: Pentagon’s War on the Internet P1.htm, ...P2.htm, etc) and it will launch in your default browser. But notice the address, it points to your hard drive.

There's a wealth of informative articles within that thread, as well as some revealing behaviors from the old Shill-A-Thon_v1 as they labored fruitlessly to discredit & derail the very thread which was exposing their whole game. The thread was not only a collection of "textbook style" articles deconstructing the .gov internet disinfo game; it was also a "live lab session" where we had real live shill specimens actually demonstrating the disinfo techniques you were simultaneously studying in the articles! ;D

In Page 1, post #30, former GIM1 mod "gpond" wrote:


This thread is absolutely beautiful.

You can see the desperate ones kicking (in desperation?) as if hung from the gallows.

The stridency is elevated. The shills or sockpuppets or agents or whatever you want to call them are multiplied like I've never seen before. Desperation hangs in the air. The truth must not be allowed. Or Troof, or whatever.

How many folks on this thread (be honest) are really the same guy hoping to get a government pension by sitting at home and posting this tripe?

It can't get more obvious than this beautiful thread, which says it all. It is right here for everyone to see. Perhaps there are only 3 people total posting on this thread? Funny. Sad. And boring. I didn't really believe it until now.

This thread means a lot to me, so keep it up. Can't get any more obvious than this, I think. But surprise me.So to get started with this crude reproduction/continuation of that oh-so-relevant thread, here was my OP preamble, followed by the featured article:


***


This Mike Whitney article is nearly 2 years old but as timely as ever. Particularly in the GIM 9/11 Truth threads, it seems we've recently seen increased activity by a small cabal of shills, whose posturing as "truth seekers" is plainly disingenuous, and whose intent is plainly to disrupt, disinform, waste the time of the sincere, obfuscate reality for the naive, and derail productive dialog. The following articles document that the presence of paid shills at messageboards is not a baseless, paranoid CT; but rather documented reality-- as though that fact weren't already self evident around here lately, to those paying attention.

***

[SIZE=3]The Pentagon’s War on the Internet (http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11901.htm)

By Mike Whitney

02/13/06 "ICH' -- -- The Pentagon has developed a comprehensive strategy for taking over the internet and controlling the free flow of information. The plan appears in a recently declassified document, “The Information Operations Roadmap”, which was provided under the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) and revealed in an article by the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4655196.stm).

The Pentagon sees the internet in terms of a military adversary that poses a vital threat to its stated mission of global domination. This explains the confrontational language in the document which speaks of “fighting the net”; implying that the internet is the equivalent of “an enemy weapons system."

The Defense Dept. places a high-value on controlling information. The new program illustrates their determination to establish the parameters of free speech.

The Pentagon sees information as essential in manipulating public perceptions and, thus, a crucial tool in eliciting support for unpopular policies. The recent revelations of the military placing propaganda in the foreign press demonstrate the importance that is given to co-opting public opinion.

Information-warfare is used to create an impenetrable cloud around the activities of government so that decisions can be made without dissent. The smokescreen of deception that encompasses the Bush administration has less to do with prevaricating politicians than it does with a clearly articulated policy of obfuscation. “The Information Operations Roadmap” is solely intended to undermine the principle of an informed citizenry.

The Pentagon’s focus on the internet tells us a great deal about the mainstream media and its connection to the political establishment.

Why, for example, would the Pentagon see the internet as a greater threat than the mainstream media, where an estimated 75% of Americans get their news?

The reason is clear; because the MSM is already a fully-integrated part of the corporate-system providing a 24 hour per day streaming of business-friendly news. Today’s MSM operates as a de-facto franchise of the Pentagon, a reliable and sophisticated propagandist for Washington’s wars of aggression and political subterfuge.

The internet, on the other hand, is the last bastion of American democracy; a virtual world where reliable information moves instantly from person to person without passing through the corporate filter. Online visitors can get a clear picture of their governments’ depredations with a click of the mouse. This is the liberalization of the news, an open source of mind-expanding information that elevates citizen awareness of complex issues and threatens the status quo.

The Pentagon program is just one facet of a broader culture of deception; a pervasive ethos of dishonesty that envelopes all aspects of the Bush White House. The “Strategic Intelligence” Dept is a division of the Defense establishment that is entirely devoted to concealing, distorting, omitting and manipulating the truth.

In what way is “strategic intelligence” different from plain intelligence?

It is information that is shaped in a way that meets the needs of a particular group. In other words, it is not the truth at all, but a fabrication, a fiction, a lie.

Strategic intelligence is an oxymoron; a tidy bit of Orwellian doublespeak that reflects the deeply rooted cynicism of its authors.

The internet is a logical target for the Pentagon’s electronic warfare. Already the Downing Street memos, Bush’s bombing-threats against Al Jazeera, the fraudulent 2004 elections, and the leveling of Falluja, have disrupted the smooth execution of Bush’s wars. It is understandable that Rumsfeld and Co. would seek to transform this potential enemy into an ally, much as it has done with the MSM.

The Pentagon’s plans for engaging in “virtual warfare” are impressive. As BBC notes: “The operations described in the document include a surprising range of military activities: public affairs officers who brief journalists, psychological operations troops who try to manipulate the thoughts and beliefs of an enemy, computer network attack specialists who seek to destroy enemy networks.” (BBC)

The enemy, of course, is you, dear reader, or anyone who refuses to accept their role as a witless-cog in new world order. Seizing the internet is a prudent way of controlling every piece of information that one experiences from cradle to grave; all necessary for an orderly police-state.

The Information Operations Roadmap (IOR) recommends that psychological operations (Psyops) “should consider a range of technologies to disseminate propaganda in enemy territory: unmanned aerial vehicles, "miniaturized, scatterable public address systems", wireless devices, cellular phones and the internet.” No idea is too costly or too far-fetched that it escapes the serious consideration of the Pentagon chieftains.

The War Dept. is planning to insert itself into every area of the internet from blogs to chat rooms, from leftist web sites to editorial commentary. The objective is to challenge any tidbit of information that appears on the web that may counter the official narrative; the fairytale of benign American intervention to promote democracy and human rights across the planet.

The IOR aspires to "provide maximum control of the entire electromagnetic spectrum" and develop the capability to "disrupt or destroy the full spectrum of globally emerging communications systems, sensors, and weapons systems dependent on the electromagnetic spectrum". (BBC)

Full spectrum dominance.

The ultimate goal of the Pentagon is to create an internet-paradigm that corresponds to the corporate mainstream model, devoid of imagination or divergent points of view. They envision an internet that is increasingly restricted by the gluttonous influence of industry and its vast “tapestry of lies”.

The internet is the modern-day marketplace of ideas, an invaluable resource for human curiosity and organized resistance. It provides a direct link between the explosive power of ideas and engaged citizen involvement. (aka; participatory democracy)

The Pentagon is laying the groundwork for privatizing the internet so the information-revolution can be transformed into an information-tyranny, extending to all areas of communications and serving the exclusive interests of a few well-heeled American plutocrats.

PatColo
26th April 2010, 06:01 PM
Another good one,

July 28, 2006
Israel backed by army of cyber-soldiers (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article693911.ece)
From Yonit Farago in Jerusalem
WHILE Israel fights Hezbollah with tanks and aircraft, its supporters are campaigning on the internet.

Israel’s Government has thrown its weight behind efforts by supporters to counter what it believes to be negative bias and a tide of pro-Arab propaganda. The Foreign Ministry has ordered trainee diplomats to track websites and chatrooms so that networks of US and European groups with hundreds of thousands of Jewish activists can place supportive messages.

In the past week nearly 5,000 members of the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) have downloaded special “megaphone” software that alerts them to anti-Israeli chatrooms or internet polls to enable them to post contrary viewpoints. A student team in Jerusalem combs the web in a host of different languages to flag the sites so that those who have signed up can influence an opinion survey or the course of a debate.

Jonny Cline, of the international student group, said that Jewish students and youth groups with their understanding of the web environment were ideally placed to present another side to the debate.

“We’re saying to these people that if Israel is being bashed, don’t ignore it, change it,” Mr Cline said. “A poll like CNN’s takes just a few seconds to vote in, but if thousands take part the outcome will be changed. What’s vital is that the international face of the conflict is balanced.”

Doron Barkat, 29, in Jerusalem, spends long nights trawling the web to try to swing the debate Israel’s way. “When I see internet polls for or against Israel I send out a mailing list to vote for Israel,” he said. “It can be that after 15 minutes there will be 400 votes for Israel.

“It’s very satisfying. There are also forums where Lebanese and Israelis talk.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry must avoid direct involvement with the campaign but is in contact with international Jewish and evangelical Christian groups, distributing internet information packs.

Amir Gissin, the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s public relations director, said: “The internet’s become a leading tool for news, shaping the world view of millions. Our problem is the foreign media shows Lebanese suffering, but not Israeli. We’re bypassing that filter by distributing pictures showing how northern Israelis suffer from Katyusha rocket attacks.”

Book
26th April 2010, 06:59 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaphone_desktop_tool

Megaphone software

Cebu_4_2
26th April 2010, 08:05 PM
Israel sucks!

Wonder if someone wiill chime in with their megaphones ;D

PatColo
26th April 2010, 09:54 PM
starting at about 8 mins after 9PM PT/ 12AM ET (about 15 mins from now) on Rense radio:

Ted Pike (http://www.truthtellers.org/)
Zionist Cyber War
On US Patriots

listen:
http://rense.gsradio.net:8080/rense/livefeeds/16k.asx

edit: will replay 3 hours later, IE 12AM PT/ 3AM ET

Olmstein
27th April 2010, 02:55 AM
This thread won't be the same without shill-a-thon.

Still, one of my favorite threads.

woodman
27th April 2010, 06:42 AM
Great thread Pat. Interesting response by Gpond. What the hell happened to the old founders? They turned real weird on Gim2.gov.

PatColo
6th January 2012, 12:14 PM
Don't trust the web (http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/dont-trust-the-web/3725726)

Download audio (http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2011/12/bbg_20111225.mp3)
show transcript (http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/dont-trust-the-web/3725726#)

Broadcast:Sunday 25 December 2011 9:10AM
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/image/3725764-3x2-340x227.jpg
Photo: A new form of astroturfing explained.

The internet is awash with misinformation, manipulated identities, fake reviews, and dishonest comments. Politicians use astroturfing. So do businesses and marketing firms. Beware—it's infecting everyone. Reporter Hagar Cohen

(This program was originally broadcast on the 18th September 2011.)
Don't trust the web - Background Briefing - ABC Radio National (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/dont-trust-the-web/3725726)


Announcing the (Unofficial) Post Shill and Astroturf Watch (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/timothy-karr/announcing-the-unofficial_b_478036.html)


HBGary's high-volume astroturfing technology and the Feds who requested it (http://boingboing.net/2011/02/18/hbgarys-high-volume.html)


Military "Personas" Now On Social Media (http://911blogger.com/news/2011-10-23/military-personas-now-social-media)


Israel backed by army of cyber-soldiers (http://infowars.net/articles/july2006/300706cyber-soldiers.htm)


Wikipedia - Israel is paying internet workers to manipulate online content - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x2DFnGI9Ac)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x2DFnGI9Ac

keehah
4th April 2012, 10:53 AM
ATS post. Doesn't seem not legit.
Work environment is the same as a phone sex operation.

I Was a Paid Internet Shill (http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread826545/pg1)

I am writing here to come out of the closet as a paid shill. For a little over six months, I was paid to spread disinformation and argue political points on the
Internet. This site, ATS, was NOT one that I was assigned to post on, although other people in the same organization were paid to be here, and I assume they still walk among you. But more on this later.

I quit this job in the latter part of 2011, because I became disgusted with it, and with myself. I realized I couldn’t look myself in the mirror anymore. If this confession triggers some kind of retribution against me, so be it. Part of being a real man in this world is having real values that you stand up for, no matter what the consequences.

My story begins in early 2011. I had been out of work for almost a year after losing my last job in tech support. Increasingly desperate and despondent, I jumped at the chance when a former co-worker called me up and said she had a possible lead for me. “It is an unusual job, and one that requires secrecy. But the pay is good. And I know you are a good writer, so its something you are suited for.”...[cont'd]

Twisted Titan
4th April 2012, 11:28 AM
They don't stay in the same place long........


Just like.when they were moving like a roaming tribe of scurvy.....nothing has changed