Posted by Dan Ewert : 4/16/2002 12:50:00 AM (Archive Link)
As you may be aware, the military recently opened and closed what was derisively called the “office of disinformation,” technically known as the Office of Strategic Influence. The purpose of this new agency was to let America’s side be known to the world media in a centralized fashion. However, wild speculation started that the office also had the more sinister responsibility of creating purposely misleading information to plant in foreign newspapers or to inculcate rumors in other countries. I find such accusations typically mean-spirited, but let us assume for a moment that they’re right. Let’s say the OSI was going to be up to no-good and no-good was its main purpose. Does the left really think that the Pentagon would not continue the activities the OSI was purported to be doing? If the military thought disinformation would be such a good idea that they created a whole new agency to handle it, they wouldn’t cease such idea planting just because the office disappeared. Rather, the responsibilities would shift to other entities that are buried in the hierarchical and budget bureaucracies somewhere. Only now, it’s more difficult to figure out from where the disinformation is coming. Before, if information came from the OSI or could be traced to it, you would know it’s suspect. But now, it’s harder to figure out. Now I’m not advocating the opinion that the OSI was created with nefarious intentions in mind. I’m only pointing out that if we put ourselves in that conspiracy theory mode, the people who killed the office only made things more difficult for themselves. And I find that amusing.