TMPress Special INFObase Reports: Who Is Samantha Power (A MUST READ), the Radical US Ambassador to the UN (Part 2) ... (New York) ... Samantha Power is married to a Cass R. Sunstein ... Cass Sunstein en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Sunstein was the Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Obama administration ... and he is a book unto himself ... here is his views from 2008 on Social Networks, etc. ... `Conspiracy Theories and government infiltration ... Sunstein co-authored a 2008 paper with Adrian Vermeule, titled `Conspiracy Theories, dealing with the risks and possible government responses to false conspiracy theories resulting from `cascades of faulty information within groups that may ultimately lead to violence. In this article they wrote, `The existence of both domestic and foreign conspiracy theories, we suggest, is no trivial matter, posing real risks to the government’s antiterrorism policies, whatever the latter may be. They go on to propose that, `the best response consists in cognitive infiltration of extremist groups, where they suggest, among other tactics, `Government agents (and their allies) might enter chat rooms, online social networks, or even real-space groups and attempt to undermine percolating conspiracy theories by raising doubts about their factual premises, causal logic or implications for political action. They refer, several times, to groups that promote the view that the US Government was responsible or complicit in the September 11 attacks as `extremist groups. ... Sounds Nixonian does it not and explains a lot of Mr. Obama ... in his first and even second term ... the authors declare that there are five responses a government can take toward conspiracy theories: `We can readily imagine a series of possible responses. (1) Government might ban conspiracy theorizing. (2) Government might impose some kind of tax, financial or otherwise, on those who disseminate such theories. (3) Government might itself engage in counterspeech, marshaling arguments to discredit conspiracy theories. (4) Government might formally hire credible private parties to engage in counterspeech. (5) Government might engage in informal communication with such parties, encouraging them to help. However, the authors advocate that each instrument has a distinctive set of potential effects, or costs and benefits, and each will have a place under imaginable conditions. However, our main policy idea is that government should engage in cognitive infiltration of the groups that produce conspiracy theories, which involves a mix of (3), (4) and (5). Sunstein and Vermeule also analyze the practice of recruiting `nongovernmental officials ... they suggest that government can supply these independent experts with information and perhaps prod them into action from behind the scenes, further warning that `too close a connection will be self-defeating if it is exposed. Sunstein and Vermeule argue that the practice of enlisting non-government officials, `might ensure that credible independent experts offer the rebuttal, rather than government officials themselves. There is a tradeoff between credibility and control, however. The price of credibility is that government cannot be seen to control the independent experts. This position has been criticized by some commentators, who argue that it would violate prohibitions on government propaganda aimed at domestic citizens. Sunstein and Vermeules proposed infiltrations have also been met by sharply critical scholarly critiques. Back to Ms. Powers ... some conservatives say Ms. Powers is hostile towards state of Israel. She worked the Obama campaign and resigned after calling Hillary Clinton a monster. `Ms. Power sidestepped questions about reports she was among three female Obama administration aides who pressed the president to go to war in Libya. On the military operation to impose a no-fly zone, however, Ms. Power, said that `force can be justified on humanitarian grounds. `News reports first disclosed in the New York Times said that Ms. Power, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton helped overrule reluctant defense and military leaders in persuading Mr. Obama to launch military operations against Col. Gadhafi’s forces under the guise of protecting civilians from those forces. Our President used the military not because Libya was a threat or because we were in danger but because `force can be justified on humanitarian grounds. `PER QUOTE FROM POWERS ... `These people are defining our foreign policy and this should scare the hell out of Americans! ... EXACTLY the argument of a prodigious R2P Queen ... Update: the above quotes were from a Washington Times story which has been pulled from its site. So the searching editor went to Josh Rogin’s highly respected ... the Cable Blog and to find a recent post about Ms. Powers which had also been removed also. One can only surmise the Obama White House has been busy over Ms. Power - so the question is `why does the administration want information about Samantha Powers and her influence on President Obama removed? This was evident during the campaign and during the early stages of the Obama presidency where any misspoken or flubbed word was immediately removed from YouTube etc. ... is this the transparency President Obama promised? Update: It’s being speculated that Ms. Powers may be the next Secretary of State, after Secretary of State Clinton resigns ... of course now we know that did not happen but she will be eased into a new role if Kerry gets too uncomfortable for Mr. Obama ... just like Susan Rice ... except his reward will be out to pasture or as Joe Bidens VP running mate perhaps or Hillarys VP? Ever the case - a scary bunch of folks ...
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 11:16:32 +0000
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