We Interrupt Your Football Sunday To Bring You These Messages

General Patreaus wrote the book on counterinsurgiancies. Literally.

In the section dedicated to military activities, "that do not involve killing insurgants", Patreaus called "information operations" "critical".

The Washington Post ran an article Friday titled, "U.S. to Fund Pro-American Publicity in Iraq" that outlines a $300 Million Defense Department initiative to expand and consolidate "information/ psychological operations".

Regardless of where we argue you can find the frontline of the War on Terror, in all likelyhood, the real frontline is the Middle Eastern Propaganda War.

The Four Companies awarded with contracts are; SOS International, Washington-based Lincoln Group, Alexandria-based MPRI, and Los Angeles-based Leonie Industries. I encourage you to tour their websites.

Very disturbing stuff.

I was worried when I saw "Los Angeles-based" that Leonie Industries might be a "Wag the Dog" type film company and decided to focus my research there.

The trick with all propaganda is that the audience can't know it is listening to a sales pitch. How does Leonie Industries tackle that objective?

"Our communications products are designed to appeal to local audiences. By leveraging existing relationships with sports and entertainment celebrities, prominent regional companies, and business and political leaders, Leonie Industries delivers messages through credible voices with a local feel."

Sports. Entertainment. Celebrities. Prominent companies. Business leaders. Politicians. (Christ, you left out Religion!)

To steal from Chuck Pahlaniuk, "I am the dull sinking feeling in Sue's stomach."

Each of these entities leverage our lives in their own unique way (Don't ask me about fantasy baseball).

But to hear them mentioned in the same sentance is totally... undignified.

Especially when you consider how a marketing company like Leonie gets so good at what it does.

(By practicing on us.)

The article further points out, "While U.S. law prohibits the use of government money to direct propaganda at U.S. audiences, the "statement of work" included in the proposal, written by the U.S. Joint Contracting Command in Iraq, notes the need to "communicate effectively with our strategic audiences (i.e. Iraqi, pan-Arabic, International, and U.S. audiences) to gain widespread acceptance of [U.S. and Iraqi government] core themes and messages."

Widespread acceptance.

Has Western Culture ever looked so good?

What a bunch of horseshit.

Enjoy your game.