I recently wrote about my experiences at TOS regarding what appeared to be organized groups of trolls. In the comments' thread, CTPatriot posted a Sourcewatch link to a profile of TOS owner with a reference to a June 6, 2006 speech he gave at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, wherein he said very nice things about the CIA.

Although I have long suspected that there is professional-level type of propaganda at the site, where text-book examples of "propaganda techniques" can be seen by the careful observer, I had to admit I hadn't known about this speech. Once I listened to it last night I was shocked!

I can't even being to express the type of cognitive dissonance a real progressive, a real, legitimate social justice activist would have to experience in order to be able to claim that the CIA is a liberal institution, and that their role is to help bring about world stability.

I encourage readers to check out the latest book by David Talbot, "The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government." Here's part of a review of the book:

Dulles’s decade as the director of the CIA—which he used to further his public and private agendas—were dark times in American politics. Calling himself “the secretary of state of unfriendly countries,” Dulles saw himself as above the elected law, manipulating and subverting American presidents in the pursuit of his personal interests and those of the wealthy elite he counted as his friends and clients—colluding with Nazi-controlled cartels, German war criminals, and Mafiosi in the process. Targeting foreign leaders for assassination and overthrowing nationalist governments not in line with his political aims, Dulles employed those same tactics to further his goals at home, Talbot charges, offering shocking new evidence in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Let that sink in for a second... As I mentioned in my previous post, TOS has been kind of out-of-mind-out-of-sight for the last two-plus years since I stopped posting there. Hopefully that would demonstrate to people that have had no personal vendetta against the site or the owner since my departure.

However, during the last couple of weeks, when I visited the site again (motivated by comments I saw here at Caucus99Percent), I was horrified to see that the trolling and again, what appears to be professional-level propaganda techniques have only gotten worse.

You (the reader) don't have to agree with me, but now more than ever I'm totally convinced that the site is heavily infiltrated by pro-establishment operatives (be it Democratic party establishment trolls, CIA or national security trolls, or corporate trolls).

What really bothers me about that (if true) is that we're talking about psychological warfare; a cognitive weapon. I think about good-hearted people, people of goodwill who are offended by what they are seeing in society regarding corruption, the capture of government institutions by corporate cartels, the massive evictions going on, homelessness, and all the social ills as a result of the country transitioning into an oligarchy. And I think about this person finding TOS and initially thinking she found a liberal or progressive oasis in the midst of all the madness. As as she engages and seeks the truth, and tries to find a path forward, connect with other progressives and social justice activists, her senses are then hit with the incongruity of the true nature of site: a pro-establishment propaganda tool.

When it comes to the progressive movement, there can't be a greater betrayal and failure of leadership than pretending to be one thing while working against that stated purpose in the background.
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UPDATE: Someone mentioned they found some of the imagery of the video offensive. I agree. I will try to find another video or audio file. In the meantime, please know that I also find some of the imagery the producers of the video used offensive. One option is to just listen to the audio without watching the video. Again, I'll try to find another asap.
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[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK6CinsGYC0 width:450]