The Jason Robo affair and the comment by orAntilogic (who suddenly popped up after 7 weeks to leave his comment about why he's an EX-Truther- quote and link below) has been bugging me since I read it, so I've pulled it and some other quotes and links into an article w/ some commentary as orAntilogic never answered my questions posed to him.

Military's Social Science Grants Raise Alarm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/02/AR2008080201544.html

“David Price, an anthropologist at St. Martin's University in Lacey, Wash., and the author of a book on anthropological intelligence in World War II, agreed that the military and policymakers should know more about world cultures. But, he said, the Pentagon effort is flawed.
"It sets up sort of a Soviet system, or top-down system," Price said. "If you look at the big picture, this will not make us smarter -- this will make us much more narrow. It will only look at problems Defense wants us to in a narrow way."

Every year, the Defense Department spends billions of dollars on research to improve technology, weapons and medicine, including nearly $13 billion this fiscal year. But its relationship with social science has sometimes been tumultuous. Anthropologists were active during World War II, even designing propaganda to encourage Japanese soldiers to surrender.
In the 1960s, Project Camelot, an Army-sponsored effort to study political change and unrest in Latin America, was canceled abruptly after the program was revealed in the Chilean press.
Recently, the Army's Human Terrain System has embedded social scientists in military units in Iraq and Afghanistan with the aim of helping commanders understand local culture and customs. The project has drawn criticism from many academics. Two scholars have been killed.”

Every year, the Defense Department spends billions of dollars on research to improve technology, weapons and medicine, including nearly $13 billion this fiscal year. But its relationship with social science has sometimes been tumultuous. Anthropologists were active during World War II, even designing propaganda to encourage Japanese soldiers to surrender.

In the 1960s, Project Camelot, an Army-sponsored effort to study political change and unrest in Latin America, was canceled abruptly after the program was revealed in the Chilean press.
Recently, the Army's Human Terrain System has embedded social scientists in military units in Iraq and Afghanistan with the aim of helping commanders understand local culture and customs. The project has drawn criticism from many academics. Two scholars have been killed.”

This article says the Pentagon hasn’t been able to establish programs with anthropologists at Universities due to a lack of trust. However, they apparently have their own in house programs; according to the paragraph right above this, they're sending social scientists into war zones, “with the aim of helping commanders understand local culture and customs”.

And, it appears at least UMD is cooperating with DHS in the war on "thought crime", even though the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 is currently stalled in the Senate since last year, without ever getting scheduled for debate, even though it passed in the House with a 404-6 vote- thanks to exposure and massive opposition by the public and civil liberties orgs:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1959

National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism
http://www.start.umd.edu/

DHS-Funded Research Center To Study Homegrown Radicalization
http://www.secprodonline.com/articles/66024/

Special note on this quote from the Social Science article:

“Anthropologists were active during World War II, even designing propaganda to encourage Japanese soldiers to surrender.”

In light of “EX-Truther” orAntilogic’s recent comment about Jason Robo on this thread at the bottom of the page:

‘Alex Jones Fan’ Charged for Placing 9/11 Stickers on Plane
http://www.911blogger.com/node/16888

“This sort of thing...
Is why I'm an EX-Truther. One of the most effective tactics we've found against various ideologically motivated groups around the world is to convince them they're associated with hair-brained nut-jobs. Convince people that their movement lacks credibility and they'll find better things to do (if they can). I joined this movement because I was so impressed with the works of Dr. Jones and DRG, only to find myself associated with ... lesser minds. Good luck with everything, but unless you can keep this sort of thing from happening, don't hold your breath for any serious credibility. I'd like to think this is constructive criticism, but let the vote-downs begin!”

Regardless of whether or not orAntilogic is actually a paid provocateur who unintentionally gave us a full hangout instead of a limited one, i.e. “one of the most effective tactics WE’VE found”, this “inside” info on how cointelpro-type operations work, and appear to be at work in the 9/11 truth movement, is accurate; per WikipedCIA (for reference only) “COINTELPRO began in 1956 and was designed to "increase factionalism, cause disruption and win defections"” Targets were the Communist Party USA, Socialist Workers Party, the KKK (surprising), Nation of Islam, Black Panthers, and “the entire New Left socio-political movement, which included antiwar, community, and religious groups”.

Cointelpro
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cointelpro

Is it working? Or is it educating the People about what they’re up to, and working against them?

This article by George Washington is very relevant to the topic:

“Hey, Hot Shot" by George Washington

http://911blogger.com/node/5743

As is the below comment by John Albanese on that thread. Albanese is engaging Jim Fetzer, as a way of conducting research for his hopefully soon to be released film “Disinformation in the Information Age”

“evidence?
some things are self evident.

look - we are all just doing our jobs here. you had to expect this was coming. we are all in unchartered territory here.

have you ever read "the Guns of August?" it is about the generals in World War 1 who miscalculated how to fight that war - because all their theories were based on the LAST war - and they failed to take into consideration the march of technology and mechanized warfare. the war therefore dragged on for years. ah.... the best laid plans of mice and men......

it remains to be seen if your work (and i do not mean your research) will WORK in the 21st century. it may just be that disinformation becomes counter-productive to your cause as a result of the information superhighway. you've taught classes on this - so surely you are interested in how all this plays out.

i guess we'll see - huh? who knows - perhaps the war with Iran will make both of our jobs unnecessary soon - and you will be reassigned to the antiwar movement - and embarassing antiwar activists.

but - in my humble opinion - your efforts are counter productive. instead of discrediting this movement - you are empowering it. you are becoming a poster child for truth - be demonstrating vividly the inherent dishonesty and transparency of your own motives. people may not be as easily manipulated as you think.

frankly - i do not think shadow boxing with the 911 truth community will keep the real truth from emerging any more than you can ever hope to hold back the ocean with a broom.

so - what do you accomplish? buying time? i suppose. distracting people. certainly.

but - i suggest to you that there is a real danger that all of this could FLIP on you in unexpected way. There is ALSO the very real possibility that your efforts could result in PROPELLING 911 TRuth forward by creating a contrast for people that is very easily understood - and self evident. if YOU are selling lies - then what exactly IS the truth?

i suggest too you that space beams may in fact be the best thing that every happened to the 911 truth movement. it may just get people angry enough to rise up and demand REAL answers.

best of luck.”

Is the Pentagon Spying on Americans? Secret Database Obtained by NBC News Tracks ‘Suspicious’ Domestic Groups
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1213-10.htm

Terrorist Watch List Hits One Million Names (7/14/2008)
http://www.aclu.org/privacy/35968prs20080714.html

Refusing to be silenced August 1, 2008 (links to 2 articles about the MD State police spying on anti-death penalty and anti-war protestors
http://www.911blogger.com/node/16977

Operation Mockingbird
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mockingbird

Church Committee Hearings on illegal CIA domestic activities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_committee

Disinformation Distracts and Discredits: a field guide to how disinformation is used by the government
http://www.oilempire.us/disinfo.html

Arabesque: 9/11 Truth: A Blog Devoted to Discussing 9/11 News, Research, and Disinformation
"WE'RE AN EMPIRE NOW, AND WHEN WE ACT WE CREATE OUR OWN REALITY."
http://arabesque911.blogspot.com/

Black PR and proof of Paid Internet Shills
http://coljennysparks.blogspot.com/2007/12/black-pr-and-proof-of-paid-internet.html

Given all these things, Truth and Justice Activists would do well to keep these things in mind:

Truthaction Mission Statement
http://coljennysparks.blogspot.com/2008/03/truthaction-mission-statement.html

“But aren't governments able to crush militarily any nonviolent movement they want to?”
http://trainingforchange.org/content/view/131/53/1/6/index.html

The False Logic of Hopelessness (Why the Elephant Should Stand Up to the Mouse)
http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/2008/05/false-logic-of-hopelessness.html

Each of our Individual Voices Is More Important Than We've Realized
http://georgewashington.blogspot.com/2007/12/each-of-our-individual-voices-is-more.html

Why We’ll Win
http://georgewashington.blogspot.com/2008/01/why-well-win.html