5 ms·

PsyOps main job is convincing occupied peoples that the occupier is their friend. One of the ways they do that is by taking photos of bags of rice being handed

PsyOps main job is convincing occupied peoples that the occupier is their friend. One of the ways they do that is by taking photos of bags of rice being handed out. They also actively work to spread (dis)information.

doktrin 7y ago
So, like a PR rep?
- umeshunni 7y ago
  Which also happens to be his role at Twitter, never mind the clickbait "Executive" in the headline.
- ratacat 7y ago
  The term public relations was actually an explicit rebranding of the term Propaganda after it started to develop a negative association in the public eye. Look up Edward Bernays, it's a fascinating bit of history that's not really talked about much. http://theconversation.com/the-manipulation-of-the-american-mind-edward-bernays-and-the-birth-of-public-relations-44393 http://theconversation.com/the-manipulation-of-the-american-...
  - throwaway829 7y ago
    If you're into documentaries, "The Century of the Self" covers this subject excellently: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=century+of+self https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=century+of+self
    - news_hacker 7y ago
      One of my favorite documentaries! It didn't just give me new knowledge, but re-framed the way I view & process future knowledge.
- markdown 7y ago
  If they're on "our" side, we call them PR reps, yes.
a012 7y ago
In the other word: propaganda machine.
dogma1138 7y ago
You’ve seen one too many movies, mostly they are doing about the same job as brand influencers just their brand is HMAF in this case.
- Cpoll 7y ago
  What part of the parent post is movie-like? I may be too cynical, but I don't see a difference between "the same job as brand influencers" and "spread (dis)information"
  - dogma1138 7y ago
    Because most of their job isn’t spreading disinformation but rather providing good PR for recruitment at home or in the Middle East countering the disinformation campaigns that the likes of ISIS run unless you think that their recruitment operations are not disinformation. The British army information warfare unit also famously runs the BBC radio relay station in Cyprus providing access to the Middle East and parts of Asia.
    - vkou 7y ago
      What makes you think the good PR is not disinformation?
    - 5trokerac3 7y ago
      "Good PR" is also seen as the lack of bad PR. Like when we drop a bomb on a school and kill a bunch of kids. PsyOps are the ones who pay off the village.
- 5trokerac3 7y ago
  No, I was stationed as security for a PsyOps team in Gardez, Afghanistan for four months in 2003.
  - diminoten 7y ago
    Sounds like one particular viewpoint that, while somewhat relevant, doesn't actually shed much light into this vastly different (both geographically and temporally) situation. Don't close your mind just because you know of one instance of the thing being discussed; you anchor yourself to a specific point in time.

doktrin 7y ago

So, like a PR rep?

umeshunni 7y ago
Which also happens to be his role at Twitter, never mind the clickbait "Executive" in the headline.
ratacat 7y ago
The term public relations was actually an explicit rebranding of the term Propaganda after it started to develop a negative association in the public eye. Look up Edward Bernays, it's a fascinating bit of history that's not really talked about much. http://theconversation.com/the-manipulation-of-the-american-mind-edward-bernays-and-the-birth-of-public-relations-44393 http://theconversation.com/the-manipulation-of-the-american-...
- throwaway829 7y ago
  If you're into documentaries, "The Century of the Self" covers this subject excellently: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=century+of+self https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=century+of+self
  - news_hacker 7y ago
    One of my favorite documentaries! It didn't just give me new knowledge, but re-framed the way I view & process future knowledge.
markdown 7y ago
If they're on "our" side, we call them PR reps, yes.

a012 7y ago

In the other word: propaganda machine.

dogma1138 7y ago

You’ve seen one too many movies, mostly they are doing about the same job as brand influencers just their brand is HMAF in this case.

Cpoll 7y ago
What part of the parent post is movie-like? I may be too cynical, but I don't see a difference between "the same job as brand influencers" and "spread (dis)information"
- dogma1138 7y ago
  Because most of their job isn’t spreading disinformation but rather providing good PR for recruitment at home or in the Middle East countering the disinformation campaigns that the likes of ISIS run unless you think that their recruitment operations are not disinformation. The British army information warfare unit also famously runs the BBC radio relay station in Cyprus providing access to the Middle East and parts of Asia.
  - vkou 7y ago
    What makes you think the good PR is not disinformation?
  - 5trokerac3 7y ago
    "Good PR" is also seen as the lack of bad PR. Like when we drop a bomb on a school and kill a bunch of kids. PsyOps are the ones who pay off the village.
5trokerac3 7y ago
No, I was stationed as security for a PsyOps team in Gardez, Afghanistan for four months in 2003.
- diminoten 7y ago
  Sounds like one particular viewpoint that, while somewhat relevant, doesn't actually shed much light into this vastly different (both geographically and temporally) situation. Don't close your mind just because you know of one instance of the thing being discussed; you anchor yourself to a specific point in time.