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February 28, 2005

Behind the Information Curve

Drudge links to a Time Magazine story that is revealing of how much the world has to learn of democracy, freedom of speech, and, just how far behind the curve we are regarding global information dissemination.

Vladmir Putin of Russia truly thinks that the US Government was responsible for the firings at CBS over Rathergate.

According to an MSNBC report of the episode:

It's not clear how well Putin understands the controversy that led to the dismissal of four CBS journalists over the discredited report on Bush's National Guard service. Yet it's all too clear how Putin sees the relationship between Bush and the American media—just like his own. Bush's aides have long feared that former KGB officers in Putin's inner circle are painting a twisted picture of U.S. policy. So Bush explained how he had no power to fire American journalists.
Last week was not the first time Bush had to answer a question out of left-field from the Russian President. Once, while at Crawford TX, Putin reportedly asked Bush if the US had two different chicken plants; one superior for Americans and another inferior for Russian consumers. The Rathergate question "reinforced the Administration's view that Putin's impressions of America are often based on urban myths fed to him by ill-informed aides."

I don't think that Putin is a fever swamp moonbat like Democrat Congressman Maurice Hinchey; he's just grossly misinformed - and that is OUR fault.

U.S. aides say that to help fight against this kind of misinformation, they are struggling to build relationships that go beyond Putin. "We need to go deeper into the well into other levels of government," explains an aide.
That would be a start; but, I sure hope our government is exploring ways in which the blogosphere can be used to influence public opinion and convey information globally. Russia is only one front of the information war. Iran is another. Europe and China are others that are ripe for information priming.

Posted by Rick at February 28, 2005 09:20 AM

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Comments

Remember this is the guy that ran the KGB before Ronnie and SDI crushed Communism in Russia. Missinformed? I doubt it. Puting out disinformation, likely and intentional.

Posted by: Rod Stanton at March 1, 2005 07:02 AM

i agree with Mr. Stanton.
I was a researcher for Col. Patrick Mercer MP OBE, Shadow Minister for Homeland Security (UK).

Putin visited Blair while I was working in Parliament...we had a discussion about him. What I will say is that we agreed he's one sippery sucker...shadowy. World beware...I believe that while he's in power, the Russian bear will rise. We are seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Posted by: skibrian at March 1, 2005 01:10 PM

Clarifying my last post, want to stress:

What we (Patrick and I) discussed was [paraphrased, not quoting conversation]: "...we agreed he's one slippery sucker...shadowy".

My personal opinion based on observed facts in the last 2 years followed:

"World beware...I believe that while he's in power, the Russian bear will rise. We are seeing the tip of the iceberg."

I'm not to be construed as speaking for any public official.

Posted by: skibrian at March 1, 2005 01:22 PM