The Power of False Narrative
Exclusive: “Strategic communications” or Stratcom, a
propaganda/psy-op technique that treats information as a “soft power”
weapon to wield against adversaries, is a new catch phrase in an
Official Washington obsessed with the clout that comes from spinning
false narratives, reports Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
In
this age of pervasive media, the primary method of social control is
through the creation of narratives delivered to the public through
newspapers, TV, radio, computers, cell phones and any other gadget that
can convey information. This reality has given rise to an obsession
among the power elite to control as much of this messaging as possible.
So,
regarding U.S. relations toward the world, we see the State Department,
the White House, Pentagon, NATO and other agencies pushing various
narratives to sell the American people and other populations on how they
should view U.S. policies, rivals and allies. The current hot phrase
for this practice is “strategic communications” or Stratcom, which blends psychological operations, propaganda and P.R. into one mind-bending smoothie.
