31 Mar 2008

Yes, Virginia, Bloggers Do Get Paid To Write Pro-War Propaganda

Whenever I suggest that certain bloggers (and even blog comments writers) might be on the US government payroll, I get ridiculed as a Conspiracy Theorist. So get this, from a 2006 report for the U.S. Joint Special Operations (ZIP file):
"An alternative strategy is to “make” a blog and blogger. The process of boosting the blog to a position of influence could take some time, however, and depending on the person running the blog, may impose a significant educational burden, in terms of cultural and linguistic training before the blog could be put online to any useful effect..."
According to the report's co-authors:
"Hiring a block of bloggers to verbally attack a specific person or promote a specific message may be worth considering."