Thursday, July 13, 2006

This woman still has a job???

Okay so my mistake in listening to NPR today because it just gets me nuts. I like NPR, it's just that when I hear confirmation of my wild thoughts I get more revved up.

So, there's this organization called "America Supports You" started in September 2004 to yes, support the troops. It's supposed to be some sort of grassroots effort to show the troops that more of us are with them and against them. Like so many things the government has ideas about, this is so much better in theory. One of their more goofy projects is to text message positive messages to the troops (which they admit is actually supposed to be two-fold, supportive message for the troops and feel-good experience for the sender). The guy doing the story for NPR couldn't get anything but a "no comment." Hello? Here's one of his quotes:

"And I wouldn't have had time to test their online "message to the troops" system, which apparently edits out all political content, with the exception of sentiments in praise of President Bush, finishing the job in Iraq and criticisms of antiwar protestors. Those comments are left in." Love it.

Oh, and by the way, the private PR contracts they are using to promote this cost $2.7 million in its first year. If only they had just made a comment, he wouldn't have kept digging. Oh and he tried to send a text message which did not get posted anywhere. It's in some hard-drive somewhere doing zero good for anyone (except maybe the sender). You've got to go to NPR to read at least part of the story.

And guess who is in charge of the program? Remember when there was a televised video conference a year or two ago between Bushy and the troops? There was a woman who got caught making the troops "stay on script." You probably remember this, it was hysterical and just the beginning of many such blunders. This woman is still employed. I'm amazed the administration didn't kick her to the curb. Guess it was easier to bury her in the pentagon with this pet project.

And my favorite part is the way they are talking it up to the kids. Putting their propaganda in Weekly Reader. And even that is backfiring! It would be funny if it weren't so sad that we're wasting money and resources on this.

2 comments:

Larjmarj said...

Why stop the stupidity now? They're on such a roll.

Anonymous said...

I love your stuff!! A knitter who is poltical-- that rocks! And you do great work!
If you really want to get fired up about stuff, you should try listening to the Air American Radio, especially Randi Rhodes in the afternoon. She is really good and now I am Really Mad!lol!