U.S. Military Goes Online to Rebut Extremists’ Messages

On one hand it's nice to see them using words instead of guns.<p>On the other hand I agree with the other concerned comments about the militarization of fact checking. However, until they cross the line and actually shutdown a website for being "untruthful" I'm going to hold off on the public flogging.<p>"the fact they engage with us indicated we've hit a nerve" Um.. No, to me that means they're willing to engage in conversation with you, likely because they presume you're wrong and feel they can fend you off in an honest argument. This is no indication of "hitting a nerve" but nice try.

It's the combination of things like this, and SOPA that get me worried. They're well intentioned, and I agree with those intentions. But when the US government is simultaneously fact-checking, and website-regulating, it's not too much of a stretch to require US websites which are "confusing or harmful to consumers" to provide "correct facts" about the US government, instead of just posting online in forums.

Maj. Nevers was my OIC for several weeks in 2005 during the Marine Corps response to Katrina. He's a stand-up guy, honest, all that good stuff. But let's not kid ourselves. Though you may have guys like Maj. Nevers who are interested in being even-handed and honest, the generals and politicians who oversee these activities are less interested in such things. They have interests to pursue and protect (and rightly so). Those of you saying this isn't US propaganda are wrong; those of you who are saying this isn't an appropriate action are wrong.<p>It is propaganda, but it is appropriate.

The militarization of fact-checking. I like it.<p>Of course, facts alone can't talk anyone out of being a nutty extremist, as anyone who has browsed reddit will attest.

Reminds me of that famous XKCD comic, only someone is doing it as a job: <a href="http://xkcd.com/386/" rel="nofollow">http://xkcd.com/386/</a>. "Duty Calls" indeed. I wonder however whether we should be heeding that great and wise axiom, which I believe it was Sun Tzu who originally said: "don't feed the trolls." Nobody has been able to talk Glenn Beck out of his idiotic ideas, and the fact that there are people out there "engaging" with his fans with true facts doesn't seem to do anything but feed their persecution complex. This could very possible be a waste of time at best, and fanning the flames at worst.