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In reply to the discussion: Is there trolling going on here in regards to Obama? Like [View all]JonLP24
(29,322 posts)Cass Sunstein has long been one of Barack Obamas closest confidants. Often mentioned as a likely Obama nominee to the Supreme Court, Sunstein is currently Obamas head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs where, among other things, he is responsible for overseeing policies relating to privacy, information quality, and statistical programs. In 2008, while at Harvard Law School, Sunstein co-wrote a truly pernicious paper proposing that the U.S. Government employ teams of covert agents and pseudo-independent advocates to cognitively infiltrate online groups and websites as well as other activist groups which advocate views that Sunstein deems false conspiracy theories about the Government. This would be designed to increase citizens faith in government officials and undermine the credibility of conspiracists. The papers abstract can be read, and the full paper downloaded, here.
Sunstein advocates that the Governments stealth infiltration should be accomplished by sending covert agents into chat rooms, online social networks, or even real-space groups. He also proposes that the Government make secret payments to so-called independent credible voices to bolster the Governments messaging (on the ground that those who dont believe government sources will be more inclined to listen to those who appear independent while secretly acting on behalf of the Government). This program would target those advocating false conspiracy theories, which they define to mean: an attempt to explain an event or practice by reference to the machinations of powerful people, who have also managed to conceal their role. Sunsteins 2008 paper was flagged by this blogger, and then amplified in an excellent report by Raw Storys Daniel Tencer.
http://www.salon.com/2010/01/15/sunstein_2/
Here is a link to that college paper -- http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1084585