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Lieberman: I Was Not Brainwashed by U.S. Military; McCain: Yes, He Was
FoxNews.com ^ | February 27, 2011 | FoxNews

Posted on 02/27/2011 6:04:27 PM PST by ColdOne

WASHINGTON -- Two senators said to be targeted by U.S. military seeking to use "psychological operations" to convince them to support the war effort in Afghanistan say they're fine with an investigation though they don't believe there's much to the story.

Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who've been traveling in the Middle East for the past week, joked Sunday about a Rolling Stone article released last week that alleged that three-star Gen. William Caldwell ordered his staff to use military techniques to persuade them to back more money for training Afghan forces.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; US: Arizona; US: Connecticut
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; arizona; connecticut; johnmccain; josephlieberman

1 posted on 02/27/2011 6:04:30 PM PST by ColdOne
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To: ColdOne

Alice in Wonderland


2 posted on 02/27/2011 6:05:26 PM PST by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: ColdOne

McCain’s brain went from Gray Matter to Brown Matter.


3 posted on 02/27/2011 6:10:00 PM PST by ImJustAnotherOkie (zerogottago)
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To: ColdOne

From what I’ve seen, this “brainwashing” is the same as any used car salesman does every day of his life. Present a worst case scenario if they don’t get the funding and a best case scenario if they do.


4 posted on 02/27/2011 6:16:02 PM PST by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: ColdOne

PsyOps—ugh, what a silly, macho-SOUNDING term.

95% of cases it’s simply some reservists who work in marketing back in that states; they drive around town with loudspeakers, spouting some pap like, “Rejoice, democracy is here...!”.

The term is incredibly macho, but that’s what it is.

It’s advertising.


5 posted on 02/27/2011 6:21:32 PM PST by gaijin
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To: ColdOne

Is he trying to create a George Romney Sr. moment?


6 posted on 02/27/2011 6:27:11 PM PST by stayathomemom (Beware of kittens modifying your posts.)
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To: ColdOne

One of the defining characteristics of true brainwashing is complete denial by the subject that they have been brainwashed. They believe themselves to be acting entirely of their own volition even when confronted with undeniable evidence to the contrary.


7 posted on 02/27/2011 6:43:55 PM PST by SpaceBar
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To: ColdOne

LOL! Now that’s a funny story. PsyOps soldiers do get to go to some cool schools, though.


8 posted on 02/27/2011 7:14:20 PM PST by familyop ("Don't worry, they'll row for a month before they figure out I'm fakin' it." --Deacon, "Waterworld")
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To: ColdOne

Something that the US military and the CIA should have come up with years ago could properly be called “mass brainwashing lite.”

Typically, brainwashing is used to get control over someone’s mind. However, what if brainwashing is very specifically used *just* to “eliminate the desire to commit terrorist acts against civilians?”

This is not A Clockwork Orange stuff, as the person would be able to defend themselves and their country, and would even still be able to fight soldiers. But they would no longer *want* to do the very specific behavior of committing terrorist acts against civilians, domestically or internationally. It might even be so subtle that they don’t care if someone else does so, but they, personally, no longer want to.

Why be so specific? Because there is no human right to commit acts of terrorism against civilians. An argument can be made that it is a right to be able to defend yourself against attack, especially against soldiers attacking you or your country. But not civilians.

Now imagine if the CIA had set up a warehouse “factory” that would instill just this brainwashing programming into every combatant prisoner they captured? Literally tens of thousands of prisoners would be processed through this factory before internment.

Importantly, such programming tends to decay rapidly unless reinforced, so ideally, every time they prayed, four or five times a day, they would subconsciously reinforce this programming. So it would likely remain with them from a decade to the rest of their life. So subtle it would not create any notice.

But no matter how enthusiastic some instigator was, they just wouldn’t be interested in committing terrorist acts against civilians.

Turning something horrible into something beneficial, harming no one.


9 posted on 02/27/2011 7:56:22 PM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: ColdOne

Well, McCain certainly should know about being susceptible to brainwashing.


10 posted on 02/27/2011 8:05:32 PM PST by miele man
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To: ColdOne

maybe we should ask Obama voters..they’ve been brainwashed by someone who reads a teleprompter. Oh wait, that’s low.


11 posted on 02/27/2011 10:33:22 PM PST by max americana
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To: stayathomemom

Michigan Governor George Romney was the frontrunner for the GOP nomination in 1967 when he appeared on a talk show in Detroit and said he was “brainwashed” when he visited Vietnam and was briefed by the military.

Once the newspapers spread the story and the big three and only TV networks back then broadcast the video, Romney’s chances of being president dropped like a lead weight in water.


12 posted on 02/27/2011 10:33:54 PM PST by Nextrush (President Sarah Palin sounds just right to me)
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To: stayathomemom

Michigan Governor George Romney was the frontrunner for the GOP nomination in 1967 when he appeared on a talk show in Detroit and said he was “brainwashed” when he visited Vietnam and was briefed by the military.

Once the newspapers spread the story and the big three and only TV networks back then broadcast the video, Romney’s chances of being president dropped like a lead weight in water.


13 posted on 02/27/2011 10:33:56 PM PST by Nextrush (President Sarah Palin sounds just right to me)
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To: stayathomemom

Michigan Governor George Romney was the frontrunner for the GOP nomination in 1967 when he appeared on a talk show in Detroit and said he was “brainwashed” when he visited Vietnam and was briefed by the military.

Once the newspapers spread the story and the big three and only TV networks back then broadcast the video, Romney’s chances of being president dropped like a lead weight in water.


14 posted on 02/27/2011 10:34:01 PM PST by Nextrush (President Sarah Palin sounds just right to me)
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Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

To: Nextrush

Even though I was only 11 at the time, I was watching the Lou Gordon Show and saw him say it.


16 posted on 02/28/2011 1:40:02 AM PST by stayathomemom (Beware of kittens modifying your posts.)
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To: miele man
Well, McCain certainly should know about being susceptible to brainwashing.

Are you saying someone gave him an enema?

17 posted on 02/28/2011 10:28:53 AM PST by dearolddad
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