EOTO: Class Observations and Notes (2)

        In the second round of the EOTO presentations, I learned about the history of propaganda. For example, I did not know that it was originally created and pushed by the pope in the 1600s. Propaganda, as I assumed, is usually in a negative context. During war, propaganda can be used as a positive form of control to boost up morale about the war effort. The presentation presented another option I had not thought about much, non-war propaganda in the form of Smokey the Bear.

        Additionally, I learned about the ‘False Flag’. It is, in theory, a false action that incites another person or group to act upon it, therefore making them responsible for wherever the case is. I also learned the origin for this one, as pirates would wave literal false flags to bring in ships to then plunder. This reminded me of how many United States citizens now attribute the Vietnam War to this idea, and a more modern example would be the Iraq War. Another case were the mysterious piles of bricks found at the Black Lives Matter and George Floyd protests, rumored to have the protestors become rioters by throwing the bricks allowing stronger police forces.

        The last presenter went over the Five Eyes, a group of governments (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) that came together to monitor security data. They are able to collectively monitor international threats, but also infringe on privacy rights. This helps the government prevent many deadly attacks, and is one of the leading systems to collect this kind of data. The Snowden leaks of 2013 showed the world how much the government really spies on their population.