Homeland Security USA: Surf's Up!

How harmful can it be? It sounds like a Beach Boys tune.

What do you call it again when television programs intentionally set out to play up the glorious activities of the government's military/police establishment?

We're thinking of a word here...just can't quite grasp it...

Ah, yes. Propaganda! That's it!

“Homeland Security USA,” is a new “reality” show that will premiere on ABC television tonight. With 13 shows ordered for its first season, the series claims to be based on the daily tasks federal workers carry out for the government department formed in the wake of the September 11th attacks.
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Despite showcasing a government department that has faced lawsuits including those filed for immigrant deaths in its detention facilities, the show’s producer, Arnold Shapiro, whose previous credits include, “Big Brother,” has claimed that “Homeland Security USA” is apolitical and not government propaganda. How[e]ver, according to the Associated Press, the Department was allowed to prescreen episodes before being aired. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has also ignited controversy in the public media, purchasing underwriting on NPR for its E-Verify program which is set to go into effect this month.
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See that? Homeland Security got to prescreen the episodes! The stamp of government approval. That can only be good. It's not propaganda after all! Take a listen to Uprising Radio's coverage of the new propaganda show.

We were kind wondering if ABC (or some other network) might just be willing to do a show that covers the daily activities of the 20,000 U.S. Army troops who are now stationed in the U.S for domestic deployment. You know--to help out and stuff. From Glenn Greenwald:

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When The Army Times, in September, reported that for "the first time an active [U.S. Army] unit has been given a dedicated assignment to NorthCom, a joint command established in 2002 to provide command and control for federal homeland defense efforts and coordinate defense support of civil authorities," those of us who raised questions and concerns about that deployment were told that this was but one little brigade -- just 4,500 combat troops -- and nothing meaningful could be done with such a deployment.
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Yesterday, The Washington Post reported on a much-expanded plan: "The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011." Like most expansions of government power, it was the Terrorist Threat that was invoked to "justify" this radical shift in policy:

Before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, dedicating 20,000 troops to domestic response -- a nearly sevenfold increase in five years -- "would have been extraordinary to the point of unbelievable," Paul McHale, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense, said in remarks last month at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Have a listen to Glenn's radio program as he interviews Gene Healy (a libertarian!) about these domestic troop deployments.