Should the government be in the propaganda business? Should we, as a people, seek to use fear and sensational images to dictate behavior? How about only when it's for a good cause and backed by sound science? Maybe.
Does the government have the right to compel companies to carry out propaganda campaigns for the government? Maybe.
Reasonable people will differ on how to answer these questions. And constitutional law scholars will have something to say.
But what concerns me is the general tendency — nicely on display in The New York Times editorial — to obscure the difference between propaganda — speech that aims to further an end — and other forms of informed and informative speech.
Umm wow,just wow.
Nice read NPR.
