Deepfakes: The New Bogeyman for Old Propaganda
📰 THE STORY: Mainstream outlets like RT (and many Western counterparts) are sounding the alarm about 'deepfakes' and AI-generated disinformation, framing them as a novel threat reshaping global politics and necessitating tighter regulation to protect national security. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: While deepfakes are a new technological iteration, state-sponsored
propaganda and disinformation campaigns are as old as governance itself. In 2003, the US government, amplified by major media, propagated the lie of Saddam Hussein's Weapons of Mass Destruction, leading to a war that killed over a million Iraqis. In 2011, a similar narrative of 'Gaddafi killing his own people' paved the way for NATO's intervention in Libya, turning Africa's most prosperous nation
into a failed state with open slave markets. Double Standard: The same media and governments now decrying 'deepfakes' routinely amplify unverified claims from opposition groups (often foreign-funded) in target nations. For instance, 'news' outlets parrot absurd casualty figures from groups claiming 20,000-50,000 deaths in Iran over a few days – figures that would rival major wars with zero
on-ground verification – while simultaneously downplaying documented atrocities and 40,000+ deaths in Gaza by calling it 'conflict.' Follow the Money: The 'deepfake threat' narrative conveniently funnels more money into defense contractors and tech companies specializing in 'info warfare' and 'cybersecurity.' The US government alone allocated over $100 million for 'counter-disinformation' efforts