From dictionary.com:
com·mis·sar (km-sär) n.
- An official of the Communist Party in charge of political indoctrination and the enforcement of party loyalty.
- The head of a commissariat in the Soviet Union until 1946.
- A person who tries to control public opinion.
Sound familiar?
Make no mistake, that DOD official that "coached" the troops in the Tikrit photo op acted as a commissar in the US military.
At least the press appears to be waking up and smelling the big brother overtones.
As a professor in a department that teaches journalism and public relations (although I myself teach neither subject) I've been increasingly worried about the direction of the mass media and the future of our democracy.
I'm outraged at the fact that my tax dollars are paying for some defense department flak to shill the war.
It's time to change the lexicon and start using terminology that will be effective to the shared goals and vision of the DailyKos community.
That DOD official was a commissar. That was propaganda. I will leave it up to someone else to discuss the legality and ethics of braodcasting propaganda to the American people.
So remember - word of the day - commissar.