Why is the US Military spending millions...

[Bob Schroeck]

...to create and maintain armies of sockpuppets on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites?  As the linked article notes, regardless of the actual (classified) reason, the potential for massive abuse is obvious.

-- Bob
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Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Black Aeronaut]

... The HELL!?

Here they are, bitching about the cost of manning the tin-can fleet, and the DOD's got the gall to do something like THIS!?

[Rod.H]

Ah the continuing fallout from HBGary. Sockpuppeting is a internets tradition, till you get caught.

Some of the money's probably coming from Black Budget, y'know the not so secret money source which they use to pay for the really cool toys, like any SR-71 replacements, paranormal research (the MK-ULTRA/Men That Stare At Goats stuff), psyops campaigns. Also if you skim over some of the material the wackos have put out, there's a section that think we've actually got some USN space frigates all ready up there. Every thing else, line items in the budgets from DoD PR and TLA agencies?

[Dartz]

Yes... well they've got to hide the Stargate Program somehow.
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Bob Schroeck]

I wish.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Epsilon]

...to create and maintain armies of sockpuppets on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites?  As the linked article notes, regardless of the actual (classified) reason, the potential for massive abuse is obvious.

You make it sound like the potential abuse isn't the reason. They're doing it for the same reason that China is doing it.
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Epsilon

[Black Aeronaut]

You make it sound like the potential abuse isn't the reason. They're doing it for the same reason that China is doing it.

Oh good grief.  The US Government needs to quit blowing DoD Dollars on smoke-and-mirrors and spending it on keeping our armed forces running smoothly.  If we really want cyber warfare so badly, then we need to work with hacktivists and talk them into crippling China's cyberwarfare capabilities.  Because while I'm sure that many people are in favor of socialism, I'm pretty sure they don't want anything to do with the vision of Chinese Communists.

[M Fnord]

Anonymous is not your personal army. Not even for the US Government.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[Black Aeronaut]

Never said that it had to be Anonymous.

[Bob Schroeck]

Dunno if it'll lead anywhere, but The Guardian in the UK has picked up the story. It doesn't look like it's a retread of the original article, btw -- it appears to have more and more detailed information.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Niteflier]

Why is the US military spending money that come April 8th, it won't have?

Congress has not yet approved the DoD budget for 2011. Meaning that they won't have any money at all - even to pay the troops.

[Bob Schroeck]

Probably because the military has gotten used to being first at the table with the biggest plate.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[ordnance11]

Actually Bob, it's because if they already have prior approval to spend it (say from the chairman of the defense appropriations committee), then all Congress has to do is to tack on supplemental appropriations to cover the increased cost, if such cost is justified and the Congress has signed off on it. After all, it is for national defense. Name me a congressman or senator that has balked on justified increased defense spending. The last time I recall it happening was in the late 30's. Dammed fool isolationists.
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Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell