Just a small increase in funds in order to win the hearts and minds of YOU. I bet the psychological operations are not just for foreigners. Do we really need to waste billions to influence other countries? Not if our leaders would stop sticking the US in other countries' business, devastating their land, and manipulating their governments. It is sad they hate using diplomacy to solve problems. Would rather act like they are trying to talk while launching a gorilla campaign. The ultimate poker game where the pot is ultimately the world.


http://blog.wired.com/defense/
27,000 Work in Pentagon PR and Recruiting
By Noah Shachtman

Forget the drone stuff. Here is your eye-popping statistic of the day: "This year, the Pentagon will employ 27,000 people just for recruitment, advertising and public relations — almost as many as the total 30,000-person work force in the State Department."

That's from an Associated Press investigation, "which found that over the past five years, the money the military spends on winning hearts and minds at home and abroad has grown by 63 percent, to at least $4.7 billion this year."

Staff costs take up most of the money, more than $2 billion. Another $1.6 billion goes into recruiting. About a half-billion goes towards "psychological operations, which targets foreign audiences." And, finally, "$547 million goes into public affairs, which reaches American audiences."

That last one may be the most amazing figure of 'em all. Because getting a straightforward answer out of most military public affairs shops is still a root-canal-painful procedure. You'd think it'd be easier, with all those resources brought to bear.