'Public officials have a duty to direct propaganda at the population'

Speaking before an audience at an event held by the Council on Foreign Relations, Richard Stengel, head of the office for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs at the State Department from 2013 to 2016, argued that governments have a responsibility to direct propaganda at their domestic populations and ultimately control the political narrative.

“Basically, every country creates their own narrative story and, you know, my old job at the State Department was what people used to joke as the ‘chief propagandist’ job....We haven’t talked about propaganda… I’m not against propaganda. Every country does it, and they have to do it to their own population, and I don’t necessarily think it’s that awful.”

Some Americans find these remarks shocking because, unlike people in Europe, Americans still believe, by European standards, in limited government.

Move along, nothing to see.