Soros Open Society Now a Tourist Destination?

How did the George Soros Open Society logo get prominently displayed in the US Travel & Tourism ‘Land of Dreams’ video, televised in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada for the past three months? The $12.3 million ad campaign presents a display of photographs of beautiful scenic places in all 50 states that link to destination content pulled from ‘1,000 Places to See in the United States & Canada Before You Die’. (Forbes Magazine).

How the Open Society logo figures in with landmarks like the Rockies, Arizona Desert and New York City is one for the books. Moving through breathtaking scenes with the Discover America’s signature song ‘Land of Dreams’ written and sung by Roseanne Cash, viewers don’t get a raincheck on the campaign’s multicultural theme and the spiral in the sand that builds the Open Society Logo in opening scenes. Such is the power of subliminal. Discover America is $12.3 million dollars worth of free advertising for Soros.

Blame Brand USA for the Open Society’s free advertising ride. Brand USA is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, with headquarters based in Washington, DC. “Brand USA was established by the Travel Promotion Act in 2010 to spearhead the nation’s first global marketing effort to promote the United States as a premier travel destination and communicate U.S. entry/exit policies and procedures. Formed as the Corporation for Travel Promotion, the public-private entity began operations in May 2011 and does business as Brand USA. “No taxpayer dollars are used to fund Brand USA. At least half the program’s budget will be funded by investment from the private sector. The remainder will come from the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which assesses a small $14 fee on visitors traveling to the United States from countries that do not require a visa. Brand USA’s annual budget is projected to be up to $200 million.” (thebrandUSA.com).

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Brand USA’s mission to conduct the “first ever commercial advertising the United States of America” seems to be at odds with the administration who spawned it. The same administration whose leader apologizes for America when traveling to other countries and one who is committed to the Fundamental Transformation of America. “Brand USA works in close partnership with the travel industry to maximize the economic and social benefits of travel. Through its call-to-action--Discover America.com--Brand USA inspires travelers to explore the United States of America’s boundless possibilities. For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit thebrandusa.com.” Following its first three-month run in the UK, Japan and Canada, the campaign will run in Brazil, South Korea and other countries. Meanwhile, fast fading from U.S. tourism jingo is the meaning behind one of the country’s most famous folksongs, ‘This Land is Your Land’.

Judi McLeod——Bio and Archives -- Judi McLeod, Founder, Owner and Editor of Canada Free Press, is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years’ experience in the print and online media. A former Toronto Sun columnist, she also worked for the Kingston Whig Standard. Her work has appeared throughout the ‘Net, including on Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.