Comment by cryoshon
11 years ago
"Through the CCF, as well as by more direct means, the CIA became a major player in intellectual life during the Cold War—the closest thing that the U.S. government had to a Ministry of Culture. This left a complex legacy. During the Cold War, it was commonplace to draw the distinction between “totalitarian” and “free” societies by noting that only in the free ones could groups self-organize independently of the state. But many of the groups that made that argument—including the magazines on this left—were often covertly-sponsored instruments of state power, at least in part. Whether or not art and artists would have been more “revolutionary” in the absence of the CIA’s cultural work is a vexed question; what is clear is that that possibility was not a risk they were willing to run. "
I wonder if the CIA really stopped being the Ministry of Culture?
The roots of cultural control go further back than the Cold War. Arguably it was Edward Bernays, father of public relations, who used his uncle Sigmund Freud's theories about humans being irrational economic actors motivated by primal instincts of fear, sex, and so on, to sell them products they didn't need.
The U.S. Government (and many around the world, including nazi Germany, whose head of propaganda admired Bernays) adapted these techniques as means to control people, or at least keep them from going out of control (Bolshevik Revolution, Naziism, etc). The popular image of the happy-go-lucky 1950s wasn't just how things "turned out to be," it was a concerted government effort to create the ideal and stable society that wouldn't overthrow the government.
You can see the same influence today in ideological news networks using compelling and vapid distractions instead of keeping focus on the "real" issues.
The BBC made a great documentary on this subject: "Century of the Self."
Yes, I am a student of Bernays as well. Bernays was a greater genius than Freud, I think-- and his teachings are still practiced enthusiastically as they were laid out back then.
I'm not convinced that the 1950s Americana was a result of intentional crafting from the top-down, though. Sure, bacon and eggs were forced onto the plate by PR campaigns along with countless other things, but a lot of it was the happenstance of having an entire generation come home from the war and then have the tools of prosperity handed to them via the GI bill.
Keep in mind that the 1950s begat the 1960s... hardly a time that can be described as controlled.
Century of the Self is quite good, and I highly recommend it as well. I agree with the vapid distractions problem, as it's very blatantly always in play on the MSM outlets.
I'd argue that Bernays and the modern assembly line directly enabled WW2
The BBC made a great documentary on this subject: "Century of the Self."
The best source is to just read Bernays' own book: Propaganda (1929).
> The U.S. Government (and many around the world, including nazi Germany, whose head of propaganda admired Bernays) adapted these techniques as means to control people, or at least keep them from going out of control (Bolshevik Revolution, Naziism, etc). The popular image of the happy-go-lucky 1950s wasn't just how things "turned out to be," it was a concerted government effort to create the ideal and stable society that wouldn't overthrow the government.
I was up with you until this point. As with most grand conspiracy theories, this seems like a big leap from the emergence of commercialism to a pastoral, planned society for the purposes of control.
Things like suburbs and consumerism were natural, but the reinforcement of that image as the ideal was effective for government that wanted stable citizens, and corporations that wanted predictable consumers. Still works - I didn't think I needed an iPhone 6 until I got one.
The influence of Bernays is correct, and the government has had a longstanding relationship with PR firms in crafting propaganda.
Cultural control has been going on WAY before Edward Bernays.
What culture? Fox News, Professional Sports, and reality TV? I miss the days when intellectuals were pandered to. Now they are just irrelevant.
Could be, but I think those choices are too unfocused in intent to be the work of the government. Hard to say exactly what their focus is, if they even still do those kinds of operations.
If I were the CIA, I'd start by looking at mainstream American Muslim groups safely inside the fold, then move on to groups closer to the fringe but still not radical, as these would be the perfect kind of organization to create, both for the ability to keep tabs on muslims and also for crafting the millieu of the muslim subculture within the US. I guess the point here would be to create a moderate muslim front domestically in order to prevent ISIS sympathizers from gaining traction. I'm not sure if this is actually a good idea or not.
After I'd found some of those aforementioned groups, I'd check out their preferences for pornography, video games, and illegal drugs-- the most reliable way to do this is to be in person. These options are a good place to start looking for an outside nudge, given that they're still taboo, especially among muslims.
After thinking it through, this seems a bit far fetched. I'm not sure that the CIA would be wasting so much time on dubious culture creation/shaping without it being proven as extremely effective in the right context.
Their history certainly supports their penchant for enthusiastically engaging in strategies with no proven effectiveness (like giving people LSD for the purposes of mind control). Though there's (maybe) something of an argument to be made that the Cold War was an era of particular lunacy and that the CIA of today is more sober-minded.
I'm not sure that the CIA would be wasting so much time on dubious culture creation/shaping without it being proven as extremely effective in the right context.
Like any other effectively-unsupervised bureaucracy, the only context that matters is, "are we spending more and more money?" If a plausible hole can be found, the CIA will be happy to throw money down it.
And don't get me started on Hollywood's love for barely covered propaganda movies.
I assume that's a rhetorical question...
I'd genuinely like to know, but I'm not sure where to get started if I were interested in finding the CIA's influence on the culture of today.
Maybe apply for a job.
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