We Are Being Programmed (Part 5): CIA Takes Over

We are all affected by it...call it advertising, propaganda, programming, social engineering, psychological operations, or whatever other term could be applied.  The act of a force outside of your mind trying to convince you to do something.  In this installment we take a look at what happened to the enormous propaganda machine after WWII was over.  Once the Office of War Information was disbanded in 1945, the Central Intelligence Agency took over the domestic operations and "assumed many of the information gathering, analyzing and disseminating responsibilities".  So, what would the CIA use its new found domestic propaganda powers for?  In the early 1950's, Frank Wisner (head of the Directorate of Plans for CIA), Allan W. Dulles (Director of Central Intelligence) and Cord Meyer (Office of Policy Coordination) started Operation Mockingbird.  By 1953, Operation Mockingbird had "major influence over 25 newspapers and wire agencies".  We also touch on the House Un-American Activities Committee and the CIA's Project MK Ultra program.  [Click to Listen]

Propaganda (1928): Part 3

In this third episode of the Mic Check Radio Book Club series we continue with the audio book of Propaganda by Edward L Burnays, published in 1928.  Noam Chomsky has called this book "the main manual of the public relations industry".  It may be 87 years old, but the ideas and concepts are still used (and successful) today.  This book explores the psychology of manipulating the masses in order to influence consumerism, politics, social change and gender dynamics.  On this episode we will hear Chapter 5:Business and the Public. [Click to Listen]