In this episode, Jon Atack and Pearse Redmond speak with their good friend Yuval Laor. They start by discussing a recent article by professor Rebecca Moore entitled The Brainwashing Myth, dissecting the strange assertions Moore makes, primarily that brainwashing does not exist. They also talk about her three “scientific, neutral, and precise” terms which can replace brainwashing.
Jon and Yuval talk about the historical roots of the term from ancient China to the through reform camps of the 50’s. They also address our problems with the flawed term “new religious movement”, discussing Moore’s history defending Jim Jones and The Peoples’ Temple. They talk about her sisters, Carolyn Layton and Annie Moore, both high-ranking members who organized and oversaw the murder of over 900 people. They look at how this has colored Rebecca Moore’s books defending Jones and the legacy of the Peoples Temple. They close out by talking about the problem of arguing over semantics within the counter-cult world.
What do you think about this podcast? Do you agree? Do you have a story about brainwashing – or the misuse of the term – that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you!
Welcome back, everyone, to Porkins Policy Radio! This long-awaited return of PPR marks our 35th episode!
For this milestone in Porkins Policy history we were joined by our very good friend Tom Secker to discuss the 1973 JFK conspiracy thriller Executive Action. Starring Burt Lanchaster and Robert Ryan, this film follows the exploits of a right-wing cabal of businessmen, politicians and ex-intelligence operatives as they plot and carry out the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Tom and I begin the conversation by picking apart the film and its overall interpretation of the conspiracy and assassination, with particular attention to the film’s suggestion that this whole intricate plan could have been carried out by a lone black ops intelligence agent. We also focus on the bizarre way the film portrays Oswald – – a bumbling, sheep-dipped fool who has no idea what is going on or who is actually running him. We note the obligatory praising of Kennedy as a progressive saint, and who and what the film leaves out in terms of players and events surrounding the conspiracy.
Later we take a look at the three people who actually wrote and researched the film. We start with the curious case of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo – – the pro-war WWII propagandist later turned blacklisted Hollywood communist is an odd choice for a screenwriter of a JFK “truther” film. Tom discusses Trumbo’s checkered past, as well as his own theories about who Trumbo really was and who he may have been working for. Then I talk about the two men behind the story and research for the film, Mark Lane and Donald Freed, and how both of these individuals, in particular Mark Lane, were at the forefront of controlling the alt-media and conspiracy culture of the time. I talk about Lane’s involvement not only within the JFK assassination community, but also in representing James Earl Ray in the MLK killing, his role alongside Donald Freed as Jim Jones’ legal council, his close friendships with a “who’s who” of CIA assets, and his later defense of the American Free Press. We also touch on his relentless attacks on true researchers such as Mae Brussell, and how he deliberately controlled the flow of information coming out about JFK and other conspiracies.
We close out by considering what may have been the goal of Lane and Freed in crafting this distorted view of the JFK assassination. Tom and I also discuss the trend in the alt-media of propping up and supporting so called “truther” films without understanding who is behind them and what their producers’ intentions might actually be.
[NOTE: There was a serious audio issue with the end of this podcast. This is the updated mp3 and Youtube versions]
From Scientology to the Peoples Temple, the state of California is awash in prominent and powerful cults. Our good friend Aaron Franz joins us to discuss this bizarre phenomenon. We discuss several high-profile cults in the state and how they have influenced the people and culture of California. Aaron and I break down Scientology and explore how a cult whose membership is made up mostly of high profile celebrities has become a powerful culture creator within society. Aaron explains how groups such as The Process Church and The Summit Lighthouse use occult teachings within their cult when indoctrinating their members. We also discuss how this is really the corruption of the occult for nefarious purposes. Aaron and I also go into Jim Jones and The Peoples’ Temple, discussing how one cult leader was able to change the face of politics in San Fransisco. We end by talking about yoga and veganism, and how both of these fads are also not only misunderstood, but are being used in a negative way. This was an especially fun episode to record and is also filled with quite a bit of humor.
NOTE: My apologies for the audio issues through out the episode. We had some internet connection problems.
