Porkins Policy Review
From The Age of Transitions:
Pearse Redmond returns to Trans Resister Radio to tell tales from his recent trip to Ireland. He and Aaron discuss the powerful mystique of ancient sites such as Newgrange.
From Uncle the Podcast:
Host of Porkins Policy Radio, Pearse Redmond is the guest on this episode of Uncle (the podcast). Here he reviews Modelo Especial, and explains why he knows that OJ Simpson is indeed innocent of murdering his wife and Ronald Goldman. Other less dark things are discussed as well, so be sure to listen to this podcast.
Topics include: Pearse Redmond, Porkins Policy Radio, American Freedom Radio, podcasting, The CIA and Hollywood, beer interview, Modelo Especial, lime in Mexican beer, fish fry, Ochelli Effect, Opperman Report, live radio, internet radio, cursing on air, white Bronco, OJ Simpson case, Stephen Singular, evidence, racism, drugs, cocaine, 9pm eye drop session, conjunctivitis, mafia, Pat McKenna interview, true crime, conspiracy, Making a Murderer, if the glove fits you must acquit, media problems, Twitter, Top Gun 2
As many already know the issue featuring my article in The American Journal of Economics and Sociology was just recently published. The entire issue deals with CIA and Pentagon influence in Hollywood and includes articles by Tom Secker, Aaron Franz, Tarzie, Matthew Alford, and many more. I am extremely proud of not only my piece but of the entire issue and everyone that contributed. A big thank you to all the writers who joined me in this amazing endeavor.
Due to copyright restrictions you will have to buy the issue if you want to read it. Unfortunately I have already given out the limited number of print copies that I had. If you would like a copy (signed even) then please email me and I will see what I can do about getting more issues. You can also email Wiley Customer Service (cs-journals@wiley.com) and inquire about purchasing a single issue. Below is the abstract from my piece.
The Historical Roots of CIA-Hollywood Propaganda – Pearse Redmond
The ability to use movies that tell persuasive stories is a powerful tool, particularly if it is consciously used to legitimize war, assassination, and illegal activities and to undermine the core principles of democracy. The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.S. military have made use of that tool for almost a century, starting with the War Department’s quiet support for the movie Birth of a Nation in 1915 and continuing for a century, including such recent CIA-supported products as Homeland, The Agency, The Recruit, and many less likely movies and television shows. During World War II, this sort of propaganda was openly distributed, since there was a widespread consensus in support of that war. However, state-sponsored propaganda in the form of Hollywood movies continued throughout the Cold War up to the present. The production of movies that completely distorted the political meaning of George Orwell’s and Graham Greene’s novels were important examples of this practice. CIA involvement was covert, since the target audience was the American public and the ideological perspective being propagated often ran counter to democratic ideals. This article recounts the history of the process by which Americans came to accept the ideas continuously promoted by the government, often without knowing that their favorite movies and television shows had been vetted or even altered by agents of the CIA or the Pentagon. Since these practices violate federal laws, the public at least has a right to know that we are being subjected to this sort of propaganda and how much tax money is spent to produce entertaining forms of disinformation.
Good friend Aaron Franz joins me on the show this week to discuss our recent work in The American Journal of Economics and Sociology. We begin by talking about some of the behind the scenes aspects of the issue. I talk about the whole process of how the issue came into being from the initial offer from Clifford Cobb, getting all the writers together, and dealing with all the road bumps along the way. Aaron and I talk about the actual writing process and the challenges involved in writing for an academic journal. Next we explore Aaron’s piece which deals with secret societies, CIA, occult practices, and the ways in which this is mimicked in Hollywood films. We talk about the similarities between secret societies and the CIA, particularly with their strong reliance on cryptography. Aaron and I discuss the famous Kryptos sculpture outside CIA headquarters and the agencies use of art’s powerful occult properties. We also talk about the bizarre Fallen Angel sculpture in CIA headquarters.
In the second hour we talk about the notion of truth as it now exists today. We begin by talking about the biblical verse “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” which is carved into the lobby wall of the CIA’s Original Headquarters Building. We talk about the significance and deeper meaning behind not only the quote but why CIA Director Allen Dulles insisted that it be inscribed. Later Aaron and I move onto the current environment that we find ourselves in right now. We talk about the way truth has become an almost meaningless notion in today’s political and media landscape and what this means for us as a society. Aaron and I also discuss the hidden truths behind the various statements and missteps of Donald Trump. We talk about the possible occult meanings behind this as well as the notion that a magick spell was cast on America after the election.
Show Notes:
The American Journal of Economics and Sociology Vol. 76 Issue 2
Tom Secker and I were recently guests on Len Osanic’s Black Op Radio. We discussed The CIA and Hollywood series and specifically our episode on The Quiet American and Edward Lansdale. We discuss the theory that Lansdale was acting as a former ad-executive and was attempting to sell war in South East Asia. Tom and I also talk about the CIA’s use of George Orwell as propaganda, Charlie Wilson, and why government interference in cinema and culture is so dangerous.
Show Notes:
My guest today is the great Douglas Valentine. Doug joins me to discuss his latest book The CIA as Organized Crime. We begin by looking at why Doug decided to write this book and the way in which it is structured. Next we delve into Doug’s relationship with the CIA and how he came to write about it’s inner-workings. Doug talks about his relationship with the agency and how he began getting access to operatives and officials while writing The Phoneix Program, including his meetings with former CIA Director William Colby. Doug also talks about how the agency attempted to co-opt him with money and a job, and their monitoring of his activities and research. Doug and I also talk about how the agency has grown and evolved from the late 1940’s to the present. We also touch on the recent anti-Russian media operations the CIA is involved with. Doug explains how this is both a distraction and a divide and conquer tactic that the CIA has perfected over the years.
In the second hour Doug explains how his research into the CIA led him to explore and write two books chronicling the narcotics trade and the War on Drugs. Doug talks about the way in which the CIA took over the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and later the DEA. We talk about how important the drug trade is to the CIA and how it is a cornerstone of the agency and its operations. I finish off by talking about several exciting upcoming episodes coming out in the next two months.
Show Notes:
CIA documents on Douglas Valentine
In the first hour I am joined by Tom Secker of Spy Culture. We discuss his recent article examining the 1975 conspiracy classic Three Days of The Condor. We examine the film and its bizarre history; having former CIA Director Richard Helms on set for a day of shooting. Tom and I explore the notion that this was a first step for the CIA and their evolving relationship with Hollywood. Next we move on to the recently declassified CIA report on the Watergate scandal. We talk about the admission by the CIA that they had an active operative, Eugenio R. Martinez, among the plumbers feeding them information. Tom highlights the many important facts left out of the mainstream narrative of Watergate. Tom and I also discuss the notion that this declassification may be a warning to the current presidential candidates. Tom and I compare Nixon and Hillary Clinton, and wonder if the CIA is sending her a direct message not to mess with them.
In the second hour we are joined by Guillermo Jimenez of the Tax Revolution Institute. Guillermo begins by discussing the idea that Trump fits the mold of a South American populist leader. We discuss the general lack of sophistication when it comes to this election cycle, and political discourse in general. We also spend some time discussing the issue of drug use amongst the candidates and the office of the presidency in general. The three of us ponder if having presidents hooked on drugs is a tactic used by the Deep State to ensure control. We close out by discussing the melding of celebrity culture with politics, and the nihilistic worldview that has gripped the nation during this election.
Show Notes:
The CIA and Three Days of The Condor
CIA agent was among Watergate burglars documents reveals
Rounding off this second season we take a look at SALT, the 2010 action thriller starring Angelina Jolie as a CIA officer accused of being a Russian sleeper agent. We chart the development of the film, from its origins as an attempt to recreate the Bourne franchise, through Amy Pascal and Jolie’s conversations about making a female-led spy thriller. SALT is one of the less well known CIA-assisted productions, but along with technical advice from former CIA officer Melissa Boyle Mahle the producers also consulted with the CIA themselves in a video conference. The producers also employed Kurt Wimmer, one of the screenwriters from The Recruit. There is also a very weird story involving one of the extras in the opening sequence in North Korea.
We analyse the mystery of Evelyn Salt’s underwear and then the conversation hones in on Russia, who in 2010 were not on the news agenda, and how this movie predicted the rise of the ‘new Cold War’ that is commonplace in most current spy films and TV shows. The whole notion of a sleeper agent Russian spy ring was risible at the time but before long this exact story hit the news in a big way. We touch on the transhuman disguise that Jolie employs in the film and how this relates both to Argo and to Mission: Impossible, two other CIA-assisted movies. We round off looking back on season 2 of The CIA and Hollywood and suggest a possibility for doing season 3 in a different way.
Download The CIA and Hollywood ep 15
Show notes:
The Ultimate Action Hero – Salt (Making Of #1)
Spy Disguise: The Looks of Evelyn Salt (Making Of #2)
Robbie Martin is our final guest for this season as we dissect the 2012 docudrama Zero Dark Thirty. We discussed the difficulty in defining what kind of film this is – somewhere between a spy thriller, a documentary and a dry European art house movie. We get into the well-documented CIA support for the film and ask why this is the only major movie about the Abbottabad raid to get ‘Bin Laden’ and why it wasn’t particularly successful. Was the film meant to serve as a substitute for any real evidence of what happened in Abbottabad in 2011? Did the filmmakers even care whether what they were portraying was true or were they blinded by the excitement of the special access they were granted?
After summarizing the role of senior CIA and DOD intelligence officer Michael Vickers (who is portrayed in Charlie Wilson’s War) we discuss why so many CIA agents are portrayed in movies and TV. The conversation then zeroes in on ‘Maya’ – based on the real life CIA officer Alfreda Frances Bikowsky, who was critically involved in the 9/11 intelligence breakdown and the post-9/11 torture program. Getting back to the film we talk about the raid sequence itself which is very dry and realistic but we never actually see Bin Laden. We conclude that Zero Dark Thirty is like a rorschach test where you can bring your own expectations and prejudices to your experience of watching the movie. We round off talking about the portrayal of torture in the film and ask whether the controversies around the film were created as a smokescreen to avoid people asking the question: was it really Bin Laden?
Download The CIA and Hollywood ep 14
Show Notes:
CIA Memo on Rewriting Zero Dark Thirty
Zero Dark Thirty the CIA and DOD files
The ‘Dynamite’ Pentagon Interview Behind ‘Zero Dark Thirty’
Bin Laden Burial took place on Top Gun ship
CIA Inspector General’s Report on Engagement with the Entertainment Industry
CIA’s Queen of Torture Married to Former CIA Official Who Urges War Between Sunnis and Shiites
For this inaugural episode I am joined by my good friend and frequent collaborator Tom Secker. We begin by discussing the bizarre life and career of the CIA Hollywood liaison Chase Brandon. We then move onto the relationship between entertainment and the security services. We explore the notion that this going beyond mere propaganda, and instead represents a significant distortion of our culture and perception of reality and world events. Tom and I finish off by discussing the recent coup attempt in Turkey and some of our problems with the way the alt-media has covered this event.
Show Notes:
Biggest ever FOIA release from Pentagon Entertainment Liaison Offices
CIA Inspector Generals Report on Engagement with the Entertainment Industry
Porkins Policy Review 