Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything

Not All Propaganda is Art 1: Operation Younger Brother

14 snips
Jan 23, 2024
Guests Richard Wright, Kenneth Tynan, and Dwight Macdonald discuss their involvement in the CIA's cultural battle in the 1950s. They explore topics such as the CIA's cinematic version of 1984, creating "books that don't smack of propaganda," and the experiences of African-American artists in France.
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ANECDOTE

CIA's 1984

  • The CIA secretly made a 1956 film version of 1984.
  • It featured a "happy ending" where Winston rebels, differing from Orwell's original.
INSIGHT

Purpose of 1984

  • The CIA's 1984 aimed to counter the Soviet Union's "peaceful coexistence" policy.
  • They sought to frame the narrative as a choice between freedom and death.
ANECDOTE

Sol Stein's Propaganda

  • Sol Stein ran a CIA-backed book program targeting European intellectuals.
  • He aimed to disseminate "propaganda that doesn't smack of propaganda."
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