David Talbot: Allen Dulles, CIA and Rise of America's Secret Government

[Douglas Caddy]

David Talbot yesterday (10/19) added a significant comment to his Facebook review of the new film, Bridge of Spies. Up until I read his comment, I had been recommending the film, which I saw last week. But its historical omission of a very important fact disclosed below by David has caused me to cease recommending it:

The film omits the key fact that James Donovan had been general counsel of the OSS in World War II (the predecessor of the CIA). (James Donovan was not related to Wild Bill Donovan, by the way.) The film mentions (without explanation) that James Donovan had been a prosecutor in the Nuremberg Trials. He was an espionage professional and not simply a "common man" insurance lawyer. In dealing with Dulles, he wouldn't have been seen as an amateur. This omission radically changes the story.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Douglas Caddy

[Glenn Nall]

that caught my attention, too - "insurance lawyer?" there's creative license, then there's creative license... i'm sure the movie is terrific, but bold inaccuracies i cannot abide.

these are the reasons i've refused to see any of those biopics (?) - the Aviator, Hoffa, Hoover, etc. I can't deal with drama confusing the facts when the facts area already as evasive as ever.

[Chris Newton]

I can't deal with drama confusing the facts when the facts area already as evasive as ever.

Glenn,

Hollywood is as big a piece of the propaganda machine as any other medium. Name me one Hollywood film shot for the purposes of monetary profit that was factually correct or one that was close to being correct. It is entertainment but I hesitate to call it "pure entertainment" because of Hollywood's long association with Big Brother for the purposes of propaganda dating back to before WW2.

There are many terrific stories that will never get told because they are politically "incorrect" and some that are going to get re-told in a way that entirely obscures the real facts. The fact is that Studios are largely owned by corporations that determine what messages need to be told, what messages need to be re-told and which stories cannot be told at all.

[Glenn Nall]

I can't deal with drama confusing the facts when the facts area already as evasive as ever.

Glenn,

Hollywood is as big a piece of the propaganda machine as any other medium. Name me one Hollywood film shot for the purposes of monetary profit that was factually correct or one that was close to being correct. It is entertainment but I hesitate to call it "pure entertainment" because of Hollywood's long association with Big Brother for the purposes of propaganda dating back to before WW2.

There are many terrific stories that will never get told because they are politically "incorrect" and some that are going to get re-told in a way that entirely obscures the real facts. The fact is that Studios are largely owned by corporations that determine what messages need to be told, what messages need to be re-told and which stories cannot be told at all.

I fully concur.

I was once (i think it was just once ) afforded the privilege of attending one of those weekend long "DUI Classes" for some reason or another, and the one thing that jumped out at me, besides the immeasurable number of other things I could have been doing that weekend, like sticking needles in my eyes, for instance, was the enormous amount of money JUST BUDWEISER spent on advertising in a year - "enormous" doesn't begin to define the numbers. The magnitude of this kind of power drove home for me what is exactly involved in advertising, and how long it has been ruining America.

i think it was once somewhat understood that Uncle Sam had a hand in those propaganda films being shown to the soldiers in WW2 that you mentioned. And as i've studied this thing of ours i've finally accepted that, indeed, the govt, the CIA, etc, dictate to a large extent what is presented in our daily news diet.

I mention three different facets of the American entertainment vehicle (as did HL Mencken, as only he so humorously can) to say, "Yep. I fully concur. Who do we distrust the least in the industry? Oliver Stone? Spielberg? Michael (I can hardly finish the name) Moore?"

what a bleak picture.

[Douglas Caddy]

Occasionally a terrific film comes out of Hollywood that is free of Tinsel Town political correctness. This is one of those.

http://silencedfilm.com/

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2015/10/18

[Glenn Nall]

Occasionally a terrific film comes out of Hollywood that is free of Tinsel Town political correctness. This is one of those.

http://silencedfilm.com/

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2015/10/18

Um. wow.

isn't it interesting in human behavior that we may know what we know but are terrified of being shown what we know? Like the "C" word (cancer, not c-). If we don't talk about it, it doesn't exist.

i watch this trailer and think, "of course - I know this xxxx happens" and then i think, "God i don't want to see this movie - I'm afraid of what I might learn."

Edited October 20, 2015 by Glenn Nall

[Chris Newton]

Occasionally a terrific film comes out of Hollywood that is free of Tinsel Town political correctness. This is one of those.

Except it isn't. That is an Indie. Funded through Kickstarter. It's not Hollywood.

[Glenn Nall]

i think that this was pretty much assumed, with all the indie awards it received.

the question is, does it say anything substantial. Mr Caddy is, i'm assuming, pointing out that there are times objectivity gets through. You'll forgive me for speaking for you, Mr Caddy, and if i'm wrong, for that too.

yes, the low budget production bothered me, too.

honestly, i can't be bothered with film on this subject, except perhaps taped interviews. Filming gives a producer too much room for negative nuance. the written word, on the other hand, is just what it is - citable, provable or disprovable, and permanent.

i stand on the idea that, if this thing were to ever be found solved, it will be because of a document, a recorded comment, a record of someone's interrelationship with someone else, and in turn with someone else. it will be that simple. but it's still lying at the bottom of some crap API drivel that the less diligent just don't have time for.

but it will be found.

[Roger DeLaria]

Reading through these recent posts about control and influence of Hollywood and what we are supposed to think and be told, as well as the massive money spent on such as Glenn mentioned, I can't help but think back to Eisenhower's farewell speech regarding the military industrial complex massive $ being spent.

"A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction.

Our military organization today bears little relation to that known by any of my predecessors in peacetime, or indeed by the fighting men of World War II or Korea.

Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment. We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations.

This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."

[Glenn Nall]

i read somewhere that the phrase in the speech was originally written "military, industrial, congressional complex", but was for some crazy reason seen as antagonistic, and amended. or true, and amended.

anyone?

(oh,and thanks, Roger, for your reference to Joshua. people today do not know what backbone is. Joshua, historically, defined it.)

[Douglas Caddy]

The film “Silenced” came out of New York City where its two principal film companies are based, Reframed Pictures and Unjustus. I have not seen the movie but did listen to the fascinating interview of the Hollywood Academy Award nominated director James Spione, Sunday night on coastotcoastam (please read the summary of show in the link below). Based on his interview I feel comfortable in asserting that this is one of the most important films produced in the times in which we live. The persons profiled in it are among the most courageous of all truth tellers and all have paid a horrific price for making public what they know.

http://www.reframedpictures.com/

http://unjustus.org/

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2015/10/18

[James DiEugenio]

BTW, Talbot's book really gets really interesting at about the 3/4 turn mark.

I really don't want to give anything away, but some of the things Dulles was doing in the year before JFK was killed are just utterly fascinating.

And this is the first time I have seen them in print.

[Douglas Caddy]

David Talbot was the guest on coastocoastam last night. It was a terrific interview, filled with facts and revelations. One of the latter was Angleton's statement as he lay dying and facing his Maker that he feared he was going to Hell to join certain CIA colleagues. Talbot also stated that the groundwork for the evil that persists today was laid by Eisenhower when, among other things, he appointed Allen Dulles to the CIA and sanctioned the bloody overthrow of the elected government in Guatemala. Howard Hunt was the CIA agent designated to accomplish the latter. Talbot also said that in his mind there exists the "possibility" that Oswald killed Tippit in the mad rush of events following JFK's assassination. Talbot acknowledged to a caller who phoned in that he had heard rumors about the involvement of Gordon Liddy but that he had done little research into this subject.

Here is a summary of last night's program, which does not do justice to Talbot's masterful presentation.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2015/10/20

[Douglas Caddy]

David Talbot wrote on Facebook today:

Thanks to my friend Oliver Stone for his kind words about "The Devil's Chessboard." Oliver's "JFK" was the shock to the system that got many of us rethinking the national disaster in Dallas. To this day, Oliver remains the only top-tier Hollywood filmmaker with the courage to honestly explore the dark side of American history and politics. I'm very excited to see to his dramatic take on Ed Snowden, now scheduled for release in 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUWFm6b1IPI

[Glenn Nall]

David Talbot wrote on Facebook today:

Thanks to my friend Oliver Stone for his kind words about "The Devil's Chessboard." Oliver's "JFK" was the shock to the system that got many of us rethinking the national disaster in Dallas. To this day, Oliver remains the only top-tier Hollywood filmmaker with the courage to honestly explore the dark side of American history and politics. I'm very excited to see to his dramatic take on Ed Snowden, now scheduled for release in 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUWFm6b1IPI

retweet. no question Oliver Stone's film was the catalyst, and at just the right time. as was discussed earlier, higher powers have some control over the information dispersed, but they don't have THAT much control. If someone with the proportionate set of huevos wants to make a statement, then it seems that it can be done. What appears to be missing are significant numbers of huevos.

Didn't know he was doing something on Snowden. Shoot, i haven't even made up my own mind on this man - I think what i know i can get from Mr Stone is some real reliability amidst his brilliant drama. I think one of his skills is making the differences between the two pretty clear. i.e., Jim Garrison was nowhere near as handsome as Kevin Costner.