Cryptonym MK-ULTRA: CIA to LSD

A healthy distrust of government has been brewing over the past two decades, and Project MK-ULTRA is a cornerstone fueling such public hesitation. Press For Truth correspondent Andrew Demeter reporting live…

If I were to tell you that the CIA secretly administered LSD among other drugs to unwitting American and Canadian citizens, would you believe me?

Maybe, I don’t know.

Sure, you know, why not?

Probably not.

Yeah!

No.

Yeah.

Well, yeah, I would. See, I’m a conspiracy theorist myself.

Yeah, I’d believe it.

I wouldn’t believe you. Why is that? ‘cause I don’t believe that they would sell drugs.

‘cause they like to have trouble.

‘cause I don’t believe they’d do that.

I think it’s possible, and – you know – maybe not possible.

I just don’t trust the government.

Just because, uh, just because I’m gonna agree with you.

I don’t feel like they can make you take anything that you don’t want to.

Our government’s f*cked up.

Casting aside political opinions, the CIA did – in fact – conduct covert experiments during the 50s-70s on 'behavioral engineering', otherwise known as mind control, on uninformed American and Canadian citizens. The Central Intelligence Agency's 'Scientific Intelligence Division' implemented Project MK-ULTRA under supervision of Sidney Gottlieb; the mastermind. In 1953's fiscal year alone, Gottlieb was allotted 6% of the CIA's research budget; an adjusted $80M for inflation. But, what was such a large sum of money funneled into?

Infesting hospitals, colleges, prisons, and pharmacies, MK-ULTRA manipulated people's mental states, altered brain function, and inflicted sensory deprivation alongside torturous verbal and sexual abuse. In 1964, MK-ULTRA's cryptonym was renamed to 'MK-SEARCH' and its scope was refined to target mental patients, prisoners, drug addicts, and prostitutes; those who wouldn't refuse free narcotics. So, the million-dollar question: why?

The U.S. government sought to test and, ultimately, produce a 'truth drug' for use of extracting intelligence from spies during the Cold War in response to similar methods utilized by the Soviets, Chinese, and North Koreans. In 1955, an overt MK-ULTRA document studied an assortment of mind-altering substances…

Number One: "Substances which will promote illogical thinking and impulsiveness to the point where the recipient would be discredited in public."

Number Four: "Materials which will promote the intoxicating effect of alcohol."

Number Six: "Materials which will cause temporary/permanent brain damage and loss of memory."

Number Nine: "Physical methods of producing shock and confusion over extended periods of time and capable of surreptitious use."

Number Fourteen: "Substances which will lower the ambition and general working efficiency of men when administered in undetectable amounts."

Now, why wasn't there some civil uprising during MK-ULTRA's studies? Well, 1973-[19]77 CIA Director Richard Helms ordered all MK-ULTRA files be destroyed. That said, in 1977 a cache of 20,000+ MK-SEARCH documents were uncovered, but weren't officially declassified until 24 years later: 2001. Oh, and, by the way… the Canadian government had full knowledge of MK-ULTRA/MK-SEARCH experiments and documents before the revelations went public in 1984.

My question to you, the viewer, is: if the CIA exercised brainwashing techniques a half-century ago via drugs, what's preventing them from doing so now, in the 21st century, via Operation Mockingbird and the mainstream media?

In liberty and vigilance, on behalf of Press For Truth, Andrew Demeter signing off.