False flags, paperclips, and super spies: the secret Nazi origins of the CIA
False Flags – government-led covert operations designed to deceive the general population that the actions have actually been carried out by other entities, groups, or nations – have long been at the forefront of conspiracy theories concerning government smokescreens. Following the Cuban Revolution in 1959, Fulgencio Batista’s regime was overthrown, paving the way for Fidel Castro to establish a new communist Cuban government, with close ties to the Soviet Union. To combat what was seen as a threat to the United States, all American intelligence services combined in 1962 to launch Operation Mongoose to depose Castro. The Joint Chiefs of Staff maintained that the most effective way to remove Castro from power would be through military force, but it was recognised that an unwarranted invasion of Cuba would not be supported by the American people, and thus hold disastrous political consequences.
To get the American public on side, Operation Northwoods was proposed: a series of ‘False Flags’, including fabricated terrorist attacks on United States cities, plane hijackings, and the sinking of boats, all being made to appear as though carried out by Cuban operatives. Although Operation Northwoods was immediately rejected by President Kennedy, the fact that the United States government had once considered staging fake terrorist attacks to justify going to war with another country is one that fuels conspiracy theories to this day. Indeed, nearly 40 years later, an event took place on American soil that allegedly bears all the hallmarks of Operation Northwoods – the destruction of the World Trade Centre on 11th September 2001.
No conspiracy theory resonates more powerfully with the contemporary political climate than that of Project Monarch, named after the annual migration behaviour of the Monarch butterfly, when millions fly south from the United States to a small area of pine groves in central Mexico. The time it takes for this journey is longer than the butterfly’s lifespan, thus offspring born during the migration know to continue the quest, demonstrating the power of instinct. Scientists have questioned whether there is a genetic memory at work, hardwired in individuals, guiding them toward their destination. The Monarch butterfly has consequently become the symbol of a type of psychological programming that is said to permeate modern society and control millions of people across the world.
Conspiracy theorist Cathy O’Brien maintains that Monarch mind-control is a sub-project of MK-ULTRA combining occult rituals, psychology, and neuroscience to create alter egos within desired subjects. Under Project Monarch, victims, usually young children, are subjected to intense trauma to the point that their minds disassociate from the experience, causing a form of multiple personality disorder, known as Dissociative Identity Disorder. Monarch handlers are subsequently able to mould these disassociated minds into new and controllable personalities. Monarch conspiracies are becoming increasingly intertwined with radical-right propaganda, particularly surrounding the ‘Pizzagate’ scandal: the allegation that Hillary Clinton and her former campaign manager, John Podesta, were involved in an organised criminal network running a human trafficking ring in Washington D.C, involving the sexual exploitation of children.
A major impact of overlapping conspiracy theories, particularly in relation to the radical right, is the powerful psychological destabilising effect they can have on individuals, who become increasingly separated from reality. As a result, affected extremists often view their victims as righteous objects of their anger, and thus act out violently without conscience. The desire for scientific superiority at all costs, demonstrated by ‘Operation Paperclip’, represents the rapidly spinning moral compass of the United States government and intelligence agencies, in turn raising questions regarding national honour and security.
Perhaps even more concerning is that the scientists placed on a pedestal, are not only celebrated in contemporary propaganda, but also play a key part in the revival of support for fascist and National Socialist ideologies. Thus, the most extreme right-wing radicals, operating on forums such as Fascist Forge and Siege Culture, are increasingly focusing on the recruitment of scientists, particularly chemists and geneticists, as well as philosophers, historians, and cybersecurity experts, highlighting the efforts being made by contemporary neo-Nazis to rebrand themselves as an educated elite capable of advancing the fascist worldview.
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