But would our government?
Abraham Lincoln said “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”
Bill Casey wanted to fool all of the people all of the time. Here’s a quote:
“We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false”
[William Joseph Casey was the Director of Central Intelligence from 1981 to 1987. In this capacity he oversaw the entire United States Intelligence Community and personally directed the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).]
But did he actually say that?
Barbara Honegger (bshonegg@gmail.com) claims he did, and she was there when he said it.
Quote: “This was said by CIA Director William Casey at an early February 1981 meeting of the newly elected President Reagan with his new cabinet secretaries to report to him on what they had learned about their agencies in the first couple of weeks of the administration.
The meeting was in the Roosevelt Room in the West Wing of the White House, not far from the Cabinet Room. I was present at the meeting as Assistant to the chief domestic policy adviser to the President.
Casey first told Reagan that he had been astonished to discover that over 80 percent of the ‘intelligence’ that the analysis side of the CIA produced was based on open public sources like newspapers and magazines.
As he did to all the other secretaries of their departments and agencies, Reagan asked what he saw as his goal as director for the CIA, to which he replied with this quote, which I recorded in my notes of the meeting as he said it. Shortly thereafter I told Senior White House correspondent Sarah McClendon, who was a close friend and colleague, who in turn made it public. BSH
Casey never denied it.
As usual the conspiracy
As usual the conspiracy theorists fail to vet the credibility of their source.
So we have a claim that a former (now deceased) CIA director said something. The only source of this claim is the testimony of someone who claims to have been present.
“Casey never denied it”
Was he ever asked to confirm or deny? Or did this accusation not surface until after his death, which would make it somewhat difficult to deny. If that is the case, then your “Casey never denied it” is typical of the dishonest and misleading tactics of conspiracy theorist crackpots.
So, given that this claim relies solely on the credibility of the testimony of a single witness, Barbara Honegger, who was a fairly short-lived staffer at the time (She was referred to as a “low-level munchkin” at the time). Lets have a look:
First, as this took place in the pre-internet era and I havn’t spent much time looking, I have not been able to locate any confirmation or evidence that she was actually present in the room during the meeting where this quote was apparently uttered. That does not mean that she was *not* in the room, but as a low-level staffer its somewhat odd.
So, looks like for the moment we must rely on her word that she was there, as there is a lack of evidence either way. Once again, it comes down to her credibility.
I’ll note that if someone as low-level as her was present, presumable it would be a rather crowded room full of officials and staffers and no one has ever corroborated her claim. Only the conspiracy theorist journalist she reported this to. (Yeah, even the media outlet that reported it was shady)
Barbara Honegger was an advocate of the “October Surprise” conspiracy theory wherein the idea is that Reagan contracted with the Iranians to take Americans hostage in order to influence the election and were paid vast sums of money and equipment to do so. No evidence was ever produced to support this claim.
Hmm, credibility not looking so good… It gets better though!
Barbara Honegger apparently believed that she had parapsychic or ESP abilities and was in communication with a supercomputer from the future. She claims a degree in parapsychology.
No, I’m not kidding. Google it. Supposedly her belief in her ESP abilities and bombing a media interview led to her being shown the door.
After she was no longer a government employee she seems to have lashed out in a variety of ways, making all manner of unfounded accusations and generally making a fool out of herself. Her credibility even then self-destructed.
Hmm.. so she’s a conspiracy theorist, no wonder Tom Finnel here trusts her word, she’s a fellow crackpot.
She’s now joined the 9/11 truther crackpots and this is likely why she’s now being cited by Tom Finnel.
So, a certifiably delusional conspiracy theorist crackpot is claiming a CIA director, who is now dead and thus cannot refute the claim, said something during a meeting which she hasn’t provided hard evidence that she was actually present for.
Yup, this is about the usual standard of evidence I expect from Tom and his ilk.
So, in conclusion, there is no good reason to believe that former CIA director Casey ever uttered these words.
Readers should also note the
Readers should also note the response doesn’t really fit the question posed, and given the CIA’s extensive focus on non-domestic issues, seems a bizarre response even if taken at face value.
The quote itself doesn’t pass the smell test, let alone the obvious lack of credibility of its “source”.
You're research is quite
You’re research is quite interesting. I feel I get an in-depth analysis not usually found here (except in cgrotke’s municipal reports :). I’m a history buff.
Ignorance and Arrogance
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Your ignorance is only exceeded by your arrogance.
Arrogance is being full of yourself, feeling you’re always right, and believing your accomplishments or abilities make you better than other people. People often believe arrogance is excessive confidence, but it’s really a lack of confidence. Arrogant people are insecure, and often repel others. Truly confident people feel good about themselves and attract others to them.
Arrogance is irritating because it is haughty, prideful, condescending. The arrogant man has closed his mind and is unwilling to listen. He believes himself better than he actually is, he esteems himself too highly and cannot be burdened to listen to others.
Neither ignorance nor knowledge are irritating, but arrogance almost always is. They worship themselves, and it puts off a disgusting stench.
I note you failed to dispute
I note you failed to dispute a single thing I said.
Your whining merely serves as confirmation that my shots have hit their mark.
The ad hom fallacy, when you have absolutely no evidence, no arguments, no rational basis for the nonsense you spew, cry “meanie!” and attack the person and their style rather than the substance.
As the gamers say, cry more.
Stings like bee, scratches like a cat
Having read the comments and replies from eschmitt, I do not recognize him in your “arrogance” monologue. If you found any information counter to what eschmitt has provided here, or an intelligent rebuttal, it would be preferred over a lecture on the vagaries of arrogance.
Furthermore I would assign
Furthermore I would assign far more arrogance to those who claim to know things that they do not or can not and who employ dishonesty and evasiveness when challenged than one who, while perhaps abrasive in delivery, supports their statements with reason and evidence and admits error the moment the evidence demands it.
Tell me Tom, in all of our dealings here, have you ever once refuted something I said with rational, sound argument or factual evidence?
Even once?
Have you even once ceded a point when I have provided piles of supported arguments and evidence that contradicted you?
Are you sure I’m the one who deserves to be called arrogant, when you are so unwilling to admit error?