How Communist Propaganda Changed America

Summary

This video explores the rise of public relations in America, focusing on Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, who pioneered propaganda to manipulate consumer behavior. It delves into Bernays' work with politicians, including Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover, and his role in shaping public opinion during the Great Depression. The video also examines Bernays' influence on the New Deal era, his ideological conflict with FDR, and his later work with the United Fruit Company, which led to the CIA-backed coup in Guatemala. It highlights the power of PR in shaping political narratives and the implications for democracy.

Takeaways

• 📢 Edward Bernays, Sigmund Freud's nephew, pioneered the field of public relations in America, focusing on propaganda campaigns to influence consumer behavior.
• 🤝 Bernays collaborated with politicians, including President Calvin Coolidge, to shape public opinion and improve their images through events like the White House pancake breakfast.
• 📉 Bernays' propaganda campaigns contributed to the stock market boom and subsequent crash during the Great Depression, affecting many working-class Americans.
• 🏦 The Great Depression exposed the flaws in Coolidge's economic policies, which included deregulation and tax cuts for the wealthy, leading to increased income inequality.
• 🕴️ Bernays believed in controlling the masses through propaganda by an intelligent minority for the stability of American democracy.
• 🗳️ Franklin D. Roosevelt's (FDR) approach contrasted with Bernays', advocating for active government intervention and trust in the rationality of the public.
• 📊 FDR utilized scientific polling to understand public sentiment, leading to the creation of the presidential approval rating as a measure of public opinion.
• 🛑 Bernays, along with the National Association of Manufacturers, fought against FDR's New Deal, viewing it as a threat to free enterprise and individual liberty.
• 🗽 The 1939 New York World's Fair, influenced by Bernays, showcased an idealized vision of the future, promoting consumerism and technological advancement.
• 🍌 Bernays worked with the United Fruit Company to promote bananas and manage their public image, engaging in propaganda to protect their interests in Guatemala.
• ✈️ Bernays was involved in the CIA's psychological warfare and propaganda campaign that led to the overthrow of Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz in 1954, illustrating the power of PR in shaping international politics.

Q & A

Who was Edward Bernays and what was his role in American society?

Edward Bernays was Sigmund Freud's nephew and a pioneer in the field of public relations. He specialized in propaganda campaigns aimed at influencing consumer behavior, and he believed that the masses needed to be controlled by an intelligent minority for a peaceful and prosperous American democracy.

What was the impact of Bernays' work on the 1928 presidential campaign of Calvin Coolidge?

Bernays helped to improve Coolidge's public image by organizing a pancake breakfast at the White House with famous actors and actresses, which made Coolidge appear more relatable. Bernays' efforts contributed to Coolidge's successful re-election and his perception as a popular president.

How did Bernays contribute to the stock market boom and eventual crash during the 1920s?

Bernays distributed propaganda that encouraged the average American to invest in the stock market, promoting the idea that owning stocks was key to the American dream. This led to a wave of stock purchases, including by banks, which contributed to the overvaluation of stocks and ultimately the stock market crash that marked the beginning of the Great Depression.

What was the role of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and the Federal Farm Board in the response to the Great Depression?

These government organizations were created to provide loans to banks, businesses, and farmers to stimulate the economy. Bernays, who believed in the interests of corporations over individual citizens, played a role in persuading President Hoover to establish these entities, many of which were also his clients.

How did Bernays' views on democracy and the role of the public differ from those of Franklin D. Roosevelt?

Bernays believed that the masses were not capable of making informed decisions and needed to be manipulated by an intelligent minority for effective democracy. In contrast, FDR believed in the rationality of the public and that they could actively participate in government, advocating for policies that directly benefited the average American.

What was the National Association of Manufacturers, and how did it influence public opinion against the New Deal?

The National Association of Manufacturers was a lobby group created by Bernays, consisting of major US corporations. It launched propaganda campaigns to create emotional attachments between the public and big business, and it criticized the New Deal as a threat to free enterprise and individual liberty.

How did Bernays use the 1939 New York World's Fair to promote his vision of the American dream?

Bernays used the fair to showcase a modern, sleek future filled with new electronic products, symbolizing a harmonized future by capitalism and democracy. He designed Democra City, with a giant white Dome as its main attraction, to represent this vision and to reinvigorate the American dream.

What was the United Fruit Company, and how did Bernays help shape its public image in the United States?

The United Fruit Company was a corporation that had a monopoly over the Guatemalan banana trade and controlled significant parts of Guatemala's infrastructure. Bernays promoted banana sales by linking them to good health and created the Middle America Information Bureau to control the narrative about Central America, presenting it as a region that should adopt democratic American values.

How did Bernays contribute to the 1954 coup in Guatemala, and what was the outcome?

Bernays played a key role in the coup by manipulating public perception, framing Guatemala's president as a communist threat controlled by Moscow. He worked with the CIA to spread propaganda and psychological warfare, which led to the overthrow of the Guatemalan government and the installation of a puppet leader favorable to the United Fruit Company and the United States.

What was the significance of the psychological warfare campaign during the Guatemalan coup, and what tactics were used?

The psychological warfare campaign was significant as it aimed to create fear and paranoia among Guatemalan political figures and the public, convincing them of their inevitable defeat. Tactics included spreading anti-communist propaganda through radio, sending death threats and dummy bombs to government loyalists, and using the media to control the narrative in favor of the coup.

Outlines

00:00

📢 The Birth of Public Relations and Consumer Propaganda

This paragraph introduces the concept of public relations and consumer propaganda in America, highlighting the role of Edward Bernays, Sigmund Freud's nephew. Bernays established a firm specializing in propaganda campaigns aimed at increasing consumer spending. He believed that for a peaceful and prosperous democracy, the masses should be controlled by an intelligent minority. The narrative discusses the early 1930s conflict between politicians and corporations over America's consciousness, where Bernays used irrational fears to manipulate public opinion, aligning with the interests of businesses and the government.

05:00

🤔 The Manipulation of Public Opinion and the Rise of FDR

The second paragraph delves into the manipulation of public opinion by Calvin Coolidge's administration and Bernays' efforts to make him appear relatable. It discusses the economic policies that led to the Great Depression and how Bernays' propaganda encouraged stock market investments, which backfired. The paragraph transitions to Herbert Hoover's presidency, where Bernays continued his work, focusing on the interests of corporations over citizens. It contrasts Bernays' views with those of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who believed in an active government role and trusted the public's rationality, using scientific polling to gauge sentiment.

10:01

🎭 Bernays, FDR, and the Battle for the American Dream

This paragraph contrasts Bernays' and FDR's ideologies and their impact on the American public. Bernays, through the National Association of Manufacturers, launched propaganda campaigns to protect big business interests against FDR's New Deal. He crafted narratives that positioned enterprises as the sculptors of modern America. In response, FDR used films to expose the manipulative tactics of big business and public relations consultants. The 1939 New York World's Fair, organized in part by Bernays, aimed to reinvigorate the American dream, with Bernays creating Democra City to symbolize a harmonious future of capitalism and democracy.

15:02

🍌 United Fruit Company and Bernays' Propaganda

The fourth paragraph explores Bernays' work with the United Fruit Company, which had a monopoly over the banana trade and controlled significant aspects of Guatemala's infrastructure. Bernays was tasked with promoting banana sales and managing the company's image in the US. He warned of the dangers of public outrage if the oppressive practices in Guatemala were exposed. Bernays created the Middle America Information Bureau to control the narrative around Central America, aiming to rebrand it as a region aligned with American values. However, the bureau was shut down, and Bernays continued his work with United Fruit as the Guatemalan Revolution unfolded.

20:02

💥 Overthrowing Guatemala's Government: Bernays and the CIA

The fifth paragraph details Bernays' involvement in the CIA's coup against Guatemala's President Árbenz. Bernays and the US government framed Árbenz as a communist threat, despite no ties to Moscow. The CIA, with Bernays' help, used psychological warfare and propaganda to manipulate public perception and justify the coup. Bernays orchestrated journalist tours, staged events, and disseminated false narratives to the media. The CIA's operation, supported by United Fruit, successfully installed a puppet government, with Bernays playing a key role in shaping the global narrative to favor US interests.

25:04

🌐 The Aftermath of the Guatemalan Coup and Bernays' Legacy

The final paragraph discusses the aftermath of the coup in Guatemala, where the US-backed Castillo Armas became president, returning land to United Fruit and granting them preferential treatment. The US and United Fruit continued to manipulate media to justify their actions, portraying Armas as a liberator. The paragraph also touches on the visit by Vice President Nixon, who was presented with staged 'evidence' of communism to solidify the narrative. The paragraph concludes with a contemporary reference to a new channel launch, suggesting a continuation of narrative manipulation in modern times.

Keywords

💡Propaganda

Propaganda refers to information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. In the video, Edward Bernays is introduced as a pioneer in the use of propaganda for consumerism, which was a new concept in America at the time. The script discusses how Bernays used propaganda to motivate consumers to buy more, and how it was later used to manipulate public opinion during political and economic crises, such as the Great Depression.

💡Public Relations

Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization and the public. In the context of the video, Bernays is credited with the birth of the public relations industry in America, which was used to shape public opinion and consumer behavior. The video discusses how PR was employed by politicians, businesses, and even the CIA to influence the masses and control narratives.

💡Consumerism

Consumerism is the social and economic order and ideology that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. The video highlights how Bernays and the public relations industry he helped create promoted consumerism as a means to motivate people to buy more, even things they didn't need, which was a significant shift in American culture and economy.

💡Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that lasted from 1929 to the late 1930s. In the video, the Great Depression is mentioned as a turning point where the consequences of laissez-faire economic policies and the manipulation of the stock market by public relations tactics led to a significant economic collapse, affecting millions of Americans.

💡Laissez-faire capitalism

Laissez-faire capitalism is an economic system in which transactions between private parties are free from government intervention such as regulation, privileges, or subsidies. The video discusses how President Coolidge, influenced by Bernays, supported laissez-faire capitalism, which contributed to the economic imbalances that led to the Great Depression.

💡Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover was the 31st President of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. The video describes Hoover's presidency during the early years of the Great Depression, where his response to the crisis was seen as unsatisfactory by the American public. Bernays is mentioned as having worked with Hoover to shape media narratives and coordinate responses to the economic crisis.

💡Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt, commonly known as FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and served from 1933 until his death in 1945. The video contrasts FDR's interventionist approach to government with the laissez-faire policies of his predecessors. FDR's New Deal is highlighted as a significant shift in American policy, aiming to provide relief and economic recovery during the Great Depression.

💡Psychological Warfare

Psychological warfare is the use of propaganda and other psychological manipulation techniques to influence the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of a target group. In the video, psychological warfare is discussed in the context of the CIA's operation to overthrow the Guatemalan government, where Bernays played a key role in shaping the narrative and manipulating public perception.

💡United Fruit Company

The United Fruit Company was an American corporation that played a significant role in the economic and political affairs of several Central and South American countries. The video details how the company, with Bernays' help, used propaganda to maintain its control over the banana trade and influence in Guatemala, eventually leading to the overthrow of a democratically elected government.

💡Cold War

The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States and their respective allies, the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc, after World War II. The video mentions the Cold War as a backdrop for the United States' fear of communism and its use of propaganda to manipulate public opinion, as seen in the case of Guatemala.

Highlights

Introduction to Edward Bernays, the father of public relations and nephew of Sigmund Freud, who used propaganda to influence consumer behavior.

Bernays' belief in the need for an intelligent minority to control the masses for a peaceful and prospering democracy.

The use of propaganda to make President Calvin Coolidge appear more relatable and boost his popularity.

Coolidge's support for laissez-faire capitalism and the deregulation that contributed to the economic gap and the Great Depression.

Bernays' campaign to convince Americans to invest in the stock market, which later contributed to the Great Depression.

Herbert Hoover's hiring of Bernays to manage his public image and response to the Great Depression.

Franklin D. Roosevelt's contrasting approach to government, focusing on active intervention and support for the working class.

Bernays' creation of the National Association of Manufacturers to counter Roosevelt's New Deal and protect corporate interests.

The use of Hollywood and media to shape public opinion against the New Deal and promote pro-business narratives.

Bernays' involvement in the 1939 New York World's Fair, promoting a vision of a modern, capitalist future.

United Fruit Company's hiring of Bernays to promote bananas and manage their public image amidst exploitative practices in Guatemala.

The CIA's coup in Guatemala, orchestrated with Bernays' propaganda to frame the president as a communist threat.

Bernays' role in manipulating media narratives, including planting stories and staging events to control public perception of Guatemala.

The psychological warfare tactics used during the coup, including fear campaigns and the creation of the 'Voice of Liberation' radio station.

The aftermath of the coup, with Carlos Castillo Armas installed as a puppet leader and the media's portrayal of the events as a victory against communism.

Vice President Nixon's visit to Guatemala and the display of planted Marxist literature as proof of the overthrow of communism.

The launch of the 'Context Matters' channel, focusing on politics and providing in-depth analysis of historical events.

Transcripts

to what extent do you trust your

government do you think your government

would lie to you have they ever lied to

you and if

so why in our episode how consumer

propaganda changed America we were

introduced to Sigman Freud's nephew

Edward bernes he had created a new kind

of firm in America one that specialized

in propaganda campaigns meant to

motivate consumers into buying more and

more of the things they didn't need this

marked the birth of a new American

industry it would be called public

relations unlike his clients who

included businessmen celebrities and

notable politicians bernes himself was

not motivated by Fortune fame or even

political office what bernes wanted was

a peaceful prospering American democracy

and in order to have that bernes

believed that the masses needed to be

controlled by an intell ENT minority

this story is about the fight for

America's Consciousness that broke out

in the early 30s between America's

politicians and its corporations in its

aftermath Edward bernes would unite

America around irrational fears fears

that bernes felt if nurtured would be

strong enough to dissuade Americans from

the facts in front of them as the

corporations the president and the CIA

would all band together to feed the

American public

[Music]

lies in 1924 the president of the United

States Calvin kulage hired bernes to

help with his Public Image because

Americans thought coolage was super

boring to make the president feel more

relatable and hip bernes organized a

pancake breakfast at the White House for

coolage and a group of of famous actors

and actresses the event was widely

publicized and bernes continued to work

for coolage as he secured his second

term in office kulage was now widely

seen as a popular and successful

president and in no small part thanks to

America's booming economy like Bernay

kulage was a strong supporter of lé fair

capitalism and believed government

intervention in the economy would only

lead to

inefficiencies as a result of his La

Fair beliefs coolage signed deregulation

laws that allowed Banks to make risky

Investments he also cut taxes for the

wealthy which led to a growing gap

between the rich and the poor to inspire

optimism amongst America's working-class

citizens bernes convinced the masses to

begin investing in America's booming

stock market he distributed propaganda

that argued owning a piece of the stock

market was the key to the American dream

which resulted in a wave of stock

purchases from Banks who also happened

to be Bern's clients America's stock

market continued soaring but its

unsustainable growth had disillusioned

business owners bankers and politicians

who had all convinced themselves

recessions were now a thing of the past

and then seemingly out of nowhere the

Great Depression happened kage's

policies led to a significant oversight

in America's banking system and the

emotion-driven purchasing of Stocks by

retail investors instigated by bernes

had only exacerbated the extent to which

these stock were overvalued but it also

ensured that some of the biggest losers

during the Great Depression would be

workingclass Americans who until then

were convinced that they had been

investing in the American

dream a wave of panic selling had erased

half the value of the stock market and a

quarter of America's Workforce was now

unemployed so what did President kulage

do to fix this mess well nothing because

he had actually left office right before

before the Great Depression had started

and the new president Herbert Hoover had

no idea how he was going to calm down

the Furious American voters and so like

his predecessor he hired

bernes bernes worked to create positive

stories about Hoover in the media but he

also helped coordinate Hoover's response

to the Great Depression bernes believed

that the most important interests at

hand were not that of the American

citizens but that of the American

corporations that made America Rich

efficient and plentiful bernes persuaded

President Hoover to create the

Reconstruction Finance Corporation and

the federal Farm board government

organizations that would provide loans

to Banks businesses and Farmers many of

whom just happened to be Bern's clients

despite Bern's guidance Hoover's

response to the Great Depression was

unsatisfactory and Americans soon became

convinced that Hoover was an ineffective

as the attention of the American public

grew Franklin D Roosevelt emerged as the

leader of the democratic

party Roosevelt advocated for a new

approach to government one that was more

active and interventionalist he promised

to help American people through the

depression and won the 1932 election in

a

landslide soon after taking Office

Roosevelt made it clear that he would be

president of all the people including

those at the bottom of the economic

ladder in the working out of a great

National

program that seeks the primary good of

the greater number it is true that the

toes of some people are being stepped on

and are going to be stepped on but these

tolls belong to the comparative few who

seek to retain or to gain position or

riches or both by some Shortcut that is

harmful to the greater good bernes

didn't like like this as he and FDR had

ideologically opposing views on people

and the future of American democracy

bernes belied that the Judgment of the

masses couldn't be trusted the average

man doesn't know what's right for the

country the economy or even themselves

and that for a democracy to function

effectively the people must believe they

are entrusted with power and freedom but

in reality be guided by more aware

leaders who could mold the desires of

the public to align with a Clear Vision

for the future as bernes cynically

stated in 1928 the conscious and

intelligent manipulation of the

organized habits and opinions of the

masses is an important element in

Democratic Society those who manipulate

this unseen mechanism of society

constitute an invisible government which

is the true ruling power of our country

it is the intelligent minorities which

need to make use of propaganda

continuously and systematically unlike

Bernay FDR believed human beings were

rational and that the public could in

fact be trusted to take an active part

in government he believed that it was

possible to explain his policies to

ordinary Americans and take their

sentiments into account to do this he

was going to use a new American

invention called scientific polling and

its purpose was to offer a clear more

objective way of understanding and

documenting the collective consciousness

of America their system of opinion

polling was based on two assumptions the

first was that the public could be

trusted to provide answers that were

both genuine and useful the second is

that the government could be trusted to

use the polls as a method for

understanding Americans as opposed to

persuading them in the wake of this new

polling methodology the presidential

approval rating was born and whether it

was due to the polling methodology the

government's role in institutionalizing

this poll or FDR's genuine popularity

the newly conceived presidential

approval rating would go on to reaffirm

a clear message America loved FDR's New

Deal FDR's first New Deal focused on

providing relief to the unemployed and

stimulating the economy he became

incredibly popular for looking after the

average American and began advertising

the policies of his second New Deal

ahead of his re-election campaign the

name

please still Franklin Deeds

right president ruselt was cheery as

ever when he went into the booth to

record his own vote and a few hours

afterwards his optimism was justified

Broadway went mad as the former

president was returned again with the

biggest majority ever known in American

politics FDR promised that his second

New Deal would establish larger social

welfare safety nets protect the rights

of workers to bargain Collective

and it would establish minimum wages and

maximum work hours this all sounded like

a nightmare for America's corporate

Elite who believed that Roosevelt was

nothing short of a

dictator the leaders of America's

largest industries did all they could to

Lobby against FDR and spent millions of

dollars to try and bring his presidency

to an end America's industries felt that

they had to fight back and hired bernes

to deploy large scale ideological

Warfare against the values of the New

Deal bernes created the National

Association of Manufacturers a Lobby

group that still exists to this day the

group's members included all the major

corporations of the United States Who

provided bernes with the resources to

launch propaganda campaigns explicitly

designed to create emotional attachments

between the public and big business

bernes crafted a narrative that

suggested it was the Enterprises not

politicians who had sculpted modern

America bernes went on to plant articles

in leading journals like the Wall Street

Journal which sharply criticized the new

deal as a threat to free enterprise and

individual liberty in 1936 the National

Association of manufacturing introduced

the American plan an alternative

anti-new deal proposal which bernes

aggressively marketed across the country

bernes even infiltrated Hollywood

Studios persuading film producers and

news reels that there were greater

profits to be made by casting the New

Deal in a negative light films like

mgm's Gabriel over the White House and

Warner Brothers black Legion portrayed

FDR as a power hungry autocrat who

threatened American

democracy the president of the United

States May the rules be

suspended I would like to dispense with

all tape so I can answer questions

directly while I have the floor Mr

President there is a movement in

Congress for your impeachment hardly the

time for making any requests however

small very well I shall withdraw that

request but I would like to substitute

another I ask you gentlemen to declare a

state of National

Emergency and to adjourn this Congress

until normal conditions are

restored

During the period of that adjournment I

shall assume full responsibility for the

government I believe in democracy as

Washington Jefferson and Lincoln

believed in democracy and if what I plan

to do in the name of the people makes me

a dictator then it is a dictatorship

based on Jefferson's definition of

democracy in response to these campaigns

FDR made films of his own films that

warned the ordinary American of the

underhanded tactics big business used to

manipulate them and the central villain

was not the CEOs of the companies but

the public relations Consultants

themselves they tried to achieve their

Ends by working entirely behind the

scenes corrupting and deceiving the

public the aims of such groups may be

either good or bad so far as the public

interest is concerned but their methods

are a grave danger to democratic

institutions on three different

occasions bernes got a call from the US

president asking for help and now the

office of the US president was turning

against him bernes viewed this new

emerging political landscape with

skepticism he viewed FDR's

interventionalist approach to government

and faith in the rationality of the

public as a direct challenge to the

belief system that was responsible for

America's success this ideological Rift

set the stage for the 1939 New York

World's Fair the fa fair was originally

intended to celebrate scientific

discoveries but as one of the chief

organizers of the fair bernes was

adamant that the fair needed to be used

to reinvigorate an appetite for the

American dream in his own words there's

a growing misunderstanding and ignorance

amongst Americans as to who America is

disorders strikes disagreements

cleavages of all kinds grow out of this

lack of understanding of common

interests and common goals the World's

Fair celebrating 150 years of American

progress must be both a landing stage

and springboard bernes would base the

fair off a vision of a Sleek modern

future filled with exciting new

electronic products like the television

the fair slogan was Dawn of a new day

and it invited everyone to come visit

the World of Tomorrow bernes designed a

giant exhibition he called democra City

its main attraction was a giant white

Dome symbolizing a future harmonized by

capitalism and democracy in attendance

was President

FDR I hereby

dedicate the World's Fair the New York

World

Fair of

1939 and I declare it open to all

mankind he opened the fair with an

enthusiastic speech

but no one seemed to remember it

everyone was instead too enamored by the

shiny promise of future Prosperity the

fair had ushered in the fair was a

tremendous success and Drew in over 44

million visitors the success of the fair

greatly revitalized the reputation of

the public relations industry which had

been undermined by the Great Depression

and New Deal eras Bern's success had

caught the eye of his next client and

this client would be the Pinnacle of

Bern's career and provide an opportunity

for bernes to once again work with the

president of the United States to

disseminate propaganda intended to

strengthen America's democracy following

a surge in global coffee demand in the

late 19th century the Guatemalan

government dispossessed the indigenous

population of their land and allowed

foreign companies to purchase it two of

the largest land owners then merged into

the United Fruit Company

by the year 1900 it had become the

largest exporter of bananas in the world

and had a monopoly over the Guatemalan

banana trade but in addition to selling

lots of bananas United Fruit also ruled

over Guatemala governing through proxy

dictatorships United Fruit controlled

the railroads docks and communication

systems of the country at the expense of

the Guatemalan citizens in order to

protect and control the lucrative banana

trade it was known as a Banana

Republic after the world fair United

Fruit hired bernes to promote banana

sales within the United States which he

did by linking bananas to Good Health

however Bernay warned that United fruits

oppressive tactics over the Guatemalan

people a key element in their banana

Empire risked igniting public outrage in

America bernes knew that if the American

public learned about the harsh realities

of corporate colonization and the dire

working conditions behind their beloved

bananas this would be disastrous for the

company and the spread of capitalist

values to ensure control over

Guatemala's Workforce the United Fruit

Company had been pitting racial groups

against one another for decades American

whites would be given the most

prestigious jobs like managers and

financial advisers while people of color

worked hard labor the company made a

rigid distinction between Hispanics and

West Indian workers and administered

different Privileges and punishments to

each ethnic group if one group was

rewarded management told them it was

because they worked harder than the

other group if a punishment was

administered management told them it was

the other group's fault this would give

the two groups something to focus their

anger on rather than unite against

United

Fruit to control the narrative in

America United Fruit permitted bernes to

create a front group called The Middle

America information Bureau which

supplied information to journalists and

academics back in America Middle America

was Bern's attempt to Rebrand Central

America and reintroduce it to the

American public as a neighboring land

that could and should grow into

Democratic American values let led by

bernes the organization spun events in

Central America through the filter of

United fruits economic and political

goals providing American journalists and

opinion Leaders with United fruits

approved context for example in the

runup to the 1945 Guatemalan Revolution

the Middle America information Bureau

published a pamphlet titled every

American has a personal stake in our

relations with Middle America citing

quotes from military leaders business

executiv and government officials

explaining the interdependence of Middle

America and the United States but by

1948 United Fruit shut down the middle

America information Bureau as Thomas

Dudley kabok United fruit's new

president thought it was a useless waste

of money and terminated the entire thing

before leaving United Fruit himself the

very next year bernes was Furious but

stayed with the company for an annual

fee of more than a100

,000 about $1.3 million in today's

terms as Guatemala's Revolution raged on

a young Colonel named jacobo Arben

announced he would run for president

under a promise to take control over the

country's resources and get rid of

United Fruit it was a massively popular

move but an absolute nightmare for

United Fruit in 1953 president arbz

began taking Guatemala's Land by force

motiv ating United Fruit to turn towards

bernes for an unorthodox solution and

then a bomb went off in

Russia in 1953 the Soviet Union

announced that the United States no

longer had a monopoly on the hydrogen

bomb the fear of nuclear war and

communism gripped the United States and

the government was trying to tell the

people to calm

down president isenhower called upon

bernes for consultation and the two had

a secret

meeting it's the fallacy of devoting 85%

of one's worrying capacity to an agent

that constitutes only about 15% of an

atomic bomb's destroying potential Bern

said rather than reduce the fear of

Communism the President should actually

encourage and manipulate people's fear

in order to weaponize it by controlling

the narrative and such a manner that the

rational arguments became irrelevant the

US would be able to more effectively

unite America around a shared Mission

saving America and so to achieve this

they were going to create a fictitious

narrative in which America and the

American way of life were in danger and

bernes was going to use Guatemala as a

central villain in this Grand

exaggeration the plan was to frame

Guatemala's president as a communist a

communist who was controlled by Moscow

and devoted to bringing an end to

American Liberties but in reality Arben

had no relation to Moscow at all and

wasn't even familiar with communist

literature he was a democratically

elected president who was now going to

see bernes and the US government rewrite

Guatemala's

history President Eisenhower secretly

agreed that it would was America's

interest to topple the ARB Ben's

government and so the CIA was instructed

to pull off a coup using propaganda and

psychological warfare to ensure that the

defeat of the Guatemalans was inevitable

the man in charge of the coup was a man

named Howard hunt one of Nixon's

Watergate

burglars what we wanted to do was have a

terror

campaign uh to terrify our B

particularly terrify his his troops much

as the German Shuka bombers terrified

the population of of Holland Belgium and

and Poland at the onset of World War II

and just rendered everybody paralyzed

working with the United Fruit Company

the CIA trained a rebel Army from

Honduras and found a new leader for

Guatemala Colonel armas meanwhile bernes

was working to evolve the public

perception of

Guatemala Bernay invited a cohort of

journalists from various notable

newspapers on a tour of Guatemala they

knew very little of the country or its

politics but mes arranged for the

journalist to meet a select group of

Guatemalan politicians all of whom

confirmed that arbz was indeed a

communist controlled by Moscow this

technique proved highly effective and

was repeated four more

times during one visit a violent

anti-American demonstration broke out

but those who worked for United Fruit

suspected that bernes had staged the

entire

thing the CIA was now ready to invade

Guatemala but the American public was

fed a starkly different narrative

following Bern's meeting with President

Eisenhower major Publications like the

New York Times the New York heral

Tribune time Newsweek and the Atlantic

Monthly began disseminating articles

these pieces painted a picture of a

looming communist threat in America's

backyard in June 1954 the CIA initiated

the coup it was called operation PBS

success the CIA supported a military

faction led by Carlos armas and coupled

this with a psychological Warfare

campaign designed to convince

Guatemalans of their Inevitable Defeat

bernes played a crucial role here but

becoming the main information source for

major news writers like the Associated

Press United Press International and the

international news service these Global

agencies provided the foundational facts

and imagery that other Publications

around the world use to shape their

narratives and rather have actual

primary sources to draw

from they had

bernes the CIA went as far as to evoke

nerve Wars on individuals their campaign

entailed spreading fear and paranoia

among Guatemalan political figures via

the mail sending out death threats small

wooden coffins dummy bombs and hangman

noses all targeted to those loyal to the

government a pivotal element of the

psychological warfare was the voice of

Liberation a radio station that

broadcasted anti-communist propaganda

urging resistance against the ARB Ben's

government and support for Castillo Aras

while it claimed to operate from within

the Guatemalan jungles it was actually

based in Miami meanwhile the US

information agency was disseminating

hundreds of articles based on CIA

reports across the whole of Latin

America reinforcing the US Viewpoint the

CIA even convinced Allied governments to

Showcase video footage to its people

that casted the events in Guatemala in a

light favorable to the US narrative per

Bern's strategy United Fruit distributed

favorable articles and Anonymous reports

on Guatemala to every member of Congress

informing them that Moscow intended to

use Guatemala as a base where it would

launch an attack against the US in

Guatemala the Jacob arb's regime became

increasingly communistic after its

Inauguration in

1951 Communists in the Congress and high

governmental positions controlled major

committees labor and farm groups and

propaganda facilities they agitated and

led in demonstrations against

neighboring countries and the United

States the CIA wished to make an example

of Guatemala so neighboring host Nations

heavily controlled by American

corporations would be deterred from ever

Uprising the CIA paid off the Guatemalan

military so that the militia group that

they had Source from Honduras would win

after the victory Carlos Castillo armas

was appointed as president of Guatemala

where he served as a puppet of United

Fruit Company for the rest of his term

he returned all of the confiscated land

to United Fruit and gave them

preferential treatment over Guatemala's

ports and Railways the company continued

to influence the media of North and

Central America to justify what they had

done they called armos The Liberator and

told the inspiring tale of how he freed

Guatemala from its communist ties they

also destroyed what was left of our

Bond's reputation by calling him red

jacobo further tying him to the Soviets

a New York Times article written in 1954

states that President Castillo Aras is

continuing to act with the moderation

and Common Sense and jacobo orben anyway

is a defeated balloon hardly like to

cause any more trouble the media praised

armos for his good policymaking yet most

of his policies were proposed by United

fruit or the American

government Colonel arbend fled the

country and within months Vice President

Nixon visited Guatemala to see what a

fantastic job bernes Castillo and the

CIA had done and a final display of

propaganda by the United United States

PR department Nixon was presented with

piles of marxist literature that America

had planted in arb's office and bedroom

the Americans thanks to the help of

bernes had successfully lied to everyone

guys this is the first time in the

history of the world that the communist

government has been overthrown by the

people and for that we congratulate you

and the people of Guatemala for the

support they have given and we are sure

that under your leadership supported by

the people whom I have met by the

hundreds on my visit to Guatemala that

Guatemala is going to enter a new era in

which there will be prosperity for the

people together with liberty for the

people thank you very much for allowing

us to see this exhibit of Communism in

Guatemala I have some exciting news some

very very exciting news news can you

tell that I'm excited the team over

economics explained is launching a new

channel it's called context matters and

it's done in collaboration with the

redline podcast great podcast by the way

if you haven't checked it out and what

I'm perhaps most excited about is this

new channel is dedicated to politics and

we have some amazing videos out there

for the launch so go check it out share

it with all your politics junkies link

is in bio I'm gonna be binging it in

fact I'm gonna go binge it right

now I'm probably GNA start with the

North Korea episode that that looked

like a good episode but then again us

dictator episode that that also looks

like a pretty good episode go check it

out context matters I will see you guys

next time