THE BABY AND THE BAATH WATER

[kpete]

THE BABY AND THE BAATH WATER
Thursday 16 June 2011, 19:00

Adam Curtis

................................

And Za'im promised the Americans he would throw all the corrupt politicians in jail, reform the country, recognise the new state of Israel, and then bring in proper democracy. All the Americans were convinced that it was a brilliant plan - except for one man, a young political officer called Deane Hinton. Copeland describes a moment when they were out in Damascus planning the coup when Hinton turned to the rest of the group and said:

"I want to go on record as saying that this is the stupidest, most irresponsible action a diplomatic mission like ours could get itself involved in, and that we've started a series of these things that will never end."

Deane was promptly kicked out of the group and ostracised. The coup happened in March 1949. It was the first post-war military coup in the Middle East. It was a great success and the American celebrated "opening the door to Peace and Progress"

But then Za'im immediately went back on all his promises and turned into a violent tyrant. He got so bad that five months later a group of his subordinates surrounded his house and shot him to bits. And then they mounted another violent coup, this time with no promises. As Copeland noted - Hinton had been right. The Americans had started something - they had "opened the door to the Dark Ages" in Syria.

Here is Copeland interviewed in 1969. He is reflecting ruefully on the disaster they had created in Syria. His is the voice of a generation of Americans who had tried to intervene to bring democracy to the Middle East - not just in Syria but later in Iran and in Nasser's Egypt. The "Game" he refers to is a management game-playing exercise the CIA did in the 1950s when planning the interventions. It's aim was to predict how all the "players" in the country would behave.


VIDEO:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/posts/the_baby_and_the_baath_water

[librechik]

1. **ADAM CURTIS** (recommend highly)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trap_(TV_series)

I like all his documentaries, available on youtube. They explain so much, and in an entertaining way.

[msanthrope]

2. Miles Copeland??? Granted, he fathered the greatest R&R drummerm ever, but are you seriously

going to take the word of a man who never left the CIA's payroll on anything? I mean, it's an interesting read from George Bush's crony and friend, but really?

[bvar22]

3. Attempt to Discredit the messenger noted.

You guys got nuthin else these days,
do you?

[msanthrope]

4. Noting that your source of wisdom was the CIA station chief in Egypt during the Suez Crisis

is not discrediting the messenger, because no one who knows Miles Copeland would place any faith in his veracity, on any matter.

That you would find Miles Copeland a credible source is, frankly, incredible.

[bvar22]

5. Amusing attempt to erect a Strawman noted.

*