Stephen Kinzer: "The Brothers" Book Talk at the Watson Institute▬ November 4, 2013

ow.ly/twzoW Author and journalist Stephen Kinzer, who teaches international relations at Brown, discusses his new book, "The Brothers: John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles, and Their Secret World War."
John Foster Dulles was secretary of state while his brother, Allen Dulles, was director of the Central Intelligence Agency. In this book, Stephen Kinzer places their extraordinary lives against the background of American culture and history. He uses the framework of biography to ask: Why does the United States behave as it does in the world?

[@cheri238]

Steven Kinzser is one of our best journalist and writers. Thank you! ❤️

[@MattGrimmett]

You guys should check out "The Devil's Chessboard", same subject, just as in-depth and came out earlier than this one. None of this stuff surprises me except to say that so few have tied it all together and cognize that this is the world we live in.

[@rorygrant3822]

OK

[@AlanWinterboy]

David Talbot wrote "The Devil's Chessboard". Talbot also wrote, "Brothers", about Robert Kennedy's real thoughts and agenda re: he brother's assassination.

[@hollybigelow5337]

I agree that is a good one. I would also recommend "The Secret War Against the Jews: How Western Espionage Betrayed the Jewish People."

[@MKConnecticut]

Talbot wrote “The Devils Chessboard”. Douglas Valentine wrote “The CIA as organized Crime” another great book

[@parttimethinker7611]

Wow, Mr. Stephen Kinzer is a genuine American gentleman and scholars. Many old world empire fell because of similar involvements. It’s too late for Congress to change anything. Our Military Industrial Congress Complex was sold long ago. All we can do is to enjoy what’s left of our roller coaster ride to the end.

[@nassyfesharaki4132]

To me, an Iranian by birth, who has traveled relatively as much as this great man has, and has studied in person and in the books, many of what he is referring to, Stephen Kinzer is a torch in a dark world that surrounds us and is filled with many who either knowingly or unknowingly, are unaware of the darkness that surrounds us. I sincerely hope that I get a chance to meet him and have some person-to-person talks with him. I am sure that it will be enjoyable to share such moments.

[@pkramerable]

Born in 1957. When I was a kid, almost from day one, I was lead by everyone to believe, that because I was an American, I was a cowboy in a white hat, a good guy, whose right and responsibility it was, to police the world. By the time I'd reached the age of twelve, around 1968, I'd begun to learn I'd been lied to. I'm glad I saw that time, Vietnam, Nixon, the mid 1970s congressional hearings on CIA illegal "activities", the overthrow of the Shah, the Reagan era (Iran contra scandal, central American death squads ect.), the neo cons and religious right, and how the American media spin literally everything to back the government/corporate narrative. Because of that gift of coming of age during those times, I constantly question authority, and have NO "Trust" whatsoever in this nations political institutions. Endlessly told to believe that "We" as Americans, are at WAR and, always in the name of "National Security". War on Drugs, War on Pornography, War on Crime (Unless this is El Salvador, police are NOT soldiers. Not legally.), War on Terror, war on this, war on that, blah blah blah, woof woof woof. War on OMFGVIRUS. Well, ya know what? Screw "National Security". Shamdemic? Turns out the nazis aren't the only ones that want to rule the world. Right NSA? The Phoenix Program IS Homeland Security. Are ya listenin' NSA? "Stay safe!"

[@grace_alone_toward_repentance]

You may be a targeted individual for your outspoken resistance against government entities. If you are not then I am very surprised. I became a targeted individual for my outspoken opinions regarding our government and secret societies. I have scanned both, CIA and FBI surveillance vehicles near me with an entire network of servers directly linked to my location over and over again for over 7 years. My neighbors all hate me, yet they don't even get to know me. They have been told lies about me and have been conditioned to hate me. I can't even trust the one that seems to be friendly because he himself is also against me.

[@pilotactor777]

Smart guy. A whole new perspective on history...thanks to KZbin for laying this on me

[@danscalia1188]

Absolutely - a Leader - a single Individual can have and usually does have a major impact on a Country's History, or an Organization of any kind. And thier personal psychology is a major part if that person's thoughts feelings and actions. At the same time though- its because of the times that certain people rise in the ranks. Cold War paranoia and McCarthyism etc would have validated Dulles Bros. outlook and agenda .

[@martingabel1960]

Of course, Kinzer's knowledge is impressive, and he includes the government more in the CIA action than David Talbot did, this is a big plus. What makes me think critically of Kinzer is his allegedly "historical understanding" of the 50s. It was clear to every sound person back then, after witnessing the atrocities of two world wars and in the terminal phase of British colonialism, that intervention and overthrow of democratically elected foreign governments were morally, legally, and politically wrong, and in the long run just stupid and counter-productive. The very mural by Rivera Kinzer praises speaks out loud enough. The deeper cause behind the CIA actions seems to me, as a European and German, to be the jingoistic tradition in US foreign history visible in the dealing with native Americans, Mexico, Hawaii, and the Philippines since the 19th century, and going back up to the hypocritical and self-serving ideology of pseudo-liberalism at the very beginning of the USA which veiled an openly racist and genocidal ideology based on social Darwinism. The Dulles brothers are not like "we" are or have been or were, they are on the evil side of history, and they were already in their time. In this respect, I agree more with Talbot, Hedges, and Chomsky, among others, Chomsky being a good example for someone who had a clear view already 50 years ago. I do not speak of Andrew Carnegie and William James. You easily find decent and mentally sound people in all ages.

[@timlang4946]

It all makes sense now that the number #1 export from Vietnam is Oil. If Dulles was working for BP and Schroeder bank.

[@leeahna2616]

Go worship them elsewhere..

[@thomasjamison2050]

The Cuban invasion attempt (3rd one actually) led directly to the Cuban missile crisis. The other really interesting confrontation within the government over that was the one between Arleigh Burke and JFK.

[@salvadorvizcarra769]

The Economic Blockade that the United States imposed on Cuba, and which has been uninterrupted for more than 60 years, is the product of the revenge of the Dulles brothers against Fidel Castro, as a result of Castro expropriating the United Fruit Company (UFCO), more than 100,000 hectares of cultivation (Sugar Cane). Allen Dulles (CIA Director), and his brother John Foster Dulles (US Secretery of State), were a shareholder in UFCO, and were on the payroll for more than 30 years. Both bros. demanded payment from Cuban gov’t for the land expropriated from the multinational, a ridiculously high amount, when United Fruit Co. had obtained these large estates for $17 dollars per hectare and demanded compensation for $6,800 dollars per hectare. Castro was also asked to pay the cost of hotels, houses and casinos owned by the New York mafia and other figures of high politics in the US. As Cuba does not pay, the Economic Blockade continues. “If we can't assassinate Castro, let's assassinate his economy”. Now, 12 Presidents have passed in the White House, and the Blockade continues. Castro, Dulles Bros., Kennedy, LBJ and all that generation have already died; they are no longer here. And the Economic Blockade continues. Why? Why, if Castro NEVER affected the interests of the US people. Castro affected the interests of the New York Mafia, the UFCO and the interests of the Dulles Brothers. The Castro Gov't affected the interests some companies (6 companies), that conspired to assassinate him, but not affected the US People. (It would be an example to say that Mexico imposed an Economic Block on the US, cuz the US Gov’t confiscated properties from “El Chapo”, or from the Mexican Drug Trafficking Cartels). Castro never seized property from US citizens. Castro only seized the property of the New York Mafia. So, why? If perhaps the reason for the Blockade was cuz Castro was an ally of USSR, well, USSR has not existed for 33 years either. Then why? What is the reason for continuing with this Economic Blockade against Cuba? If you want to know about the atrocities and massacres of the UFCO and the CIA in Chile, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, consult Wikipedia: “Wars of the Banana Republics”. (From Stephen Kinzer book: “The Brothers”). Write the latter that appears in parentheses, and verify this information right here on KZbin. Or, do the same and search for it on Google.

[@j.j.hunsecker3009]

So great.

[@pierrepence9876]

Shooting-up Pie-in-the-Sky /The Dulles Brothers/In the feeble and the bad/The Dulles Brothers...

[@Kid_Ikaris]

The Watson Institute is great. Thanks for paying Mark Blythe to do what he does so brilliant.

[@sidDkid87]

1:30:00 … *WINE AND BOOKS!!!* 🍷📚

[@Zas1972]

💖👌👏👏

[@nzz2]

39:50 order of the invisible hand

[@thecat3805]

DOES THE LAST NAME STURGELL/STURGILL RING ANY BELLS AS TO WHOM ASSASSINATED KENNEDY..?

[@SIMKINETICS]

Frank Sturgis. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sturgis

[@knightalexius593]

Maybe, the Dulles Brothers had a deeper understanding of the logic of the US-Empire then Kinzer with their conviction that they could not allow third-world-countries to be independent.

[@Ronbo710]

Eisenhower AND Kennedy were both fervent supporters of U.S. covert action.

[@averayugen7607]

Both were but Kennedy was starting to understand what was wrong with that model...

[@dennissalisbury496]

Jack and Bobby Kennedy represented a new sheriff in town that did not represent the existing power structure but in fact opposed it.

[@jaws6307]

JFK was a Warhawk until the end. He invaded South Vietnam after already destroying crops and poisoning locals with Napalm.

[@davidpallin772]

@@jaws6307 Your nuts, SHAVE AND GO HOME.

[@cindylacy]

@@jaws6307 not true. Do more research.

[@thomasjamison2050]

Carlyle would never have considered the Dulles brothers to be great men. never.

[@jacpratt8608]

50m the Painting. Did they finally get some bright young painters do an exact size copy for the airport? Must google this. Re Congo. Now the matter of the plane crash or whatever it was that killed the 2nd UN Secretary General has come up on the horizon with a new book. Maybe he could do update.

[@sidDkid87]

3:04 … you’re welcome

[@trendlinetracker3147]

Was Hoover recalcitrant (re: Mississippi) because the FBI was involved?