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A Conspiracy That Isn’t - MK Ultra

“Coming up, the government’s bizarre experiments in mind-control using human guinea pigs”. ("MK ULTRA (History Channel Documentary)" 2017) The opening line hangs there, almost palpable, subtle yet dramatic music plays in the background leaving the viewer to ponder what they just heard. The over 40 minute “documentary” or presentation of evidence and accounts of the claim that follows in the History Channel's Documentary on MK Ultra feels more akin to something out of Hollywood. The information and plot presented is something that perhaps would happen in a Jason Bourne movie, but surely not in the real world, and surely not something the US government would perpetrate on its own citizenry. 

MK Ultra was a top-secret CIA project in which the agency conducted hundreds of clandestine experiments - sometimes on unwitting U.S. Citizens. Its purpose was to assess the potential use of LSD and other drugs for mind control, information gathering, and psychological torture. Though Project MK Ultra lasted from 1953 until about 1973, details of the illicit program didn’t become public until 1975 during a congressional investigation into widespread illegal CIA activities within the United States and around the World. (History.com)

The information above and the subject of my rhetorical analysis was presented in the from of a documentary by the history channel. The documentary itself is a very well produced video presentation, filled with; historical information, first hand accounts, and evidence that documents the conspiracy by the US Government to explore and become the world leader in mind-control. The documentary also states that in an effort to reach these goals, and under the auspices of national security, the government experimented on unwitting US citizens throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s. The video is rife with very subtle as well as not so subtle examples of all three of the major rhetorical proofs; ethos, pathos, and logos. These rhetorical proofs are used in a very effective way that can leave any viewer in shock about the information they were just given and in my opinion should make a believer out of everyone.  

(Chemical Structure of LSD above, compound was widely used in the project known as MK Ultra) 

Pathos - Emotional Argument

The rhetorical proof of pathos is defined as when an author “use(s) feelings, desires, or fears to influence readers” (Johnson-Sheehan & Paine 2019) It is in essence an appeal to a readers emotions. 

The opening composition of dialogue and dramatic music is perhaps one of the clearest uses of pathos used in this piece. There are two key words used that evoke this emotional response, they are; “bizarre” and “guinea-pigs”. These two words are, in my opinion, a blatant appeal to elicit an emotional connection and identity with the audience. The specific use of the term guinea pig implies to the audience that the government, in this instance, views the citizenry as less than, as expendable rodents, and as a means to an end. Tie this together with the word “bizarre experiments” and one can’t help but think that these actions  wouldn’t even be constitutional as a form of capital punishment, (reference the 8th amendment to the US Constitution) much less should it be allowed on unknowing innocent participants. These particular word choices immediately creates, or at least sets the stage for unified feelings of hostility and/or disdain towards any government or entity that could perpetrate such acts. 

Ethos - Appeal to Authority or Credibility

The rhetorical proof of ethos is when an author “use(s) the reputation, experience, and values of the author or an expert to support claims.” (Johnson-Sheehan & Paine 2019)

There are various uses of ethos that can be seen throughout the piece. Ethos and it’s extrinsic use are not used however to add credibility to the narrator but rather to a number of subjects who are interviewed and presenting material about the topic. When the piece begins to discuss the origins of mind-control experimentation as well as the legal implications, it clearly identifies one of the interviewees as a “Professor of Law, Santa Clara University” shown via a graphic in the lower third of the frame when he is speaking. This is a clear attempt by the piece to add credibility to the discussion surrounding these topics. Not only is this person a lawyer, but they are a professor of Law. This appeal to ethos is an attempt to persuade the audience that not only can they speak to the law but they are also qualified to educate individuals in the concepts and theory of law and therefore are qualified to weigh in on this particular subject.  

Furthermore it is this same lawyer who presents items relating to the congressional investigation into MK Ultra and the release of government documents that detailed some of the evidence of the existence of this program. Again the same banner of credentials appears again invoking an appeal to authority. 

Logos - Appeal to Logic and Reasoning

The final rhetorical proof, logos, is an appeal “to readers’ common sense, beliefs or values.” (Johnson-Sheehan & Paine 2019) And it is this to logic, or common sense, that I believe is the most commonly used and strongest appeal used in making the case for the conspiracy theory to be believed. One of the first such uses, is the presentation of accounts that the US’s various enemies on a state level were engaged in researching mind control. The argument being that since other countries are engaged in this type of research and warfare, the US would need to catch up and even surpass the knowledge and efficiency of other states in implementing these practices. After all National Security depends on us staying ahead of our enemies in the instruments and practices of warfare.

This particular appeal to logos in my opinion is an appeal to get the audience to by into not just the conspiracy itself, but to also buy into the motive that would allow the US Government to rationalize and create such a program. If you can convince people why the government would do something, convincing them that they followed through on the motive in my opinion becomes that much easier.

The strongest appeal to Logos in the presentation of the material are several examples of the US government acknowledging that this program existed. In essence other branches of the government, through investigations and official hearings, have shown that there is evidence that this program did exist. The piece cites a 1977 investigation and hearing by the US Senate Subcommittee on health and scientific research as well as the release of 16,000 declassified documents that allowed investigators to piece together details of the program. Subsequently one victim who died as a result of the program won a legal proceeding brought about by his family and was awarded $750,000 and received a personal apology from President Gerald Ford and then CIA director William Colby (History.com)

Combining Appeals 

At one point in the film, as the history and circumstances of the time are laid out in an effort to inspect the possible motives for the creation of such a program, the piece ratchets up the appeal to the audience by invoking all 3 appeals almost seamlessly and simultaneously using multiple mediums. The clip plays out as follows around the 8:00 minute mark. A Dramatic soundtrack with long suspenseful tones plays as grainy black and white images images of bombs, guns, Nazi soldiers, and historical figures flash across the screen (pathos), the narrator reads a a quote from William Donovan “a World War I Military Hero” and director of a new intelligence office (ethos), of his need to obtain “every subtle device or underhanded trick to use against the Germans and the Japanese” (logos and ethos). 

At this point I will not delve into each individual appeal as that has been covered in the previous section. However what is very striking and very powerful is the ability of the piece to use all three of these appeals in a concert of influence. This combination of appeals is a very convincing and effective construct to have the audience buy into the creation and motivation for the genesis of this government program.

The overall use of ethos, pathos, and logos in this piece in my opinion are used in a very effective way to present the information as fact and further the belief or curiosity in this particular conspiracy theory. Furthermore the combination of using two or more types of appeals at the same time makes the piece that much more effective in identifying with the audience and possibly making skeptics out of what were once non-believers. 

So...Is it True? 

After reviewing the documentary as well as looking at other evidence I am convinced that this program did in fact exist. The tone and register of the piece were very professional and presented in such a way that gave not only the known details into the program but the history and events surrounding its creation. It was presented in a way that the audience did not need to have any prior knowledge or understanding of the program or surrounding histories to get the full story, this was a very good way of outlining the entire argument that MK Ultra did exist.  

It is worth noting to any readers that want to delve further into what the CIA has acknowledged and what has been released that through a FOIA (Freedom Of Information Act) request there are hundreds of documents that can be read on the CIA’s own website regarding MK Utra  (CIA.gov)

What is not discussed in this piece is the entirety of success’s or failures achieved in an attempt to control the mind. The fact that this information and the accompanying records were destroyed before the investigation has spawned off a litany of what I call sub-conspiracies that run the gamut of tying this program to a host of other conspiracy theories which may or may not be true. 

The most important take away from this program in my opinion is the acknowledgement by the US government that it did in fact exist. And that had the applicable records been destroyed it is highly likely that its existence would never be acknowledged. It should serve as a cautionary tale that some conspiracies, no matter how outlandish could possibly be true and that no government should ever be thought of as altruistic. 

Full Documentary can be seen here; 

Works Cited

Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/search/site/MK-Ultra.

History.com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/topics/us-government/history-of-mk-ultra.

Johnson-Sheehan, Richard, and Charles Paine. Writing Today . 4e ed., Pearson Education, Inc., 2019. ISBN 13: 9780134808031

TRUTH TALK NEWS CHANNEL. “MK ULTRA (History Channel Documentary).” YouTube, YouTube, 22 June 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=64Z1hcn5UZE.