“Covert Ops”

Scandals and Conspiracies in American Government

Assignment:  You are to research one of the topics described below.  You are to write a paper of no more than five pages with at least five sources.  If you are detected, do not shred your documents.  The director will deny any knowledge of your actions.  Good Luck!

Theme/Purpose:  You are investigating examples of scandals, conspiracies, or covert operations in American government.  The purpose of this research paper assignment is for you to question what is “news,” to pique your interest in government affairs, and to expose activities that were meant to be kept secret – essential in a democracy, don’t you think?  We will compile all papers into a compendium so that students can learn about each other’s research.

Components:  Due the varied nature of the possible topics there is not a prescribed list of information which you must present.  However, use these guidelines in organizing your paper:  Answer all the basic questions: what, who, where, when, why, how?  “Why” may have more than one answer, and “how” will probably have something to do with “covert” action.  Also, consider cause and effect.  What precipitated your “operation,” and what has happened as a result?

Suggestion:  The phrase “web of deception” refers to the fact that scandals and conspiracies often involve many people, agencies, companies, etc., although they may not always be aware of the big picture.  Certainly, more than one of the topics below will involve various banks, the CIA, FBI, and other financial and intelligence agencies.  Consider following as many connections to see where they may lead.  (The narrative structure art of Mark Lombardi is a clue.)  Consider the advice: “follow the money.”

Warning:  Some of these scandals and conspiracies are well known by the general public, some are not.  Internet research will lead you to websites of questionable repute.  All answers should lead to other questions.  Be careful about what you believe.  Be careful about what sources of information you use.  Search for credibility, remain a skeptic, be objective, avoid bias, and always investigate alternative perspectives.

Possible Topics:

The Yazoo Land Scandal

Civil War Profiteering

The Lincoln Assassination

Credit Mobilier Scandal

Gould and Fisk

The Panic of 1873

The Whiskey Ring

The Tea Pot Dome Scandal

The Garfield and McKinley Assassinations

The Ku Klux Klan,

The Illuminati

Free Masons

Other secret societies in the US

Allegations of General Smedley Butler

World War I/II Profiteering

The Tuskegee Experiments

The Pearl Harbor Attack

The Manhattan Project

The Kennedy Assassination

J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI

Operation Northwoods

The Gemstone File

United Fruit

COINTELPRO

MK ULTRA

CIA Operations in Central America, the Middle East, and Europe

The Philadelphia Experiments

Death of Marilyn Monroe

Castro’s Cuba

Noriega’s Panama

Actions of various shadow figures: Bruce Roberts, Howard Hughes, James R. Bath, etc.

The Pentagon Papers

Watergate

Abscam

The Military-Industrial Complex

The Iran-Contra Affair

The Savings and Loan Scandal

The BCCI Affair

Bill Clinton’s Impeachment

The 2000 Election

September 11^th

Bush/Saudi Family Connections

Iraq/Afghanistan Wars

California Energy Crisis - Enron Scandal

Banking, Arms Dealing, and other international intrigues

2008 & the Great Recession (“too big to fail,” etc.)

The Art of Mark Lombardi

Wikileaks & Julian Assange

Bradley/Chelsea Manning

Edward Snowden’s NSA files

Drone Strikes & Drone Surveillance

Death of Michael Hastings

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