Tweety, the Peace Corps, the CIA and draft dodging.

[devilgrrl]

I need some help here. After reading 'Confessions of an Economic Hitman' I was left with the impression that the Peace Corps was a dumping ground for people who didn't want to serve in Vietnam (Tweety) and more or less a CIA front group as opposed actually helping people. Am I way off with these assumptions?

BTW, Chris Matthews is an asshole and bless the hearts of those whose stomachs are strong enough to watch him. What a disgusting human being he is.

[still_one]

1. I have known several people who joined the peace corps to help people

I would need documentation to convience me otherwise

[Jara sang]

2. USAID is a governmental front for the CIA within State.

[karynnj]

3. Same here only know 2 people

one of them only slightly, but I seriously doubt either are CIA. They fooled me if they are.

[devilgrrl]

4. I'm not saying that the Peace Corp is CIA...

though, it has been suggested that it's an unwitting partner of the CIA. I am NOT suggesting that people who join aren't sincere.

[still_one]

9. and the ones I knew who went to Africa in the 60's were anything but CIA

[DenaliDemocrat]

5. Oh Bullshit

I have known a lot of people in the Peace Corps (quite a few in graduate school, some in the federal government). They are mostly young people who want to use their education to gain experience and help people....no wonder Tweety the Repubilican got it worng. Anything that pertains to helping people is fucking covert vodoo as far as the Republicans are concerned.

[devilgrrl]

8. I never suggested the people who join aren't sincere...

how many times am I going to have to state that?

[JohnnyRingo]

6. I don't think the Peace Corps was a front for the CIA

But any organization or company that enjoys easy and unnoticed ingress and exit in foreign countries can becone unwitting vehicles for agents.

[BuyingThyme]

7. As I recall, Matthews' father was ONI. I could be confusing him

with somebody else, maybe Tim Russert.

If the Bushes are any indication, these things (intelligence links) seem to be inherited.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. I don't think there is any connection. Too much risk to the volunteers

and the Peace Corp only goes to the most US friendly/ no risk countries so they wouldn't have a need for CIA people in those places anyway.. However, Peace Corp volunteers would have a pretty easy path to a career into the CIA.

[Jacobin]

11. a couple of my friends joined to avoid the draft

however, it seems to have changed them for the better and they seemed to have done good things with it.

Not so Tweety

[cally]

12. I think you are way off base on this

I know that the CIA did use Peace Corp as a front for activities but that does not mean that all or even most volunteers were CIA. I've known many volunteers (one a family member) who spent two years helping folks. I think some of the early projects of the Peace Corp may not have been all that effective but the motivation of most involved was to help. The current Peace Corp has more effective projects IMHO.

I've been seriously considering joining the Peace Corp in a few years when my kids leave home.

[H2O Man]

13. It's interesting

to read the responses to this. In fact, the Peace Corps was believed by many of the leaders of revolutionary political and social movements in Africa and the Middle East to be a CIA front. In some cases, the Agency used the PC as a front to move people in and out of nations overseas. Malcolm X frequently made references to the Peace Corps as being a CIA front. The country that he used as an example was the Congo, by the way. This did not mean that the majority of young volunteers were anything but idealistic Americans, looking to serve humanity.