Collateral Magic
A little teaser of my fifth title with ¡AGITPOP! Press and Johannah Herr.
Collateral Magic: How the CIA Conjured Democracy from the Cold War to the Forever Wars will be in stores at the end of the month and will also be available at Frieze NY (May 7-11), the LA Art Book Fair (May 15-18), and the Paris Ass Book Fair (May 15-18) at the Palais de Tokyo, where ¡AGITPOP! Press will have a booth. Johannah and I will be presenting a lecture-performance on our entire body of work at the museum on May 18 at 5pm.
The following is excerpted from the book’s introduction. The cover and some sample spreads featuring Johannah’s wizardry may be found at the bottom of this post. (Author’s note: for optimal enjoyment, read aloud in the voice of a coked-up William F. Buckley.)
In 1953, at the height of the Red Scare, early television magician John Mulholland pulled off his greatest disappearing act when he announced his retirement.
In fact, Mulholland did not retire: he went to work for the Central Intelligence Agency where he wrote The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception, a guide for marrying Cold War spycraft to a magician’s legerdemain.
Mulholland’s manual was declassified in 1977.
The following is a speculative analysis of magic in the field, tips and tricks on maintaining the illusion of democracy, and a friendly reminder that one cannot spell magician without the CIA.
Creating an Atmosphere of Magic
In this cruel world, we all need a little magic.
This book, as such occupies a very curious space: a liminal one in which we ask you to take an oath to the art of magic yet to learn the secrets of its tricks. Doing so implies a great deal of trust. Can we trust you? Can we trust you with our secrets? Rest assured: you can trust us with yours. We already know them, of course. You know who we are. And you know why we are here: to keep the global stage a free and safe place.
Our society of magic hails from hallowed halls, born of a secret society no less. Surely you have heard of the Skull & Crossbones set and might find it ominous or foreboding. You may be a conspiracy minded chap, eager to think outside of boxes and systems, drawn to magic by the lure of shadows or the unknown. But what could be more obvious than our fine democracy’s light embarrassment at the existence of its ruling class? Conversely, what could be more obvious than deferring to it now and then? Who would chide a little Yankee noblesse oblige? Why, in 1947 we simply called that patriotism!
We seek subtle minds, not the callow sort who looks to garishly pull back curtains and point crudely. Our work demands character, sophistication, and enough worldliness to know why we prefer our isolationism. Our men know every culture and curve of exceptionalism, from the Monroe Doctrine to Playboy Magazine. In our society of magic, we may gild the lily that is democracy but we will certainly not bedazzle a cape! We are deadly serious about oaths. Why? Because magic is not defined by tricks, though surely it boasts its fair share and this book is a precious catalog of them. Rather, magic is defined by control. You, the magiCIAn, must be in control. And you had better know why.
Magic, you see, is dependent on a worldview: it is all about balance—and what hangs therein. Magic is about holding truths in tandem, knowing the ruse yet holding fast to the deeper truth, showing fealty to such chimeras as red herrings and lesser evils, though you know them to be about as empty as a Trojan Horse. Much as Houdini debunked spiritualism and psychics, we debunk false ideologies. Indeed, the magiCIAn is seen by many as a two-faced moral authority, but—make no mistake—he is also a true believer.
Surely, you may protest, It’s fun to be fooled! In this cruel world, can we deny ourselves the pleasure of being fooled?
Ah, but the pleasure of being fooled is reserved for the audience—not those in our society. It will make you hard. If you want to stay soft, stay in the dark. If not, read. The heaviness of keeping such secrets is, in fact, the weight of responsibilities about being in control. The burden of knowing the score allows you the chance to conduct the orchestra, does it not? We keep these secrets close not for anything so tawdry as power, but rather in the service of a world order! My boy, you are but the suave host of the free world!
Think again about that Trojan Horse. The art of war is as ancient as the art of spectacle—and more enduring than a forever war (hell, even the Trojan War only lasted 20 years). In our society, we use magic words: enemy combatant, enhanced interrogation, wounded child no surviving family, good guys, free world, Mission Accomplished! You, my lad, are surely a quick study and will learn fast. Ultimately, you will learn that the art of war is convincing the public there isn’t one at all. That, in point of fact, is legerdemain.
Why, think of a child’s face lighting up at the simplest of conjuring tricks. How did that happen? It’s magic! Fantastical creatures fulfill all our wishes and make us feel safe, from Santa Claus to Uncle Sam. This is the child’s world where everything makes sense. You are not a child. You know better, now keep it to yourself. Clap and keep Tinkerbell alive for the kiddos, but let the Wizard of Oz stay behind that Iron Curtain lest the adults start asking the wrong (which in this case means any) questions.
One must strive to master one’s craft and control the narrative at every turn, from good evening to disappearing in a puff of smoke—or a smoke screen, as it were. Disappearing our misdeeds is of course the greatest and most essential disappearing act. To become a magiCIAn, we exhort you first to think like a magician: to comprehend the need for illusion yet to be in thrall to its craft. To strive to master it in the image of the American Way. The illusion you must perpetuate is that of America as ever the good actor. Be agreeable, natural, and assured.
And now for the tricks.
