Copyright 1994(c) 
 
                          THE BIG BANG 
                        By Michael Burton 
 
Los Angeles Times 
October 12, 1994 
 
[Publisher's Note: 
     In the 1960 ashes of bras and draft cards; peace and love, a
promontory of 'tune-in, turn-on, drop-out' lethargy may well have
stemmed a second full-scale American revolution. 
     In his own words, former C.I.A. Director, William Casey, 
explains how it was necessary to protect an America that roiled 
against lingering resentment over the Viet Nam War, from 
insurrection within. The National Guard killed college kids at Kent
State, Jesse Jackson railed, and muu-muu sales skyrocketed as young
people everywhere went to San Francisco, driving Volkswagen vans
and wearing flowers in their hair. 
     Casey spoke candidly to reporter, Leslie Calvert, about the
events of those times, with the stipulation that his words not be
published for a given period after his death. Calvert's questions
and Casey's answers are depicted by "Q" and "A" below, in this 
first installment of "Stoned in Sacramento."] 
 
STONED IN SACRAMENTO 
 
Dateline: Los Angeles, California 
By Leslie Calvert 
 
     William Casey was smaller than I remembered him from news 
clips. His demeanor, formerly hesitant, was self-effacing, -- 
almost timid, as he reclined in a rocking chair, one hand absent-
mindedly stroking the ears of his golden lab, Addie. 
     Casey spent the immediate period following his departure from
government service in a Washington townhouse, with Addie his only
companion, taking daily walks and communicating with family and 
friends through a computer modem. In the last weeks and months of
his life, Casey was an active member of several electronic bulletin
boards. He daily downloaded, read and responded to messages in a
variety of conferences, under the assumed name of Arthur Wise. 

Q:   "Wise is a provocative choice of names. Was there a bit of 
irony in that?" 
 
A.   "No, I didn't think of it at the time, although more than one
conference participant made that point when I expressed an opinion
which was considered radical." 
 
Q:   "Did you often find yourself doing so?" 
 
A.   "Surprisingly, no. There is very little opinion of import 
afoot today, and my participation, most frequently, is in response
to something intellectually stimulating I may happen to read." 
 
Q:   "Nonetheless, you did find yourself engaged in a highly 
investigative retrospective of 60's mania with more than one BBS
user in a conference called "Politics" shortly after you acquired
this hobby, didn't you?" 
 
A:   "It's always surprising how verbal the most ill-informed 
people seem to be. But yes, I engaged in an ongoing exchange for
about six months with several conference participants." 
 
Q:   "And it was during that debate that you made the comment that
resulted in a deluge of telephone calls to television stations 
across the country, and is the subject of our interview?" 
 
A:   "So it would seem." 
 
Q:   "According to our sources, you stated in those exchanges that
in the 1960s, it was government policy to quell rising unrest in
the public sector with an administration-sponsored reintroduction
into society of certain leisure drugs; notably cocaine, heroin, 
LSD, hallucinogenics, tranquilizers and marijuana. Your premise was
that these drugs were not only injected into society in a 
deliberate, wide-spread campaign; but that this reintroduction was
effected from some of the highest offices in the land, up to and
perhaps including then United States President, Richard Nixon." 
 
A:   "It was not my representation that former President Nixon's
full cabinet had knowledge or awareness of the drug war being waged
by certain appointees. President Nixon, who sometimes projected 
himself as too much a conformist to fully comprehend the extremity
of the measures taken in the name of his administration, was far
more instrumental than history will reflect." 
 
Q:   "But the premise remains the same, does it not? What you 
suggest is that the governmental body as a whole, either with 
hands-on duplicity, or through a studied policy of don't ask/don't
tell posture, deliberately drugged the populous, with specific 
intent to keep them compliant and orderly?"         
 
A:   "No." 
 
Q:   "No? A number of participants in the electronic conference 
where you reportedly espoused these views might beg to offer a 
different impression." 
 
A.   "Impressions are a lot like opinions. What I said then, and
what I say now, is that there is no question of removed 
deliberation in the actions of the late 1960's administration of
Richard Nixon. The decisions made, and actions taken, were made 
and taken with the informed knowledge and approval of that 
President. Disseminating his sole responsbility to a group of 
political advisers or government officials is misleading.  
 
"This was Nixon's baby, and he rocked it. Policy meetings occurred
on the highest levels to determine the best method of disbursement
of illegal drugs, and the most effective drug for its intended 
purpose, i.e., stifling any revolution, which was then perceived
as imminent." 
 
Q:   "So, you are saying that this was all done with the full 
knowledge and blessing of the President of the United States?" 
 
A:   "Yes." 
 
Q:   "And that his aides, appointees, political peers in such 
countries as Russia, France, Germany, -- his friends and family,
-- all were aware that he was advocating and assisting in the 
distribution of illegal drugs to maintain Democratic stability and
legislative credibility?" 
 
A.   "Yes, at his instigation." 
 
Q:   "What advance planning, if any, was done to counteract the 
potential addiction, and derivative acts of crime and violence  
which might result?" 
 
A.   "There were a series of policy meetings between international
heads of State, as well as a weekly meeting of cabinet officials,
spin doctors, political financiers, high-ranking police officials,
and Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, wherein data was 
collected, reports generated and strategy plotted." 
 
Q:   "You're saying Big Brother, in the guise of Richard Nixon, 
was in the driver's seat?" 
 
A:   "And Big Brother still is." 
 
Q:   "How do you perceive the almost-but-not-quite commencement of
the 1960 people's revolution, in retrospect?" 
 
A.   "It was like the Stones called it. -- Just a shot away." 
 
                              -30- 
 
[The foregoing is a verbatim excerpt of Leslie Calvert's taped 
conversations with former C.I.A. Director, William Casey, recorded
shortly before his death.]       
                               END