Plausible deniability – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Plausible deniability is a term coined by the CIA during the Kennedy administration to describe the withholding of information from senior officials in order to protect them from repercussions in the event that illegal or unpopular activities by the CIA became public knowledge.

The term most often refers to the denial of blame in (formal or informal) chains of command, where senior figures assign responsibility to the lower ranks, and records of instructions given do not exist or are inaccessible, meaning independent confirmation of responsibility for the action is nearly impossible. In the case that illegal or otherwise disreputable and unpopular activities become public, high-ranking officials may deny any awareness of such act or any connection to the agents used to carry out such acts. The lack of evidence to the contrary ostensibly makes the denial plausible, that is, credible. The term typically implies forethought, such as intentionally setting up the conditions to plausibly avoid responsibility for one’s (future) actions or knowledge.

Anatomy of Controlled Opposition

This article inquires the nature of the phenomenon named ‘controlled opposition’, aka ‘limited hangout‘, which comprises useful idiots in the service of manipulative powers. This phenomenon is known in the history literature and is often quoted by media venues which proclaim to be ‘alternative’, i.e. auxiliary to the state/banking/corporate establishment, and yet may be controlled opposition themselves.