Was Jonestown a CIA medical experiment?

[Lauren Johnson]

An important audio record. The video below contains a 7 minute portion of a press interview given in 1980 by Joe Holsinger, who was the legislative aide to Congressman Leo Ryan.

Ryan was murdered at Jonestown.

Although the video has imagery of Jim Jones and the Jonestown victims, the voice throughout is that of Joe Holsinger.

Listening to this interview, I realize that as ineffective as the press was at the time of Johnstown, we could not have the kind of ponted questioning of the reporters. They are actually attempting to be journalists.

This interview is, from the point of view of journalism, is an artifact of history -- a curiosity that could inspire the Coen brothers, the Leni Riefenstahls of the age, to make yet another pointless film. Bring back Javier Bardem as Jim Jones. Make it something along the lines of Burn After Reading.

CIA Superior: What did we learn, Palmer?
CIA Officer: I don't know, sir.
CIA Superior: I don't fuckin' know either. I guess we learned not to do it again.
CIA Officer: Yes, sir.
CIA Superior: I'm fucked if I know what we did.
CIA Officer: Yes, sir, it's, uh, hard to say
CIA Superior: Jesus Fucking Christ.