The Tavistock Institute and Mind Control

Two articles have appeared recently in the newspapers. One is about NICE suggesting that teachers should offer parenting classes to parents in schools. The other is in relation to the Tavistock Clinic which advises that adolescence should be extended to age 25. Guidance and advice seem to come from all directions and this fact was raised briefly in the previous post.  But who or what is the Tavistock Clinic?

According to Wikipedia: 

The Institute engages in educational, research, and consultancy work in the social sciences and applied psychology. Its clients are chiefly public sector organizations, including the European Union, several British government departments, and some private clients. The Institute owns Human Relations, the international social sciences journal. It also edits the journal Evaluation.

It provides two MSc degree courses:

The Tavistock Institute shares common roots with other organisations that emerged from the Tavistock Clinic. This is a source of much confusion, though the facts can be ascertained from the historical account of the Tavistock by Eric Trist, one time chairman of the Institute.

The Clinic is now part of a National Health Service trust, while the "Tavistock Institute", which once did research in many areas and was funded by many sources, is now a charity.

From Educate-yourself there is a less benign account:

Tavistock began as a propaganda creating and disseminating organization centered at Wellington House, which was where the original organization was put together with intent of shaping a propaganda outlet that would break down the stiff public resistance being encountered tor the looming war between Britain and Germany.

The project was given to Lords Rothmere and Northcliffe and their mandate was to produce an organization capable of manipulating public opinion and directing that manufactured opinion down the desired pathway to support for a declaration of war by Great Britain against Germany.

Funding was provided by the British royal family, and later by the Rothschilds to whom Lord Northcliffe was related through marriage. Arnold Toynbee was selected as Director of Future Studies. Two Americans, Walter Lippmann and Edward Bernays were appointed to handle the manipulation of American public opinion in preparation for the entry of the United States into WWI, and to brief and direct President Woodrow Wilson.

From a somewhat crude beginning at Wellington House, grew an organization that was to shape the destiny of Germany, Britain and more especially the United States in manner that became a highly sophisticated organization to manipulate and create public opinion, what is commonly termed, "mass brainwashing."

In case anybody believes that `mass brainwashing` is a far-fetched idea we have these next paragraphs openly displayed on the website of the Institute for Government:

The Institute for Government is an independent charity with cross-party and Whitehall governance working to increase government effectiveness. We work with all the main political parties at Westminster and with senior civil servants in Whitehall. We provide evidence based advice that draws on best practice from around the world. We undertake research, provide the highest quality development opportunities for senior decision makers and organise events to invigorate and provide fresh thinking on the issues that really matter to government. The Institute for Government is a registered charity in England and Wales (Registered Charity No.1123926). Our funding comes from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts. In November 2010, we were awarded Think Tank of the Year in Prospect magazine's annual awards. 

MINDSPACE: Influencing behaviour through public policy was published by the Institute for Government and the Cabinet Office on 2 March 2010. The report explores how behaviour change theory can help meet current policy challenges, such as how to: reduce crime, tackle obesity, ensure environmental sustainability. Today's policy makers are in the business of influencing behaviour - they need to understand the effects their policies may be having. The aim of MINDSPACE is to help them do this, and in doing so get better outcomes for the public and society.

Do we really want these Government Think Tanks, charities and trusts with their corporate backers and secret agendas to get closer to our children?  I think not.