Shouldn&#x27;t be a surprise, the CIA has been involved in the art and media world for a very long time. Here&#x27;s what the first Google search turned up:<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.independent.co.uk&#x2F;news&#x2F;world&#x2F;modern-art-was-cia-weapon-1578808.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.independent.co.uk&#x2F;news&#x2F;world&#x2F;modern-art-was-cia-w...</a><p>&quot;For decades in art circles it was either a rumour or a joke, but now it is confirmed as a fact. The Central Intelligence Agency used American modern art - including the works of such artists as Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko - as a weapon in the Cold War. In the manner of a Renaissance prince - except that it acted secretly - the CIA fostered and promoted American Abstract Expressionist painting around the world for more than 20 years.&quot;<p>Of course modern art also is a great means to throw lots of money around, which is probably a bonus for these sorts of programs.