Ethics haven’t exactly been the core focus of US governmental agencies over the decades — they prefer to make use of their stealth prowess for nefarious purposes, which is why we’re going to take a look at project MK Ultra and other shocking CIA programs.

Unethical human experiments were the norm a few decades back, and they could still be going on for all we know. Much like people didn’t know about past projects when they were going on, it’s quite unlikely that citizens would be aware of the new ones taking place.

The purposes of these experiments weren’t always clear, but for the most part, the CIA wanted a way to gain the upper hand against the enemies of the United States, whomever they may be. Whether it was by drugging people just to see whether they’d become easier to control or straight-up torturing them to see when they broke, the CIA has done it all.

Mad scientists got a free hand to try out their wildest ideas, while unsuspecting citizens got dragged into experiments they knew nothing about and certainly did not agree to be a part of. This was done for “the greater good,” that elusive concept spouted by all government agencies trying to justify their activities that are borderline legal, if not completely on the dark side.

No matter what conspiracy theories some came up with, they were denied or blatantly ignored by the authorities… until the files pertaining to various projects were declassified and the government had to admit to having authorized the program. Most often than not, however, since this declassification was done decades after the deeds, they’d just raise their shoulders in a shrug, apologize for their predecessors and move on. If you want to see what the US government is able to do, just read up on 6 facts about Operation Northwoods conspiracy theory.

Either way, we’re going to take a look at Project MK Ultra and other shocking CIA programs to see what the Central Intelligence Agency cooked up over the years.