They arranged funding (e.g., for exhibitions) that would have otherwise not been present, which does indeed signal greater merit than was actually the case.
But, back then, there was a huge bias against all avant-garde/unconventional art present in the U.S.! Surely the CIA’s promotion effort could hardly outbalance the prevailing cultural attitudes of the time.
You’ve shifted the locus from “[the CIA] deceived the public about its merit...” to “Surely the CIA’s promotion effort could hardly outbalance the prevailing cultural attitudes of the time.”
But, back then, there was a huge bias against all avant-garde/unconventional art present in the U.S.! Surely the CIA’s promotion effort could hardly outbalance the prevailing cultural attitudes of the time.
You’ve shifted the locus from “[the CIA] deceived the public about its merit...” to “Surely the CIA’s promotion effort could hardly outbalance the prevailing cultural attitudes of the time.”