[T'wit]

The CIA may not have anything to do with intelligence, but it has everything to do with conspiracy. The CIA is at the heart of every conspiracy theory I've ever heard (an unthinkably large number :-) ). Fully 42% of all conspiracy theories feature some form of the statement, "A former director of the CIA said/told me/revealed...". Another 17% of conspiracy theories say that a former director of the CIA was going to reveal the conspiracy, but they killed him before he could talk. In the remaining conspiracy theories, the CIA has the role of a dark, brooding Presence whose evil intentions are taken for granted.

[tillacum]

In the beginning the CIA was manned by people from many areas of business, acadamia, science etc. The feet on the ground were people from the area, not all were scrupulous, but did have the information needed. Then as the years passed, the cia became just another bunch of beaurocrats with their eye on the next promotion and not the safety of this country.