Stop putting out that nonsense that 95% are good. We’re talking about secret agencies that have a unique ability to cover their tracks. The public can’t exactly do an open investigation on them.
If 95% are good at the alphabets, prove it. Saying that we haven’t had a terrorist attack doesn’t mean that extra billions spent actually did anything because you can’t really do a prospective analysis. Look at the “war on drugs” . Since 1970 after the CSA we have spent billions and there is more drug trafficking and overdoses than ever. What, we need to spend even more? Sounds a lot like the war on poverty arguments. But, I do suppose these proud patriots need their pensions too.
Taking a government agent’s word on blind faith doesn’t cut it anymore. Secrecy breeds corruption.
Grumpy, your post deserves a reply. I do have a life outside of the inter web so sorry it’s delayed. To answer your 95% question requires informing you how big the IC community really is, and maybe even some not taught reasoning behind certain branches of government as well.
The IC community consisted of tens of thousands of operators, analysts, engineers and developers, testers, acquisition specialists and more. These are the folks who build hardware and software that collect, sort, analyze, and disseminate the vital intel our warriors use to go down range after bad targets. The IC community was born out of WWII to help us prevent, and if needed fight and win wars with minimal loss of American lives in battle. It has evolved over decades as technology has evolved and truthfully it’s a task to keep up. Our enemies are always advancing despite treaties to the otherwise and we have to be prepared if we plan to avoid the next 911.
Many of the three letter agencies (though not all) folks here criticize for not being constitutional contribute to the the national defense and the IC support of that. As an example, NGA aka NIMA was born out of the military need for accurate mapping so artillery fire could be more effective. Today it supports much more as you can imagine what a smart bomb needs to hit a small target and not hurt troops just around the corner.
So I can easily say that with 10’s of thousands across the country doing their part in protecting our warriors and our nation, even a thousand assholes playing politics with these tools can create dangers and abuses, and be only 1%, much less 5% of the IC community.
I am critical of cops with bad shoots or getting off shooting dogs for no reason, but I know it’s a small percentage of cops that are giving a larger community a bad rap. It’s the same here. If the obama appointed chief of NSA wants to misuse a tool designed to find terrorists by employing it against Americans, you don’t blame the IC for that. You get the right folks in to investigate and you send the criminal packing or to jail.
I hope I’ve explained it better to you. I am tired of the ad hominem.