While the "war on terror" rages on (wait does anyone actually beleive this nonsense?), Americans unknowingly supports the largest, wealthiest, most technologically advanced terrorist organization on Earth; the CIA. The way I see it is that they are not really an "intelligence" agency, but a covert-action agency. Their dirty hands have been in nearly every country in the world since their inception, and most certainly in every country in which there's been economic struggle, political revolution/uprising, religious extremism, and war(s). There are countless former agents that are speaking out about the unethical operations of the CIA, and there is endless material written/recorded about such operations. I highly doubt that there is a crime on this earth for which the CIA can not hold responisibility. From petty theft to crimes against humanity. Why does America allow this to continue and why don't Americans abolish this joke of a government agency, and actually stop terrorism.

This really boggles my mind.

Is this some sort seasonal uprising of libertarian numnuts or something?

I'm just pissed that they got shotgunned "central intelligence."

CIA's power is really overrated imo. The problem isn't the CIA either. It's the government. If you waved a wand and disappeared the CIA there just be a SAS or whatever in its place.

There is no such thing as a "seasonal" uprising when you are talking about an agency that pays it's people to kill innocent women and children first hand. That pays its people to hijack shipments of food and beverage and to contaminate them. That pays their people to train others to persecute and murder innocent people. To ruin the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

For what?

You're probably like, omg, such a cool guy since you have the balls to call me a liberatarian numnut. Can I have your phone number?

Meanwhile before you go to sleep tonight, have a thought or two about just what the CIA does to "protect" your fat ignorant systematically desensitized population.

If you don't feel like these people need to be stopped and done away with at once, then I feel sorry for you. Then again, ignorance is bliss I guess.

A lot of hate, you have.

Anyway, to the answer the OP it doesn't quite matter whether the people support the CIA or not. Really, it doesn't change the big picture. They'll still do what they do and have classified budgets that the people legally have to pay for through their taxes.

The agent on the lowest end of the totem pole might be thinking that he's doing a service to his people and country (he'd be right in theory, but not in practice), whereas he may have no idea that he's serving a different agenda that the higher-ups are concerned with.

has anyone here ever actually acknowledged the CIA's vast and direct ties to Wall St.? From the early days of Clark Clifford, John Foster and Allen Dulles, to the Iran-Contra days of Bill Casey and Stanley Sporkin, to the 9/11 era with John Deutch, Maurice Greenberg and Buzzy” Krongard.

Oh, the ties are vast... just the sheer number of high ranking CIA officials who've also served on the boards of major investment banks.

Bc they ostensibly pursue our interests....

If you dont like their masters in Washington, or do not believe they are being steered correctly, get involved in the political process.

at least that means Barry had a good working relationship with the heads of the CIA before taking office

OP,

They'll kill us all if we don't support them ldo.

There have been a lot of ridiculous statements on this board from people of diverse ideological backgrounds, but this one may be in the running for the Politard Golden Hyperbole Award.

I think it's time to set up a contest for someone to create the perfect image for that award.

One more thing: this thread has real promise. I hope it is allowed to flourish.

If someone complained about rape would you tell them to get involved in the raping process?

Not really.



OP, I agree with you, however, I think the CIA should continue to function, but it should do what its name says its supposed to do - gather intelligence. It shouldn't kill anyone, and killing should only be done when in self defense of an agent's life. We need the intelligence, I think, but these covert murdering operations need to end.

Here's a more interesting question (to me):

Should the traditional separation in roles between the FBI and CIA maintained?

My rudimentary understanding is that the CIA originated for the purpose of gathering international intel, with the intention that it refrain from doing any domestic investigations. The FBI, on the other hand, began (earlier) with the mission of investigating and prosecuting domestic crime.

I'm sure that these lines have already been blurred, but I doubt to the point of irrelevancy. In other words, there are presumably still many bureaucratic roadbloacks (if not legal roadblocks) that slow or prevent the agencies from sharing info, overlapping roles, etc.

So, does it make any sense even to keep up the pretense of having these two distinct organizations?

As has been pointed out recently with the deaths of CIA agents at the hands of suicide bombers in Afghanistan, there's an increasingly blurry line between the CIA and the military as well. The line between the CIA's covert intelligence gathering and the military's role engage in warfare with conventional weapons is a pretty gray one now:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2...#ixzz0bqOrC7cE

I dunno, saying the CIA can be held responsible for every crime on Earth is probably close to the winner.

Either I'm misunderstanding it or you guys are. I thought the OP meant that they'd violated every law on the books, not that they are responsible for Joe Blow stealing a car.

That's how I read it too. Thought it was pretty obvious that he wasn't saying the CIA was involved in every single crime across the planet.

An oldie but a goodie:

Neoconservatism: A CIA Front?

Never underestimate the influence of an organization with an essentially unlimited budget.

One of the main criticisms of the CIA that I hear is that there is almost NO field operations any more, that we rely way to heavily on technological intelligence gathering. I would grant that the CIA has done immoral things to further the interests of the US but I also think this is ridiculously overstated here. No President has EVER trusted the CIA and their influence is vastly overrated. As used increasingly, they are a hi-tech spec ops force.

I think his/her rant could be interpreted either way.

OP, clarify, lest I be defending one of the most absurd statements of all time.

Then he worded it pretty terribly. It's definitely not "obvious," I read it like DVaut and Erik did.