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The CIA is one of the US' greatest assets. It's not going to be "exposed" and go away. Sure, many of it's atrocities might come to light and the public will be

by gragas 10y ago

The CIA is one of the US' greatest assets. It's not going to be "exposed" and go away. Sure, many of it's atrocities might come to light and the public will be mildly upset. But the CIA isn't going anywhere.

Synaesthesia 10y ago
All the basic human rights the USA enjoys has been won by popular struggle. The abolishment of slavery, civil rights, freedom of speech, women's rights etc. Similar things where said during these struggles for example, slaves are "one of the US's greatest assets" and that slavery was "not going anywhere". I see no reason why the popular struggle to improve human rights will not continue.
- na85 10y ago
  Torture may "go somewhere" but the CIA is staying right where it is.
- gragas 10y ago
  You provide a good counterpoint, but I think slavery was nowhere near an asset that the CIA is and has been to the United States (whether this has been a good thing for humanity and human rights as a whole is another question). The CIA has overthrown and installed numerous governments. It has forced ideologies and laws upon people all across the world. It has turned many countries into mere puppets for decades at a time. [1] Again, the CIA is by no means a humanitarian organization. It has overlooked countless basic human rights to achieve its goals. It has unarguably shaped the course of the history since at least the 1950s, and continues to do so. But we're not going to have a civil war over the CIA. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Intelligence_Agency#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Intelligence_Agency#Hi...
  - Synaesthesia 10y ago
    I am aware of the activities and achievements of the CIA. I think you underestimate slavery's importance to the US becoming a global agricultural and industrial power. That's not really the point I want to make, but rather that I think we could have a popular revolt against the CIA on a moral basis if the populace were better educated and informed. Sure propaganda has been enormously successful thus far but there's nothing preventing that from being overcome eventually. Maybe not soon,it may take long but still. The horror of slavery in the US persisted for centuries but it still was eventually overcome. Same with women's rights, it took centuries to overcome, eventually making substantial progress by the 60's-70's.
    - JoeAltmaier 10y ago
      Pedantic: From 1619 (first slaves in Virginia Territory) until 1865 is indeed (two) centuries. But it wasn't the USA until 1776, so just about 90 years.
  - sqeaky 10y ago
    > The CIA has overthrown and installed numerous governments And it has come at the cost of half the world hating our guts, many refusing to do business with us and constant erosion of trusting United States institutions and companies. There are many debts to counter and credits the CIA has gained. It would be very difficult to do the math, but just having a few more stable democracies would likely have made us all richer by enabling greater trade.
PavlovsCat 10y ago
who wants the world to remain as it is does not want that it remains -- Erich Fried, "Status Quo"

by gragas 10y ago

Synaesthesia 10y ago

All the basic human rights the USA enjoys has been won by popular struggle. The abolishment of slavery, civil rights, freedom of speech, women's rights etc. Similar things where said during these struggles for example, slaves are "one of the US's greatest assets" and that slavery was "not going anywhere". I see no reason why the popular struggle to improve human rights will not continue.

na85 10y ago
Torture may "go somewhere" but the CIA is staying right where it is.
gragas 10y ago
You provide a good counterpoint, but I think slavery was nowhere near an asset that the CIA is and has been to the United States (whether this has been a good thing for humanity and human rights as a whole is another question). The CIA has overthrown and installed numerous governments. It has forced ideologies and laws upon people all across the world. It has turned many countries into mere puppets for decades at a time. [1] Again, the CIA is by no means a humanitarian organization. It has overlooked countless basic human rights to achieve its goals. It has unarguably shaped the course of the history since at least the 1950s, and continues to do so. But we're not going to have a civil war over the CIA. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Intelligence_Agency#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Intelligence_Agency#Hi...
- Synaesthesia 10y ago
  I am aware of the activities and achievements of the CIA. I think you underestimate slavery's importance to the US becoming a global agricultural and industrial power. That's not really the point I want to make, but rather that I think we could have a popular revolt against the CIA on a moral basis if the populace were better educated and informed. Sure propaganda has been enormously successful thus far but there's nothing preventing that from being overcome eventually. Maybe not soon,it may take long but still. The horror of slavery in the US persisted for centuries but it still was eventually overcome. Same with women's rights, it took centuries to overcome, eventually making substantial progress by the 60's-70's.
  - JoeAltmaier 10y ago
    Pedantic: From 1619 (first slaves in Virginia Territory) until 1865 is indeed (two) centuries. But it wasn't the USA until 1776, so just about 90 years.
- sqeaky 10y ago
  > The CIA has overthrown and installed numerous governments And it has come at the cost of half the world hating our guts, many refusing to do business with us and constant erosion of trusting United States institutions and companies. There are many debts to counter and credits the CIA has gained. It would be very difficult to do the math, but just having a few more stable democracies would likely have made us all richer by enabling greater trade.

PavlovsCat 10y ago

who wants the world to remain as it is does not want that it remains -- Erich Fried, "Status Quo"