5 ms·
For the sake of argument, I'll say, "spies aren't cool." Interestingly, about half of the "tips," Dulles writes are standard management training these days. Th
by motohagiography 8y ago
For the sake of argument, I'll say, "spies aren't cool."
Interestingly, about half of the "tips," Dulles writes are standard management training these days. The spy business as described is about using others as instruments, and I would argue most flat organizations are just a bunch of bored managers trying to get leverage over one another using similar tactics.
Trouble I have with the whole spy genre is it is the exaltation of deceptive people, which by most standards means objectively terrible.
The people I've met in the past who I pinned as "spies," seemed fun and intelligent, yet predictable and compromised. They were creatures of their institutions and just not free people, and on a basic level, they got off on betraying others. That inner smallness was what I think made them suitable for that job, and the remnants of admirable qualities that made some of them leave.
The WWII and cold war era seems romantic, but now it appears mostly what spies do is manage their domestic political situation as to maintain a status quo of an increasingly unpopular elite, who have more in common with their international counterparts than the citizens they ostensibly protect. Examples of states with advanced espionage operations can also be described as "kakistocracies," where people are promoted to senior roles for their ability to abuse and deceive. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakistocracy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakistocracy)
Are spies necessary? Sure, but only for a very narrow military counter intelligence mission, and any creep beyond that should be seen as a social ill.
- toyg 8y ago> exaltation of deceptive people The most exalted celebrities on the planet are actors, i.e. professional liars. Spies at least risk their life, and I bet they have to actually improvise more often.
- motohagiography 8y agoI would argue there are more actors who do their own stunts than spies who risk their own lives (albeit I can't comment on those of others). It seems closer to being a reporter, where you cultivate sources and relationships for access to information and better sources. Very similar personality type, hence why they recruit people with marketing and PR backgrounds, where instead of being earnest and civic minded or ideological like a reporter, they apply those same journalistic skills strategically.
- Just_Smith 8y agoI'm not sure if it qualifies as lying when both involved parties are aware of it. Escapism isn't the same as deception, as one entails a person willfully relinquishing reality and the other entails a person subversively creating a false reality for another.
- sandworm101 8y agoOn screen, both sides realize the lie. But being a modern actor is just as much about life off screen. Celeb culture, starting with stage names, is all about manipulating how people percieve your realworld persona. The people reading the celeb websites really do believe the lies.
- neurobashing 8y agoThe point of The Great Game, the Cold War, was to keep the game going. Either the game ended because everyone became friends or perhaps one side folded peacefully, or there was a Third World War. So yeah the point was, at least in part, to maintain the status quo, since that meant nukes were in silos.
- motohagiography 8y agoI'm with N. Taleb on the "suppressed volatility multiplies danger," principle. (some here, goog: taleb suppressed volatility, http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/nassim-nicholas-taleb-on-accepting-uncertainty-embracing-volatility/ http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/nassim-nicholas-t...)
- caycep 8y agoMy understanding is that a) Dulles was somewhat of a manic depressive nutjob (with a number of screwups in Europe and the Middle East) that Eisenhower could barely stand most of the time...he kept him around to keep his brother and Sec State, John Foster Dulles happy. b) most of the "intelligence" these days seem to be signals/electronic intelligence; human intelligence still plays a role but in more specific circumstances.