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> The CIA has deep ties to the American upper classes That’s hardly unique to the US. Other nations’ intelligence agencies tend to attract the aristocracy, e.g
by DaiPlusPlus 6y ago
> The CIA has deep ties to the American upper classes
That’s hardly unique to the US. Other nations’ intelligence agencies tend to attract the aristocracy, e.g. all the Oxbridge alum at MI6/GCHQ.
- throwaway0a5e 6y agoJoining the intelligence services was basically the way the British upper class avoided combat service in ww2
- peteretep 6y agoYou can level a lot of shit at the British upper classes, but being war-shy isn’t one of them. Until about 50 years ago, the entirety of the officer corps was picked from the gentry, and it’s not _that_ different today. Junior officers are just as much cannon fodder as other ranks.
- arethuza 6y agoI'm pretty sure junior officers were actually one of the hardest hit sections of the Army in WW1 and WW2. I read a book recently about a young (19!) year old tank commander in WW2 and he was told by his CO when arriving in Normandy that his life expectancy was 10 days. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tank-Action-Armoured-Commanders-1944-45/dp/1474603289/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=103394305403&dchild=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqvaXsKLP6wIVYoBQBh04vgqJEAAYASAAEgIoqvD_BwE&hvadid=446291246879&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9046888&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=14773114840466312779&hvtargid=kwd-317742079097&hydadcr=24402_1816050&keywords=tank+action+book&qid=1599214534&sr=8-1&tag=googhydr-21 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tank-Action-Armoured-Commanders-194...