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> Who drops out of Oxford unless it’s to start a business? You’d almost think he was an intelligence asset of something. I think you've been smoking too much w

by Shindi 5y ago

> Who drops out of Oxford unless it’s to start a business? You’d almost think he was an intelligence asset of something. I think you've been smoking too much weed my friend.

Tycho 5y ago
If I was the British intelligence services, this is exactly what I’d do. Recruit bright, middle class students from Oxford, fast track their career through the NGO sector (where results don’t matter), build up their public profile with press coverage, then deploy them to the private sector and hope that they will end up inside one of the multinationals that are more powerful and influential than most countries. I mean I’m just idly musing here but something definitely seems off about his bio.
- bowmessage 5y ago
  Why make them drop out? Just have them graduate as normal?
  - Tycho 5y ago
    More beholden to your programme. With a degree from Oxford, world is your oyster. Earlier also means younger and easier to mould.
    - renewiltord 5y ago
      So these kids are bright but don’t realize that if they got the degree, the world would be their oyster. Smart enough to be spies, dumb enough to actually be spies.
      - Tycho 5y ago
        They need to choose: graduation + great career prospects, or guaranteed career but loss of alternative prospects. It’s not a case of the students being smart or dumb, it’s a case of the agencies realising that making the offer post-graduation gives them less leverage. Hypothetically.
- alisonkisk 5y ago
  That's a lot of work, for what goal?
  - qeternity 5y ago
    Access to information. Yes it’s a lot of work. What do you think all the billions spent by intelligence agencies goes towards? The people who work in the three letter agencies are some of the hardest working people on the planet.
  - Tycho 5y ago
    Like I said, for the placement of your agents/assets in important places. Having insiders working in places like Google would seem to me to be of great strategic importance.

by Shindi 5y ago

> Who drops out of Oxford unless it’s to start a business? You’d almost think he was an intelligence asset of something. I think you've been smoking too much weed my friend.

Tycho 5y ago

If I was the British intelligence services, this is exactly what I’d do. Recruit bright, middle class students from Oxford, fast track their career through the NGO sector (where results don’t matter), build up their public profile with press coverage, then deploy them to the private sector and hope that they will end up inside one of the multinationals that are more powerful and influential than most countries. I mean I’m just idly musing here but something definitely seems off about his bio.

bowmessage 5y ago
Why make them drop out? Just have them graduate as normal?
- Tycho 5y ago
  More beholden to your programme. With a degree from Oxford, world is your oyster. Earlier also means younger and easier to mould.
  - renewiltord 5y ago
    So these kids are bright but don’t realize that if they got the degree, the world would be their oyster. Smart enough to be spies, dumb enough to actually be spies.
    - Tycho 5y ago
      They need to choose: graduation + great career prospects, or guaranteed career but loss of alternative prospects. It’s not a case of the students being smart or dumb, it’s a case of the agencies realising that making the offer post-graduation gives them less leverage. Hypothetically.
alisonkisk 5y ago
That's a lot of work, for what goal?
- qeternity 5y ago
  Access to information. Yes it’s a lot of work. What do you think all the billions spent by intelligence agencies goes towards? The people who work in the three letter agencies are some of the hardest working people on the planet.
- Tycho 5y ago
  Like I said, for the placement of your agents/assets in important places. Having insiders working in places like Google would seem to me to be of great strategic importance.