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imho NSA people is technically skilled but politically naive... and that's clearly why they work for NSA in the first place... Technical training can make you

by kome 5y ago

imho NSA people is technically skilled but politically naive... and that's clearly why they work for NSA in the first place... Technical training can make you good a something, but it doesn't necessarily make you aware of why you are doing something and what are the political consequences. That's why also social science education and critical thinking is needed... to avoid those kind of situations.

atlasunshrugged 5y ago
I don't think that's the only reason people work for the NSA. Lots of people who are patriots (in their mind) go because they think it's a good cause. And I'm sure there are also political operators who do it because they think it's a way up whatever ladder they're climbing.
- deleted 5y ago
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ganoushoreilly 5y ago
I would argue it's pretty naive to assume the positions of people internal to an organization such as the NSA. The NSA, just like the D.o.D., and the greater government employs people from all walks of life. They have representation of almost all major religions, atheists, democrats, republicans, libertarians, etc. It's no less diverse than other offices. I would also argue that the number of college educated to include PHD's is astronomical. Plenty of critical thinking happens to avoid situations. In this case, a service member that probably made 50k all in, was given a juicy contracting offer above the local market rate for the time (though for good operators, $200k local wasn't unheard of at the time). He saw the money, went to Dubai. Everyone in the agency knew of this contract, almost everyone said the same thing.. Screw that. A few took it, cashed in for a year or two, then left. The fringe number of people that took this contract are far fewer than the vast number that said no. I know I said no, and about a dozen others that said the same. On the same shoe I knew two that did, most didn't last over a year.

by kome 5y ago

atlasunshrugged 5y ago

I don't think that's the only reason people work for the NSA. Lots of people who are patriots (in their mind) go because they think it's a good cause. And I'm sure there are also political operators who do it because they think it's a way up whatever ladder they're climbing.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

ganoushoreilly 5y ago

I would argue it's pretty naive to assume the positions of people internal to an organization such as the NSA. The NSA, just like the D.o.D., and the greater government employs people from all walks of life. They have representation of almost all major religions, atheists, democrats, republicans, libertarians, etc. It's no less diverse than other offices. I would also argue that the number of college educated to include PHD's is astronomical. Plenty of critical thinking happens to avoid situations. In this case, a service member that probably made 50k all in, was given a juicy contracting offer above the local market rate for the time (though for good operators, $200k local wasn't unheard of at the time). He saw the money, went to Dubai. Everyone in the agency knew of this contract, almost everyone said the same thing.. Screw that. A few took it, cashed in for a year or two, then left. The fringe number of people that took this contract are far fewer than the vast number that said no. I know I said no, and about a dozen others that said the same. On the same shoe I knew two that did, most didn't last over a year.