HN Explorer

The United States Is Hiring

4 points by caretStick ↗ HN
The NSA careers site is down for maintenance, so hold the pill and let it dissolve.

US IC has done some great work that often gets ignored or not followed for political reasons.

We could have killed Al Zarqawi at the outset of the Iraq War: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/nada-bakos-how-zarqawi-went-from-thug-to-isis-founder/

Or not gotten into the Iraq War: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Libby

Or not gotten attacked on Sept 11th and avoided the whole mess: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bin_Ladin_Determined_To_Strike_in_US

Show some respect for the people who are employed to help insure that the world doesn't disintegrate tomorrow by applying to tell them that we understand their plight.

The US looks after its own interests, and those interests include over 300,000,000 citizens and a $17.9T economy.

It might not be a good day for romantic views of the democratic process, but it's always a good day for patriotism.

https://www.intelligencecareers.gov/

2 comments

[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 11.5 ms ] thread
mindcrime
Yeah, let's go work for agencies that:

Conduct illegal experiments on human subjects without their knowledge or consent. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKUltra

Tries to persuade minority leaders to commit suicide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COINTELPRO

Blatantly lies to Congress about the scope of their illegal program of indiscriminate mass surveillance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_R._Clapper#False_testimo...

Works to overthrow democratically elected governments of other sovereign nations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d'%C3%A9tat

Amasses secret files of potentially compromising information on elected political representatives, threatening the very nature of our democratic process. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover

https://www.intelexit.org/

[dead] caretStick
I have been motivated by each of these points to avoid working for the US. Quite frankly, on a calm, blue-sky day I consider myself one of the least fit people in terms of having compatible philosophy to work harmoniously within the IC. This opinion is wrought of long-standing dismissal after reading about CIA involvement in banana republics.

What is different is that I'm watching people who are also just as cognizant of their agency's shortcomings, be dismissed as incompetent and accused of all sorts of collusion and bias against an incoming US president. This is the one situation in which the US citizenry really needs them, when we really need each other.

The worst outcome of harassment of the IC from the office of the president would be weeding out enough principled employees to finally pervert it into some kind of ultimate evil. Forms of such concentrated power shouldn't exist, I agree. That option is certainly not on the table right now. That option is not actually on the table without international treaty, so let's get real.

I would encourage any applicant to read all of the articles above. Don't let down your guard. The US is not contained in its symbols, history, or identity, not that those things will protect you, but nor should they weigh you down.