I just talked to a retired analyst with the CIA and he described Americans in 3 words.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

He said, Americans are "stupid, stupid, stupid."

He said, "You don't get reliable intelligence from torture."

He said "you don't hand your check-book over to RED China and expect positive results.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

1. He also said we make a big deal about voting in Iraq and few of us vote in America

[BeFree]

2. Tell him I said

That the snakes in the CIA have given the CIA a bad name.
Him included.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

3. foot soldiers follow orders, even if Bush gives them...

He fired 4 CIA directors before he found one that suited him.

[BeFree]

5. From a DU thread

Just before his death, James Jesus Angleton, the legendary chief of counterintelligence at the Central Intelligence Agency, was a bitter man. He felt betrayed by the people he had worked for all his life. In the end, he had come to realize that they were never really interested in American ideals of "freedom" and "democracy." They really only wanted "absolute power."

Link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9593414&mesg_id=9593632

[Jeffersons Ghost]

8. my old friend feels betrayed too, but not by the CIA.

He feels betrayed by America in general. He feels betrayed by citizens allowing Big Business to take away freedoms that the members of the CIA died to protect. He feels betrayed by our leaders climbing in bed with Red China.

[BeFree]

9. heh

Well, the CIA has lead the way on those activities.

Had the CIA been slap full of patriots he'd be proud of himself and the CIA.
And so might we. But we're not.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

10. Lots of troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam aren't "proud" of their deeds

[StarsInHerHair]

28. wouldn't that be the ceo's & the board of directors that moved

jobs to China? A shame retired spooks didn't care enough to persistently push for a Lefist- network to tell it like it is, while allowing Faux to go on. If anyone knows the power of propaganda...........he would.

[AnArmyVeteran]

17. Slightly off topic, but as a soldier I would never have obeyed an idiotic order.

[tabatha]

4. There are good and bad in every group.

Valerie Plame was good.

[JackRiddler]

6. The CIA is not a group, it is an institution with functions.

Large parts of it exist solely to break laws around the world.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

7. whether she was good or bad is unknown to me. What I DO know...

is that Plame was another example of Bush misusing the CIA. Remember, the president is the commander in chief. Shall we blame the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for the evils perpetrated there?

[Arctic Dave]

11. ? Since they are the ones doing the evils there I would say yes.

Sell that "they are just following orders" shit to someone else. THEY ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

12. Obviously, you've never been in their position...

They pump you up with patriotism at the recruiters office and boot-camp. Then they dump you in some jungle or desert. After that you follow orders or else. Mostly, you follow orders so that your comrades don't get killed.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

13. those of us that pay taxes to support the wars are also "part of the problem"

[Scuba]

21. Disagree. It's awful hard to discern an unlawful order....

...when you're in a firefight. Don't blame the troops. Blame the pols that put them in that position.



Sure, there are orders that are obviously unlawful. Even the grunt on the line knows you don't murder a trench-ful of innocent civilians. But troops on the ground don't (can't?) see the big picture.

[sarcasmo]

22. The whole Bush family has used the CIA for their gain. Papa Bush was a stone cold killer.

Appointed head of the CIA with no experience, if anyone believes that nonsense I have ocean front property in Iowa to sell them.

[femrap]

26. Her movie, 'Fair Play' just opened

in my city. Can't wait to see it.

[Sal Minella]

30. ?? "Fair Game" ??

[femrap]

31. It's the movie

about the 'Plame Affair.' I see you live in a 'fly over state' as well. It just opened in my artsy-fartsy movie theater yesterday.

See how MSM keeps us dumb????????????????????????

I hope the Mayans and the Hopis are correct about 2012. I ready for some REAL CHANGE!

[Initech]

14. We are a nation of dumb motherfuckers.

[whathehell]

25. Again....Speak for you, yours,

and maybe the Tea Pary.

I'm no dumb mofo and I don't think that progressives in general are either..

The "whole nation" thing is a bit much.

[Rex]

15. Totally fucked?

Oh wait that is two words.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

23. two TRUE words

[AnArmyVeteran]

16. Most Americans are breathtakingly STUPID!

I've never seen so many stupid people in my life. Americans as a group are the dumbest people on the planet when you consider all of the information at their fingertips. Not only are they stupid, they are lazy too. Very few people exert the amount of energy needed to be good citizens and learn about the candidates and the issues. Jefferson would be sad at how ignorant the electorate has become. He thought the greatest deterrent to oppression was a well informed populace. But right wingers are proud of their ignorance and stupidity. They even attack those who ARE aware, or who are smart and have college degrees. They also attack anyone who is an expert in any field and call them elitists.

The greatest threat to our country isn't any foreign enemy. It's the ignorance, gullibility and stupidity of people in the United States.

[juajen]

20. Sadly, I agree. This stupidity breaks my heart, but I see it every day.

I have many relatives and a good number of friends who are so ignorant that I wonder why I even speak to them? But, if I buy into that premise, doesn't that make me an elitist? I love these people, but there is just no getting through to them. Yes, they are republicans/conservatives/evangelicals, soaked in ignorance and drunk with their own sense of rightness and importance. They are the smuggest bunch of people I've ever seen. If I treated them as they treat me, they would never speak to me again. I am always the voice of reason. I am always pointing them to Snopes. I am truly sick of listening to the diatribes. What to do?

[leftstreet]

27. But these 'stupid' 'lazy' 'ignorant' 'dumb' 'gullible' people voted for Obama

Were they less stupid then?

[TheWatcher]

18. How About Easily Led Sheep.

Willfully Ignorant Marks?

Fascism Fetishizing Rubes?

Intellectually Lazy Zombies?

Terminally Apathetic Borg?

Obnoxiously Incurious Cattle?

Hapless Go-Along Dupes?

Oh, Wait That's Four Words.

My Bad. :)

[DerekG]

19. Shouldn't this CIA crony be grateful that we're stupid?

After all, if the American people were any smarter, we'd want to burn his fascist little outfit to the ground.

Luckily, his boys can keep on training death squads and overthrowing governments with nary a peep from us commoners.

[City Lights]

24. K&R. nt

[GrpCaptMandrake]

29. "Red" China

Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Red.

China.

Like in communist?

Oh, that's a laugh RIOT!

At this point, the U.S. is more "communist" than "Red" China.

Anyone who still says "Red China" or "Chi-coms" is living a generation into the past.