Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - CIA to be "purged" of "soft leakers and liberal Democrats"

guy44 · 11-14-2004, 10:18 PM

Agencies such as the State Department, the FBI, and the CIA should be semi-independent of the Presidency in order to ensure a plurality of opinions and conclusions. In fact, Kissinger distrusted executive agencies to such a degree that he suggested a President should engage in high-level actions without letting these agencies know. He believed that each agency's institutional culture and biases were so fettering that they slowed down top-level action.

He was extreme, of course, and nobody but him has really advocated that. But the idea is, these agencies are supposed to specialize in their areas and advise the President according to what they believe, based on their experience and knowledge. They are NOT supposed to be mindless arms of the President's will, supporting utterly his policies and doing so without question. When this happens, the President no longer gets the best information and advice. He or she should be making decisions based on the recommendations of his trusted advisors, not setting policy in spite of said advice.

Eliminating the presence of people who question his decisions in the government is a frightening example of Bush trying more and more to become a tyrant, in control of everything with opposition from no-one. Replacing these people (many of whom are the best people for their jobs) with those who agree with his policy, regardless of what they are, is a disturbing policy. Truly scary.

And I'd say this if it were Kerry or Bush doing this.

11-14-2004, 10:18 PM	#10 (permalink)
guy44 Somnabulist Location: corner of No and Where	Agencies such as the State Department, the FBI, and the CIA should be semi-independent of the Presidency in order to ensure a plurality of opinions and conclusions. In fact, Kissinger distrusted executive agencies to such a degree that he suggested a President should engage in high-level actions without letting these agencies know. He believed that each agency's institutional culture and biases were so fettering that they slowed down top-level action. He was extreme, of course, and nobody but him has really advocated that. But the idea is, these agencies are supposed to specialize in their areas and advise the President according to what they believe, based on their experience and knowledge. They are NOT supposed to be mindless arms of the President's will, supporting utterly his policies and doing so without question. When this happens, the President no longer gets the best information and advice. He or she should be making decisions based on the recommendations of his trusted advisors, not setting policy in spite of said advice. Eliminating the presence of people who question his decisions in the government is a frightening example of Bush trying more and more to become a tyrant, in control of everything with opposition from no-one. Replacing these people (many of whom are the best people for their jobs) with those who agree with his policy, regardless of what they are, is a disturbing policy. Truly scary. And I'd say this if it were Kerry or Bush doing this. __________________ "You have reached Ritual Sacrifice. For goats press one, or say 'goats.'"