So Much Intel, So Little Insight
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Yes, it’s staggering. The U.S. government has eighteen intelligence agencies—euphemistically known as the IC or the intelligence community. Interestingly, the infamous DOGE, searching for government efficiency, never challenged that “community.”
And that “community” doesn’t come cheap. Courtesy of my AI friends, here’s a rough budget breakdown:
National Intelligence Program (NIP) $81.9 billion, Director of National Intelligence (DNI)
Military Intelligence Program (MIP) $33.6 billion, Department of Defense (DoD)
Total Requested Funding $115.5 billion
The true figure is probably higher and also classified. So many “black ops” and black op sites. Nothing screams transparency like black programs.
I won’t bore you with the list of all 18 agencies. I wonder if there might be some overlap, redundancies, inefficiencies, and bloat? Of course not. Even if there was, surely it would be classified.
I once worked a bit with AIA, the air intelligence agency, but that’s the extent of my limited exposure to the IC. Lucky me.
The IC generates an enormous amount of intel but insight remains limited. You don’t always get what you pay for.
And, let’s be honest. As international lawyer John Whitbeck put it: “I often wonder why the United States needs 18 hugely expensive and massively staffed ‘intelligence’ agencies when all of the country’s most important decisions are made at the unconstrained whim of a single individual of no intelligence whatsoever.”
(I do like the rumors that President Trump only pays attention to intelligence briefings when his name is featured prominently. It’s Trump in a nutshell.)
In keeping with a five-sided Pentagon, America should probably have five intelligence agencies, as follows: the CIA, NSA, DIA, DOJ/FBI, and DHS. All others could be folded under those five.
Not that I’m a fan of the CIA etc. These agencies have far too much power (and resources) in our society.
Efficiency is less important than effectiveness, and based on recent events (e.g. disastrous wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Iran) the IC doesn’t seem that effective. Unless you define “effective” as enlarging its own power. In that sense, the IC is superb at protecting and enlarging its own turf.
The whole IC is antithetical to democracy and the idea of oversight being exercised by the people. The “community” should be as small as possible and as focused as possible on protecting Americans from real threats, rather than protecting itself from budgetary cuts.
Amazingly, something like 1.3 million Americans hold a “top secret” clearance, and the IC itself taps into a far-flung network of private contractors and related organizations. To say that it’s everywhere may be only a slight exaggeration.
As Chuck Schumer once said, the IC has “six ways from Sunday” of screwing with anyone who gets in their way. So I’d like to conclude by saying I love the IC. I really do!
Original article: bracingviews.com
