• mozz@mbin.grits.dev
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    8 months ago

    If anyone thinks that the CIA and deep state is still secretly controlling the United States, picking the leaders, influencing media to present only the narrative that they want to see presented… well, now you got your answer. They’re not. If they were, every single TV news show every single night would be running stories about this kind of thing, and good things Biden has done, and associates of Trump who need to be in prison who aren’t yet.

    The irony is that some version of that influence and control campaign actually is happening now, on behalf of other countries, on social media. Their propaganda is getting presented front and center and getting tons of traction, and the US is in the unusual position of playing catch up on the influencing-mass-opinion game.

    • Mirshe@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      I feel there’s an element in the CIA that’s totally OK with Trump being in power, because it means they get everything green-lit (or Trump simply handwaves them gaining semi-autonomy again, like the bad old days). Remember, the years where they could simply launch a completely unauthorized coup in a foreign country are still within living memory, and well within institutional memory, and I’m sure there’s enough spooks that absolutely want that sort of power back.

      • Donkter@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        I think it’s more like the CIA is just running a completely different game. They wouldn’t dare want to bring any attention to themselves. The last thing they want is national scrutiny, even if it begins with the public on their side all it does is open the door for more probes and questions about where their money goes and what they’ve been doing.

      • daltotron@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Remember, the years where they could simply launch a completely unauthorized coup in a foreign country are still within living memory, and well within institutional memory, and I’m sure there’s enough spooks that absolutely want that sort of power back.

        I thought that was within living memory because that shit was still happening right now, and they just tend to declassify shit that’s like 50 years old that they don’t care about anymore, so that’s why we only ever hear about the ones that happened 50 years ago.

    • Lemmeenym@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      I say the CIA never had any meaningful domestic power. They were a convenient place for J Edgar Hoover to point at when he didn’t want scrutiny on his agency and the secret nature of their work in addition to the considerable power of the FBI under Hoover kept them from defending themselves.

      • Num10ck@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        George HW Bush was director of the CIA before President, but i guess that doesnt count as meaningful enough for you?

        • papertowels
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          8 months ago

          Since we’re big fans of attributing causation to correlation here, he was also captain of his HS varsity baseball team, and I think that’s what really got him the presidency.

        • Lemmeenym@lemm.ee
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          8 months ago

          He was also Vice President to a very popular President immediately before being elected. I think that had more to do with his becoming President than his time as director of the CIA.

          • Optional@lemmy.worldOP
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            8 months ago

            Carter: Tell me about the UFOs.

            Bush the I: not until you make me CIA director for life.

            Carter: That’s not happening.

            Bush the I: sucks to be you then. click