Politicization of Intelligence: CIA Report on Europe

[patcox2]

This seems so obvious I am amazed there is no mention of it even in the blog world, let alone the supposedly liberal media. Its blatantly obvious that Bush intends to transform the CIA from a professional, apolitical and non-partisan information gathering organization into just another tool for the promulgation of Republican party propaganda. There is ample evidence of this in the appointment of a partisan politician to head the agency, and in his first action, the promulgation of a memo informing all CIA employees that their first priority is to support administration policies. So, it is obvious that the CIA is expected to renounce all ties to the "reality based community." Independant analysis, critical views, and even bad news, are all now forbidden. The emporer is to be told only what he wants to hear.

So now the CIA has had a few months of this new regime, and last week, out of nowhere, comes a CIA report analyzing the future of Europe. And what does the CIA report conclude about our old friends in Europe? That it is doomed, destined to suffer economic catastrophe, that its a dying patient on life support. And why? Because, and this is where it gets interesting, because its governments provide their citizens with social welfare programs, and particularly and specifically, because it provides retirement retirement programs just like our Social Security (though in most cases better).

What a coincidence, right in the middle of a big Bush administration push to destroy our Social Security program, comes a CIA report which concludes that Europe is doomed, that the entire continent and every government in it is fast on its way to the hell of economic disaster in the handbasket of the social welfare state, and all because of their version of Social Security.

Well isn't that a shocker? This is the same Europe who's currency has been beating the dollar like a red-headed stepchild, the same Europe which the neo-cons warn may soon threaten the US's global dominance both economically and militarily. The same Europe that liberals everwhere can point to as evidence that social welfare programs work. Who'd have thought that Europe was in decline and on the brink of ruin?

I know who would think that. A Friedman-worshipping free-market idealogue Bush admininstration stooge who wants to build the case that Social Security is evil and must be destroyed. Thats the kind of "analyst" who would come to the conclusion that Europe's social welfare programs are destroying it. And if this free-market idealogue were also nakedly partisan and corrupt, he or she would release a public report stating that social welfare programs are evil and dangerous right in the middle of the Bush administration's rollout of a scare campaign meant to convince the public that Social Security will be the ruination of us if we don't kill it first.

So, is this a blatantly political piece of "analysis"?

I know I am overstating the obvious here, but I am amazed that this blatant political propagandizing by the new Bush CIA hasn't been called out, I am amazed there have been no leaks from disgruntled CIA employees, I am amazed I have not seen one supposedly "liberal" pundit mention how blatant and brazen the whole thing is.

[htuttle]

1. Let me put it this way...

...I would believe absolutely NOTHING about ANYTHING that comes from the Executive Branch for the next four years. Nothing from the FBI, the CIA, the Pentagon, the DHS, nor the President.

If they told me what time it was, I'd still double check it. The Executive branch has absolutely no credibility left. None. Nada. Zip.

[Wilber_Stool]

2. Let's see

How long have I been hearing that Europe is on the brink of collapse? I believe it's about 40 years now.