Porter Goss & Dr. Dre

Supposedly the environment at the CIA has gotten so bad, the agency has been chosen to host next year’s Vibe awards.

From the outside, Mr. Jones, it’s difficult to tell just what exactly is happening here. Is the new director offending longtime spooks because he is making the tough choices necessary to shake up a terribly ineffective, risk-averse culture? Or is he, not so long ago a GOP Congressman, out to purge the agency of independent dissent (Read: Democrats)? Either way, heads are rollin’.

One does not require an overactive imagination to see the significant problems which can arise by appointing partisan figures to such positions. A similar situation exists with respect to election officials, who are also elected partisans. Conflicts of interest and opportunities for corruption are rife, even if said officials are honest, decent people, as most certainly are. But such positions, and the systems they support, are far too consequential to take anybody's word for it. The importance of holding transparent, undisputed elections, free of taint, is too great. Not to mention the relative importance of gathering intelligence for our national security.

Who watches the Watchmen? We are, after all, supposed to be showing these folks how it's done.

N/P Dark Tranquillity – The Gallery