I worked in NSA, DIA, CIA, the Pentagon, NIC, FSTC, US Patent and Trademark Office, DOT, and a few other agencies over the course of 15 years. I started this career as a naive, very patriotic solder doing good for the good guys. This initial attitude accompanied me into work as a contractor.
Ever broadening my base of experience with diverse jobs in related, but different agencies I could not help but be perplexed by the inability for any clear and efficient functionality. Attempts to streamline work were chilled immediately. I could understand this when considering that a department has a reduction in workers, the leader of the group had a reduction in budget, and importance. A reduction in force for a contractor was also punished by loss of revenue. That was a failure of the system, I thought, for rewarding ineffectiveness.
Another point on the continuum of revelation.
A party line wrapped in main-street speak that made little sense in practical terms was communicated regarding any measure visible to the public. I learned quickly that those efforts were being used to funnel money into operations that were not visible, but part of an over arching doctrine by those working for power and aggrandizement. Those ardently working for the benefit of the country, its people and the general good did not get far.
I found this dichotomy out always by accident, mostly through extensive travel.
In Panama, I went into the men's barracks to use their laundry facility. A group of guys regaled me there with stories of how they were training El Salvador fighters. This was during a time when the US was condemning their death squads.
In Santiago Chile, I saw a group of midshipmen from our Naval Academy at a hotel. Answering my query as to what they were doing there, they were on an annual exchange with their Chilean counterparts when their ship ran aground, so they were there a few extra days. The US was descrying Pinochet's violations of human rights at the time. Of course, we sponsored him, but this was not commonly knows and certainly not stated.
And so on. I don't have the energy to list every point in the gestalt image that emerged over time of a country run by a team of professionals serving applied power. This picture is almost impossible to see unless you have exposure, and are open to seeing beyond your social context.
Anyway, I so appreciate the analysis by Mike Lofgren in his books that describe what I've learned, but haven't the capacity to describe. He is also pissed, as is apparent in his derisive (often funny) wording.
As to being angry, I really shouldn't. Human nature has developed to make corruption universal and controllable only in patches of growth with extreme vigilance and social health.
