Intelligence in America ~ Not So Intelligent

Like that obnoxious TV ad says, "It's your money, what are YOU going to do about it"? What now you Old Hippie? What are you talking about? Simple, this is a list of the Intelligence agencies an the national level, here, in America. There are 15 of them! All of them funded by our tax dollars! In this time of record deficit spending which has brought this country to the brink of collapse, the highest deficit in history, there is a clamor in the nations capitol to reduce spending and reduce the national debt. But, as usual, the political system has the WRONG idea. One side wants to cut government programs, programs that help Americans. The other side wants to cut what they see as entitlements, but these are also programs that help Americans. BOTH sides want HEADLINES and their pictures in the news.

Below is the list I took from "Wikipedia" that lists the intelligence agencies in the federal government. You don't have to look at this list too closely to see that there are overlaps and redundancies here. Take a look! You don't have to have an advanced degree to see this!

• Independent agencies
  • Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
• United States Department of Defense
  • Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency (AFISRA)
  • Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM)
  • Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
  • Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA)
  • National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
  • National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
  • National Security Agency (NSA)
  • Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI)
• United States Department of Energy
  • Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence (OICI)
• United States Department of Homeland Security
  • Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A)
  • Coast Guard Intelligence (CGI)
• United States Department of Justice
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
  • Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
• United States Department of State
  • Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR)
• United States Department of the Treasury
  • Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI)^[6]

The U.S. Coast Guard has an intelligence agency? Why? Being no expert, I can't tell you, but being reasonably intelligent, I suspect that this is in large part because of drug shipments. Intercepting drug shipments into the US is part of their charter. But if you look, the DEA, whose primary responsibility is drugs, also has an intelligence agency. Isn't it just possible that there is a tiny bit of overlap here? I think that if this were a private business, they MIGHT try to install a phone line connecting these two, and ask that they call and talk to each other. And look here, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps each have their own intelligence agencies! So, if each branch of the military needs it's own intelligence agency, what is the purpose of the DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency)?  And all are part of the DOD (Department of Defense). But the beat goes on....

The DOD also has NSA (National Security Agency). Homeland Security has I&A (Office of Intelligence and Analysis), and of all places for it, the Treasury Department has the TIF (Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence). Add into this fiasco the usual cast of clowns, the FBI and the CIA, and you have more built in redundancy than the Space Shuttle. And with this redundancy, you create turf wars, and turf wars create massive inefficiency. If ever there was an example of inefficiency, it is government at any level, but this is really too much.

Few would argue the value on intelligence agencies. We need them. But anyone with any common sense could look at the current structure and see government waste. How about cleaning this mess up, save the taxpayer some money and do a better job in the process! Here is a news flash for you in government, groups with the same responsibilities become competitive, they don't work together! Clean your own house before you attack Social Security and health care. And don't think for a minute that this is only a problem in the federal government, oh no! State, county and city governments need to do their own house cleaning before they cry for more money.

I could go on about this for hours, but you would quit reading, and I'd only get more angry. And there is a storm starting, so my Internet connection will be gone shortly. Lucky you. But I am only an Old Hippie, and this is only my opinion. What is yours? Have A Great Day,

The Old Hippie