It’s hard to say what’s the most terrifying thing about this NYT story on a private contractor sort of mini-CIA.
Could be that it stands to foul up more-official efforts in foreign policy. Could be that private contractors shouldn’t be paid to do things of the sort the CIA might do, things which often seem to exist outside the reach of law. Could be that this brand of extra-legal status shouldn’t belong to anyone, inside or outside of government.
Or it could be that the contracting of spies is a bad idea from start to finish–how long until it’s domestic (if it isn’t now)? Already, the government can seek information it’s barred from gathering via our terribly unfettered private sector. Already, the government seems to have tapped into the Internet infrastructure for data collection with the cooperation of the private sector.
Will we eventually see private police, as we’ve seen private jails?
All just questions, but none of the answers seem particularly comfortable.
