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Everyone seems to presume the NSA has one overarching goal in what it does, but I thought it was obvious that it answers to the demands of the POTUS. Shouldn't conclusions about "effectiveness" and "competence" stem from what a POTUS's intent is when employing it? These aren't going to be satisfactory arguments against it (viz., "ineffective" or "incompetent").

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I bet it is just the opposite. The likely problem is that it exists beyond purpose. The middle managers that would be the people proposing and creating the structures that would notice and utilize the 9/11 intelligence are focused on their careers.

I've started using the phrase The Silent State for that phenomenon.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7755493-the-silent-state

To see this in action, pick a hot topic, and watch any public hearing where our representatives are trying to get straight answers from department heads and middle management. It's infuriating.

Effective governance, transparency, accountability are still unsolved problems. Meanwhile, more eyeballs and fact checking can help, given enough effort and endurance.

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