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Comment by abnry | Hacker News Reader

He makes a case but two things: (1) Weiner obviously has an axe to grind in his polemic, and (2) we hear much more about the CIA's failures than its successes. But definitely during the cold war the russians smoked us in espionage.

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Pick the team that finishes last in any sporting tournament and you hear more about their failures than their successes. The usual response is "Well what successes?" So it would seem to be with the CIA. The USA is hugely and massively successful and the CIA hides its disaster laden, failure after failure after horrendous outcome in secrecy.

What success did the CIA have, ever? List their failures is so easy, I'll start with the ajax revolution and Pinochet, both occasions where if the CIA had done nothing the world would be better and the USA stronger.

> What success did the CIA have, ever?

* Operation Ivy Bells (joint with USN and NSA, according to Wikipedia)

* Stuxnet, possibly (unclear who was responsible for it, although it's generally thought to be joint US-Israeli effort)

The ones we've never heard about, which would be the highest form of success?

that's certainly what they'd have you believe.

Perhaps, do you have certainty that that isn't the case though? You seem to, but based on what?

Based on the utter certainty that if an American succeeds at anything, they will broadcast it loudly and repeatedly.

*yes, I'm making a joke. Mostly.

Perhaps, do you have certainty that that is the case though? You seem to, but based on what?

The story of the CIA's ongoing attempts to assassinate Castro reads like a slapstick comedy. Exploding cigars weren't even the silliest.

Hard to believe we were so close to nuclear armageddon bc of US's incompetence in Cuba in the 60s.

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