Comment by jstarfish | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jstarfish | Hacker News Reader

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Something is off about this to me too. 6/7 people colluding in this way is highly abnormal-- even in the CIA, most people have some amount of integrity.

This smells to me more like one member of the team is salty about not getting an expected yearly bonus and is now claiming the rest of the team received one due to foul play.

When payroll is reviewed, I have no doubt there will be recent changes to pay for 6/7 of the team-- which will give this source enough credibility to not dismiss the rest of their allegations.

I'm not even commenting on whether the lab-leak theory itself is valid, but I do think this particular event is someone playing at shenanigans. When the only tool in your box is a shit-stirring stick...

>6/7 people colluding in this way is highly abnormal-- even in the CIA, most people have some amount of integrity.

Yes, they probbably thought they were acting with integrity. It wasn't labeled as a bribe, it was a bonus for helping squash "a dangerous conspiracy theory with geopolitical implications", that the recipients happened to at least be open to.

In many of these situations, the people involved think that they are doing the right thing, even CIA officers staging coups or planning asssasintations. Convince someone they're doing the right thing and you can get them to participate in a lot of shady things.

The CIA have been masters of shaping their perception as "well any evil they do is necessary evil", particularly with members of congress

Given that the cia has a lot of control over what it's analysts say, why wouldn't it just order them to say what it wants?

> 6/7 people colluding in this way is highly abnormal-- even in the CIA, most people have some amount of integrity.

I think that might be a cultural expectation thing that you're relying on.

There's many examples of people conspiring together, wittingly and unwittingly

>most people have some amount of integrity

You must be unfamiliar with the type of people attracted to the CIA. Delusions of grandeur would be an understatement.

I think it more likely that 1 out of 7 is a trumper.

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