After watching the T.V. series ‘I Spy’ in the mid 60’s I decided I wanted to be a spy when I grew up. I must have been a determined young man because I actively pursued this end well into my twenties.
When I discovered I’d have to pay for my college education I took a job with the government thinking I’d get a foot in the door. My college counselor was a defrocked priest and an ex-military man. He worked for Air Force intelligence while in the service and thought an english degree would help in my career goals, he also said to become fluent in another language and hone my analytical mind. I studied english, logic, linguistics and toiled away at the Treasury Dept.
I first applied to the CIA during my senior year and was told immediately that I didn’t have enough accounting hours and didn’t have any background in statistics. This was 1974, the CIA had already morphed from a human listening post into a huge electronic gathering vacuum. Computers were new to the government and the CIA was proud of its rooms full of huge main frame machines. They wanted mathematicians and statisticians to make sense of all the electronic noise. Spying and covert actions were mostly given to the military. Remember Ollie North?
I did not despair, I was working for the Treasury and the Secret Service sounded interesting. The service was actually interested in me but thought it might help if I had a Masters Degree or more investigative experience. They suggested I try to get on as a Treasury Agent or join the cops. I used some connections at work an eventually was recruited by Treasury enforcement. They sent me to St. Louis for a couple of weeks to check things out. I actually got to go on a raid where we found over $5 million in a wise guys house, cash stuffed into the walls, just like Whitey Bulger. Actually I was labor, wielding a sledge and knocking down plasterboard. It was fun.
I made friends with some of the young agents. We’d hang out, drink whiskey, smoke and gripe about the job. These guys said things had been horrible since Nixon and even though he was gone things hadn’t changed. Treasury agents spent most their time hassling people on Nixon’s long shit list. They thought the shit list was a permanent thing, they all said they used to chase bad guys. One guy was real upset because he was sent to Wisconsin to hassle Bart Starr, “Can you believe it, fucking Bart Starr was on somebody’s shit list.” He thought Jerry Ford lost a bet.
Now, if your name is Mohhamed you are on somebody’s shit list. The immense suspicion system created by the fear mongering following 9/11 has immense lists that include peace activists, patriots and anyone asking questions. We are all asked to spy. Just like in the old days of Stalin’s KGB most tips come from the citizenry. Neighbors ratting out neighbors, sometimes the suspicions are malicious or petty and intrusive. Somehow we have all lost our right to privacy and have elected to cooperate with the Dept. of Paranoia.
If you are willing to give up your rights soon government will come for your earnings, entitlements and environment. Business and the republican party wants you to think that deregulation creates jobs. Disband the EPA, the SEC and anyone with oversight. Let Congress go back to the business of handing out favors and collecting bribes. We know what deregulation brings but are willing to let it happen again.
I’m a watchful person, my name means watchful and I’m looking at you.