[gilgad13]

I think people do deserve to be surprised. Competence is not the same as selflessness. Many people routinely question whether the FBI is operating for the good of the country, but most people at least believe that they are good at their job.

[sbochins]

If interested in the CIA, you should read "Legacy of Ashes". That book documents how the CIA's biggest flaw through the years has been incompetence.

[bootload]

cf: Competence "What The Khost Bombing Says About The CIA" (Robert Baer) ~ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1247377... and "A Dagger to the CIA" ~ http://www.gq.com/story/dagger-to-the-cia

[seiji]

and I would have gotten away with it too if only it weren't for my one flaw... being incompetent at everything!

[reagency]

I prefer an incompetent adversary over a competent one.

[PakG1]

How about ally? Or is it so bad now that the CIA is an adversary, rather than an ally? I am sad that's actually a question.

[x1798DE]

I'm not sure that the CIA has ever been a real ally of the people in general, but to the extent that they are, it's similar to the inclusion of the USSR in the Allied Powers during World War II.