[JumpCrisscross]

> State sponsored thieves are not a talent pool that anyone wants in a trusted position

Why? They’re intelligent, crafty and able to make trade-offs.

Empirically, ex-spies have a solid history in reaching commanding positions in politics and business.

[Joel_Mckay]

It is complicated, but Moral Development theory does cover the phenomena of why some won't understand until they personally grow through the stages of development.

Have a great day. =3

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Kohlberg's_stages_of_...

[jgilias]

Reading up on it made me realize that a certain well known orange person is really on Stage 2 of moral development. That explains a lot.

But also gives hope. I mean, it’s rare that adults fail to advance from pre-conventional phases, so it must be super rare to have such a confluence of factors that puts someone like that in the given job.

[JumpCrisscross]

Spies do tough work for not that much pay. (Certainly less than they can earn in the private sector.)

They’re starting from a position of duty. Given the stakes the questions they’re tasked with operate at, I’d guess they tend to be in the postconventional regime more than most people.

[Joel_Mckay]

Sounds like an absurd fiction... and still unrelated to a proper business. =3

[Ray20]

> Empirically, ex-spies have a solid history in reaching commanding positions in politics and business.

But it's not because someone wants them there. It's because they can demand the position they want.

[JumpCrisscross]

> it's not because someone wants them there. It's because they can demand the position they want

Zero evidence of this. And if they can demand that position from one, they can demand favors from others. I would count a background in espionage to be a net positive in a hiring process, provided dismissal was on good terms.

[mr_toad]

> Empirically, ex-spies have a solid history in reaching commanding positions in politics and business.

The only examples I can think of are Putin and George HW Bush.