Politicization Of The Intelligence Community Is Extremely Dangerous – OpEd

I want to make a caveat to this post as, in most things lately on RP, it turns political.

As members of the IC will attest we abhor politicians in general, no matter whether their affiliation is Republican/Democrat; Conservative/Liberal; TeaParty/Communist; etc. . .

We expect to be left out of the political fray and not 'used' to add legitimacy to further politician's agendas whether they be personal or political as the last four presidents have done: Clinton's Somalia campaign during the Lewinsky affair; Bush's WMD declaration in Iraq; Obama's handling of the Egypt/Lybia/Syria Arab spring; and now Trump's Obama & Russia affairs.

The IC is designed to provide accurate information in the form of an intelligence assessment to assist policy makers in their decisions. When those same policy makers ignore that information and instead rely on motivated reasoning of thoughts and ideas that are supported by preconceptions that are not grounded in facts but by ideological and perceived political certainties the outcome is fraught with peril.

Anti-intellectualism has been a thread winding its way through our political and cultural spheres nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that your 'version of the facts' is as worthwhile as the actual facts and knowledge supporting the intelligence information. A slippery slope indeed.

When you politicize, tear away, or begin to question the very the legitimacy of the branches of government, and the bodies that support them, you are left with a vacuum - and you know how nature abhors a vacuum. Probably as much as we abhor politicians.

Figures never lie but liars always Figure. First the Obama denial and then comes the "yea we spied on the AP, Senators in their Senate Office Building offices, and Pres Elect Trump because we convinced a judge it was justified".

CW3 Cherif L. good read and share, thanks for the insight, much needed!