Friday, March 15, 2013

Facepalmistry

 photo facepalm.gifWhat's that, Boing Boing? Discouraging news about the level of intelligence prevailing at the US Intelligence establishment?
A memo sent to more than a dozen government agencies by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper says a question added to lie detector tests will help deter leaks to the media.
The wording suggests that the proposed question is a shrewd and subtle masterpiece of psychology designed to catch the questionee off-balance and by its unexpectedness evoke revealing answers, but no, it's "Have you blown whistles to the media lately?".

So the CIA spent two decades spiking the drinks of every second passer-by with LSD or sodium pentothal in the hope of finding a truth serum (rather than rely on comprehensively discredited polygraph tests), but the Three-Letter Agencies are still entrusting their own employees to the same lie-detection technology and the same corrupt contractors. Why not go the whole way and bring back witch-pricking needles and palmistry?

It would have been nice to think that the Security Kabuki is just for the rubes and that the agencies know better than to take their confidentiality cargo-cult seriously. This is like learning that the Pope still believes in god.

At least the news provides an excuse to link to the Screaming Blue Messiahs.

At certain other marquee-tag-abusing blogs a Facepalm would be chasing Ann Althouse by now, but at Riddled we pride ourselves on unpredictability.

7 comments:

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

The hand of fate is watching us now.
~

mikey said...

Why do you suppose they don't just go with Nerve Induction and a Gom Jabbar?

Sheesh.

I thought they were using my tax dollars to develop technology...

Anonymous said...

Budgetary looting, like tax farming in feudal times, has become a hereditary occupation.

So it's the Tuesday after Easter and Jesus goes to the doctor. "Doc, my hand really hurts." "Apply aloe vera and keep an eye on it."

Spymaster Brown no Yellow, waitaminnit, Blue said...

Well, Mr "Cleverer than the spies" Smut Clyde I think you'll find that the boffins at Langley have moved on and are now investigating Phrenology to find the masterminds of espionage that live amongst us.
Hah hah

Anonymous said...

both methods are effective combined with a wet washcloth and a bucket of water.

Substance McGravitas said...

This could all be taken care of if they simply ordered a few cases of McGravitas Tonic and Oil of Snake.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

So the CIA spent two decades spiking the drinks of every second passer-by with LSD or sodium pentothal in the hope of finding a truth serum

You mean that wasn't AUM?