If It's Broke, Don't Fix It

Austin Bay explains how to fix our intelligence system:

Intelligence-gathering is tough enough, but producing useful, usable intelligence is an art. It seems very few leaders understand that. Intelligence is a grand exercise in data interpretation, pattern recognition and intuition, requiring expertise in linguistics, geography, mathematics, history, theology, psychology, physics, metaphysics, and every other human means of analysis and explanation. Moreover, the intelligence “jigsaw puzzle” is a dynamic, shifting, changing puzzle. It takes vision to “put the puzzle together,” which is what former Schlesinger meant when he said the American intelligence community needs people with “insight.”

Unfortunately, government bureaucracies are tough on artists and visionaries. Political infighters and insiders tend to dominate the process.

The fix becomes doubly difficult when the agency with the most troubles – the CIA – is at war with the White House.