Sundance: Beyond Schoolhouse Rock – Understanding U.S. Government, 2024 Edition

Some people struggle to understand the relationships of the IC silo operation in Washington DC.  That struggle is completely understandable, because the modern functioning doesn’t come as an outcome of any constitutional or legislative framework.  The modern functioning was created by the Intelligence Community (IC).

To share an example and provide an accurate elevator pitch, CTH assembles non-pretending metaphors.  Here’s the State Department and CIA joint silo operation. All of our foreign allies and enemies know and understand this metaphor.  I have discussed it with several and many smile in affirmation:

The U.S State Dept and CIA operation is like a restaurant. The Dept of State is the front of the restaurant, with the Secretary as the Maitre D’. The CIA is the back of the restaurant, the kitchen. The Director is the Chef.

The menus at the front, as well as the specific seating/tables available, are dependent on the status of each guest. Each table gets a different menu. The Chef has the opportunity to kill the diner. The diners know this and those who understand the nature of the business model consider the Chef the most powerful person in the establishment. The consulates are the wait staff. USAID are the food runners. The Dept of Defense are the bus boys. Ukraine is a big tipper.