I Spy

Obviously, the news that a retired State Department employee and his wife have been arrested and charged with spying for Cuba (they have pleaded not guilty) is troubling and disappointing. But I also don't think it's particularly shocking. While it would be nice to be able to believe that all federal employees are governed solely by the better angels of their nature, followed rules, were loyal and devoted to the United States government, etc., that is insanely unrealistic. In a workplace of 1.9 million-odd people, it's particularly unrealistic.

The U.S. government maintains an active and robust espionage program. I would assume that some of our agents are overseas embedded in other country's governments, or at least are trying to get there. I also imagine other countries are trying to do the same thing. It would be fairly stupid of them if they weren't.

So why the outrage when we catch federal employees spying? I suppose part of the attempt is deterrent--we want to increase the sense of shame other spies or would-be spies feel about spying. But I'm not sure pulling an Inspector Renault on something so obvious actually inspires shame, rather than just telegraphing naivete. Rather, spy cases seem like a good incentive to treat federal employees better, to increase the prestige others attach to their jobs, to make their salaries competitive. I'd imagine it's fairly easy to be talked into spying if you hate your job, if an espionage agency is offering you a lot of money, if you don't feel the federal government is much to be proud of. And so the best defense seems, in this case, to be a good offense: create employees who are less vulnerable to the commercial enticements of espionage. You may not be able to deter the people whose deep and true loyalties lie to another country or another ideology. But you can probably deter the people who are on the fence.