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| Opinion: Let's Get Smart About Intelligence | ||
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| Topic Started: Jun 1 2017, 08:58 PM (568 Views) | ||
| McEntire | Jun 1 2017, 08:58 PM Post #1 | |
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![]() Opinion: Let's Get Smart About Intelligence Written by Speaker McEntire ![]() You know, many people don't know that my NS name is actually inspired by Reba McEntire. As I was sitting down to pen this piece about what I've learned so far as Speaker of the Senate, this particular tweet from my namesake seemed rather appropriate. Of course, that's a bit of levity. The truth is, I have immensely enjoyed working with my colleagues, and I'm proud of what we've done together so far. But, through the term so far, one thing has become apparent: the Senate is a remarkably weak institution. For instance, I learned that there was no provision for the Senate to override a veto by the President. Even moreso, I was shocked by the Senate's powers surrounding intelligence matters. The Senate is legally charged with confirming the Director of the Europeian Intelligence Agency (EIA), but is ill-equipped within its current legal powers to do so. For instance, after attempting to create a private Senate committee that would discuss intelligence matters, I was told that legally all business within the Senate forum had to be viewable by at least all Senators, Honored Citizens, President/VP, and Chancellors. In reconfirming the DEIA, I realized that we had no way of requesting information from the DEIA besides that which he willingly volunteered and was willing to declassify for us. Looking back through the reconfirmation thread, I also learned that I was the first Speaker to take NES up on his offer of a private briefing. To be clear, NES was fully cooperative and provided a comprehensive explanation of everything that Senator Drexlore and I wanted to know. And the most recent reconfirmation was likely the most active that we've had in the region (although it's not a very high bar). There are glimmers of hope, but it is my firm belief that we have to be smarter about how we do intelligence in Europeia in order to fully restore public trust and avoid repeat incidents similar to the Trinnghazi scandal. One of the issues which caused that scandal to spiral out of control was the lack of reassurance for the public. If the Senate had been able to play its proper role in oversight, there could have been greater public understanding and less of an unresolved issue. To me, the proper role of oversight requires several changes. We must shorten the term length of the DEIA. Right now, the Senate can only reconfirm the DEIA every 180 days. Theoretically, after a DEIA is confirmed, three general elections for Senate could occur before the next confirmation. In between those times, there are no questions asked of the DEIA, thus there is no ongoing monitoring. Effectively, this means that the confirmations are vanity exercises, because the Senate is not readily aware of the issues available. The term length of the DEIA means right that there is no ongoing consciousness of the EIA's activities by the body that is supposed to be confirming its director. We must allow the Senate to subpoena classified information. For the Senate to effectively do its job, it cannot rely on whatever the DEIA is willing to tell us. Of course, it would be illegal for any Senator that saw classified information to release it in any way, but Senators should be able to ask questions and get answers. In the example of Trinnghazi, if the Senate were to launch an investigation, which many in the region wanted us to do, we would have had no power to investigate anything. We must restore the balance of power between Executive and Legislative control of the EIA. The Senate subcommittee found that the EIA acted properly in the Trinnghazi scandal, and that blame did not lay with NES. However, a somewhat chilling thought follows logically from that event. What if, after acting improperly, a President threatened the DEIA with termination? The DEIA currently serves entirely at the pleasure of the President, it would be a completely legal thing to do. The DEIA would have no recourse, no one to report the President's improper actions to, and the region would be worse for it. The EIA does not operate at the direction of the President, and that independence should be recognized by the legal structure of accountability. The EIA is an independent institution, the Director of which serves at the pleasure of the President. However, the EIA should report jointly to both the President and the Senate. And while the President should be able to fire the DEIA, there must be some level of Senate oversight to prevent wrongdoing by the Executive. I am reminded of a quote by HEM in a particularly poignant post on the Honored Citizens Restriction Amendment (emphasis mine):
Right now, our Senate does not meet the criteria outlined above, particularly in the area of intelligence. But that is not because of individual weakness of Senators, or we aren't doing our job. The fact is, the Senate as currently constituted is not equipped to fulfill its legal role in oversight of our intelligence agency. For many years, no one cared about this issue because nothing bad came of it. However, the Trinnghazi scandal shows the consequences of our reckless intelligence policy. We must take steps to make sure that proper accountability is in place, to both protect the Executive and EIA from scandal and to restore public trust in our intelligence institutions. |
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![]() McEntire Mormont, son of Common-Sense Politics Resume
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| Punchwood | Jun 1 2017, 09:08 PM Post #2 | |
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I completely agree with you, as I'm sure you would have guessed from our private conversations. ![]() But yes, intelligence is completely unregulated and while you may say that little regulation is a good thing when it comes to intelligence as reduces red tape, the only price of regulation we have on the SIX is that the direction must be reconfirmed every 180 days by the Senate. Even that law however is very vague and open to interatation. |
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| XIV | Jun 1 2017, 09:48 PM Post #3 | |
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The Heropon
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Not the point of the article, but I'd just like to point out that in the event of a presidential veto the Senate can send the legislation to referendum; which ultimately I think is better than giving the senate the power to veto. Essentially it allows for the people to make the determination of what's best in the event that the senate says something is good for the region and the president disagrees. Con V. LA 14. |
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| Kylia Quilor | Jun 1 2017, 10:53 PM Post #4 | |
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Queen in My Own Mind
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I feel like calling Trinnghazi an intelligence problem is a little disengeuous, when most of the problem (at least insofar the 'ghazi' part of it) appears to lie on Calvin's end, rather than NES. | |
The Rt. Hon. Commodore Kylia Quilor, Dux Emeritus, Legatus, Quartius, Primus Pilus, Praefectus Vigilum Noctu, ERN![]() I. Am. Not. A. Nice. Person. Never underestimate the power of cynicism, pessimism and negativity to prevent terrible things from happening. Only idealists try to build the future on a mountain of bodies. Unfocused populism is just as dangerous, if not more so, to a Republic's survival as creeping authoritarianism. Tell people how you feel, honestly and frankly. If you like someone, tell them. If you don't like them, tell them - the world would be a better place if we all knew where we stood. Professional Credentials Testimonials To My Character
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| Calvin Coolidge | Jun 1 2017, 11:02 PM Post #5 | |
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☆Kawaii Panda☆
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Let's not forget, the reason any of this was an issue in the first place was because Trinn leaked information from the EAAC. Naming this after him seems entirely appropriate. Though "gate" and "ghazi" are extreme tired memes at this point. |
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![]() All hail Swift.
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| Kylia Quilor | Jun 1 2017, 11:03 PM Post #6 | |
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Queen in My Own Mind
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The reason it's a Ghazi isn't becamse of Trinn though. |
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The Rt. Hon. Commodore Kylia Quilor, Dux Emeritus, Legatus, Quartius, Primus Pilus, Praefectus Vigilum Noctu, ERN![]() I. Am. Not. A. Nice. Person. Never underestimate the power of cynicism, pessimism and negativity to prevent terrible things from happening. Only idealists try to build the future on a mountain of bodies. Unfocused populism is just as dangerous, if not more so, to a Republic's survival as creeping authoritarianism. Tell people how you feel, honestly and frankly. If you like someone, tell them. If you don't like them, tell them - the world would be a better place if we all knew where we stood. Professional Credentials Testimonials To My Character
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| Rach | Jun 1 2017, 11:04 PM Post #7 | |
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At Least 5% Sugar
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With this, the email scandal & the Panda Foundation... #lockhimup
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♥ Love and Kindness are never wasted ♥ The 2011 President of the Year Queen of Balder Unofficial Navy Girl | ||
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| Calvin Coolidge | Jun 1 2017, 11:07 PM Post #8 | |
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☆Kawaii Panda☆
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Agree to disagree. There's no controversy, no "ghazi" if Trinn never leaked in the first place. If you're saying it's only an issue because I botched the public response, then you're losing sight of the forest for the trees. |
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![]() All hail Swift.
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| PhDre | Jun 1 2017, 11:13 PM Post #9 | |
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Rt. Hon. OG PhDre DMV AF1
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Or the forest would never have been planted. | |
Join the Citizens' Assembly today!
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| Kylia Quilor | Jun 2 2017, 01:12 AM Post #10 | |
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Queen in My Own Mind
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Its a ghazi because its a scandal, and its a scandal because of your handling of it, Calvin. | |
The Rt. Hon. Commodore Kylia Quilor, Dux Emeritus, Legatus, Quartius, Primus Pilus, Praefectus Vigilum Noctu, ERN![]() I. Am. Not. A. Nice. Person. Never underestimate the power of cynicism, pessimism and negativity to prevent terrible things from happening. Only idealists try to build the future on a mountain of bodies. Unfocused populism is just as dangerous, if not more so, to a Republic's survival as creeping authoritarianism. Tell people how you feel, honestly and frankly. If you like someone, tell them. If you don't like them, tell them - the world would be a better place if we all knew where we stood. Professional Credentials Testimonials To My Character
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| Le Libertie | Jun 2 2017, 01:32 AM Post #11 | |
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Back to business
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Let us not repeat past mistakes. This argument between you and Calvin is getting repetitive and has little value. |
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| Rach | Jun 2 2017, 01:43 AM Post #12 | |
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At Least 5% Sugar
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I agree with this. This has been done to death. |
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♥ Love and Kindness are never wasted ♥ The 2011 President of the Year Queen of Balder Unofficial Navy Girl | ||
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| Calvin Coolidge | Jun 2 2017, 01:49 AM Post #13 | |
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☆Kawaii Panda☆
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Before anyone else jumps on the "above it all" bandwagon, I'm just going to state I have no intention of continuing the debate. I've made my point, and Cerian has made his, so I'm at the point where, as I stated above, I can agree to disagree. |
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![]() All hail Swift.
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| Kylia Quilor | Jun 2 2017, 02:35 AM Post #14 | |
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Queen in My Own Mind
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I was making a point about the way McEntire framed the question of intelligence - the Trinnghazi affair wasn't a failure of NES as DEIA or of the EIA as an institution. That's all I said. | |
The Rt. Hon. Commodore Kylia Quilor, Dux Emeritus, Legatus, Quartius, Primus Pilus, Praefectus Vigilum Noctu, ERN![]() I. Am. Not. A. Nice. Person. Never underestimate the power of cynicism, pessimism and negativity to prevent terrible things from happening. Only idealists try to build the future on a mountain of bodies. Unfocused populism is just as dangerous, if not more so, to a Republic's survival as creeping authoritarianism. Tell people how you feel, honestly and frankly. If you like someone, tell them. If you don't like them, tell them - the world would be a better place if we all knew where we stood. Professional Credentials Testimonials To My Character
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| Lethen | Jun 2 2017, 03:48 AM Post #15 | |
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Remember when I was famous? Neither do I.
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EDIT: nope, better to just bite my tongue An interesting read, McEntire. I may weigh in more when I get some much-needed sleep
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me, basically (click) A letter to a friend By the Prophetical Blessing of Nethel, Supreme Chancellor of the Republic of Europeia and the states within, Destined Overseer of His rightful yet forgotten realms of Estalcia and Old Europe and Crystal Falls, Defender of the Faith and New Jersey, and Heir to the concept of Sarcasm | ||
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