Should there be a concern over National Security because of the content of some movies and TV programs?

2019-01-07T17:37:38-05:00

The EPIX television series "Berlin Station" is fast paced, finger crenching, and very descriptive in depicting 'spy activities'. The movie "The Most Wanted Man" starring the late Philip Seymour Hoffman was jaw dropping. Is it possible that entertainment has tapped into the core of CIA, NSA, and Homeland Security activities, protocols, and operations and thereby compromising world safety?

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Jan 7 at 2019 5:40 PM

2019-01-07T17:40:15-05:00

Perhaps, my friend PO3 Phyllis Maynard. Intelligence gathering is an art and science dating back thousands of years. Much of "spying" is done remotely using technology.
Direct action covert operations is another matter.
Movies and TV about the activities of Kim Philby and his cohorts was screened and I expect that "Berlin Station" has elements of truth spun into a fictional tale.
What do you think? COL Mikel J. Burroughs Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen PO1 H Gene Lawrence PO2 Kevin Parker CPT Scott Sharon SSG William Jones SGT John " Mac " McConnell SP5 Mark Kuzinski Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Maj Marty Hogan SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL LTC Greg Henning LTC Jeff Shearer ~1242055:CWO3 Dennis McClure] 1050829:PO3 Bob McCord] SGT Private RallyPoint Member

Response by PO1 H Gene Lawrence made Jan 7 at 2019 5:53 PM

2019-01-07T17:53:28-05:00

With the public being aware of the entertainment only attitude, it is possible that some element of truth may be woven into the story line.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Jan 7 at 2019 5:55 PM

2019-01-07T17:55:44-05:00

Most Intelligence activities are boring as hell. It's 99% paperwork or staring at a screen. Any "fast paced" variant designed for a screen is likely VERY safe for OPSEC.

I LOVE spy movies. I LOVE heist movies. All of them. Why? Because they are nothing like actual intelligence work. The only time I have ever seen anything remotely accurate was when Colin Powell went before the UN (which was later shown to be skewed to hell). As an analyst, that made me go "whoa!?!" because of what was being presented. But for an outsider, that brief would have been just another speech.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jan 7 at 2019 8:43 PM

2019-01-07T20:43:09-05:00

PO3 Phyllis Maynard I am more worried about tell all books written by the actual people. The procedures and fictinalized spycraft are maybe inspired by something open source. The CIA has a museum that is open to the public.

Hollywood actually has another unintended consequence. They ascribe capabilities to,our military and intelligence services that don't exist. It freaks out adversaries. Iraqis thought our eye protection were X-RAY glasses. They thought M1s were protected by energy or magnetic fields because their RPGs didn't do anything (aside from the fact the armor simply just shrugged it off). They thought we could snatch TV transmission out of the air, change it and reinsert it in real time. They thought US forces had a map to every Iraqi house and building in their helmets. Let them keep guessing...

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 8 at 2019 9:35 PM

2019-01-08T21:35:25-05:00

There are a number of books by Antonio Mendez that are interesting and were approved by CIA for publication: https://www.amazon.com/Antonio-J-Mendez/e/B001HCW9MM/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Antonio J. Mendez

Follow Antonio J. Mendez and explore their bibliography from Amazon.com's Antonio J. Mendez Author Page.