

572. Ex-CIA Spy: Conspiracies, Simulations & The Truth About UK Immigration
10 snips Sep 15, 2025
Andrew Bustamante, a former CIA spy and author of 'Shadow Cell', shares candid insights on pressing global issues. He discusses the impact of immigration on societal dynamics in the UK, particularly post-Brexit. Bustamante delves into the complexities of national self-interest in politics and critiques the erosion of democracy. He also highlights Iran's influence through proxies and reveals the realities of CIA training. This conversation is filled with unfiltered truths about surveillance, propaganda, and the intricate balance of morality in immigration policies.
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What The CIA Actually Does
- The CIA is primarily the US foreign human intelligence agency collecting secrets from people abroad.
- Other intelligence agencies have different collection roles and responsibilities within the intelligence community.
CIA Power Shaped By Oversight
- Post-9/11 oversight drastically limited CIA's unilateral actions compared to the pre-2001 era.
- Priorities shift frequently with administrations, so CIA reach persists but under changing direction.
Secrets Have A Short Shelf Life
- Long-term secrets are extremely hard to keep because disclosure incentives accumulate over time.
- Lies spoil quickly while truth endures, making grand conspiracies unlikely to stay hidden.