If you have fatigue from years of reading about all sorts of underhanded spy action and diplomatic choices, one noteworthy thing about this writeup is that it shows multiple US officials who seemed to be acting with integrity and admirable values.
One of the earlier times I was reading about underhandedness, it involved a US ambassador raising red flags about grave human rights abuses by the foreign gov't. For whatever reason, that ambassador was replaced by one who would publicly deny what was going on. At the time I read that (long after it happened), I paid attention to the latter, villain ambassador, but not enough attention to the earlier ambassador, who seemed to be on the right side.
A bit like the saying from Mister Rogers lore, "Look for the helpers."[1]
It may be soothing to focus on a few individuals who acted "with integrity and admirable values". The Guardian has a few articles about diplomats that recently resigned because they wanted no collusion with clear crimes against humanity. But that's anecdotal. The USA did their best to destroy democracy in South-America, put millions of people under military dictatures for decades, and induce the torture of tens of thousands. And most people in the USA agreed or didn't care.
On the flip side, the US military intervention in Granada saved its democratic government from a coup and in Panama liberated it from a dictatorship. But there is a segment of people who need the US to be a pure villain. Fortunately, there is a lack of evidence that the US is doing worse than any other nation would if it had its power.
I think a lot get pushed out for not going with the plan. It's like this in a lot of organizations. The other problem is morality is based on an individuals view. Most of the most egregious actions were likely deemed morally fine by those that perpetrated it. It's messed up. Working in the IC can be amazing and also nerve wrecking. Many bad decisions start out more as a Bad choice 1, bad choice 2, or bad choice 3.. and that's the only real options out there.
The CIA have been cowboys.. and I suspect that the modern CIA still has this going on.
One of the earlier times I was reading about underhandedness, it involved a US ambassador raising red flags about grave human rights abuses by the foreign gov't. For whatever reason, that ambassador was replaced by one who would publicly deny what was going on. At the time I read that (long after it happened), I paid attention to the latter, villain ambassador, but not enough attention to the earlier ambassador, who seemed to be on the right side.
A bit like the saying from Mister Rogers lore, "Look for the helpers."[1]
[1] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/198594-when-i-was-a-boy-and...