Digital Pearl Harbor (Part One)

The following episode is an abridged version of a June 13th article published in the New Yorker about former CIA employee Joshua Schulte. The entire world, of course, knows about the CIA/NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked highly classified information to journalist Glenn Greenwald in 2013…but few have heard of Schulte — who has been behind bars and cycling through the legal system for exposing classified information since 2018.

There is one key distinction between these two men, however, in that Edward Snowden was a contractor to the CIA, and therefore, never an actual federal employee — the reason for this, is that to be a federal employee with the CIA, one must have a college degree…which Snowden does not. While he was ostensibly good with computers, he is certainly not an engineer — as that would be an unaccredited title entirely undeserved. Edward Snowden had access to classified information, no doubt, but it was no where close to what Joshua Schulte could access…

Part One explores Joshua Schulte’s character and employment with the CIA, including commentary from his former colleagues and management. Listening to them describe Schulte, it becomes abundantly clear that he had serious psychological issues, which played a major factor in his decision to commit treason. After an extensive investigation by the FBI, it was determined that his actions were not because of ideology or morality…but out of petty revenge.

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