CIA Director on Principles

Former CIA DIRECTOR, James Woolsey, doesn't know what a principle is. In fact, he is not even aware that he is against principles in principle! No wonder we have a failure of leadership and are in such a mess.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• jan
• helfeld
• CIA
• JAMES
• WOOLSEY
• PRINCIPLES

[janhelfeld]

Do you have any principles? If yes, I ask how is this possible: "Aren't all situations unique therefore you might need a unique principle for each unique set of situations?"

[medliberty]

Woolsey should have said: "Only if the evil dictator is sitting on a sea of oil should we invade. Otherwise, not so much."

[pipe34101]

First definition of Principle on google dictionary:

A basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct.

....wow. This interview is too good to be true.

[sternumagnum]

"Principle" is "a general distinction based on general characteristics" ??!

That's a truly horrible definition! Here's how the Wikipedia article puts it (far better):

"A principle is a law or a rule that has to be, or usually is to be, followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed."

[ikemkrueger]

I think principles are like guidelines. Things to help you to handle a situation.

I wouldn't say there are "evil" principles. Just unpractical principles. (So much also to pragmatism. ;))

[DantesObjective]

Pragmatism is averse to all principles. It is a damn shame America has sunken into its pragmatic depths. The only way complexity can even begin to be dealt with in reality is by reference to operating principles.

[Kurtyoungblood]

Haha, you fool.

[jupiterjason]

More people should study the method of reasoning that Jan uses in order to draw valid conclusions. After watching Jan's videos, I have seen no errors in his reasoning- only errors in those he interviews that ultimately lead to contradictions. If journalists applied the socratic method when interviewing government officials and if more people examined their own principles in their reasoning, we would live in a very different (more just) world.

Thanks Jan!!