Perhaps some HN readers work for the NSA or another intelligence agency.<p>If so, do you feel that you are able to actually help improve humanity or reduce threats to humanity and the planet we depend on?<p>And if so, would you encourage anyone else to apply?
Today you provide sigint to Ukrainians, tomorrow you cover up for KSA killing another dissident <a href="https://theintercept.com/2014/07/25/nsas-new-partner-spying-saudi-arabias-brutal-state-police/" rel="nofollow">https://theintercept.com/2014/07/25/nsas-new-partner-spying-...</a> or assist in waterboardings <a href="https://theintercept.com/2016/05/16/nsa-closely-involved-in-guantanamo-interrogations-documents-show/" rel="nofollow">https://theintercept.com/2016/05/16/nsa-closely-involved-in-...</a>
(Never worked for intelligence agencies)<p>I think working for intelligence agencies, especially taking technical work (think sigint, encryption/descryption, malware/malware defense, etc.) is very, very interesting, but improving humanity is a huge burden that no agency can shoulder.<p>On the other side, I think someone mentioned that the work of the intelligence agencies is not to prevent wars, but to prevent world wars (not exactly what he said but I believe it is what he meant). From that perspective, they are "helping" humanity.