A former CIA agent revealed the truth about the total surveillance of everyone who uses modern devices. FBI Day: who is recruited as a special agent

Be prepared to maintain high standards of professional conduct both on and off the job throughout your CIA career.

• Be prepared to move or travel. Working for the CIA will often require travel. In addition, many positions in the CIA require frequent travel, which can detract from family life if you haven't thought about how you're going to deal with it yet (in some places the CIA offers children's centers). Don't underestimate the impact of work on your personal life. If you want to come home every day at 5 o'clock and be regularly available to your family, then working as a CIA agent will not give you that opportunity. If this situation is unacceptable for you, then think about another career. However, some positions in the CIA will be able to offer stability.

You need to be a US citizen. Only US citizens can apply for a job with the CIA. If you do not have citizenship, get it.

application process

1. Write a statement. If you are sure that you meet the above requirements, then it is time to apply. You can do this online, but be prepared for a lengthy process and a lot of information to be filled in about yourself. The application process begins at: https://www.cia.gov/careers/opportunities/cia-jobs/index.html. Look at the vacancy you are interested in, read the requirements and make sure you meet them. If you don't meet the minimum requirements, don't waste your time.

   • Make sure that the application deadline has not yet expired and strictly follow the rules indicated. If you miss something, your application will be rejected.
   • Tidy up your CV as it should be attached along with the online application.
   • Job listings are updated regularly. This means that if you don't find anything interesting, check back later.

2. Have the patience to wait. The verification process can take a long time, especially if you have many foreign contacts that need to be verified. If you have been completely honest and forthright, this will speed up the review process.

   • Do not write or call to find out the results. You will not receive an answer.
   • As a general rule, if the CIA is interested in your profile, they will contact you within 45 days.
   • Do not despair. Keep trying, maybe you didn't quite fit the position you chose, or there were too many other highly qualified people and one small flaw in your application led to its rejection. Just keep trying and your persistence may pay off. In some cases, you will be hired when you gain more experience, so get a Ph.D., get military post, or do something else to increase your chances.

3. Get ready for the next step if your application is successfully reviewed. All initial job offers are conditional, you still have a long way to go to get hired. Now you must pass a series of physical, psychological, security and intelligence tests to check your suitability for work in the CIA.

   • Undergo a medical and psychological examination. medical examination designed to evaluate your physical condition for this job, as well as to test for drug use. Psychological tests evaluate your intelligence, sanity and mental stability.
   • Wait for your verification to be completed. The check is extremely thorough and often takes long time(may take two years). The CIA website states: "Reviewing information reveals your loyalty to the United States, strength of character, reliability, honesty, creditworthiness, prudence and judgment. In addition, it considers non-involvement with other states, the possibility of coercion, and the willingness and ability to comply with the rules governing the use, processing and protection of confidential information.
   • Pass a polygraph test.

4. Accept or decline a job offer. If you have gone through the selection process, then you are in luck: only about 17% of candidates pass the tests and tests. Now you can get a job and prepare for training, after which you may get the perfect job for you!

   • Participation in vocational training. In some positions, especially in secret services ah, you will have to go through training, during which you will have to successfully complete training for a specific job. You may need to move for the duration of your training (about six months), and the CIA usually does not pay for your family's accommodation during this time.
   • You will not become an official employee until you have undergone serious training, which, depending on the position, can be very difficult.

• Foreign languages ​​are also in demand in our time: Greek, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean. Serbian, Croatian, and Turkish.
• The CIA has a number of undergraduate programs, including internships for undergraduate and graduate students. The selection criteria are quite strict and the completion of the training program does not guarantee a job, but if you perform well during your internship, you will have a good chance of getting a job offer.
• You may be offered a position that is different from the one you originally applied for. Wage depends on your qualifications. It increases regularly over time. Starting salary is about 40K. Plus, there are great perks. For example: paid vacation, state health and life insurance, pension, training and internships, medical services, child care centers, credit organizations.
• Consider joining the military first. While the CIA does not prioritize veterans in recruitment, candidates with experience military service, especially in military intelligence, will have an advantage. You also need to have a college degree.
• The CIA generally does not hire anyone over the age of 35 for government intelligence.
• The CIA does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, age, or sexual orientation.
• You will be required to maintain confidentiality. People skills are a plus for operations officers (intelligence agents), but if you have trouble storing information, then this job is not for you.
• The CIA often recruits seniors from colleges and universities in an attempt to poach qualified candidates before they can find jobs in the private sector. Be sure to attend job fairs.
• It's good to be a scientist. Spy organizations sometimes require scientists with specialized skills.

Warnings

• Working for the CIA can make you a colder, more calculating person.
• Get ready for emotional stress. The training, as mentioned, is very intense (and at times overwhelming). After completing training, especially for the secret services, you will be tested on your abilities to find out the "limit point" before starting work where other people's lives are at risk. And the sooner it comes, the less chance you have of success.
• Do not lie when filling out the application and during the recruitment process. The screening is extremely rigorous, and if a lie is found, in most cases, unless it's a misunderstanding, your candidacy will be rejected. Remember that different intelligence departments communicate with each other. Deviations from work or dismissal from one place will make it difficult to settle in another place. In addition, you may be transferred to work in a less secret unit, so try to always show your best side.
• Be aware that CIA salaries tend to be lower (sometimes much lower) than those offered in the private sector for positions requiring similar education and experience. On the other hand, your job security will be greater if you maintain high standards of personal conduct.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is one of the main internal control bodies of the United States of America. It is on this organization by the local population that it is customary to blame all unsolved and mysterious cases, up to the September 11 attacks (one of the conspiracy theories says that this tragedy was staged by the CIA and FBI agents). In fact, the agents of the bureau are forced to break apart, since their duties include the fight against both external and internal enemies of the state. Many people know about the main activities of the FBI, but here are a few little known facts about working in this secret structure.

One would think that the agency in charge of national security would use the most perfect computers from all available. However, until 2012, the FBI actively used the good old paper documentation. A new electronic system (costing $425 million) was due to be introduced in 2009, but unseen circumstances force majeure. Finally, in 2012, the bureau switched to electronic documentation. Welcome to the new age!

shaggy library

Evidence. The FBI loves evidence. Especially hair - as it was recently found out. Gary T One, head of the bureau's evidence collection team, is betting heavily on this part. human body. In fact, criminals often leave hair in place, and from it you can get a lot of information, up to the name. The FBI even has a special department that stores tens of thousands of hair samples.

Assemble the puzzle

The FBI hires people who are good at sticking torn or cut paper together. Technically, it is almost impossible to restore a document destroyed by a shredder, but with the proper degree of perseverance, it is quite possible to restore it with your hands. Moreover, there are several separate specialists for each special case"torn evidence": people examining burnt documents, torn by hand, cut by a machine, and even experts working with acid-corroded papers.

Who will we look for

As in Russia, photos of wanted criminals are often published in America. This is also handled by a special department of the FBI. The Most Wanted list was created by J. Edgar Hoover himself in 1950, and he also laid the foundation for the rules for published photographs. On the walls public places and only those criminals whose appearance can be remembered by the average person hit the news screens. So, if the attacker does not have scars and tattoos on his face, the chance of his capture becomes very small.

falafel monsters

The guys from the FBI do not shy away from any, even the strangest means. In 2005, agents were working on an Iranian group hiding under a grocery store sign in San Francisco. Iranians (and in fact turned out to be terrorists) very carefully checked personal belongings, down to underwear. But the terrorists trusted the products unconditionally, which the Bureau took advantage of. Throughout the year, boxes of falafel were delivered to the warehouse of the store, where mini-bugs were hidden - this was how they managed to find out the main plans of the Iranians and even prevent a possible terrorist attack.

Why did the FBI start surveillance on presidential candidate Trump's adviser? Who was the source of information in the dossier compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele? Can a scandal comparable to the Watergate case loom behind the confrontation between Republicans and Democrats?

Consequences of disclosure secret reports American legislators we discuss with Angelo Codevilla, professor emeritus at Boston University, former member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Arch Paddington, Vice President of the American human rights organization Freedom House, and Vladimir Kontorovich, economist, professor at Haverford College in Pennsylvania.

Opponents of presidential candidate Donald Trump, close to Hillary Clinton's campaign headquarters, tried to harm candidate Trump with the help of the FBI.

Documents released in recent days by Republican legislators prompted conservative commentators to this conclusion. February 2 White House declassified a memorandum prepared at the direction of the head of the intelligence committee of the House of Representatives Devin Nunez. It follows from this document that, by requesting a warrant for listening in 2016 telephone conversations and the interception of emails by Carter Page, a former adviser to presidential candidate Donald Trump, the FBI failed to tell the secret court set up to deal with requests related to counterintelligence operations that the main source of information about Page's potentially criminal activities was a dossier compiled by Trump's opponents. It was prepared by Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer, on behalf of the Democratic National Committee, with the aim, as the memo says, to amass "humiliating information regarding Donald Trump's ties to Russia." Moreover, the author of the dossier, Steele, does not hide his attitude towards Trump, he admitted that he "desperately wants Donald Trump to lose the election." In other words, the FBI requests a warrant to wiretap an American citizen based on the data collected by his opponents, and does not report it to the court.

Moreover, the memorandum mentions another FBI investigation into another member of the Trump campaign, George Papadopoulos. The case against him is initiated by FBI Special Agent Peter Strok, who, in correspondence with his girlfriend, also an FBI employee, speaks negatively, rudely, often obscenely about Donald Trump and discusses with her the organization of data leaks about this case to the press.

With this document, Republican lawmakers are trying to draw the attention of their colleagues in Congress to a still hidden aspect of the investigation of Russian connections of people close to Donald Trump: the possible bias of FBI and Justice Department officials against Donald Trump. The most serious question raised by Republicans is whether the FBI acted illegally by failing to tell the court that their source of information was unreliable.

A few days later, the Republicans declassify another document. A letter from two Republican senators to the Department of Justice calling for an investigation into the activities of the author of the dossier, Christopher Steele, for illegal activities. Senators claim that Steele, contrary to an agreement with the FBI, at the direction of people close to Hillary Clinton, organized the leaking of information from the Trump dossier to the press. The letter also states that the FBI appears to have acted illegally in requesting a warrant for Carter Page's wiretapping.

Democrats have responded to the unexpected Republican demarche with accusations that they are staged a red herring in an attempt to discredit the investigation into the connections of Donald Trump's circle with Russia, and in the wrong light expose the actions of the FBI. They prepared their own memorandum in defense of the FBI and the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which allegedly provided evidence of the legality of the FBI's actions. On Friday, President Trump refused to declassify the document, urging Democrats to black out passages containing classified information. But no matter what the Democrats argue, conservative observers say, if the FBI did hide key facts from a secret court, the people responsible could go to trial. Angelo Codevila writes in an article on the RealClearPolitics website that the FBI was used by Trump's opponents to undermine his candidacy. Here is how he answers the question of what these revelations testify to:

“In my opinion, Carter Page is simply a tool through which certain people in the FBI, the Clinton campaign and the Obama administration tried to at least spy on the Trump campaign,” he says. Angelo Codevilla. “The thing is, we don’t yet know anything about how big the FBI operation was.

- You see behind this the obvious malicious intent of the opponents of Donald Trump, and the defenders of the FBI will tell you that the story was sucked out of the finger by the Republicans. The FBI simply asked for a warrant to tap the phones of a man who had long aroused suspicion for his connections in Russia. And the fact that it relied in part in its request on data from the so-called "Steele dossier" without telling the court that it was commissioned by Trump's opponents is of little importance.

It seems very likely to me that those officials in the FBI and the Justice Department who signed the four requests for warrants to listen to Carter Page will go to jail.

“This story is by no means small. It can have very serious consequences for the people involved in it. It seems very likely to me that those officials in the FBI and the Justice Department who signed the four requests for listening warrants for Carter Page, requests that contained unverified information from the so-called "Steele Dossier", will go to jail simply because they broke the laws. To put it bluntly, they presented false information to the foreign intelligence court in order to get permission to tap the phones of an American citizen. You cannot mislead the court with impunity.

“But no one so far, including the Republicans, the authors of the secret memorandum, has directly accused the FBI of illegal actions. And lawyers close to the Democratic Party say it's not illegal to use these types of documents to obtain warrants to tap the lines of suspected foreign ties.

Indeed, a recent commentary in the New York Times cites a former Obama administration official whom the newspaper describes as an expert on issues related to the activities of the special court for foreign intelligence. He says that if the warrant request states that the FBI relied in part on information taken from politically motivated sources, then it did not violate the law. On the other hand, an authoritative American lawyer, former District of Columbia federal prosecutor Joseph Digenova, in an interview with Foxnews, said that, in his opinion, procedural requirements were clearly violated in this situation and this is a punishable act. I assume that the Republicans will not let this case die out and sooner or later it will become the subject of investigations and litigation, because in this situation we are talking about observing the fundamental principles of justice: you cannot lie to the court.

– Many Republicans and President Trump are presenting this story as confirmation of their long-standing suspicions that certain forces in state structures played on the side of Hillary Clinton, they wanted, roughly speaking, to prevent Donald Trump from entering the White House. They cite emails from two FBI officials critical of Trump. But still, the simple version looks no more realistic: Carter Page attracted attention because the FBI was engaged in its direct business, counterintelligence, neutralizing Russian operations in the United States?

- Start with what Democratic Party and the elite it represents is convinced of the correctness of its views and the illegitimacy of the views of opponents. They follow their beliefs while at their jobs. Do they work for the FBI, the White House, do they work for NBC News. It is enough to look at the reaction of the democratic establishment to this story. They all unanimously say that nothing terrible happened, this is an insignificant episode. On the other hand, there would be no questions and claims against the FBI if, when requesting a warrant to listen to Page, the FBI officers clearly explained the origin of the evidence on which they base their suspicions, let the judge know that these data were collected by opponents of Donald Trump and their reliability is doubtful. As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I once participated in the drafting of a law for a court that issues wiretapping warrants. This law says that you must clearly explain the reason that causes the FBI to start wiretapping an American citizen. And you can't give false information court.

“Democrats insist Republicans exaggerated this episode to divert attention from Special Counsel Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election. It also reveals possible connections between people from Trump's campaign headquarters and representatives of the Kremlin. Can these revelations of the Republicans affect the course of the Russian investigation?

I think the so-called Russian investigation has run out of steam

– I think that the so-called Russian investigation has run out of steam. Mueller operates within the framework of the American legal system, therefore, potential accusations of people from Donald Trump's entourage in collusion with the Kremlin must be supported by irrefutable evidence. If Mueller makes such accusations, then he will have to present evidence in court and make public many details of this story unknown to us, which will surely raise a lot of questions about how these facts were collected, about the behavior of intelligence officers who organized information leaks, exposed the actions of Trump's entourage in an unseemly light, and revealing the details of secret investigations, by the way, is a criminal offense. In other words, I'm willing to bet that the Mueller investigation will not result in charges of Trump campaign collusion with the Kremlin. It is possible that a few people, such as Paul Manafort, will be put on trial for perjury during the investigation, but this is how the Russian investigation will end, says Angelo Codevilla.

Arch Paddington does not believe that the FBI could interfere in the presidential campaign on the side of one of the candidates:

“If we are talking about the FBI as a law enforcement organization, then it is impossible to imagine that it will act to undermine the chances of a candidate for political office,” says Arch Paddington. “At the same time, those who work in the FBI, the CIA, the Department of Justice are people with their own views, beliefs and opinions. Therefore, it does not surprise me at all that among the FBI employees there were and are opponents of Donald Trump, who have a sharply negative attitude towards him, that they were alarmed by the prospect of his coming to the White House and gave vent to their emotions in e-mail. The curious fact is that traditionally in the structures associated with national security, such as the FBI, CIA, dominated by conservative sentiment. Their leadership preferred Republican presidents, who were more sympathetic than Democrats to the needs of these agencies and supported their activities. The FBI and CIA have had extremely harmonious relations with the Republican presidents of recent decades - Ronald Reagan, Bush Jr., and Bush Sr. was at one time the director of the CIA. In addition, the FBI has procedures that should guarantee the objectivity of the investigation and prevent the politicization of the activities of the law enforcement structure. Many of these systems of control, including the court that hears requests for cases related to counterintelligence operations, were introduced in the 70s, when, after the death of the head of the FBI, Hoover, it became clear that the organization was trying to compromise Martin Luther King, intimidate him, force him to stop it social activities. There are sad pages in the history of the FBI, but in recent decades the reputation of the FBI as professional organization was impeccable, so the allegations that she was trying to undermine the candidacy of Donald Trump sound, in my opinion, unconvincing.

- Mr. Paddington, such a critical attitude of the president towards the American intelligence services is an unusual phenomenon for the United States. The president almost directly accuses the FBI of being set against him, he expresses dissatisfaction with the actions of the leadership of the Department of Justice. He doubts the US intelligence services' conclusion that the Kremlin interfered in the US elections. Democrats fear he could fire Special Counsel Mueller. What does all this mean, in your opinion?

“I think that the American democratic system could be in danger as a result of the actions of President Trump, who not only publicly criticizes the leadership of the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, but also expresses dissatisfaction with the way they operate as institutions. As I have already said, at one time laws were adopted, rules were introduced that guarantee that professional activity these services is shielded from political pressure and influence as far as practicable. It can be inferred from President Trump's statements that he would like to turn these organizations into his personal tool that would serve his interests, and not the interests of society. And it worries me personally that the president thinks it's possible that he will act on his own and the agencies that are supposed to enforce the laws by everyone, starting with the president, will stand aside.

- To this, the president's supporters will tell you that his critics have lost their sense of reality, accusing Donald Trump of authoritarianism without any reason. What do you mean by saying - will act as he pleases?

- In the recent past, we had a situation where the president resigned under the threat of impeachment. I mean Richard Nixon. He committed a clear crime in trying to obstruct the investigation into the Watergate scandal. Then it turned out that he believed that he had the right to do this, since he is the president and his word is law. Our system of government is ruled by law. In other countries, even some Western democracies, presidents have more significant rights. For example, in some places heads of state have immunity from criminal prosecution. In the United States, any citizen, including the president, can legally be the subject of investigation by investigative agencies, one of which is the FBI. And I'm worried that the President would like to change this practice. After all, it is obvious that from the very beginning of his presidential campaign, he declared war on the FBI.

“But for now, as many Republicans suspect, we have evidence that the FBI may have acted against Trump. Do you think this story can grow into a big deal? My interlocutor Angelo Codevilla is convinced that she will big consequences people will go to jail.

Mistakes were obviously made, but is this a deliberate violation of the law? I doubt

“The fact that the FBI apparently did not tell the court that the suspicions about Carter Page were based on material obtained from Trump opponents does not seem to me personally very significant. I cannot comment professionally on the prospects of this case as I am not a lawyer. But I personally doubt that this episode represents a serious intentional violation of the law. There is a difference between making a mistake and breaking the law. Mistakes were obviously made, but is this a deliberate violation of the law? I doubt it, says Arch Paddington.

– Vladimir Kontorovich: Here we have two opposite opinions. One of my interlocutors is convinced that the FBI was used by Trump's opponents, another says that this is impossible and the danger, from his point of view, is the authoritarian manners of President Trump. What do you see in this story?

“There are precedents already proven and undisputed,” says Vladimir Kontorovich. - It is known, for example, that in the first term of President Obama, the tax service treated conservative organizations very badly and unfairly, they compiled lists of conservative organizations, made unreasonable demands on them when they tried to register as non-profit organizations. These cases have already gone through the court, millions of dollars of compensation have been paid, apologies have been made. The head of the tax service was forced to resign from her post, she lost, of course, her disk with data that could convict her. What was it? It was part of the state apparatus that played along with the president, whom they sympathized with. Here, in my opinion, this case has already been proven: civil servants, who should remain neutral, actually play along with the side they sympathize with. Many people understand this, and for them there is nothing surprising in this. Of course, we are fighting for better world. And we will do what promotes the coming of peace, radical change. I work with people who hold this point of view, it's not surprising.

– You, professor, if I'm not mistaken, are somehow frivolous about this whole story, while one side suspects nothing less than that the FBI is playing against the president of the country, the other believes that the president and the Republicans are trying to purge the country. FBI and turn it into a tool of the White House.

- When we start saying "don't touch our sacred organs", it's not American. The sacred organs must give an account to the representatives of the people - the Congress. Congress is completely in its own right. And all these cries of "ay-yay", how many shouts there were that the memorandum of the Republicans should not be published, all the secrets of the methods of collecting information by the American special services were revealed there, it turned out that there was nothing of the sort. It is clear that departments do not want to be overseen by Congress. But this is part of our constitutional arrangement, I would be very concerned if this part did not work. This is an attempt to put in place of the FBI the Department of Justice, the same tax service: how can you touch? Why, and who are you? Read the constitution. Presidents are appointed and dismissed, you must give an account to Congress of your deeds. This is what is happening. And all the talk about the possible fault of the FBI, we are talking just about half a dozen people, the top of the FBI, we are not talking about thousands of agents, we are talking about specific leaders. Leaders who are intertwined with the political apparatus, their wives work in the political campaign of democratic candidates. Why not take a look at them?

– That is, do you think that these people, a dozen people, less, more, leadership, they really worked against Trump?

– The American Congress is convinced that they have material that testifies in this favor. An investigation is underway, no verdict has yet been announced. So no one is convinced, no one should be convinced. Here they publish the materials of their investigation. They have every right to investigate. And to shout: ah-ah-ah, this investigation undermines the constitutional foundations - this is demagogy. The investigation is just what they should do. There is opposition in Congress, it will object, like this, maybe we'll figure it out.

– You say the Republicans are investigating, while the Democrats insist that this is a politically motivated attack by President Trump supporters to discredit the FBI Russia investigation and give the president the opportunity to close the investigation on more or less plausible pretexts.

I think Trump would like to end the Russian investigation

“I think Trump would not mind dropping the Russian investigation. I think that he can do it within the law, it will just be a political scandal. If the Russian investigation is based on the so-called "Steele dossier", the materials for which were supplied by Russian intelligence, apparently, or God knows where, from what garbage he got them, there are reasons to stop it, maybe. It would be politically simply wrong, let them investigate. Let's sharpen this question this way: there is a point of view that is shared by great amount of people. Trump was called both a fascist and Hitler, no matter how they called him - this serves as an occasion to say to himself: if Trump is Hitler, then why should I follow Hitler's orders? Cannot be performed. Calling the other side Hitler and treating it like Hitler leads to escalation.

– An interesting interpretation of the whole story is offered by Wall Street Journal columnist Daniel Henninger. He calls what is happening in Washington a spectacle, which began with an uncontrollable panic over the victory of Trump, which engulfed all Democrats, individual Republicans, foreign leaders and some of the FBI leaders. Without this panic, Henninger says, the plot about the collusion of Trump's people with representatives of the Kremlin, exaggerated by alarmist journalists, would have died a natural death long ago, because there is nothing significant behind it, unlike, say, the Watergate case. That is, this is an elementary case of unjustified panic, or, in the words of Henninger, "trump panic", which Trump himself fuels simply by virtue of his natural fighting qualities.

- Fears do not justify, but they feel them sincerely, they believe that their fears are more than justified. It is not a performance in the sense that someone pretends or plays a role, only in the sense that the whole world is a theater. Yes, they convinced themselves of this, that the fatherland was in danger. If you look at history, people have done strange things to their own detriment. It's hard to say why they did it.

– Do you think this, as the USD columnist says, is a political representation backfire for the USA? Arch Paddington, for example, is concerned that President Trump will, roughly speaking, take over law enforcement and put them at his service. Paddington worries that the American democratic system will eventually be undermined as a result of these Washington brawls.

What we see now is the desire of one side to prove that Trump is illegitimate

- That's why it is dangerous for the democratic system. The democratic system is based on the fact that people in power change. Now they are "ours", but next time there will be elections, others may come. But at the same time, we must live with each other in peace, follow some rules. President, although he is not from my party, but I must follow his orders. Recognition of the legitimacy of power: since the elections, then all are legitimate. This is what the democratic system is based on. What we see now is the desire of one side, there is no need to even guess, to prove that Trump is illegitimate. Putin installed it. What is a Russian conspiracy? This is a way of saying: Trump is illegitimate, he is not the president, you should not listen to him. What we see now is the unwillingness to admit it and the creation of all kinds of measures to justify ourselves. Not a single decision of Trump has been authoritarian so far, he obeyed court decisions, he worked with Congress, he has been doing everything within the framework of American law for a year now. Of course, one can suspect that he is waiting for a second term and the last year of his power to declare himself president for life.

– I have heard from the lips of more than one, I must say, my American interlocutor with more liberal views, complaining that this picture of constant squabbling, or something, of Republicans, Democrats, the president, his rivals, she exposes the American system, American democracy in a very unsightly form , they say, it is no better than many other countries where there is corruption, where there are people fighting for their own interests, and not for public interests. What would you say?

– American system was always built on the struggle of the parties. When parties fight, they throw mud at each other. Mark Twain has a story that he ran somewhere and that they wrote about him. Such a confrontation within the framework of the law, when people argue, call each other bad words, but according to the rules, when judges do not break the rules, when officials do not break the rules, then this is part of the mechanism, this is such a mechanism. Where there is peace and quiet, there is corruption.

– Professor Kontorovich, do you think this plot has the potential to turn into something like the Watergate scandal? One of my interlocutors, for example, is confident that the FBI and Justice Department officials who signed the request for a warrant to listen to Page will be prosecuted and may end up behind bars.

“Of course, I know very little. What I can do is paraphrase the commentators I trust who say that the whole thing will end up with all the little people from election campaign Trump will be prosecuted for all sorts of minor infractions that will be found in the course of this investigation. So petty people will probably be convicted, someone will go to jail for things that actually do not belong to the Russian conspiracy, because there was no conspiracy. And it should not reach the top, as the commentators, whom I trust, say. The whole story with the court, which approves wiretapping, happened during the election campaign under another president. So it cannot be said that the FBI opposed the president. The FBI helped the government against a candidate who had no chance. What is going on now is already defensive battles, covering up traces. What they did before, when they thought that none of this would happen, because there is no chance for Trump. So what can we say about the confrontation of organizations, government agencies and the president is too much.

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Real beauty does not depend on external qualities, it comes from our behavior. FBI agent Jack Schafer, in his book Turning on the Charm According to the Special Services Method, writes about the friendship formula he developed and the laws of attraction, which are guaranteed to help each person establish relationships and gain confidence in the interlocutor. His methods have been successfully used by American intelligence services for 20 years, and have recently become public knowledge.

website chose the simplest effective techniques from a published book, which will surely help you more than once at work and in personal life. At the end of the article is a friendship formula developed by a special agent, which clearly explains what relationships between people are based on.

10. Start by tilting your head to the side.

Have you noticed that women tilt their heads to the side more often than men? A similar technique is used by men in business: they hold themselves straight, emphasizing dominance. In informal communication, tilting the head to the side is a sign of trust: in the animal world, the jugular vein is shown only to those who are considered harmless and attractive.

Repulsive signals: rolling eyes with head tilted back. Even if a person does this as a joke, but often, such a signal is perceived as hostile.

9. Develop facial expressions, play with eyebrows

People raise their eyebrows at a meeting, showing that they do not intend to show aggression. Our brain recognizes this signal from a distance of up to 2 meters and perceives such a person as pleasant to talk to. If you like stranger, give a quick signal with your eyebrows at a distance.

Repulsive signals: long eye contact when playing with eyebrows, furrowed eyebrows, a frown or an evaluative look.

8. Learn to smile with your eyes, only without a grin

When the brain recognizes a genuine smile, it makes you smile back and releases endorphins to feel a little more joy. A pleasant experience pushes a person to continue communication: we tend to be more often where we feel good.

With a real smile, small wrinkles appear around the eyes, cheekbones and corners of the mouth move up. Faking such a smile is not easy: you have to think about something funny and pleasant.

Repulsive signals: a cold gaze and a forced smile, a smile with a grin.

7. Forget the word "please"

Never say “please” in response to gratitude for a service rendered to another person. Say, "I think you would do the same for me if you were me." Such a statement awakens a sense of reciprocity: a person feels a desire to do something for you in return, to thank.

6. Move to a whisper, sympathize for no reason

To prevent awkward pauses in the middle of a conversation, use a light sympathetic statement associated with the last phrase of the interlocutor. This is a fairly easy way to keep the conversation going and create a relaxed atmosphere.

Whispering is perceived as an intimate form of communication. Try occasionally whispering individual phrases to your interlocutor, leaning slightly in his direction, as if sharing a secret. The person will instinctively lean towards you to hear better. A slight violation of personal space and the feeling that they shared the innermost with you bring them closer.

Repulsive signals: speaking loudly, moving backward or leaning back in the chair.

5. Let people compliment themselves.

The best way to give a compliment is to encourage the person to compliment themselves. During the conversation, push the other person to talk about their achievements or strengths, then show surprise: “Did you really do it yourself? How do you manage to deal with it?” Questions like these will encourage the person to compliment themselves.

Try a third-person compliment: say that your mutual friend noted your interlocutor's great sense of humor or praised his hard work.

Repulsive signals: a compliment is often regarded as flattery, especially if it is not about the achievements or merits of a person, but about appearance or innate abilities. People love it when they notice in them what was given the hard way.

4. Make mistakes in front of the other person

Make an intentional mistake during a conversation so that the interlocutor notices it. Get embarrassed and let me correct you. The interlocutor will feel more confident, realizing that you are also a person and will be sympathetic to his possible clumsiness. The law of similarity works: the more you have in common, the more often you communicate and become closer.

3. Keep an eye on the dishes when you spend time together

2. Watch the lips of the interlocutor, learn how to change the color of the eyes

A person who touches lips with fingers or objects is shy. This will happen if you set awkward question or touch on a topic that the interlocutor wants to get away from. Follow these gestures in order to react in time and correct your own behavior.

Learn to give the correct signals with the pupils. Our brain likes enlarged pupils of the interlocutor: this is a sign of sympathy and interest. Want to please a person? Invite to dinner in a place with subdued lights or look at him with a defocused look: the pupils will dilate, the eyes will appear darker, almost black, making the look especially attractive.

Opposite reaction: narrowed eyes, compressed lips, ostentatious yawn, wrinkled nose.

1. If everything is not going smoothly, think about the movie

This phenomenon is called the rocky road law. It happens that people like each other only after a series of obstacles and contradictions, but these relationships are often stronger than those that develop peacefully and without conflict from the very beginning. This phenomenon has become a popular movie cliché: at first the heroes are at enmity, but gradually get to know each other better and become best friends or lovers.

Other signals and tactics that will allow you to win sympathy and trust

• Light casual touch: accidentally hit the interlocutor with your elbow, touch your back, pretend that you are brushing something off your shoulder.
• Use emotional gestures: nod your head slightly, listening to a long monologue of the interlocutor, as if agreeing with every word.
• Be as open as ever: talk about your own weaknesses, cherished dreams, secret thoughts or just cases from life. This will increase your attractiveness in the eyes of the interlocutor.
• Demonstrate coldness or inaccessibility. But only sometimes. This will arouse curiosity and warm up the person’s interest in your person.
• Show that you are made from the same dough: you know that the ideal team is the people who have the most common interests and similar fates?

Friendship formula developed by an FBI agent

This formula reflects the main characteristics necessary for strong trusting and friendly relations between two people. This will work if you need to befriend a business partner, a new boss, or get closer to the person you're in love with.

• Proximity is the psychological distance between people. The main condition for the emergence of intimacy is a feeling of comfort and security in communication. Allow yourself to sometimes violate a person’s personal space, giving him the opportunity to decide how and when you should be closer.
• Frequency is the number of contacts and interactions that you do with another person per unit of time . The more time you spend together, the more you have in common and the more influence you have on each other's thoughts and actions.
• Duration is inversely proportional to frequency. If you are often together, then the meetings gradually become shorter or less frequent. On the contrary, if you rarely meet, then the duration and significance of each meeting increases significantly: you literally catch every word of the interlocutor and do not waste time on nonsense. Alternate the duration, but observe the frequency.
• Intensity is the ability to satisfy another person's needs through verbal or non-verbal behavior. Pay attention to how important this indicator is. It reflects whether you enjoy spending time together. And here important role plays a community of interests and desires.