John O. Brennan on Life in the CIA | Conversations with Tyler
Growing up in a working-class city in New Jersey, John Brennan’s father was an Irish immigrant who always impressed upon his children how grateful they should be to be American citizens. That deeply-instilled patriotism and the sense of right and wrong emphasized by his Catholic upbringing would lead John first to become an intelligence officer and then eventually Director of the CIA. His new memoir, which Tyler found substantive on every page, recounts that career journey.
John joined Tyler to discuss what working in intelligence taught him about people’s motivations, how his Catholic upbringing prepared him for working in intelligence, the similarities between working at the CIA and entering the priesthood, his ability to synthetize information from disparate sources, his assessment on the possibility of alien life, the efficacy of personality tests and polygraphs, why CIA agents are so punctual, how the CIA plans to remain a competitive recruiter for top talent, the challenges that spouses and family members of intelligence workers face, the impact of modern technology on spycraft, why he doesn’t support the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, his favorite parts of Cairo, the pros and cons of the recent Middle Eastern peace deal brokered by Jared Kushner, the reasons he thinks we should leverage American culture more abroad, JFK conspiracy theories, why there seemed to be much less foreign interference in the 2020 election than experts predicted, what John le Carré got right about being a spy, why most spies aren’t like James Bond, what he would change about FISA courts, and more.
Want to support the show? Visit Your gift helps create videos like this one.
Transcript and links:
Stay connected:
Follow us on Twitter, IG, and Facebook: @cowenconvos
1 view
0
0
7 months ago 00:34:49 2
12 Iconic Top of the Pops Performances That Reshaped British Music
7 months ago 00:04:02 1
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Around The World [Official Music Video]
7 months ago 00:04:01 1
HOME ALONE (1990) CAST - Then and Now (2023)
7 months ago 00:30:04 1
JOHN FRUSCIANTE - Биография, творчество, музыка
7 months ago 04:30:22 1
Best Blues Jazz Songs - Best Compilation of Relaxing Music - Emotional Blues Music Mix 2023 #27
7 months ago 00:26:29 1
Мясопереработка в Америке: умри ради прибыли // Излучатель #2
7 months ago 00:02:32 1
Home Alone 3 - Kevin’s Revenge - 2024 Movie Trailer Parody (Macaulay Culkin)
7 months ago 00:34:19 1
Как тренироваться. Физподготовка С НУЛЯ.
7 months ago 01:59:45 1
#263 KushSessions (Liquid Drum & Bass Mix)
7 months ago 00:05:58 1
The Evolution of Dance - 1950 to 2019 - By Ricardo Walker’s Crew
7 months ago 00:00:30 6
The Rookie 6x02 Promo “The Hammer“ (HD) Nathan Fillion series
7 months ago 03:21:42 1
BLUES MIX [ Lyric Album ] - Top Slow Blues Music Playlist - Best Whiskey Blues Songs of All Time
7 months ago 01:00:06 1
Черные риэлторы: как отнимают квартиры в России | Недвижимость, мошенничество и обман
7 months ago 00:03:16 1
Pope Francis Declares Lucifer As God
7 months ago 00:05:32 1
Samsung’s AI: Megapixel DeepFakes! 📷
7 months ago 00:03:11 1
FAST & FURIOUS 11 Trailer (2025) Vin Diesel, Cody Walker, Dwayne Johnson | Fast X Part 2| Fan Made 5
7 months ago 00:20:29 1
4-CHAIR TURNS That SHOCKED the World on The Voice | Top 10
7 months ago 00:58:05 1
ARMIN VAN BUUREN LIVE @ ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL MIAMI 2023 | UMF
7 months ago 00:30:25 1
As influências islâmicas na Divina Comédia
7 months ago 00:05:12 1
Faoiseamh A Gheobhadsa • I Will Find Solace
7 months ago 00:00:00 3
ТОЛЬКО С ПИСТОЛЕТОМ / АЛКОСТРИМ
7 months ago 00:03:40 1
Shannon - Let The Music Play (Official Music Video)