--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The CIA is absolutely out of control. The…" description: "\"The CIA is absolutely out of control. The CIA has been on a killing spree... The CIA has become a death squad and to see these films [ like Zero Dark T..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc2/medea-benjamin-27522_acclaim_the-cia-is-absolutely-out-of-control-the_1543302.jpg" --- # The CIA is absolutely out of control. The CIA has been on… ![“The CIA is absolutely out of control. The CIA has been on a killing spree... The CIA has become a death squad and to see these films [ like Zero Dark Thirty] get so much acclaim at the time when the CIA is in its rogue killing phase is very disturbing.” quote by Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc2/medea-benjamin-27522_acclaim_the-cia-is-absolutely-out-of-control-the_1543302.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc2/medea-benjamin-27522_acclaim_the-cia-is-absolutely-out-of-control-the_1543302.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc2/medea-benjamin-27522_acclaim_the-cia-is-absolutely-out-of-control-the_1543302.jpg) > “The CIA is absolutely out of control. The CIA has been on a killing spree... The CIA has become a death squad and to see these films \[ like Zero Dark Thirty\] get so much acclaim at the time when the CIA is in its rogue killing phase is very disturbing.” [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The CIA operates beyond accountability, acting like a death squad, which is troubling when glorified in media. **In simple terms:** CIA overreach is dangerous. Key Takeaway Demand transparency and accountability. Themes government military media ethics Mood critical urgent Type activist analytical When to use this quote - policy advocacy - journalistic investigation - public protests Key Concepts state power human rights propaganda Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens effectively check intelligence agencies? - What role should media play in exposing abuses? A Different Perspective Complex geopolitics may limit simple solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acclaim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acclaim/) [Cia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cia/) [Cia Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cia-death-5752061/) [Cia Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cia-killing-5752059/) [Cia Rogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cia-rogue-5752062/) [Control Cia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-cia-5752058/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Squad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-squad-5752060/) [Disturbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disturbing/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Phases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phases/) [Rogues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rogues/) [Squad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/squad/) [Thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirty/) [Zero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zero/) [Zero dark thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zero-dark-thirty/) ## Related quotes > [There is a real attempt to sanitize the CIA killings and to glorify the CIA and to give it a new face. That's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/there-is-a-real-attempt-to-sanitize-the-cia-killings-and-to-glorify/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > ['Zero Dark Thirty' raised the stakes. It raised the stakes in cinema, man. I don't think people really know how to grasp what type…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-clarke/zero-dark-thirty-raised-the-stakes-it-raised-the-stakes-in-cinema-man/) [Jason Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-clarke/) > [The reason I loved doing films like 'Rogue One,' 'Zero Dark Thirty' and 'Lion' was that there was enough breadth and difference in those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greig-fraser/the-reason-i-loved-doing-films-like-rogue-one-zero-dark-thirty-and/) [Greig Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greig-fraser/) > [I loved Kathryn Bigelow's 'Zero Dark Thirty;' my favorite films are 'The Godfather,' 'Kill Bill: Volume 2'... I dig Tarantino's works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudha-kongara/i-loved-kathryn-bigelow-s-zero-dark-thirty-my-favorite-films-are-the/) [Sudha Kongara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudha-kongara/) > [A political decision has been made not to irritate the intelligence community. The spy agencies are really embarrassed, they're really sore - the revelations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/a-political-decision-has-been-made-not-to-irritate-the-intelligence/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Certainly 'Zero Dark Thirty' is not for children!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-desplat/certainly-zero-dark-thirty-is-not-for-children/) [Alexandre Desplat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-desplat/) > [It's either some sort of a kismet or something that I've been offered a film like 'Zero Dark Thirty,' which I would have lined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greig-fraser/it-s-either-some-sort-of-a-kismet-or-something-that-i-ve-been-offered/) [Greig Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greig-fraser/) > [A perfect example is 'Zero Dark Thirty.' That's the closest thing to reportage that I've done because a lot of that was shooting from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greig-fraser/a-perfect-example-is-zero-dark-thirty-that-s-the-closest-thing-to/) [Greig Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greig-fraser/) > [In the case of 'Zero Dark Thirty,' about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, an issue that is central to the film - torture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/in-the-case-of-zero-dark-thirty-about-the-hunt-for-osama-bin-laden-an/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [I remember when I first met Katherine Bigelow for 'Zero Dark Thirty' - actually, we met for another movie, and that never got made,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-ramirez/i-remember-when-i-first-met-katherine-bigelow-for-zero-dark-thirty/) [Edgar Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-ramirez/) > ['Zero Dark Thirty' is a disturbing, fantastically-made movie. It will make you hate torture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/zero-dark-thirty-is-a-disturbing-fantastically-made-movie-it-will/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > ['Argo,' 'Lincoln,' and 'Zero Dark Thirty,' three films honored with Best Picture Oscar nominations, lionize their Washington-anchored protagonists as crafty, competent, and virtually incorruptible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-fournier/argo-lincoln-and-zero-dark-thirty-three-films-honored-with-best/) [Ron Fournier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-fournier/) > [“ZERO DARK THIRTY by Mark Boal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-boal/zero-dark-thirty-by-mark-boal/) [Mark Boal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-boal/) > [What I want you to know is that ‘Zero Dark Thirty' is a dramatization, not a realistic portrayal of the facts,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morell/what-i-want-you-to-know-is-that-zero-dark-thirty-is-a-dramatization/) [Michael Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morell/) > [There's this movie, 'Zero Dark Thirty' about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Some have complained that too many 'secrets' were dished out by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hayden/there-s-this-movie-zero-dark-thirty-about-the-hunt-for-osama-bin/) [Michael Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hayden/) ## More by Medea Benjamin > [It is so inspiring to see a new group coming together not to focus on a particular war or weapons system, but on all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/it-is-so-inspiring-to-see-a-new-group-coming-together-not-to-focus-on/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [John Brennan has been the mastermind of the drone program. He's the one who'd convene the terror Tuesday meetings at the White House.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/john-brennan-has-been-the-mastermind-of-the-drone-program-he-s-the/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [It hit me very early on that something was terribly wrong, that I would see silos full of food and supermarkets full of food,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/it-hit-me-very-early-on-that-something-was-terribly-wrong-that-i/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [If it weren't for people like the people in Berkeley, standing up for what they believe, we'd be living under Hitler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/if-it-weren-t-for-people-like-the-people-in-berkeley-standing-up-for/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [ Hip to the fact that well-behaved women rarely make history, Diane \[Wilson\] has already inspired a new movement of totally uncontrollable, irresistible and unreasonable… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/hip-to-the-fact-that-well-behaved-women-rarely-make-history-diane/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [That information, those 6,000 pages, should be released to the public. It's our right as U.S. citizens to know what our government has done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/that-information-those-6-000-pages-should-be-released-to-the-public/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [ There were between 46 and 52 drone strikes under the \[George W.\] Bush administration. And now there are over 400 - that's not counting… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/there-were-between-46-and-52-drone-strikes-under-the-george-w-bush/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [There is a real attempt to sanitize the CIA killings and to glorify the CIA and to give it a new face. That's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/there-is-a-real-attempt-to-sanitize-the-cia-killings-and-to-glorify/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [We civilians defend our own right to free speech. The military in Iraq does not defend our right to free speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/we-civilians-defend-our-own-right-to-free-speech-the-military-in-iraq/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [It's not as "cheap" as it's put out to be. One predator drone in one day of activity supposedly needs 168 people... to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/it-s-not-as-cheap-as-it-s-put-out-to-be-one-predator-drone-in-one-day/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [I actually think it is people like myself who have been fighting for our rights to free speech and I would like the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/i-actually-think-it-is-people-like-myself-who-have-been-fighting-for/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [I wouldn't characterize anybody who fought in Vietnam as a war hero. In 23 bombing sorties, there must have been civilians that were killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/i-wouldn-t-characterize-anybody-who-fought-in-vietnam-as-a-war-hero/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [The CIA runs the drone program in Pakistan solely, not with the military. Then there's a joint CIA-military program in Yemen, then the CIA…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/the-cia-runs-the-drone-program-in-pakistan-solely-not-with-the/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [When Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar was asked why there was so much animosity in her country towards the United States, she gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/when-pakistani-foreign-minister-hina-rabbani-khar-was-asked-why-there/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [Israel is run by war criminals...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/israel-is-run-by-war-criminals/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) [Explore all 20 Medea Benjamin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) ## More Acclaim quotes > [People don't like to be judged negatively, but they welcome being judged positively...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-don-t-like-to-be-judged-negatively-but-they-welcome-being/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It doesn't matter who you are, how many awards you've won, how popular you are, or how much critical acclaim you've had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/it-doesn-t-matter-who-you-are-how-many-awards-you-ve-won-how-popular/) [David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/) > [Is success just about winning? Acclaim? Trophies? Wealth? Our personal happiness or satisfaction? I have been blessed to experience some of these over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-osborne/is-success-just-about-winning-acclaim-trophies-wealth-our-personal/) [Tom Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-osborne/) > [A fire broke out backstage in a theatre. The clown came out to warn the public; they thought it was a joke and applauded.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/a-fire-broke-out-backstage-in-a-theatre-the-clown-came-out-to-warn/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [If I were to go the major route, again, attention would probably be the first and foremost. You want attention, you want support, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/if-i-were-to-go-the-major-route-again-attention-would-probably-be-the/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [There are so many things to think about when you make an album. Like, who am I trying to impress? Am I going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-goulding/there-are-so-many-things-to-think-about-when-you-make-an-album-like/) [Ellie Goulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-goulding/) > [We do not diminish the value of what women or men achieve in any worthy endeavor or career -- we all benefit from their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-todd-christofferson/we-do-not-diminish-the-value-of-what-women-or-men-achieve-in-any/) [D. 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After a brilliant performance, an elegant lady…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-butterworth/the-great-piano-virtuoso-paderewski-was-once-playing-before-an/) [Eric Butterworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-butterworth/) > [The artist who is after success lets himself be influenced by the public. Generally such an artist contributes nothing new, for the public acclaims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/the-artist-who-is-after-success-lets-himself-be-influenced-by-the/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [The so-called Christian virtues of humility, love, charity, personal freedom, the strong prohibitions against violence, murder, stealing, lying, cruelty-all these are washed away by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-t-flynn/the-so-called-christian-virtues-of-humility-love-charity-personal/) [John T. Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-t-flynn/) > [Nothing but disaster follows from applause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bernhard/nothing-but-disaster-follows-from-applause/) [Thomas Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bernhard/) [Browse all 77 Acclaim quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acclaim/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The CIA is absolutely out of control. The CIA has been on a killing spree... 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