of a closed system with no checks and balances. the kremlin and the kgb had complete freedom of maneuver, no oversight, no requirement ever to reveal any operations and no media that reported on them. the result was that errors persisted and ultimately broke the back of the entire enterprise. now, america made its share of mistakes during the cold war, but because of a democratic system of contestation, transparencies and checks and balances, many were exposed early. new administrations could shift policy without losing face. course correction was routine. let's keep in mind, it's the big contentious democracies, britain and the united states, that have prevailed in the world, not nazi germany, imperial japan and the soviet union. the cia claims that its programs after 9/11 worked very well and suggested the best judge of this should be itself. the senate report provides an alternative view with substantial evidence and argumentation. this debate will make the cia better. not worse. after all, what organization has ever benefited from being able