For an intelligence agency seeking new recruits, the promises of adventure and intrigue found within the pages of famous spy novels might seem like a useful recruiting tool.
But promoting a double agent who lies to his family, betrays his country and ultimately takes his own life, is possibly not a strategy that will produce the best candidates.
Canada’s spy agency did just that when it posted a seemingly innocent tweet drawing attention to new job postings.
“You could be the perfect spy. All you need is a cause,” the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) wrote, drawing on a line from John le Carré’s 1986 novel A Perfect Spy. Under a quote, the advert asked: “What’s your cause? See if it aligns with a rewarding career at #CSIS”
CSIS Canada
(@csiscanada)
“You could be the perfect spy. All you need is a cause.” ― John le Carré, A Perfect Spy.
What’s your cause? See if it aligns with a rewarding career at #CSIS: https://t.co/vEGTS8Am2n pic.twitter.com/AtPSNQk6GM
February 25, 2021
The book, widely seen as Le Carré’s most autobiographical work, follows the tangled life and moral failings of Magnus Pym, a British spy who double-crosses his colleagues and spies for Czechoslovakia. The book ends with Pym shooting himself in the head after years of duplicity finally catch up to him.
Internet users quickly raised the point that the CSIS recruiters may not have entirely mastered the material they cited.
“Have…have y’all read the book? Or, you know. Like, any of his books,” tweeted one user.
“So potential Canadian spies should be inspired by the tale of someone who worked as a double agent and betrayed his country? This is most intriguing – what are you trying to tell us here?” tweeted another.
Le Carré, the pen name of British author David Cornwell, was himself a former spy, and his works which often explored themes of betrayal, were highly critical of the world of espionage.
Publisher Penguin Random House calls A Perfect Spy a “morally tangled chronicle of modern espionage”. Another summary describes it as a “devastating portrayal of a man who has played different roles for so long, he no longer knows who he is”.
In a statement, the CSIS said: “The tweet was a simple tribute to acclaimed spy novelist, David Cornwell, who wrote many books and recently passed away. Cornwell’s novels inspired generations of individuals to consider careers as intelligence professionals. It goes without saying that we encourage individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in security and intelligence to do so to protect their country and keep their fellow Canadians safe.”
The tweet comes on the same day that hundreds of workers at the Communications Security Establishment, the country’s foreign intelligence and cybersecurity agency, announced they were going on strike amid growing fears of cyber-attacks during the coronavirus pandemic.
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