Research: The Intelligence and Law Enforcement Communities and Fanfic

[scribblemyname]

So as I dig into this intelligence community research, my whole perspective is shifting a bit on a few things.

1. Did you know law enforcement and intelligence are separate? I know alphaflyer probably knew that, but it explains a lot to me, including why SHIELD's I stands for Intervention not Intelligence.


2. I totally get SHIELD's gripe with the X-Men now. It's like the private *coughs* vigilante *coughs* organization that's trying to do SHIELD's sanctioned job without said sanctions. Granted, they have the tools to do it (powers), but they should be joining agencies like SHIELD, except treated like... Oh, right. Still, I get the tension now and the issues and why SHIELD is not fond of the X-Men as a rule.


3. The IMF and SHIELD are both law enforcement agencies and that changes a lot about the color of how they gather and gain intelligence and then what they do with it.


4. The IMF, especially being as top secret as it is, is probably considered a terrorist organization to other countries in much the same way that the Red Room could be considered the same to nonSoviet bloc nations. I get why the disavowal thing. Wow. Wanton property damage, "an organization of chaos" indeed, etc. SHIELD gets away with it largely and only because they're intervening in situations where the wanton property damage and fallout is already a given and not started by them. When it is started by them without justifiable causes, I imagine those agents get in a lot of trouble.

I could be reading this wrong, but that's my impressions so far. I am duly fascinated.

Comments

[alphaflyer.livejournal.com]

Yup. ;-)

[scribblemyname]

You are like, the queen of realism in espionage, mission-based fandoms to me. I only aspire to your fic.

Nevertheless, I WISH I had time to run this fic I'm writing through your beta red pen. I had one fuzzy spot and it turned into binge research as I realized one tiny little fuzzy spot was a huge panorama I didn't know about. (On the plus side, I never pretended to and stayed away from trying to depict that stuff in fic before.)

[classics-lover.livejournal.com]

What does IMF stand for? I see it and think International Monetary Fund, lol, and I know that's not right.

[scribblemyname]

Impossible Missions Force

ETA: Fandom - Mission Impossible

[classics-lover.livejournal.com]

Thanks :D

[tielan]

I sort of had an inkling before, but I'm certainly fascinated now! (There are degrees and degrees and degress I have no doubt. And it's good to know them at least, so there's an idea of which toes are being trod upon in any given situation.)

[scribblemyname]

Indeed! I'm happily enjoying my rabbit hole.

[geckoholic]

Okay, I knew they were separate, but still, these are interesting thoughts! :D

[scribblemyname]

Glad to hear that since I'm the total newbie on the 'actually understand how to write missionfic' block. Thus, my usually never writing it. :shakes head at self:

[geckoholic]

Well, mission fic is still new for me too, but I do have some experience with casefic in general, and as for law enforcement, I'm a paralegal so I've seen my fair share of police files, so that might help there. IDK the whole thing is just one of my fave genres, so there's some osmosis happening too I guess, lol.