It&#x27;s not bullshit the NSA plays a pivotal role in ensuring US national security, that doesn&#x27;t mean that their current actions are justified, but having the means is a national security mandate in the current geopolitical climate.<p>And the NSA doesn&#x27;t need to compete on monetary compensation, it competes on a whole &#x27;nother level which is giving people the biggest challenges to solve while having access to unparalleled levels of resources and cutting edge technology.<p>Bell Lab&#x27;s didn&#x27;t compete on compensation either, but it was where everyone wanted to work because of the environment.<p>You also disregard nationalism, patriotism, and the ability of the intelligence community to groom targets which they&#x27;ve perfected into an art form.