MICE is an acronym used in the counterintelligence and espionage world to describe the motivations behind someone becoming an agent for a foreign government. It stands for “Money, “Ideology,” “Compromise,” and “Ego.” MICE. History is filled with people who betrayed their countries for one or more of these reasons.
Money is certainly a motivator for some. This stems either from out-and-out greed or when someone has found themselves in deep debt and can’t see their way out through any legitimate means. Some people have turned to becoming drug mules under such circumstances but others, particularly when they are in a trusted position and have access to things like classified information which adversaries find very valuable, will turn to selling that information.
Ideology is a motivator for some. Edward Snowden comes to mind. He took umbrage at some of the practices of the National Security Agency where he worked as a contractor and decided to leak highly classified information to the press to make a political statement. As you recall, he is currently exiled in Russia after having caused a great deal of damage to our national security apparatus. It was a true gift to our adversaries. Idealism is great but when ideology compromises national security and a person breaches the trust put in them in order to make a political statement, it is a crime, no matter how well intentioned.
Compromise is when someone in a position of trust has been caught doing something illegal or immoral to the extent that if that information is brought to light, the individual will potentially lose their job, irreparably damage their reputation, result in a divorce, or may actually be charged with a crime. Russia is an expert at setting people up to be compromised to the point where they feel like they have no choice but to do what they are told to do by their handlers. For example, women (or men) can be used to seduce married people into having affairs which result in the individual being photographed in compromising positions. People who are caught in these situations are generally very vulnerable to extortion.
And, lastly let’s talk about “Ego.” Some people just think they are naturally smarter than everyone else and won’t get caught. They get a pathological thrill in believing they will never get caught because they believe themselves to be of superior inttelligence.
Let’s take a quick look at Donald Trump under the MICE microscope. Money: Despite the fact the Trump repeatedly claims he is filthy rich, the fact is, the recent judgments against him which total more than one half a billion dollars would make a serious dent in his piggy bank. Anyone who could come along and help Trump with his money problems would likely become Trump’s new best friend. His well-publicized ties to Russia come to mind.
Ideology: Trump has none! Trump’s ideology revolves around two things – money and revenge. Yes, his slogan is, “Make America Great Again,” but the fact is, he does not give one whit about America or its people. The fact that Trump has no loyalty to anyone but Trump makes him a perfect target for a foreign government. He will sell America down the drain faster than you can say, “Trump Tower.”
Compromise: The famous Steele dossier which purported to know of the existence of photographs of Trump cavorting with prostitutes in Moscow would be an example of compromise. Even barring that, Trump is going on trial next month for allegedly illegally paying off adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an affair. (If only there were pictures!)
Ego: We have all heard Trump say that he is smarter than all his generals. He claims he knows more about the law than his attorneys. No one in their right mind would object to Trump being called an egomaniac. His outsized ego thrives on flattery. Trump will cozy up to almost anyone who will stroke his ego. He clearly believes he is always far smarter than anyone around him.
Given all the above, Trump is extremely vulnerable in all four dimensions – Money, Ideology, Compromise and Ego. There are a lot of reasons why Trump is unfit for office but the fact that he is so vulnerable to outside interests who are enemies of the United States should give everyone pause. Trump is an espionage gold mine for someone like Vladimir Putin. If you think that is too farfetched, I would argue you are gravely underestimating people like Putin and seriously overestimating Trump’s intelligence and integrity.
