I’ve read a few nonfiction spy books about spies in the 80’s and Cold War

The tv version of clandestine ass kickers who sneak into places and evade couldn’t be further from the truth.

The reality is - they’re usually nerds with social skills training who have families and work 9-5 “spy jobs”. Their job consists of meeting people and paying attention, then writing reports about who they meet and who they could possibly bribe to give them some information.

Every country is well aware who the spies are bc, big surprise, they work at the embassies or consulates. As soon as a new person lives or works there, the host countries counter intelligence assigns people to follow and watch them.

This game has been going on since the 1940s in every country across the globe. Everyone knows what’s going on. Tourists do not visit embassies, government employees do. So The foreigners working at their embassy are there purely to find information in a matter that does not offend the host nation. If they try too hard or are found to be participating in illegal activity, they are expelled.

They are also foreign nationals in sanctioned foreign embassies so they will not be arrested bc that causes serious problems up to actual war. Every embassy and consulate is spying on the host nation and its almost like a gentlemen’s agreement to allow it. “If you let us set up in your country, you can setup in ours”. This exchange of information actually does lead to peace in many instances bc through these observations, countries understand one another.

During the Cold War when the US and Russia had zero embassy agreements and thus zero first hand knowledge what’s going on, the paranoia and danger was through the roof. The Russians had no idea what Americans were doing or thinking, and vice versa. So they both assumed the worst and armed themselves to the tits. The KGB working in Europe were the ones who helped lower tensions bc they began talking to MI5, the British counter intelligence. They were terrified bc Russia had no clue what America was doing and Russians were becoming increasingly paranoid and convinced an attack would come at any time.

Lotta really cool history behind that stuff. It’s nothing like Jason Bourne bullshit. It’s mostly boring dorks hanging out all day doing nothing but the way stuff pans is extremely interesting

Edit: most of the russian spies in Europe were writing fictional reports of who they meet and what they were doing. They liked living in Europe and their families did as well. Bc they communists demanded information they made most of it up. It ensured they got paid and they could continue their “work”. It would be fair to assume that most Chinese spies are doing the same thing. Life in America is much nicer than China and there’s no way for them to “check your work”. So you make shit up in your reports, get the good boy points, then live Normally. It appears in this instance something went wrong and I’d guess the other spies are pretty annoyed at the entire situation bc they have to leave now.

I’ve read a few nonfiction spy books about spies in the 80’s and Cold War

The tv version of clandestine ass kickers who sneak into places and evade couldn’t be further from the truth.

The reality is - they’re usually nerds with social skills training who have families and work 9-5 “spy jobs”. Their job consists of meeting people and paying attention, then writing reports about who they meet and who they could possibly bribe to give them some information.

Every country is well aware who the spies are bc, big surprise, they work at the embassies or consulates. As soon as a new person lives or works there, the host countries counter intelligence assigns people to follow and watch them.

This game has been going on since the 1940s in every country across the globe. Everyone knows what’s going on. Tourists do not visit embassies, government employees do. So The foreigners working at their embassy are there purely to find information in a matter that does not offend the host nation. If they try too hard or are found to be participating in illegal activity, they are expelled.

They are also foreign nationals in sanctioned foreign embassies so they will not be arrested bc that causes serious problems up to actual war. Every embassy and consulate is spying on the host nation and its almost like a gentlemen’s agreement to allow it. “If you let us set up in your country, you can setup in ours”. This exchange of information actually does lead to peace in many instances bc through these observations, countries understand one another.

During the Cold War when the US and Russia had zero embassy agreements and thus zero first hand knowledge what’s going on, the paranoia and danger was through the roof. The Russians had no idea what Americans were doing or thinking, and vice versa. So they both assumed the worst and armed themselves to the tits. The KGB working in Europe were the ones who helped lower tensions bc they began talking to MI5, the British counter intelligence. They were terrified bc Russia had no clue what America was doing and Russians were becoming increasingly paranoid and convinced an attack would come at any time.

Lotta really cool history behind that stuff. It’s nothing like Jason Bourne bullshit. It’s mostly boring dorks hanging out all day doing nothing but the way stuff pans is extremely interesting