It is a well-known fact that prostitution is the world’s oldest profession, but what about the second? Well, there are a lot vying for that title; among them include politician (as said by former US President Ronald Reagan), press agents, quacks, con men, and, as Humorist Emma Bombeck called one of her books, motherhood. One definite answer to this question, though, is the profession of a spy. In fact, prostitution and espionage appeared in one passage in the Bible. In the Book of Joshua, an excerpt reads: “Joshua son of Nun sent two spies out from Shittim secretly with orders to reconnoiter the country. The two men came to Jericho and went to the house of a prostitute named Rahab…”. This definitely places spying and spycraft nearest to the world’s oldest profession. Other mentions of spying in the ancient times include Sun Tzu’s The Art of War (4th century BC), a work that still has an audience even in today’s world. Chanakya of India included a detailed account of intelligence collection, processing, consumption, and operations as important endeavors for keeping the peace should it want to expand its borders in his Arhashastra. It seems that intelligence and counterintelligence are concepts as old as sex, marriage, and cheating.
Interest in espionage has not died down even in the modern days. In fact, it accounts for one of the most lucrative sources of fantasy and entertainment. From the most brazen to the totally discreet, spies have given the most enjoyment to a worldwide audience. Jason Bourne, Eggsy Unwin, and the Kingsmen, the CIA field agent on The Secret Empress, the Angels from Charlie’s Angels, the Black Widows Natasha Romanova and Yelena Belova and their DC comics counterpart of Black Canary: Dinah Drake and Dinah Laurel Lance; there is an impossible number of spies that tickles the public’s fantasy. The most famous of them all is agent 007 himself, James Bond, who, in 2022 and amidst the COVID pandemic, has released his 25th movie outing.
Spying also has affected even the civilian population. Cases of infidelity are often found out with the efforts of private detectives. Industrial and company espionage and corporate espionage have become things that can seriously threaten a company. One such example includes the famous case of the conspiracy against soft-drink giant Coca-Cola. The story goes that a secretary from the Global Headquarters of Coca-Cola stole a vial of the company’s newest product to be given to its biggest rival, Pepsi. This secretary screwed himself over as he misjudged the relationship between the two companies. Police were involved, and the secretary was caught.
The espionage industry of governments has also been bustling. With the advancement of the internet and the advent of social media, the different intelligence communities worldwide are in a mad dash as to who can make use of the enormous data found on the web. Other countries have their different spy agencies. The USA has its CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) and NSA (National Security Agency), and The British has its SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) or more commonly known as the MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section Six). Meanwhile, Russia had its KGB (Romanized as Committee for State Security) until it was dissolved in 1991. It was succeeded by the FSB (Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation) and the SVR (Romanized as Foreign Intelligence Service). The latter focuses mainly on civilian affairs, while the former is the principal security agency of Russia and focuses on internal and border security, counter-terrorism, surveillance, and counterintelligence. These agencies and those of other countries have their hand in modern warfare that is still happening today, such as the Vietnam War, the Cold war, and the fight against terrorism.
Spies, spycraft, and espionage are here to stay. Especially now that the world is deep in the information age, there seems to be no end in sight for those who work in the dark. As more and more wars are fought with information rather than guns and ships, the work of spies will forever remain crucial. Not only that, spies and the concept of espionage have also found their place in popular culture and the general public. Even if the time comes that the need for intelligence and clandestine operations has become obsolete, the concept of spying has forever married itself to the faith of humanity. Just as they were mentioned together initially, the world’s second-oldest profession might die together with the world’s oldest profession, but for now, there is no end in sight.
Oliver’s Twist 