Despite all of the bad news about unemployment and the economy, there are still well-paying jobs available. Whether these are occupations you would be hesitant to engage in may certainly be a consideration.

Many of us are bored with the regular 9-to-5 jobs and crave more excitement. If you fall into this category, it may be that working as a spy is the occupation for you. Can't you see yourself wearing a trench cost and dark glasses, carrying a false passport, and working behind enemy lines. The pay is good because of the element of danger, and because you would have little "back up" in the event of capture. After watching television and movies about spying, you would like to give it a try. You might be required to perform certain criminal acts in the performance of the job, but you believe the end justifies the means: You would be working for your country as a true patriot. If you were captured, you would be required to deny any connection to your country and if the torture becomes too intense, you would have available a cyanide pill to end the pain.

A similar job would be hiring out as a mercenary, engaging in combat operations for the highest bidder. You would be provided with the latest in firearms and ammunition and military clothing. Your work would take place overseas, so it would give you a chance to see the world and make new acquaintances. If you are squeamish about blood or have some hesitation about killing women and children, this would not be a good job for you. However, if your conscience bothers you, you would be provided a priest who could grant you absolution.

There are always good jobs in politics. I don't mean going door to door handing out leaflets, or answering the phone at campaign headquarters, but you would be more of an active participant in what is often called "dirty tricks," such as the Watergate break-in, stealing files of the opposition, and maybe appearing at a rally to disrupt an enemy speaker. You might need to work as a mole in the opposition headquarters, and help sabotage their operation. Attractive women are especially in demand to work undercover, so to speak, to obtain inside information by any means available that might help destroy the opposition's campaign. To help you in your job, you would be provided attractive clothing and expensive jewelry, always helpful in charming a colleague into divulging useful information. In extreme cases you might have to take the fall and serve some jail time when necessary to protect your employer, but in such a case you would be well compensated.

Another occupation requiring a strong stomach is working in a "rendition operation" where you will be questioning suspected terrorists at a black site overseas. You would be involved in what is called "enhanced interrogation," which some believe to be extreme, but you will be furnished a legal opinion that says that this type of interrogation does not amount to torture. For example you would not be required to perform amputations, unreasonable electric shock treatments, or use a version of the rack, which was used so effectively at the Tower of London to obtain confessions. The good news is you would not be involved in combat and would not be operating behind enemy lines. Also, as additional security, you would always wear a mask while performing your duties. This would make it difficult for a prisoner, after his release, to hunt you down for revenge.

None of these jobs requires that you have a college degree or are a religious person; in fact, these qualities might interfere with performance of your employment. However, if you need to work undercover, you would need to be reasonably intelligent so that you can work undetected. Also, people in this line of work cannot afford to be too sentimental, and those who are tender-hearted should not apply.

The fact such jobs exist tells us something about today's culture, which has to be a concern, although you could argue that these occupations, in one form or another, have always existed. However, despite a person's moral objection to the duties connected with these jobs, if they are in desperate enough financial straits, you could understand their decision to sign on.