Monday, July 26, 2010

Secrets

So, Wikileaks has released some tens of thousands of classified documents related to the Global War on Swarthy People That the Israelis Don't Like. And our supervisors don't like that, not one bit:
The White House condemned the publication of the data which it said threatened the safety of coalition forces.

A spokesman said: "We strongly condemn the disclosure of classified information by individuals and organisations, which puts the lives of the US and partner service members at risk and threatens our national security."
Let's pause to note something: our supervisors don't give a fig if the Talibannies are out there reading Wikileaks. The primary reason for this stuff being all secret and classified and everything is so you and I don't know it. Why don't they want us to know? Perhaps because they think that if we find out how stupid, wicked, and costly their hobbies are, we'll put a stop to them. (Frankly, I think they're giving us far too much credit, but that's another discussion.)

Let's also note that "US and partner service members" would be quite safe if they weren't occupying other people's countries. When it comes to the sort of "service members" whose famous "collateral murders" were recently seen on Wikileaks: the less safe, the better, say I. Whatever the culpability of any individual Troop, though, his or her safety is best served by going home, post haste.

We seem to take it for granted that governments properly keep secrets from the governed. Why should that be? I can certainly think of many reasons why it should not be.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

if we find out how stupid, wicked, and costly their hobbies are, we'll put a stop to them.

Far better, from the government's perspective, to treat us like mushrooms: keep us in the dark and feed us manure.

(Frankly, I think they're giving us far too much credit, but that's another discussion.)

So I'll start it. Take the Tea Party, for instance. As long as their taxes don't noticeably go up and they can keep their guns, they could care less how many people our government kills, "Swarthy" or low-life, drug-using, Americans. And getting complete control of Mideast oil that doesn't belong to us would just be a bonus.

Mimi said...

You said it, Jim. And the absolutely essential path for any thinking (are there any?) citizen to follow is this: Ignore what they say and examine what they do. In addition, of course, the instant they start talking about "fighting for our freedom," "over there, so not over here," "war against terror," and so on and on, imagine that what's coming out of their mouths is "blah, blah, blah, blah...." That's what "patriotic" talk is. you know, meaningless noise.

Torey said...

"Perhaps because they think that if we find out how stupid, wicked, and costly their hobbies are, we'll put a stop to them."I am taken aback by the truth in those words.