More secrecy results in less security

The government classified 15.6 million documents last year, almost double the number in 2001, according to the federal Information Security Oversight Office. If that makes you feel safer, it shouldn’t. As Thomas Kean, chairman of the Sept. 11 commission, has warned, more secrecy results in less security: “The best ally we have in protecting ourselves against terrorism is an informed public.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

10 Comments

  1. Ed Friedemann
    Posted July 18, 2005 at 12:05 am | Permalink

    Phillip, The best ally we have in protecting ourselves against being hurt is to understand that “terrorism” is nothing more than a political ploy. As long as we keep killing Arabs, Arabs will keep paying us back. As long as we decline to grant or allow a viable Palestinians State of their own, we can expect more retaliation.Create a viable Palestinian State. Put Israel back into its secure box behind the green-line, and the “whole thing” goes away. America is too vulnerable to attack to allow Mr. Stupid to stay the current course.Example: Everyday thousands of gasoline trucks deliver gasoline to gas stations. Each one carries 8000 gallons of gasoline. They are all potential weapons. A few mortar rounds into our six major Oil Refineries and their pipelines would paralyze our economy.Our economy is based on something flammable….Gasoline.

    Bush’s unconditional love of Israel is one thing, but does that need to drag us all into a one-sided approach to solve this Arab/ American war? And devastate the United States in the process? Spewing hatred everyday, and trying to draw lines in the sand doesn’t help.If Sharon wants to conquor a world, let him go find another planet.

    If not for idiots like Bush, those British would still be alive today along with 15,000 good American soldiers, and the 100,000 Iraqis who have been killed or wounded thanks to the Bush/Sharon puppet Show.America is too unprotected to allow fools like that Goon in the White House and that Fat Sharon to take us down.Bush is shredding the Constitution and bankrupting America. It does get worse than what we’re sure to receive for his bumbling. The man isn’t smart enough to construct a sentence, without someone pulling his chain. This isn’t a Republican or Democratic, conservative or liberal thing. This is about saving America from the clutches of stupidity, and not just bad judgment, but exposure to certain destruction.

  2. Steven E.
    Posted July 18, 2005 at 12:49 am | Permalink

    I receive Steven Aftergood’s newsletter on government secrecy. It is amazing how much information is being classified and some of it you just have to scratch your head and wonder why it is being made secret. I would be interested in the liberal and conservative views on this blog as to why this might be happening.

  3. Ed Friedemann
    Posted July 18, 2005 at 1:39 am | Permalink

    The day that Bush raised his and swore to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States, it was in tact, protecting the rights of our citizens. Since then he has all but destroyed search and seizure laws of the Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights. The use of torture is prohibited both legally and morally and he has treated the Eight Amendment as though it does not exist.

    America was not this sick before he happened along.

    International law has been violated, as have the Geneva Conventions, while Bush sits on his hands.Amendment IVThe right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

    Amendment VIIIExcessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

  4. Emily
    Posted July 18, 2005 at 6:55 am | Permalink

    It makes me shudder to think how secretive this administration is. It isn’t about anti-terrorism. It’s about getting their way in secrecy. Never have the American people been so poorly served as we are with the Bush administration.

  5. Anon
    Posted July 18, 2005 at 7:50 am | Permalink

    The question is what is being classified. I agree that some things should be kept on a need to know basis but every year as older documents are declassified I end up wondering why 95% of them were classified in the first place.

  6. Ed Friedemann
    Posted July 18, 2005 at 9:31 am | Permalink

    The neocons surrounding Bush treat the United States with such contempt, knowing their boy is not capable of an original thought, and he will not object to whatever despicable actions they set him to do, fit the very definition of treasonable behavior.

    Never, in the history of our country, has America been set so disgustingly morally adrift.

    The Israeli Likud Party’s influence has so infected all the checks and balances set out by our constitution, as to call for a through cleaning of all three branches of the Federal Government.

    Portions of the FBI are still in tact and it appears that it falls to them to save this union. Flushing out and prosecuting those in the White House, Congress and the Pentagon whose treasonous actions are placing this country in such grave danger is a must, if any semblance of America’s respectful standing in the world is to be restored.

    Israel, a country, which is little more than the heartbeat of swindlers, tricksters liars and assorted crud needs to be put back into its place, even if that requires the use of deadly force.

    Let the FBI begin with the prosecution of Karl Rove and let the neocons and the world know that we mean to set about the task of justice in earnest.

    Justice need not be kept classified.

  7. Ed Friedemann
    Posted July 18, 2005 at 12:46 pm | Permalink

    Fraud is clasified?

    Haaretz, Israel’s largest newpaper declares: “New York City is our largest Jewish city.”

    http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/18/nyregion/18medicaid.html?th=&adxnnl=1&oref=login&emc=th&adxnnlx=1121708224-8ka50uu1x+F7UkFYYl4l2w

  8. Ed Friedemann
    Posted July 18, 2005 at 4:12 pm | Permalink

    Saudi, Israeli studies show most foreign fighters were not terrorists before Iraq war.

    http://csmonitor.com/2005/0718/dailyUpdate.html

  9. Ed Friedemann
    Posted July 18, 2005 at 4:41 pm | Permalink

    CNN Confirms UK bombing “payback” for Iraq.

    http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/07/18/iraq.report.ap/index.html

  10. Geez
    Posted July 19, 2005 at 1:03 pm | Permalink

    Another blog ruined by Ed.