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libertangoSpeaking of things I've been meaning to post, and since they don't appear to be picking it up, here's a letter I sent to the Seattle Times:
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To the editor:
How fascinating to read that the Bush Administration (and Mr. Cheney especially), wanting to pry ever more deeply into Americans' private matters, obstinately insists on creating more and more secrets for itself. You'd think this self-proclaimed faith-based Administration had never heard of the Golden Rule. To remind them: If you want citizens to be more open, the Administration itself must be forthcoming. If the Administration is needlessly secretive, it only fuels speculation "secrets" are being created to cover-up deeds that are illegal, unethical, embarrassing, or all three. As supporters of the NSA spy program remind us, If the Administration has done nothing wrong, it should have nothing to hide.
Sincerely,
etc.
*^*^*
To the editor:
How fascinating to read that the Bush Administration (and Mr. Cheney especially), wanting to pry ever more deeply into Americans' private matters, obstinately insists on creating more and more secrets for itself. You'd think this self-proclaimed faith-based Administration had never heard of the Golden Rule. To remind them: If you want citizens to be more open, the Administration itself must be forthcoming. If the Administration is needlessly secretive, it only fuels speculation "secrets" are being created to cover-up deeds that are illegal, unethical, embarrassing, or all three. As supporters of the NSA spy program remind us, If the Administration has done nothing wrong, it should have nothing to hide.
Sincerely,
etc.
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Secrecy
Date: 2006-05-20 01:50 pm (UTC)(Did you see this (http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/05/the_value_of_pr.html)?)
B
Re: Secrecy
Date: 2006-05-25 04:27 pm (UTC)I dunno. I'm very much on the fence on this issue. There are times when I'm very Brin-like, thinking there's simply no way to guarantee privacy anymore, so the only way to make sure one is never surprised is to live a predominantly open life. Then I see persuasive essays like yours, and I do see the value of privacy.
Regardless, I also think that government -- particularly the American government -- needs to be as transparent as possible. That's mostly because I believe there's no way for voters in a democracy to make an informed decision to the competence of the public figures to whom they've delegated government actions without as full a record of those officials' acts as possible. Anything less boils down to vote fraud, imo.
So the main point of my letter was to point out the disconnect between what the adminstration wants from others, and what it wants for itself -- especially since, again imo, it should be moving the opposite direction on both issues.
Anyway. I'm borrowing Jack Bell's computer, as we're in Madison for Wiscon. But thank you very much for keeping me in mind.