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Politics : Right Wing Extremist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neocon who wrote (20035)	11/15/2001 1:18:41 PM
From: MSI	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 59480

Hi Neocon, "no one cares" until someone decides to come after you for, say, any guns you may have in your closet, or, in a more hysterical time, your political beliefs. You should be able to know exactly what the government has on you, at any time, without red tape. Government has a natural tendency to extend any powers it has, beyond the envelope of laws, and needs to be held in check, constantly. Particularly when it comes to military issues, as stated by George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower. You said you shouldn't know "who is the CIA operative in the consulate in Berne or ... to see the work product of candid discussions among the president's advisors on matters of diplomacy...." Don't think of "matters of diplomacy" as sacred writ by superhumans, not of relevance to historians or citizens. These are not Imams or Mullahs. These are our servants, some elected, some appointed - all of their work and recorded discussion belongs to us. Of course any bona fide military secrets should be kept, but ONLY for the period of time necessary, months or years (not decades as King George II declares with the recent Secrets Act), and documents should not be destroyed. The problem is that 99% of all bureaucratic secrecy is simply designed to increase power, and hide incompetence and criminality. Unfortunately, I'm one of those who thinks a 40% tax rate combined with all of the secrecy in government and military have exactly led to the problems we have now. I don't believe anyone in government who hides or lies, but that seems to be a natural tendency the past few decades especially, up to and including the highest levels. Do you really trust the government to help you?