How to hide official misconduct, by the numbers
First, claim an almost unlimited right to keep the workings of the government secret, arguing, in effect, that the people’s business is none of the people’s business.
Second, start classifying as top secret all politically embarrassing information, while declassifying far less information in general than has occurred in the past (however, always feel free to declassify those few bits and pieces that are helpful to you).
Third, publicly challenge the patriotism of anyone who leaks (or publishes) politically harmful “secret” information.
Fourth, assert a right of executive privilege so broad (to the point of being without limit) as to effectively eviscerate congressional oversight.
Fifth, aggressively attack whistleblowers, by way of both direct retaliation and threat of prosecution.
Sixth, secretly use the phone records of reporters (without a search warrant or other court order) to trace the identity of sources who have disclosed evidence of your wrongdoing.
Seventh, threaten to jail reporters for contempt of court if they refuse to disclose their sources.
Eighth, up the ante even further by threatening to prosecute members of the news media who disclose unflattering information under the espionage statutes.
Ninth, appoint the kind of Supreme Court justice who will provide the deciding vote in a decision that strips whistleblowers of much of their legal protection.
Tenth, give members of the Washington press corps cute little nicknames so they won’t make too much of a public issue out of any of the above.
Then feel free to abuse the constitution, throw bundles of money to your political cronies and lie to your heart’s content: After all, what the bastards don’t know won’t hurt them.
May 30th, 2006 at 10:00 pm
It is really depressing when you are so dead on so often.
May 31st, 2006 at 1:44 am
think positive!
better as when they do it secretly…
“The first hint of a problem came through [defendant]’s neighbor. He stopped by the shop and told [defendant] that a [secret service agent] had been walking past the shop window, when the [bone of contention] attracted his attention…
He claimed to be a ‘representative’ from the [rulemaker] press bureau which was a few streets away and he had a message for [defendant]: the people at the abovementioned bureau were not happy with [defendant]’s display. Where was his sense of national pride?… Why did he have a foreign [bone of contention] plastered obscenely on his display window? Should he feel the need for a [bone of contention], there was the [rulemakers bone of contention] to put up…
[defendant] insisted it should remain on display as a matter of principle. His wife even offered to turn it into a [masquerade] for him to enjoy… He was adamant about keeping it up.
Two days later, he found a rather dramatic warning letter slipped under the large aluminum outer door. In a nutshell, it declared [defendant] and people like him ‘[traitor]’ and demanded he take down the [bone of contention] or he would be exposing himself to danger. It takes quite a bit to shake up a guy like [defendant], but the same day he had the flag down and the display was back to normal.”
Viva Muqtada…
that’s how it works - always and everytime…
and that’s what Iraq have become - i guess, “it depends on what you mean by the word” freedom and democracy