Bob's Links and Rants

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Monday, July 03, 2006

Too many secrets

Jimmy Carter wrties about the dangerous secrecy which is the core of the Cheney administration:
Whether it's government or private companies that provide public services, access to their records increases accountability and allows citizens to participate more fully in public life. It is a critical tool in fighting corruption, and people can use it to improve their own lives in the areas of health care, education, housing and other public services. Perhaps most important, access to information advances citizens' trust in their government, allowing people to understand policy decisions and monitor their implementation.
In a democracy, it is the right and responsibility of the public to judge the government. This can't be done if the public doesn't know what the government is doing. The government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" is perishing, being replaced by one that is away from the people, to the people, and on the people.