Secrecy: A Stupid Excuse

You know that old gag where you sneak under the table while you father is engrossed in the news and you tie his shoe laces together thinking he will get up and trip? Well, the trouble with secrecy is that not only will it trips you up, it may hurt you. And that is the problem with the U.S. “terrorism” policy and war policy.

No investigations can be held because to do so would “let the enemy” know what we were thinking. You can’t report anything, because the enemy is watching and listening. We can’t tell Congress anything because they will leak all our secrets. And today, the NYT reports that the decision to publicly reveal “evidence” about Iranian IEDs in Iraq was a “hard call” because the enemy would then see how deadly effective these devices are. Somehow, that strikes me as an odd argument. Don’t you think they who use these devices know how deadly they are? That might be why they keep using them? Like dah.

And if you are afraid to show that type of “evidence” to the public or to Congress, then what are you hiding from each other, either accidentally or otherwise, in the hallowed halls of the E-Ring and West Wing? That is the trouble with secrecy. It's like having your shoes tied together by their laces without your knowing it.

Update by Bell Curve: I would refer you to Glenn Greenwald for more on the ridiculousness of this NYT article.