What value is there in Secrecy?

Observe our current presidential regime--
Take it at face value and observe the face it shows the public. The face shown before the cameras, the star of the show, the president himself, the man and his words. Is he an idiot? Is he an idiot or he is able to mask reality in a veil of incompetence and buffoonery? How can we possibly know?

Take the underlings, the costars, the one’s who take the back seat, yet are essential for the shows success. Rumsfield: still in a ‘consulting’ role after ‘resignation.’ Take Cheney: blatantly reported as being in a ‘classified location.’ Take the testimony of Gonzalez and Rice before Senate committees: How much information was released concerning Iraq policy and domestic spying? Little to none, all of it concealed behind “I don’t know,” and “that has yet to be determined.” The President, the star, can not make such statements because of his position. If he doesn’t know, the spectators will not stand for anyone else to know.

But why withhold information? When this act is obvious, we suspect the worst. We decide that if they can’t be honest, there must be a reason. They must be hiding something:;they must be hiding a practice they know we would find unacceptable. They know we will declare the hidden actions we assume are occurring to be wrong. They must know that some will likely overestimate their immorality. Why then conceal a practice that all will readily imagine, deny perhaps, but easily imagine and assume in proportions beyond reality?

Perhaps it is more effective to conceal a plan. And an effective plan, one that utilizes secrecy as a means to reach its goals, is one that can be realized even with the unknowing compliance of its perpetrators.

Secrecy will always breed lies and incorrect assumptions.

These lies and assumptions will breed fear.

Fear is a valuable tool for manipulation.

We may never know the extent of prisoner abuse endorsed by the United States government. We may never know the extent of domestic spying perpetrated by the United States government. We do not know what the United States government plans for the nations of Iraq and Iran. There may not be anyone in the United States government that knows. But some know that all three mysteries can scare the crap out of anyone who seeks to know, and can never find out.

Secrecy may serve a role beyond obscuration.

Whether or not it ever does is concealed behind an equally vexing secret.

All we can know is that we don’t know, that we can’t understand, that we can not realize a satisfyingly complete version of reality. What we don’t know, we can only assume. What we assume NEED NOT scare us. Our presumed assumptions can only serve one useful purpose...