66 years of secrecy (and counting)

"The citizenry at large is now thought of as under military discipline. In wartime, it is true, people submit to the national leadership more than in peacetime. . . . But those impositions are removed when normal life returns.
But we have not seen normal life in 66 years. The wartime discipline imposed in 1941 has never been lifted, and 'the duration' has become the norm. World War II melded into the cold war, with greater secrecy than ever — more classified information, tougher security clearances. And now the cold war has modulated into the war on terrorism.
There has never been an executive branch more fetishistic about secrecy than the Bush-Cheney one. The secrecy has been used to throw a veil over detentions, 'renditions,' suspension of the Geneva Conventions and of habeas corpus, torture and warrantless wiretaps. We hear again the refrain so common in the other wars — If you knew what we know, you would see how justified all our actions are.
But we can never know what they know. We do not have sufficient clearance."

Op-ed by Garry Wills, history professor

source
Wills, Garry. (The New York Times). January 27, 2007. At Ease, Mr. President.

posted: sunday, january 28, 2007, 9:43 PM ET
update: sunday, january 28, 2007, 10:35 PM ET

tags: secrecy