Sometimes the government has to keep secrets. There are certain operations of, yes, national security that have to be kept under wraps, at least for a time.<\/p>\n
But there is nothing so addictive as secrecy, especially when coupled with power, and keeping things secret because otherwise the bad guys will find out too soon<\/em> all too easily turns into keeping things secret for the public’s own good<\/em>, which in turn becomes keeping things secret for the good of the secret-makers<\/em>.<\/p>\n The Bush Administration has time and again<\/a> used the first excuse, when it’s been all too clear that, at best, they really have #2 in mind, if not #3. Their mantra of “Trust us, or else the Terrorists will win” rang hollow every early on, and now it would be laughable if the consequences were not so grave.<\/p>\n Now the Senate has taken up S.2533, the State Secrets Protection Act<\/a>, which basically provides judicial oversight when the executive branch seeks to invoke “state secrets” as a reason to suppress information or stop judicial proceedings. <\/p>\n