Wikileaks and all

I won't attempt to pass myself off as well-informed about the Julian Assange case, but I'd like to make a few general remarks about power and secrecy. Your regular Joe can't keep too many secrets if more powerful people think it's in their interest to know Joe's secrets. This is even more true since the government has whittled more and more of Joe's rights away in the name of national security since 2001. If they want to know something about you, they've got a vast array of tools to do the job.

I don't think most people will argue with me when I say that, the more power a person has, the more secrets he is able to keep, unless the media are vigilant, which they seem less and less inclined to be. We know that the previous administration has violated the Constitution, and that they do their best to convince us that it's for our own good. They, and the current administration (more's the pity) keep secrets in the name of national security. Some secrets probably do improve our security, but there's a whole raft of secrets that cover up a government's criminal activity, or serve simply to help powerful people avoid embarrassment.

I believe that the rights of the common man are greatly diminished in a climate of government secrecy, and that any tool we have to expose wrongdoing by those in power is very valuable in preserving democracy.