Is freedom of information more important than war strategy?

[tavalon]

This is the poll posted on 103.7 The Mountain. I voted and I wrote a comment. Here it is in it's entirety:

I answered your poll but I have so much more to say. Julian Assange is one of the greatest heroes of this century. Barack Obama should have been in that list, too, but he chose to let the CIA and the Pentagon run their wars the way they wanted and that makes him complicit. The man I voted for is a war criminal. Unimaginable.

Yes, the information needs to be out there. In fact, every night on CBS, NBC, ABC and even CNN, we need to see live footage of what we have done in Iraq and now Afghanistan. We need to see every grisly detail. Why? Well, ask a hippie. The pointless and immoral war in Vietnam stopped because Americans just got too horrified and too scared that their own son might be blown to pieces. These wars are being practiced under cover – a neat trick really. Few people have skin in these wars but each soldier, each Iraqi, each Afghani who died and is dying, is a human, a human with feelings and love for others and they each die with shock and with fear. Incredible fear. And if releasing this information shortens these atrocities by even one day, it is worth it. If our government is doing things that compromise the safety of our soldiers or informants, then they shouldn’t be doing those things. Come to think of it, they shouldn’t be conducting these wars at all and we shouldn’t be allowing it. I understand that dying empires start wars with helpless third world countries but that doesn’t make it right or moral. And by phrasing this poll as you did, even you are complicit. Look in the mirror and really think about it. Try to feel the fear that these people live every single moment of their lives.

Comment by Tavalon — August 13, 2010 @ 7:15 am

Edited to add: Here's the page I referenced. http://blogs.1037themountain.com/seand/

[wtmusic]

1. Nice.

The question poses a false dichotomy: is all freedom of information more important than all war strategy? Is any/any? Some/any?

Big subject.

[tavalon]

3. Yep, I hope I gave them a little something to think about

[tavalon]

17. I wish I had remembered the term false dichotomy

I ought to have put that in my note.

[phantom power]

2. Freedom of *what* information?

If my country is fighting a war, I'm completely aligned with the idea that I don't need to know information pertaining to strategy or tactics, plans, etc.

As a citizen, I *do*, however, believe I have every right to know why we're fighting that war, and what both the human costs and financial costs are. Indeed, if citizens don't have access to that kind of information, we are lost.

[jmondine]

4. Let's DU this sucker!

Currently censorship is winning out by 60% to 40%, but it's very, very early.

[tavalon]

16. That didn't happen but I'm always a little leary of DUing polls anyway

But I do wish a few of you would go over there and comment.

[HEyHEY]

5. Excellent question, I don't believe there's a clear answer

Except that it depends on what information. In this particular war, I don't know that aside from the names of informants and information they have given that could identify them if it is. It's not like the war is against another nation with intelligence and modern weaponry. Of course it could be more important in this case for them to not know what we know.

What gets me is when they supress info for clearly PR reasons.

[tavalon]

7. Yep, if we don't know what's happening in our names, apathy can reign

Where is the rage?

[HEyHEY]

12. Not enough, that's for sure. that goes in all aspects of today, i find.

[T Wolf]

6. In this situation - a bogus illegal war. Absolutely! Think of it as the same thing as exposing the

My Lai massacre during Vietnam.

[tavalon]

9. perfect analogy

Perhaps you might be willing to go add that comment? I added a link. This is a very liberal and generally cool radio station. It's kind of appalling that they got taken in by this framing.

[bemildred]

8. We've had lots of secrecy for a long time now.

So how is that working out? Not so good is what I see. Secrecy, to be meaningful at all, must be applied in small doses. When everything is secret, nothing is believed.

[w8liftinglady]

10. i submitted a comment as well..

http://blogs.1037themountain.com/seand/2010/08/13/what-do-you-think-3/comment-page-1/#comment-12799


I am the mother of a 4-time Iraq War veteran.The reason he is a 4 time veteran is because most of the nation has forgotten we are at war,let alone on 2 sites.The effects this war is having on our troops,on the citizens of these countries should have been broadcast high and low for the last nine years.The corporations who are getting filthy rich while my son fights for VA care is sickening.That is what this war has produced…a few brave guys to do their dirty work.We need to withdraw NOW,and direct the money into saving our own floundering country…but that would involve someone caring about more than themselves.

[tavalon]

11. Weird, I can't find your comment

I wonder if it got held for moderation. I'm a member of the mountain. Maybe that's the difference. I dunno.

[w8liftinglady]

13. maybe-if you click the link above-it shows up for me...

[tavalon]

15. I guess I had a fast trigger finger this morning

I see it tonight. I work nights so I finally settled down enough to sleep. I was so pissed at them. They one of my liberal bastions. Well, they were when Marty Riemer was there. It's kind of hard to believe that a DJ could have set the tone.

[area51]

14. +1 (n/t)

[jmondine]

18. We're at 2/3 now. Woohoo!