Why Wikileaks is Good for Democracy

[Better Believe It]

Why Wikileaks is Good for Democracy
by Bill Quigley
Bill Quigley is Legal Director at the Center for Constitutional Rights and a law professor at Loyola University New Orleans.
November 30, 2010

Information is the currency of democracy. --Thomas Jefferson.

Since 9-11, the US government, through Presidents Bush and Obama, has increasingly told the US public that “state secrets” will not be shared with citizens. Candidate Obama pledged to reduce the use of state secrets, but President Obama continued the Bush tradition. The Courts and Congress and international allies have gone meekly along with the escalating secrecy demands of the US Executive.

But information is the lifeblood of democracy. Information about government contributes to a healthy democracy. Transparency and accountability are essential elements of good government. Likewise, “a lack of government transparency and accountability undermines democracy and gives rise to cynicism and mistrust,” according to a 2008 Harris survey commissioned by the Association of Government Accountants.

Outraged politicians are claiming that the release of government information is the criminal equivalent of terrorism and puts innocent people’s lives at risk. Many of those same politicians authorized the modern equivalent of carpet bombing of Baghdad and other Iraqi cities, the sacrifice of thousands of lives of soldiers and civilians, and drone assaults on civilian areas in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. Their anger at a document dump, no matter how extensive, is more than a little suspect.

The US has been going in the wrong direction for years by classifying millions of documents as secrets. Wikileaks and other media which report these so called secrets will embarrass people yes. Wikileaks and other media will make leaders uncomfortable yes. But embarrassment and discomfort are small prices to pay for a healthier democracy.

Read the full article at:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/11/30-8

[BrklynLiberal]

1. We were promised transparency, right?

[polichick]

3. Yeah, but the prez didn't actually mean what he was saying - come on! :)

[BrklynLiberal]

7. oops. you are right..Those were merely CAMPAIGN promises...not meant to be taken seriously

[Robb]

2. "We currently have no evidence to confirm that Thomas Jefferson ever said or wrote....."

"We currently have no evidence to confirm that Thomas Jefferson ever said or wrote, 'Information is the currency of democracy'. The earliest known attribution to Thomas Jefferson (in print) is 1991, although this may have happened earlier. Print sources more commonly attribute this quotation to Ralph Nader."

http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/information-currency-democracy-quotation

[stray cat]

4. is all leaking good? Is Cheney truly A HERO?

[yourout]

5. Candidate Obama and President Obama are two different people.

Anyone seen a hairy looking pod growing in the rose garden?

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prT1E_S__jM&feature=related>

[BrklynLiberal]

6. It sure would seem that way...

[Individualist]

8. No doubt about it.