Quote:
Originally Posted by Itse
This somwhat related article / opinion piece about whistleblowing in general had a pretty good quot
The way things are supposed to work is that we're supposed to know virtually everything about what they do: that's why they're called public servants. They're supposed to know virtually nothing about what we do: that's why we're called private individuals.
This dynamic - the hallmark of a healthy and free society - has been radically reversed. Now, they know everything about what we do, and are constantly building systems to know more. Meanwhile, we know less and less about what they do, as they build walls of secrecy behind which they function. That's the imbalance that needs to come to an end. No democracy can be healthy and functional if the most consequential acts of those who wield political power are completely unknown to those to whom they are supposed to be accountable.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/07/whistleblowers-and-leak-investigations |
Herbert Hoover's activities would bring dispute to the recollection of the author.
Ultimately, these secretive agencies do report to elected representatives. It's really about whether voters think their elected representatives are giving these agencies too much rope.
I would be interested to know if companies like Verizon are losing customers due to these revelations. That would be revealing as a canary in a,coal mine whether or not Americans care or not.
Cowperson