I would like to see two practices in American Government outlawed

[KlatooBNikto]

in the interest of transparency and accountability.The first is the practice of classifying documents as SECRET in its many gradations and variations.The second is the practice of DENIABILITY for the President on down to the town mayor.

I know these are dreams, but as one gets older, what else can one do except dream for the country one has lost?

[RivetJoint]

1. You don't think we should have classified

documents?

[ProdigalJunkMail]

2. so...no way to have national security

and...all elected officials must know EVERYTHING.

hmmm...not dreams...delusions...

theProdigal

[bullimiami]

3. it should be against the law for government employees to lie

to the people they serve.

subject to termination, fine, imprisonment ...

so bush lies, bush goes. sorry bill but it would have applied to you too.
if you cant tell the truth then just decline to answer, if you lie, you go.

[forgethell]

4. Nah, in fact

law enforcement officers are permitted to lie in the interrogation of suspects. There are some lies that they can't tell, for instance, they can't promise leniency. But they can pretend to know more about the suspect's guilt than they actually do.

[Name removed]

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[ProdigalJunkMail]

6. sorry...there are some national security issues

that go WAY beyond five years...

theProdigal

OnEdit : can't type

[Name removed]

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[ProdigalJunkMail]

8. on plain old government related topics

I would go with 5...but national security should be allowed to be classified as long as deemed necessary. Let's face it, I don't want certain technical documents to ever be released...

theProdigal

[RivetJoint]

9. True

There are intelligence sources and methods that need not ever be revealed.

[sweetheart]

10. National security is not a reason

Of couse there would be a latency for obviosly-sensitive material,
but that this material must be classified, ONLY by a 20 person
bipartisan committee of people elected to congress without being
bought by campagin finance lobbies.

The issue really, is who gets to say something is classified, and
if that power is restricted only to a legislative body, or a special
sitting court, then at least there will be the public interest
served rather than criminal interests as with today.

Accountability, will only change when the media are given back their
independence. Then politicians will be charged publically by
an independent critial media, who will, like with vietnam and nixon,
show the public the truth. As it stands, "embedded" reporting stops
any sort of independence or objectivity, and this fails us terribly.