Posted by
Hemos
on from the removing-things-from-the-domain dept.
SnapShot writes "There's a very scary article at slate about the revision and reclassification of public, U.S. Government documents made available over the last thirty years. This is supposedly to protect us from the terrorists. Do you feel safer?"
-- "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
Anyone else worried?
by
Richie1984
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
a growing number of these sources are now barred to the public as "sensitive but unclassified" or "for official use only."
For a start, what does "sensitive but unclassified" actually mean? Does it have any legal status? Or is it simply there because of the connotations? The subtle purposes of the phrase are easily explained; the government isn't hiding the material, but it's in everyone's best interests that you don't and anyone who says otherwise could be dangerous.
-- I'm not stressed. I'm just terribly, terribly alert.
Who really cares?... nobody
by
ka9dgx
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
Flamebait? Hmmmm.... maybe.... you decide.
I'm done caring about it... we're now firmly in the shoes of the Germans circa 1935, we're not stopping the cult that siezed power. Protesting on a weekend doesn't count, nor to buttons. (I've done both, too).
If we really cared, we'd march to the Capital Mall, in DC... and stay, until we got our troops home, and had an honest election, for a change.
You're disgusting. Suggesting the US is Germany 1935 is an egregious overstatement and shows little regard for those unfortunate enough to actually suffer throught that period.
Did you think maybe the reason the democrats can't win an election is because you actively promote hatred of those who's votes you wish to capture? Until you learn that a vast majority of the US citizenry is on the same side you will continue to be blasted in "fair elections."
I live in germany , a couple of my inlaws were alive during that time.You know why most of them did nothing,It was because it sliped in slowly , most of the changes were great for the standerd of living and the demonisation of the jewish people was not highly promoted at first so it slipped by most people. The thing is back then to these people Hittler was a hero , he brought them wealth and rebuilt the nation , it was not untill far too late that some people saw his true nature , he marched into checkoslovakia not fighting an oposing army , but to a parade. He was a very evil monster , but a very evil monster who was a hero to the people
The Bush administration may well be a problem or perhaps it is not ( i wont state my opinion here as i dont want to bias people against my point) This in most ways is very very diffrent to Germany 1935,
-- The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
The current administration doesn't want to help compile their own "I messed up..."-list.
For example, if they disclose the former environmental data from the Environmental Protection Agency, nobody can easily compare actual data with the old data.
-- Grundgesetz * 23. Mai 1949 - 30. November 2007 - http://www.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de/
A long history of information hiding
by
ClosedSource
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
The US government has a long history of hiding information and even classified documents aren't always classified to protect the country.
A lot of classified documents are classified to avoid embarrassing the military or the current administration. The most famous example was the so-called "Pentagon Papers" which were a secret history of the Vietnam War. They proved that several Presidents had lied about the war (sound familiar?).
Democrats are still destroying themselves.
by
AtariAmarok
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
"Until you learn that a vast majority of the US citizenry is on the same side you will continue to be blasted in "fair elections.""
Things are not looking too good for those of us who think that America is best served with at least two viable parties. The Democrats are diminishing themselves even further under the leadership of Howard Dean. A few weeks ago, he called Republicans and those who support them "evil". Just recently he called them "brain dead". I'm sorry, it is just not a winning strategy to go out of your way and attack and write off HALF of the U.S. population.
Clinton was successful, and helped the Democrats, because he knew it was important to appeal to the middle, including those who nominally sympathized with Republicans and their causes. Clinton won only due to "Clinton Republicans", just like Reagan only won with "Reagan Democrats". Howard Dean is problematic not because he is a "left wing extremist" or any other sort of extremist. He isnit. However, he is problematic because his mean and divisive manner turns off a lot of people. It is no surprise that Rush Limbaugh loved him. While Dean fires up "the base", he tends to turn off way too many outside the base with insulting language.
When you attack half of the people as "evil", you are automatically making sure that 50% will not vote for you. Since you can't get everyone in the 50% you have left, you have ensured that you will lose.
-- Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Secrecy - because we are at War
by
dpilot
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
Most of the nation, including for instance the Supreme Court, accepts that the nation is at War. Not really Iraq, but the War on Terror.
How does the War on Terror end?
From whom do we accept surrender? Osama Bin Laden? What if Bin Laden were to surrender, but other terrorists disagree and want to continue fighting the US.
How and when can a War on Terror possibly end? If you really want to consider this a War, then the answers have to be, "no way" and "never". Terrorism only requires people willing to be terrorists in order to continue, and I forsee no shrinkage in that pool of people in either near or distant futures.
So we'd probably better get ready for the "temporary restriction of liberties during Wartime" to become permanent, because there is no forseeable way to end that war.
-- The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
Re:Secrecy - because we are at War
by
SpaceLifeForm
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
The 'War on Terror' will only end when the
real war against the citizens being orchestrated
by the government ends.
So, figure 20 years or never. It all depends
upon when the sheeple wake up.
-- You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
Slashdot Mirror
It seems like McCarthy was a liberal by current standards. Land of the free my ass. Maybe if you're a corporation.
a growing number of these sources are now barred to the public as "sensitive but unclassified" or "for official use only."
For a start, what does "sensitive but unclassified" actually mean? Does it have any legal status? Or is it simply there because of the connotations? The subtle purposes of the phrase are easily explained; the government isn't hiding the material, but it's in everyone's best interests that you don't and anyone who says otherwise could be dangerous.
I'm not stressed. I'm just terribly, terribly alert.
I'm done caring about it... we're now firmly in the shoes of the Germans circa 1935, we're not stopping the cult that siezed power. Protesting on a weekend doesn't count, nor to buttons. (I've done both, too).
If we really cared, we'd march to the Capital Mall, in DC... and stay, until we got our troops home, and had an honest election, for a change.
--Mike--
The current administration doesn't want to help compile their own "I messed up..."-list.
For example, if they disclose the former environmental data from the Environmental Protection Agency, nobody can easily compare actual data with the old data.
Grundgesetz * 23. Mai 1949 - 30. November 2007 - http://www.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de/
The US government has a long history of hiding information and even classified documents aren't always classified to protect the country.
A lot of classified documents are classified to avoid embarrassing the military or the current administration. The most famous example was the so-called "Pentagon Papers" which were a secret history of the Vietnam War. They proved that several Presidents had lied about the war (sound familiar?).
Things are not looking too good for those of us who think that America is best served with at least two viable parties. The Democrats are diminishing themselves even further under the leadership of Howard Dean. A few weeks ago, he called Republicans and those who support them "evil". Just recently he called them "brain dead". I'm sorry, it is just not a winning strategy to go out of your way and attack and write off HALF of the U.S. population.
Clinton was successful, and helped the Democrats, because he knew it was important to appeal to the middle, including those who nominally sympathized with Republicans and their causes. Clinton won only due to "Clinton Republicans", just like Reagan only won with "Reagan Democrats". Howard Dean is problematic not because he is a "left wing extremist" or any other sort of extremist. He isnit. However, he is problematic because his mean and divisive manner turns off a lot of people. It is no surprise that Rush Limbaugh loved him. While Dean fires up "the base", he tends to turn off way too many outside the base with insulting language.
When you attack half of the people as "evil", you are automatically making sure that 50% will not vote for you. Since you can't get everyone in the 50% you have left, you have ensured that you will lose.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Most of the nation, including for instance the Supreme Court, accepts that the nation is at War. Not really Iraq, but the War on Terror.
How does the War on Terror end?
From whom do we accept surrender? Osama Bin Laden? What if Bin Laden were to surrender, but other terrorists disagree and want to continue fighting the US.
How and when can a War on Terror possibly end? If you really want to consider this a War, then the answers have to be, "no way" and "never". Terrorism only requires people willing to be terrorists in order to continue, and I forsee no shrinkage in that pool of people in either near or distant futures.
So we'd probably better get ready for the "temporary restriction of liberties during Wartime" to become permanent, because there is no forseeable way to end that war.
The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.