Government Secrecy

I think the key issue about government secrecy is not that the government can keep perfect secrets-- they can't.

The key issue really is that the government/"powers that be" are very good at controlling dissemination of information they don't like. Basically, through control of the media, the government/"powers that be" can strongly limit what the public sees and hears.

Sure, there is always some report from the major media that hangs out some aspect of the truth-- in part because the media isn't perfectly controlled, probably in part because the government/"powers that be" enjoy creating cognitive dissonance and creating "disinfo".

But the important point is how once you have a hang-out story, the media horde either completely ignore it OR they actively put out some bogus debunking story.


"Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the time ahead
but everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed
you either shut up or get cut up
they don't want to hear about it
it's only inches on the reel-to-reel
and the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools
trying to anesthetize the way that you feel"

"...they say you better listen to the voice of reason
but they don't give you any choice
'cause they think that it's treason
so you had better do as you are told
and listen to the radio..."

--Elvis Costello, "Radio Radio"