TPN: Cloudy Transparency by Charlie Earl

August 17, 2011


Secrecy is an elusive concept. Some secrets are housed deep within our individual minds and never shared with others. Actions that involve behavior are often relegated to lockboxes of secrecy because of shame or fear of embarrassment. People who seek to reform their lives and begin anew may jealously guard the secrets of their pasts. Secrets are preserved and exposed. They are devised for a number of reasons and revealed for other compelling purposes. Secrets often cause their possessors to behave in odd ways….jumpy, fidgety, defensive. Not all secrets are destructive. Some closely held information protects others from pain and suffering. Others prevent harmful elements from gaining the upper hand.


Government secrecy, especially in a republic, is another can of worms. In our Republic the power is vested in the people (in theory) so if governments withhold information, they may be guilty of hiding information from the true decision-makers and stakeholders. Most of us can agree that some secrecy is needed for national security purposes or to protect lives of undercover information gatherers in foreign locations (spies). Governments at all levels are hesitant to willingly share non-security essential information with the people. While I find the Freedom of Information Act a sometimes petty annoyance and disruptive tool of the socialists, it has prompted some incremental candor from the halls of government. Its promise however, is much greater than its effectiveness. Many governments or agencies simply stonewall when they do not wish to comply with an FOIA request. So once again we have government ignoring its own mandates although once in a while the Act allows some insight into the internal workings of Big Brother, and “We the People” have the opportunity to react to Government’s over reaching.

Another facet of government secrecy isn’t secrecy per se, but is the practice of passing legislation that is vaguely written and allowing the bureaucracies to design and implement the rules. The secrecy angle arises because as we track the legislation through the process, we have no clue regarding its ultimate application. The outcomes and impact remain unknown during the public phase of the bill, but the final resolution of the bill’s effect is constructed in the darkened corridors of the bureaucratic maze. Because bureaucrats have no restraints, the rule-making process continues onward for ever as they discover new and more restrictive mandates burrowed within the legislation….and sometimes between the lines of the bill.

The reason for my addressing this topic was the recent chain of events surrounding “Seal Team Six,” the Special Forces Command credited with dispatching Osama bin Laden. More recently, several members of the elite unit were killed when their helicopter was downed in Afghanistan. Special Forces represent the most effective military tool this country has. Since the early days of the Army Rangers, the Green Berets and the original aquatic Seal units, the Special Forces units have become the most effective and lethal small-unit fighting forces on the planet. Our general military capability is often praised as the best and most effective in the world. That may be true, but our politicians and feckless military leaders have not utilized the armed forces with any degree of competency. As a result, the U.S. record in prolonged military conflicts within the past half-century is an abysmal one. Special Forces, on the other hand, operate silently, forcefully and quickly. They represent a tactical force that strikes violently with lethal intent. As an integral component of our national defense particularly in the context of active terror groups seeking to harm us, the Special Forces and their capabilities are critical tools. So why on earth are our political leaders “outing” Seal Team Six?

Both President Obama and Vice President Biden publicly acknowledged ST6 in public statements. Obama went to Ft. Campbell to “personally” thank them, and attempted on other occasions to single them out for special mentioning. Obviously the purpose for such lavish attention being paid to a super-secret unit was to generate political capital for the Obama administration. They’ve had minimal success and sought to ride the valor of a brave group of warriors for political points. At the same time, however, they have firmly placed targets on the backs of this elite group, and have stupidly informed every crackpot and terrorist on the globe that the unit is based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Once in a great, great while….candor and transparency are dangerous and deadly. Please look at the website for Ann Barnhardt who believes the Obama Administration is complicit in the deaths of those Seals who were killed when the helicopter went down… www.barnhardt.biz

It is starkly illustrative that an administration that hides so many things from the American people is so cavalier about the lives and families of our warrior class. Some secrets are worth keeping. Some secrets must be kept. As with so many actions of the Obama Administration, we aren’t certain if its stupidity, incompetence or treason that motivates them and drives them. They cannot exit the White House fast enough to satisfy me.
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