The very word ‘secrecy’ is repugnant in a free and open society
Since the founding of this country, a totalitarian, closed form of government has been considered unacceptable and un-American. The public assumes they have the freedom to be left alone and to live a life in privacy, while the government is believed to be open and transparent, humbly serving the people.
In reality, this patriotic belief is no longer true: it now appears that we are to serve the political class as our personal lives are forced to become more transparent – while the decision makers operate in complete secrecy.
In a 1961 speech, John F. Kennedy spoke accurately about the dangers of a secret society and warned the American public that there are those among us eager to misuse power in the name of security.
“The very word ‘secrecy’ is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it.And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning”
Power is truly intoxicating to some, and the most effective way for them to expand their demand for power is by frightening others and creating an impression that the chronic intrusion into our personal lives is solely for national security purposes.
However, until two years ago, we had no idea that our government was protecting us through domestic spying programs, because it was all conducted behind closed doors, shrouded in secrecy.
Under the pretense of national security, perhaps the most egregious violation of transparency by a federal agency is the bulk collection of our metadata by the National Security Agency (NSA).
There is ample evidence to suggest that this organization does as it pleases, outside of the law, and will only continue to grow under the executive branch, simply to have its unconstitutional actions consistently reinforced by the Supreme Court when challenged.
The NSA has not accomplished much, despite operating at enormous expense to the taxpayer.
Those pushing complete surveillance unceasingly emphasize the need for the NSA to protect the Homeland, despite the fact that bulk collection of phone records has not stopped a single terrorist attack; not one. Any planned attacks were thwarted through traditional means, such as good police or investigative work, according to the government’s own reports and congressional testimony.
It is possible to have safety and security without violating our civil liberties.
Looking sociologically at the consequences of NSA’s actions deserves close attention. The NSA’s spying on ordinary Americans has had a profound chilling effect in several ways.
No longer do people feel comfortable expressing their private thoughts with friends and family. Couples no longer discuss important issues over the phone, fearing what is recorded and permanently stored by the NSA, and family members constantly remind each other to watch what they type over their computers.
It is important to note that privacy is basic a human right and elicits a stronger society.
Computer security expert, Jacob Applebaum, who worked on the Tor network says, “When we lose privacy, we lose agency.” He explains that Americans wrongly believe that the state will only target “the other.” Thanks to whistleblower Edward Snowden, we now know that is no longer true and we are “the other.”
Due to corrupt decisions made by the political class, supported by a frightened and complicit populace, privacy is dead.
Furthermore, as the fabric of our country is intricately changing, people no longer feel that they can even express their discontent with their own government for fear of retribution. Those fears were confirmed last year, and made national news, when the IRS targeted conservative organizations.
Most of us were taught that adhering to our founding documents, such as the Bill of Rights, was precisely what made America so uniquely special – what past generations knew needed to be safeguarded with a watchful eye.
In contrast, today, what sort of legacy will be left behind for our children? It is difficult to explain to them that government agencies, functioning in secret, spying on them, operating through unconstitutional means, deserve billions of tax dollars each year.
Totalitarian regimes throughout history used secrecy and fear as a powerful weapon, and all regimes operate under the pretense of national security. They say they are protecting us, they say they are keeping us safe, and cleverly convince the public that’s what the American people want.
It is not so much that the government is taking our freedoms, as we are willingly (and perhaps unwittingly) forfeiting them. Through illusion and manipulation, many Americans idly believe we still live in a country where chanting in unison and flag waving are believed to be the definition of freedom and patriotism.
We would do well to heed JFK’s early warning to scrutinize the excessive secrecy of government entities and their invasion into our private lives.
It is only with an acute awareness and a change in consciousness among the American people that the next generation will have the opportunity to live in a free society.
Kimberly Johnson is associate professor of sociology at Lock Haven University. Email her at kaj2955@lhup.edu. To hear John F. Kennedy’s 1961 speech in full you can find it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpmi7dBet0c.