Executive Privilege: It's Gotta Go Buddy

Even if Planet X came hurtling through the Ort Cloud sending dozens of K/T size asteroids on a crash trajectory to Earth, I would want to know about it. If aliens took control of the worlds nuclear arsenal, or if some rogue nation sent a few our direction, I would want to know about it. I hate liars, especially those appointed by the people to make decisions for them!

It seems like executive privilege gives politicians the ability to lie by omission. I have heard from many an ex-girlfriend that lying by omission is wrong and now I kind of see where they were coming from. These people have jobs because the people gave them to them, yet they withhold information from us on a regular basis. Clinton, Bush; I don't care which President, they all use it.

What is good justification for it's use?
Is it an amendment to the Constitution, or an actual article?
What do ya'll think of it?

Personally: I hate it.

This is the Mudpit man, you're supposed to give me something to argue against. Nail on the head, Insite. Couldn't have said it better.

Edited only to remove the quote of the above post.

[Edited on 2-5-2004 by Thomas Crowne]

So a few people have read what I have to say, intrepid feels the same way I do and obviously no one here wants to back this loophole up? Why do we have this kind of legislation if none of the people support it's use?

I can understand the fact that there are laws and whether or not you like them, they'll be enforced. But this seems like it goes too far and hurts all people as opposed to only a few.

Bush and Cheney testified today to the 9/11 Commission, does anyone know what was said? Nope. Would we like to know what was said? You best believe it.

In the case that an asteroid would hit the Earth, and that asteroid would destroy all life on Earth, even thou I understand that some people would like to know before hand even if there was no way to survive this impact, I would agree that it is better not to give the information to the general public.

My reason for not doing this is that first, I believe that everyday people should let those they love know about it nomatter what. And a catastophe should not be the only reason why people would show their affection.

Second that knowing before hand something would destroy the Earth and there was no survival, there will be chaos and a lot of people will see this as the last time when they "can really do what they want." Since people won't be inhibited by the law, there wouldn't be any law the next day, they would do everything they want to do, adding to the chaos that would ensue.

If we were to be struck by something smaller, but there was a chance of survival, like in the movie deep inpact, my choice would be to let people know and save as many as possible.

Then again you have to think, surviving such a catastrophe would mean almost certainly that people have to go underground. How many people would be willing to stay underground for an unlimited period of time?

Now that you talk about this, my visions/dreams have been increasing this past two weeks, and what I have seen in those visions/dreams is not pretty.

Do you have any reason why you are asking this now?

It's the same thing that the churches did in the middle ages. Contain info to keep the masses blind, just happens to work.

Well it wasn't really about the asteroid, I just used that as an illustration of how much I dislike lying by omission. I think some people would feel secrecy would be justified when a catastrophy was imminent, I'm just not one of those people.

I look at the current administration and especially this 9/11 Commission thing and how so much is being withheld. I just don't like it. I don't think Presidents or administrations that work for the people should hide behind a law.

What about having an extranet that is say U.S. only for U.S. citizens that would communicate these kinds of things so as to avoid the wrong peeps getting information that would seem to be this *sensitive*.
Naturally I would be inclined that other nations have their own. Just a thunk...
*Edit* Yet have both the Internet and Internet 2 functioning at the same time.

Kinda like a bizarre love child of Kazaa and CSpan. lol

[Edited on 29-4-2004 by Crysstaafur]

That would never happen and its impossible, since information can be available to almost anyone. People always find a way to acquire information if it exists.

Originally posted by Muaddib
That would never happen and its impossible, since information can be available to almost anyone. People always find a way to acquire information if it exists.

Yes, but it is the manipulation of the info to affect the people that matters. Look at your avatar, it's like people seeking, they'll never see because like everybody else we aren't allowed. We aren't the privileged.

Of course we should show our loved ones we love them everyday, not just because we know a massive astroid is coming, and I think we do.

But I also think that we deserve the chance to maybe say some things or right some wrongs that may have been festering for years.

For example, if I knew an asteroid was coming and that I could seriously # up Toad-Woman (see my blog) and get away with it, I would be able to.

Ok...I'm being silly and off the point here and I know it.

To reply to the topic properly,

I see no excuse for lying about something so major, or anything that is not so major.

I feel in doing so, it's like they are saying that we, the little people, are too stupid to handle the information. Well, they are people TOO, right ? If THEY can handle it so can we.

I also think it would be incredibly selfish to deny people the chance to make amends with those they've had falling outs with.....or to deny those who are deserving of revenge to have their comeuppance.

And yes, I know there's a lot more to it then that, but this is just my little bit for now.

Originally posted by Muaddib
That would never happen and its impossible, since information can be available to almost anyone. People always find a way to acquire information if it exists.

Perhaps, however the 'bell curve' gets narrowed down
pretty quick. If something like what I thought up came into being, it's not like someone could just drop a shell, finger into a given .gov system, find an open port, successfully guess a user name and password, and not be noticed by the gov't. if that were the case, there would be all kinds of classified information floating around on Kazaa or even Irc in the early days..
Whether or not the information on such a system would
be peppered with bias is another question in it's own right. It would be different in that it would only be influence from something internal. Now that I think about it, the adminstration of a system like that could take many years, and given how impatient people can be, it's likely to be shot down due to apathy.