Gourt > Society > Issues > Government Operations > Government Secrecy
Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from others. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controversial. Many people claim that, at least in some situations, it is better for everyone if everyone knows all the facts—there should be no secrets. Closely allied—perhaps synonymous—notions of confidentiality and privacy are often considered virtues. William Penn wrote, "It is wise not to seek a secret; and honest, not to reveal one."*
Natural and sociological secrecy
Secrecy is built into biology. One reason for sexual reproduction and speciation may be to allow members of a species to share genetic improvements without those improvements becoming available to competitors . Animals, including humans (in some cases), conceal the location of their den or nest from predators. Humans attempt to consciously conceal aspects of themselves from others due to shame, or from fear of rejection, loss of acceptance, or loss of employment. On a deeper level, humans attempt to conceal aspects of their own self which they are not capable of incorporating psychologically into their conscious being. Families sometimes maintain "family secrets", using a mutually agreed-upon construct (an official family story) to never discuss disagreeable issues concerning the family, either within the family or with those outside the family. Agreement to maintain the secret is often coerced through "shaming" and reference to family honour. The information may even be something trivial, or something as innocent as a recipe.
Government secrecy
Governments often attempt to conceal information from other governments or the public. These state secrets can include weapon designs, military plans, diplomatic negotiation tactics, and secrets obtained illicitly from others ("intelligence"). Most nations have some form of Official Secrets Act (the Espionage Act in the U.S.) and classify material according to the level of protection needed (hence the term "classified information"). An individual needs a security clearance for access and other protection methods, such as keeping documents in a safe, are stipulated. More on [ Secrecy ]
Privacy :: Human Rights and Liberties
From Secrecy News: Government Secrecy in Academia: Government secrecy is becoming an increasingly popular field of . 6xNv3P !
holstonydpo (Michelle Ricardlsl) Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:03:21 -0000
From Secrecy News: Government Secrecy in Academia: Government secrecy is becoming an increasingly popular field of . 6xNv3P !
@WittyQwan Smfh. There's no illuminati nigga. The illuminati = the product of government secrecy. Fuck Weston Lockes or whatever his name is
JayOfQueenz (Jay Gordon) Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:51:13 -0000
@WittyQwan Smfh. There's no illuminati nigga. The illuminati = the product of government secrecy. Fuck Weston Lockes or whatever his name is
Why is #gov20 only used to refer to government services? Legislature & executive are full of secrecy and favoritism.
epastore (Ed Pastore) Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:41:17 -0000
Why is #gov20 only used to refer to government services? Legislature & executive are full of secrecy and favoritism.
President Obama Issues Orders To Reduce Government Secrecy ... http://bit.ly/7LBZRU
carlnorman (Carl Norman) Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:22:22 -0000
President Obama Issues Orders To Reduce Government Secrecy ... http://bit.ly/7LBZRU
Newswire: President Obama Issues Orders To Reduce Government Secrecy: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 30.. http://bit.ly/76g50P
hacktivism (The Hacktivist) Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:51:17 -0000
Newswire: President Obama Issues Orders To Reduce Government Secrecy: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 30.. http://bit.ly/76g50P
Obama moves to limit secrecy of government documents http://nxy.in/twxq9
aarunam (arunam a) Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:41:10 -0000
Obama moves to limit secrecy of government documents http://nxy.in/twxq9
Above Top Secret - Uncovering Government Secrets - Government projects and facilities, including the notorious Area 51 in Nevada, as well as Alien-related laws, government contractors, agencies and aircraft projects, such as the famous Aurora hypersonic spyplane.
In Britain, Keeping Campaign Finances a Secret Is No Crime - By Margaret Lowrie. [CNN] A story about big-time contributors in Britain.
Project on Government Secrecy (Federation of American Scientists) - Seeks to challenge excessive government secrecy and to promote public oversight of intelligence and national security policies.
Meta Description: [ The Project on Government Secrecy works to challenge excessive government secrecy and to promote public oversight in national security affairs. ]
Secrecy News - Publication of the Federation of American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy, providing informal coverage of new developments in secrecy, security and intelligence policies.
The National Security Agency Declassified: History, Organization and Operations - Declassified documents on the history, organization and operations of America's most secretive spy agency and the controversial ECHELON intelligence sharing program.
Meta Description: [ Declassified documents on the history,organization and operations of America's most secretive spy agency and thecontroversial ECHELON intelligence sharing program., Declassified documents on the history,organization and operations of America's most secretive spy agency and thecontroversial ECHELO... ]
U.S. Government Restrictions on Scientific Publications - Article discusses laws related to government secrets and export controls.
| BILL MOYERS JOURNAL | Web Exclusive: Glenn Greenwald on Government Secrecy | PBS (part 3 of 3) | |
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