As far as the citizens not trusting their employees. We were never supposed to trust them. That was the point of the bill of rights. Don't trust them. You'll get screwed if you do.
DD, you're preaching to the choir on that one.
RE: the trans-Afghanistan pipeline: I understand PRC already holds contracts for developing it. Maybe my information is incorrect. But if it is correct, whose interest is being served by this war in which -- according to the Bush Administration -- not a drop of American blood has been shed so far (other than the 9-11 attacks of course -- and a few guys who inadvertently "got wet" by falling overboard)? Even though the foreign press routinely report American casualties on the ground, in the tens if not hundreds.
Maybe those sources are incorrect, or have mistakenly (or even culpably) depended on other sources who are lying to them. How could you or I tell from where we sit -- which in turn controls what we see and, therefore, can rationally understand?
If you ask me, boil it all down, I am far more disturbed by the present Administration's heavy-handed gutting of the Freedom of Information Act than I am of its "cheating" on the casualty numbers.
If the latter is legitimately susceptible to dispute, I strongly doubt the former is. What is the purpose of locking up all presidential papers for a virtual forever, going back (putatively) to the Washington Administration? WHAT purpose is served by this -- in a supposedly "open society," under civilian control? How can civilians keep in control of anything, if they are victims of the Mushroom School of Management: "Keep 'em in the dark, and feed 'em sh*t?"
Presidential Papers are the common property of the People. We bought 'em, and we paid for 'em. If they have become "State Secrets" (for some inchoate and rather dubious "national security reason"), then the First Amendment has exactly zero public traction or relevance, don't you think?
And by the way, where is the Fourth Estate in all of this "secrecy?" Seems it collectively has been struck blind, deaf, and mute. Why even bother to buy newspapers, or watch television news, when the basic collective message these days seems to be: "Don't ask questions. We sure don't."
I'm sorry, DD. Seems like LSJohn has gotten me launched on some kind of a tear here. Must get a grip. It's nearly bedtime anyway. So let me wish you good night and God Bless. -- bb.
Er . . . don't forget that the Taliban terminated 50% of the world supply of opium poppies and over 80% of the KLA supply.
There's a limit to how long we can tolerate THAT, donchaknow.