They’ve Got a Secret!

By
Glenn W. Smith
– December 5, 2010Posted in: Culture, Politics

spy vs spy 300x183 Theyve Got a Secret!Secrets are gold to the world’s aristocracy. Information disparity is in many ways more important to them than income disparity. That’s why they are all very, very mad at Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. The anger is not about some specific leak; it’s about the invasion of their privileged domains.

In fact, as only the Chinese aristocracy seems happy to admit, this whole damned internet thing sometimes seems like little more an impudent invasion of their private information counting houses. If something’s not done, the whole world will get above its raisin’.

Now, the global swells don’t need their secrets to be particularly important. The value is in the accrual of secrets, not in their substance. Secret information about the peculiar dining habits of Ambassador Cranky is nearly as fulfilling as intelligence about the location of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.

More than half of the diplomatic documents released by Wikileaks weren’t even classified. Only 6 percent were classified as “secret.” Two-and-a-half million people already had access to Siprnet (Secret Internal Protocol Router Network) where they were stored.

I know, I know, I’m painting with an outrageously broad brush here. If we knew where Osama Bin Laden was, we might want to keep it a secret until we’d nabbed him. We don’t need to publish the president’s codes to the briefcased Buttons That Can Blow Up the World.

Still, the usual justifications for general government secrecy are little more than rhetorical reminders of the elite’s privilege: “We must be able to talk frankly.” “Knowledge of this (or that) would alarm the public.”

Once there was a King who called his court together for an emergency meeting. A new secret was needed, something to reinforce the great knowledge divide between the royalty and their subjects. “What’ll it be?” he asked the assembled advisors. “Your Highness,” one answered, “We are out of secrets.” “How could that be?” asked the King. The advisor, his voice trembling slightly, answered, “Our old secrets are worn out. They’re all common knowledge now. Perhaps our only remaining secret is we have no secrets at all.” At that, the King smiled. “That will do as well as any, as long as we keep it secret” he said. And he was right.

There are many kinds of secrets, and some I suppose are necessary, practically and morally. But there are others kept out of nasty habit, kept to divide in-groups from out-groups. These kinds of secrets are almost always either destructive or, if we’re lucky, simply irrelevant.

Discerning the difference is critical in a democracy. We too often see efforts of the powerful and paranoid to protect secrets that don’t even make a damn. In fact, if you use a classic definition of information – a difference that makes a difference – these kinds of secrets don’t even qualify as information.

The Medieval Church’s monopoly on literacy was long used as a method of control. It’s an obvious fact of history that no one disputes today. Many, however, fail to see that the weapon is still used by the powerful to safeguard their standing.

Blanket condemnations from political and media elite (Mike Huckabee suggested execution) of those involved in the Wikileaks diplomatic revelations don’t help. As noted, most of the documents involved weren’t even secret. They were already available to millions on the net. The baying aristocrats sound like the grumpy old man down the street yelling at innocent kids from his window, “Get off of my grass.”

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About Glenn W. Smith

Glenn W. Smith has spent the past 30 years in journalism and politics, where he’s made a name for himself as a writer, campaign manager, activist, think tank analyst and, as Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas says, a “legendary political consultant and all-around good guy.” “There’s no one like him,” says author George Lakoff. CNN commentator Paul Begala says, “He has unmatched experience, a graceful pen (or pixel nowadays) and deep insight into the best and worst of us.” Novelist Sarah Bird speaks of his “lucid and lyrical” prose. And, she says, he’s fun. Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington says Glenn writes with “grace and abundant humor” and “uses his colorful experiences in Texas to enlighten us all.”

Smith led Ann Richards’ successful 1990 campaign for Governor of Texas. He worked for former Texas Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby and U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen. Earlier, Smith was a political reporter for the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Post. He’s coordinated national campaigns for groups such as MoveOn.org. In 2004, he authored the highly acclaimed book, The Politics of Deceit: Saving Freedom and Democracy from Extinction. He also wrote Unfit Commander, a book that detailed George W. Bush’s mysterious disappearance from military service.

In 2004, Smith was featured in the film, Bush’s Brain, a documentary about Karl Rove. Smith provided commentary on Rove’s role as then-President Bush’s senior advisor. He has made numerous media appearances with Chris Mathews on Hardball, Joe Scarborough, Brit Hume, and many others. He writes a regularly for top national web sites, including FireDogLake and Huffington Post.

As a senior fellow at George Lakoff’s prestigious Rockridge Institute in Berkeley he studied, wrote and taught on the power of metaphor and narrative in political communications. He also lectured on religion and politics at the Starr King School for Ministry in Berkeley. As a sponsor and organizer, he has pulled together numerous national events with progressive religious leaders. He also organized a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King at Riverside Church in New York City as well as “Freedom and Faith” bus tours, which was a nationwide campaign for social justice and progressive values.

Smith’s play, Double Play, which explored American Western myths and legends, was held over to sold-out audiences. He’s even written and performed songs in the Americana tradition, such as his best-known song, “Helping Marty Robbins,” a tribute to his hometown, Houston.

Most recently, Smith is the creator of DogCanyon, a political and cultural web site covering state, national and global issues from a Texas perspective. DogCanyon is an exhilarating and unique site that gets the connections between politics and culture and explores both the personal side of politics and the ups, down, craziness and beauty of “life its ownself,” as humorist Dan Jenkins would say. DogCanyon offers heartfelt personal essays, hard-hitting political analysis, and, most importantly, laughs.

As Paul Begala said, Smith writes in “the finest, firmest, fearless tradition of Texas essayists like Molly Ivins.”