Quote:
Originally posted by Rodeo
What I know is that there is an executive branch declassification procedure that involves the CIA, Defense and State Departments signing off on the declassification. Its a formal process, as one would expect. I know this because when Bush supposedly declassified the National Security estimate so it could be leaked to reporters, he followed NONE of these procedures.
His lackeys justified it later by taking the position that he is the president and he can't leak anything classified, since the very act of leaking acts as a "declassification."
As someone that trusts NO ONE in government, as someone that values checks and balances, this is pretty scary. If the president "declassifies" in this manner, what is to stop him from classifying information he would rather not share with the public? What's to stop him from throwing in jail anyone that leaks this politically damaging information?
It's too lopsided and it's too dangerous for a democracy.
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So the solution is to give everyone the power to declassify info by leaking? That does not sound like checks and balances to me. I would prefer that someone try to do something about it in the current channels before the just mouth off to the nearest news paper.
Oh, and as someone who trusts NO ONE in the legal system, lawyers are scary to me.
