Nothing to see here

September 4, 2005 10:39 AM

A just released report [pdf] from the organization OpenTheGovernment.org states that the federal government has been classifying records at an astonishing rate. An example from the report: "The 'state secrets' privilege allows the sitting U.S. president to nearly unilaterally withhold documents from the courts, Congress, and the public. At the height of the Cold War, the administration used the privilege only four times between 1953 and 1976. Since 2001, it has been used 23 times." Lots more numbers like that in the report. A newspaper summarizes the report here.
posted by marxchivist (9 comments total)

I wonder if this will mean that all of FEMA's documents on preparing for attack from Weapons of Mass Destruction rather than preparing for natural disasters?
posted by DetroitWonk at 10:53 AM on September 4, 2005

I would have something to say about this from when I worked for a Department of Energy contractor, but the entire matter was classified after the fact.
posted by mischief at 11:32 AM on September 4, 2005

keywords for the next round of classifications ... "new orleans" ... "hurricane" ... "disaster preparations"
posted by pyramid termite at 11:43 AM on September 4, 2005

I wish they had a list of what exactly was classified. Or is that classified, too?
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:56 AM on September 4, 2005

keywords for the next round of classifications ... "new orleans" ... "hurricane" ... "disaster preparations"
posted by pyramid termite at 2:43 PM EST on September 4 [!]

I think you mean, ``keywords for the next round of classifications ... "new orleans" ... "hurricane" ... "disaster preparations".
posted by Rothko at 12:00 PM on September 4, 2005

After we've finished saving the remaining survivors and begun rebuilding New Orleans, I hope Democrats and Republicans alike realize that we've granted the executive branch of the government far more power it deserves. And then start taking it away.

I've been attempting to console myself with daydreams of liberals and conservatives working together to redistribute power to ensure that we have a government that is responsive to the needs of its people.
posted by Eamon at 12:05 PM on September 4, 2005

No The next step will be the change of the law, so Bush will be reelected !
posted by zouhair at 12:13 PM on September 4, 2005

I wish they had a list of what exactly was classified. Or is that classified, too?

Just a guess, but I doubt it. According to the report, even the amount of money the CIA spends classifying documents is..er...its... *ahem* ...classified.
posted by marxchivist at 1:03 PM on September 4, 2005

Those wishing to follow what they can of Government Secrecy should subscribe to the Secrecy News newslettter put out by FAS Project on Government Secrecy.
Meanwhile, from those good people, here is a copy of the National Response Plan[PDF]. Formulated in December 2004, is intended "to align Federal coordination structures, capabilities, and resources
into a unified, all-discipline, and all-hazards approach to
domestic incident management."

Yeah, that's the ticket!
posted by ahimsakid at 9:13 PM on September 4, 2005