Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - changing how you think about afghanistan: a massive leak of military documents.

roachboy · 08-13-2010, 04:09 PM

but if that's the case, then it loops back to the dod not doing something to assist with the editing. instead they've decided to make a different stand, one which i think is self-defeating in this context.

basically, they've been flanked in an information war but they would prefer to pretend that its not the case. and they've been made complicit in all the damages they claim follows from the leak--that they were offered a chance to help edit to limit or even eliminate the damage from.

in other words, the defense department looks stupid. and i for one am glad for it. and this, again, because it is wrong in a democratic context that the veil of official secrecy be impermiable. because like it or not the conduct of the military rests on the consent of the polity and the polity is not a management problem but rather the source of legitimacy. you play the people like they're chumps and you grind down the legitimacy of the system you pretend to be defending. why would anyone take seriously a system that you don't take seriously? what would be the basis for the argument that "democracy" in this mode is any different from what the afghan people have now? the only change would be whose in charge. and the ability to buy shit isn't freedom. it's merely the ability to buy shit. so what exactly do the americans have to offer across this term "democracy" if even a little transparency has the expression of that "democracy" claiming that the exercise of democracy at the level of information endangers everything that's supposed to be defending democracy? what that we like to think we're nicer people? who the fuck goes to war to replace one system with a version of the same system the only difference being that the people in control are nicer?

you can't have it both ways. you want to "defend democracy" then you have to defend openness about information, because without that there is no democracy.

it's unfortunately simple.

08-13-2010, 04:09 PM	#63 (permalink)
roachboy Super Moderator Location: essex ma	but if that's the case, then it loops back to the dod not doing something to assist with the editing. instead they've decided to make a different stand, one which i think is self-defeating in this context. basically, they've been flanked in an information war but they would prefer to pretend that its not the case. and they've been made complicit in all the damages they claim follows from the leak--that they were offered a chance to help edit to limit or even eliminate the damage from. in other words, the defense department looks stupid. and i for one am glad for it. and this, again, because it is wrong in a democratic context that the veil of official secrecy be impermiable. because like it or not the conduct of the military rests on the consent of the polity and the polity is not a management problem but rather the source of legitimacy. you play the people like they're chumps and you grind down the legitimacy of the system you pretend to be defending. why would anyone take seriously a system that you don't take seriously? what would be the basis for the argument that "democracy" in this mode is any different from what the afghan people have now? the only change would be whose in charge. and the ability to buy shit isn't freedom. it's merely the ability to buy shit. so what exactly do the americans have to offer across this term "democracy" if even a little transparency has the expression of that "democracy" claiming that the exercise of democracy at the level of information endangers everything that's supposed to be defending democracy? what that we like to think we're nicer people? who the fuck goes to war to replace one system with a version of the same system the only difference being that the people in control are nicer? you can't have it both ways. you want to "defend democracy" then you have to defend openness about information, because without that there is no democracy. it's unfortunately simple. __________________ a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite