http://blogs.ft.com/maverecon/2008/11/another-poke-in-the-eye-for-freedom/
Willem Buiter is fast becoming my favourite blogger. This post is outstanding. His European perspective is a wonderful antidote to the UK-centric line that most columnists take.
It is very sad that no opposition party has taken this issue with more force. As Buiter says, all governments have form. It would be wonderful if a serious politician could write the following, or even something approximating its sentiment but in less eloquent terms.
Soon after gaining office, the joys of secrecy, suppressing information and denying access to information are discovered. An awareness grows that openness and accountability are nuisances which can be avoided or made more tolerable to government ministers by restricting the public's information. It also becomes apparent to government ministers that the defence of the national interest and the safeguarding of national security surprisingly often (and no doubt regrettably!) require that information be kept secret that would be politically embarrassing to the government or the ruling party or personally embarrassing to individual members of government, were it to come out. This miraculous congruence of personal, private, party-political, public and national interests becomes a self-evident fact to politicians of any ilk, soon after their party gains office.
