An occasional bomb must be thrown at the king

An occasional bomb must be thrown at the king to keep him aware of the dissidents in his kingdom.

It is important to have dissidents and anarchists in a functioning democracy. Voices must be heard from every point on the spectrum to have a rich and full society.

Gone are the days of the red scare, the black lists, segregation and suffragettes. We are a united people seeking one common goal; liberty, justice and the pursuit of happiness. To achieve this goal we must not be apathetic to the interoperability of our government. We must be aware of the choices our government makes for us.

WHY do we go to war? WHY are we not investing in our infrastructure? WHY are we a country politically divided?

These questions can not be answered in this article; but must be asked time and time again until we solve the problems that face our great nation. If these questions are not asked then it gives our government carte blanche to behave as ruthlessly as the interests that got them elected want them to.

In regards to the Wikileaks cables that embarrassed the State Department this week I wonder which is worse – the spying, lying and name calling of the participants involved or the revealing of such behavior?

Why do the very people who demand transparency in government seek criminal charges against the dissidents who bring to light these certain truths?

Secretary Hilary Clinton said, “…they put at risk the lives of many people in oppressive societies who had spoken to American diplomats.” But WHAT lives? And WHY are those countries oppressed in the first place?

So far not one death has been linked to the Wikileaks cables. HOW MANY deaths can be linked to shoddy diplomacy and espionage gone sour?

Thomas Jefferson said, “Information is the Currency of Democracy.” Yet the U.S. Government labeled tens of millions of documents secret for years. How can a society elect leaders that do not disclose their actions to the very people they represent? This behavior requires tremendous amount of trust from the people. How much do you trust the government?

According to The Pew Research Center, American confidence and trust in its government has dropped steadily over the past fifty years, from its peak of 68% under John Kennedy to 22% under Barak Obama.

This is not a collapse in policy, but a collapse in the communication/secrecy of said policy to the American People. This begs the query: Can the American People deal with how we operate as a nation; sometimes playing dirty: rigging elections, assassinating leaders, undermining economies, lying to indigenous people who habitat the land directly above rich energy sources, and must be negotiated with/dealt with?

How do we negotiate with countries around the world without flexing our military muscle? We use diplomacy.

Diplomacy is the art and tact of finding mutually acceptable solutions to a common problem. What are some of the common problems facing the world today? Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons stands high on the list, as does North Korea’s perpetual poverty; China’s currency manipulation, Russia’s rogue scientists, Yemen’s jihadist havens, Pakistani’s terrorists and friction with India, and not to mention the handful of European countries who are going bankrupt and making the Euro seem like a bad idea. Wouldn’t Ireland and Spain and Greece be better off if they could devalue their own currency and make their exports and businesses more attractive to outside investments instead of being bailed out by Germany?

We need diplomats from the State Department to suggest peaceful solutions to the numerous problems that face, not only our country, but every country in the world. We need diplomats to help negotiate treaties, drilling rights, and peace around the world.

Have diplomats been embarrassed by these leaks? Yes. Will these leaks put pressure on the State Department to be more secure and self editing? One can only hope.