Indeed, look at the CIA UFO release today, "In light of the new X Files series, we are releasing some material even Mulder could use" which was really a load of elephant dung.. and makes the whole thing a joke, which is what they want.

Yes, that is the conundrum. You do need a certain amount of classified access, but when the "dear leaders" go nutso and decide everything is classified, including their own misbegotten exploits, then you get a backlash the other way. From the 1940's on, our government has built a bigger and deeper well of secrecy, and since we do not know what is all in the well, we generrally react in what does leak out. The Hillary Beast thing is a prime example of why government cannot be trusted, she keeps blowing off the whole deal, and any punishment is now a purely political decision, vice a judical one, that basically has nutered the whole security/classification idea. If Hillary can ignore it, then why can't everyone else? That is why the CIA and FBI internally want her skewered, they know this. Our politicians are too dumb and self centered to understand that, and arrogant too.

It is the very issue of trade that requires some presence in some places. You cannot have huge assets in place and not have some influence on the government that controls both the access and the infrastructure, look at Venezuala, a classic case of failed influence. As long as other countries do the "come to us and invest" game, then turn around and seize that investment when it becomes lucrative, hoping to loot it for their own use, there is a need for some forms of security. "To trade with" implies a fair and secure system, which has not come about in any time I can find. A lot of pre WW2 German industry was the result of American investment, which was nationalized when the Nazis came to power. To see the success of the idea of "isolationism" look at the years 1920-1939 when the US really did just as you suggest. It was not successful then, and would not be now. You need a balanced foreign policy that takes into account all parties, as well as keeping business in line ethically. The problem is, no government ethics will match business ethics and neither is ever quite well thought out.

Now that I understand the abbreviation I can reply. :)

I agree on the enforcement of FOIA but we can demand all we want. Unfortunately government officials only provide what they feel like providing and the only way to enforce it is to file a lawsuit. Most of us do not have the resources for these lawsuits so we are left in the dark. Not only does this happen at the federal level but at the state & local governments too.

Our government is out of control which is one of the reasons I believe we are now ruled, not self-governed. The system has become so corrupt, voting the bums out is not working. For 35 years that I have been voting for people who say one thing to become elected and change their position once in office. IMHO we desperately need a house cleaning.

To trade with all and not interfere in foreign political internal affairs is far from islolationism. Having 900+ US military bases in 140+ countries is interfering in foreign political internal affairs. Which means, we apparently are talking past each other. Please explain what you mean by isolationism.

So what is your suggestion for what would work better ?? Put ALL our government's information out there so all our enemies know best how to defeat us ? That's called ISIS, Iran and Snowden. That is certainly NOT what I want for myself or my country. Perhaps my view is somewhat more trusting b/c I live in the greater DC area and I know many people who are entrusted with security clearances and I know their level of integrity and patriotism. I think the fault more lies with the media and our fellow sheeple who don't pay attention when wrong-doing is exposed and those leaders get away with it, a la Benghazi.

As long as people like HillaryBeast can throw 50 excuses for criminal activity against the wall and see what 5 stick, and then have the mass media endorse it, along with the discredit any independent citizen journalist faces, there is not a lot of hope for any accountability.

That trust has been eroding since the late 40's. Look at the history of several things: nuclear weapons and capability, UFOs, numerous covert missions that went bad. All indicate a level of restrictive information that ends up leaking out and then a collective "what else were we not told" and both political parties have done this. This collective dissembling led to the great theory of the "Government behind the Government".

Nope, you are correct, it is hard to find any report that is not skewed one way or another.

You are correct, 100 years ago, you could turn your back on the world. Today, both business and social interests require interconnected and stable relationships. It is the arrogant, child like state of Islamic extremists that spur the issues, in addition to the ham fisted attempts by many governments over the last 100 years to control and manipulate a big chunk of the world. 2 world wars have proven the fallacy of ignoring what is going on in the world, as it will inevitably come to vist. Look at Britain in 1938 and Chamberlains "Peace in our time", which only encouraged Hitler to take more countries.

Isolationism.

I do not understand what stance to which you refer.

Thanks

The issue at question is less the actions of Iran and more the inaction of our naval crew. The North Koreans captured an American naval vessel in the 50s and the captain of that ship was nearly charged with misbehavior before the enemy for letting his ship fall into enemy hands without putting up any resistance. It is very irregular for U.S. military personnel being held against their will to make promotional videos for the enemy. Unless anyone thinks that Iran isn't our enemy.

History has proven that stance to be unsustainable over 50 years ago and it is even less so today, given the interconnectedness of the world.

Of course. Sorry. Inside the Beltway lingo. :-)
It is the abbreviation for Freedom of Information Act.

Freedom of Information Act

Could you please explain FOIA?

Hmmm. I can see that perspective, but I don't agree. My feeling is that we're not being ruled over as long as we still can vote the bums out. I don't think we need to know (or should know, in many cases) every detail, but should continue to demand the FOIA in enforced (which I have read has had the worst compliance under the Obama administration) and demand more from the media and journalists, and I think that is achieved via citizen journalists and social media.

Not no circumstances but more secrets equals less self governed and the more ruled over.

So you think there are no circumstances in which information should be kept secret, or top secret ?

When we get to the point that our government cannot tell us, the RULERS of the government the truth we set ourselves up to fail. That is the only way self government can work.

In order to trust we need to be able to verify and if we are never told the truth we can do neither. And if we can do neither we are not self governed, we are ruled by someone who knows better than us serfs.

Indeed, so you have to wonder why are they so stupid and arrogant to assume the one tool they have is foolproof, until it isn't and then we need multi billion dollar boondoggle projects to fund a replacement. Which again will be just the only one, and get hacked as well.

I'm an "old school" engineer, who's a firm believer in Murphy's laws, one of which is that anything designed to be unbreakable, will eventually break. Lack of a "Plan B" is a sign of designer immaturity or narcissistic egotism. Before GPS, there were significant breakthroughs in laser gyro systems with phenomenal accuracy, and there exist microminiature accelerometers, both of which could be used to manufacture a reliable high accuracy guidance system that would occupy about the space of a cellphone, with no cooling requirements and the power needs of said cellphone.