Dana Priest and William Arkin spent two years investigating the government’s response to the September 11th attacks. Yesterday, a 16-page report on their findings was published in the Washington Post. The piece focuses on the “top secret” government that has developed. Priest and Arkin discovered an American government that does not budget spending appropriately, that has grown uncontrollably, and whose lines of responsibility are blurred beyond recognition to even those highest in power. Just how secretive is this “top secret America” you might ask? According to Priest and Arkin, it is secretive enough to hinder society from knowing how much money it costs, how many people it employs, and how many programs and agencies exist.
A government transformed in order to keep our citizens safe has become so large and secretive that the effectiveness of its spending and agencies is unknown. Army Lt. Gen. John R. Vines claims that “because it lacks a synchronizing process, it inevitably results in message dissonance, reduced effectiveness and waste, we consequently can’t effectively assess whether it is making us more safe.”
Many are arguing that Priest and Arkin are exaggerating the scope of “Top Secret America”, bringing in a touch of sensationalism to garner unnecessary concern from the reader. I, on the other hand, can’t help but be concerned. I hope that all readers will reflect upon the facts and interviews presented in the report and at least become skeptical of the government that we actually know very little about. Regardless of the effectiveness and intentions of the actions taken by “Top Secret America,” concern is warranted merely by the lack of knowledge and transparency that exists.