Transparency

I was reading about updates in the Bradley Manning case and I decided that I should make a post about Transparency. I think that most people only have a half-hearted interest in Transparency. It seems to be similar to congress people not breaking the law. The rules should be enforced but everyone knows that isn’t really going to happen. Ignoring it in this way is worse than not voting for a third party because you know they will not win. It is worse than not voting at all because you think it is pointless. The worst part is that many activists do not scream loud enough, do not think hard enough and do not push for enough transparency. Too few realize that Transparency is the foundation for protection of all our rights and democracy itself.

            I am not shy about my involvement and love for the ideals of the Pirate Party. Its emphasis on Transparency and Freedom of the Press first attracted it to me. I thought that I had finally found a place that understood how important these things were. Sadly through my involvement I have not seen much in the way of advocating for these things, discussing what they look like in our society or even why these two issues are important. Even in a Party that focuses on these issues there is too little discussion about why they matter which is a shame. Generally when Transparency is brought up the idea of National Security is a half-step away, which should say everything you need to know. Transparency is the biggest threat to controlling the public. In shadows and secrecy is where the government commits crimes and injustice. How can you be sure that your leader was democratically elected if there is not transparency on the election progress? How can you protest a law if you do not even know the wording? How can you prove if voters are being disenfranchised without transparency?

            Whenever you see a lack of transparency you will see shady behavior. It is as simple as that. The democratic process relies on knowledgeable citizens picking who best represents them. Without transparency it is impossible to do this. If transparency was something that was fairly protected then I would understand it. However, transparency is always a battle, lately a losing one. I just want to see more people caring about it and advocating for it. All activism depends on knowing what the problem is and raising awareness about the issues. Without transparency this is impossible because there is no proof. This is an issue that everyone should care about and everyone should fight for.