November 16, 2011 - Poised on the brink of power, Tony Blair made an impassioned vow: Britain's jealously-held culture of official secrecy would be dramatically swept away.
Fifteen years later, the country has a thriving right to information law, with almost 44,000 requests made to central government last year, and recently announced it would accept some demands for government data posted using Twitter. So former prime minister Blair must now reflect with pride on delivering his promise?
Not exactly.
"You idiot. You naive, foolish, irresponsible nincompoop," Blair wrote of himself in his autobiography "A Journey" last year, recalling his adoption of the law, which took effect in 2005. "There is really no description of stupidity, no matter how vivid, that is adequate. I quake at the imbecility of it."
Britain's experience gives a close-up view of how controversial freedom of information laws can be, at a time when they are spreading rapidly around the world.
Blair was once a leading advocate for the people's right to know what their government is doing behind closed doors. But even before Britain's law passed, Blair had hurriedly watered down his original plans and stalled the bill's progress. He strengthened exemptions that mean records related to the Royal Family, international relations, national security, defense, government policy and the courts are routinely refused. read more>>>
We know the costs in blood, never to totally in civilians, but what of the costs in treasury still not paid! How much to buy the coalition of the willing, how much to buy the CIA rendition and secret prisons globalizing torture, how much for the decades to come as to the results of both wars, more. Neither has been paid for, rubber stamping and rapid deficit rises started Before 9/11 and nothing as to the peoples responsibility, the VA, as to just one of the needs in those results from!
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In 2003 some 72% of Americans fully supported the Abandoning of the Missions and those Sent to Accomplish so extremely Quickly after 9/11!!At least some 95%, if not more as less then 1% serve them, not only still support the, just below, total lack of Sacrifice, they ran from any and all Accountability and left everything still on the table to be continually used if the political/military want was still in play in future executive/legislative wants!!
DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!! DEC. 21, 2014 - Prosecute Torturers and Their Bosses ‘Operation Inherent Resolve’
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Friday, November 18, 2011
Blair-Iraq and the Brits Freedom of Information Law
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