Let's Hope This Never Comes Out

The United Kingdom has opened ten of its oldest state secrets to public scrutiny.

Comments

[dhex]

what, no unpaid parking tickets?

[Jason Ligon]

Don't get me wrong, I absoultely believe in transparent governments, but sometimes I wonder what would happen to all the conspiracy theorists and fighters against The Man if they were to find out how mundane sealed files really are.

[matthew hogan]

"Don't get me wrong, I absoultely believe in transparent governments, but sometimes I wonder what would happen to all the conspiracy theorists and fighters against The Man if they were to find out how mundane sealed files really are."

This is so true, and that is maybe the worst aspect. Ordinary individuals suffer fundamental rights-deprivations in the name of the perception that some great national security/history is being protected and preserved. While the secrecy of these seem laughable today, individuals from parents to young adventurers to businesses sending telegrams had proper inquiry or debate over their situation suppressed for no sensible reason.

That's probably the worse risk of government secrecy, not the fear that some great public issue or event is being concealed.

[thoreau]

Don't get me wrong, I absoultely believe in transparent governments, but sometimes I wonder what would happen to all the conspiracy theorists and fighters against The Man if they were to find out how mundane sealed files really are.

Absolutely! When I read that 10 closely guarded secrets were to be revealed, I thought we'd find out about members of the royal family working for foreign governments or the identities of spies or a massacre in Ireland or whatever, or at least tests of military technology that was considered ahead of the curve back then.

Instead we find out about inane shit?

What's next? The British have some good food but it's being kept under seal for reasons of state security? Dental textbooks under lock and key?

[kwais]

Really!, where is the "who shot Elvis" stuff?

[thoreau]

As I think about it, this actually makes me trust the state even less! If they covered up matters of national security in the name of national security, well, then we'd at least know that they're honest, even if the secrecy gets excessive.

But when they screw Joe Schmoewick (British for Joe Schmoe) and then use "national security" to cover their asses, well, it proves that they are completely corrupt and unreliable. If I can't trust them to handle a murder case or respect the rights of a protestor, how can I trust that they're really fighting terrorism with all that money they take from us?

[NoStar]

Britishese for Joe Smoe is more properly written as "Joseph Schmoewick Esq."

[kwais]

Thoreau,

It is Nigel Schmoe for English dudes. For other Brits is can be Nigel or Joe McSchmoe.

[Ironchef]

This behavior reeks of arrogant gatekeeping by the British government.

First, these were placed under restriction under the "Lord Chancellor's Instrument". Thank God & the Queen that the Lord Chancellor kept these from our (ignorant) eyes!

Then, "following a review", presumably by some government Minister-of-BusyWork, by his good graces are we deemed able to view these files. Oh to be thankful.

[Shannon Love]

"As the USA are always so reluctant to part with any of our criminals, let them keep this one," he concluded."

It is interesting to see the old form where "United States of America" is consider a plural instead of a singular. It good to remember that the Federal government is a creation of the states and not the other way around.

[Dynamist]

When the documents are unsealed, you'll learn that the British Schmoe is either Fred Bloggs or John Smith.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Doe

[s.m. koppelman]

I like the pre-Elian item about the four Italian kids the government refused to return to their parents in barbarous Italy. I suppose part of the rationale for doing so was the inherent cruelty of condeming children to a life of allegiance to the Pope and smelling of garlic.

Also, is the Trial of Lunatics Act still on the books? I like the sound of it.

[nothing to see here, move alon]

How long before Gary shows up to make semantic arguments against Shannon Love's post?

Gary, Shannon loves you, that's why she doesn't fight back. So reciprocate her love and be nice to her.

And get a room, for G*d's sake!

[lyndon l.]

but don't you see? this is all part of an elaborate conspiracy, they just did this to make the people complacent, the queen is the biggest drug trafficker in the world...

[Todd Fletcher]

What a disappointment! I was all set to hear about brain-melting rays deployed in Sub-Saharan Africa. Jeez, what a bunch of nancy-boys.

[The Lonewacko Blog]

Other than the Queen's real name and her ties to the Lizard People, the Pope, the Illuminati, and the Commissioner of the United States Professional Baseball Leagues, the real big story not here is concerning Jack the Ripper. Was he a royal?

[joe]

#3: Margaret Thatcher's a MAN, baby!

[kwais]

Was Jack the ripper a royal, and why did they murder princess Di?

[Syd]

"There were concerns in 1906 over the question of extraditing an Italian alleged to have shot and killed a fellow Italian organ grinder on the Isle of Wight, in July 1901."

Did they want him extradite him for performing a public service, or punish him for grinding an organ? And were there monkeys involved?

[joe]

WHY-WON'T-THIS-COME-OFF?!? WHY-WON'T-THIS-COME-OFF?

[Isaac Bartram]

"As the USA are always so reluctant to part with any of our criminals, let them keep this one," he concluded.

Ah, yes, the USA, home to Europe's criminals and draft-dodgers.

That's what made us great. 🙂

[joe]

Isaac, he was probably referring to IRA men.

The old IRA.

[McClain]

Yeah, the whole "secret gov't documents" thing isn't as sexy as you'd think.
Remember, it's some bored gov't drone who decides, at 3 PM on a rainy Tuesday, that he might as well use the "Top Secret for the Next Hundred Years" stamp on the next couple of files.
After all, his supervisor's in a meeting, and won't know or care if TOO MUCH secrecy was invoked, just so long as all the files got filed away, and TOO LITTLE secrecy was NOT an issue.

[Night Poacher #10]

"..how mundane sealed files really are"

You blokes spend 96 years in the clink, and see how mundane it is.. wankers..

[drf]

Nothing to see,

I'll take this one. Go back to Philly and stay there this time. *chuckle*

That plural-singular bit is particularly Britspeak. The team "are". The family "are".

It's fun listening to the beeb and see how they get it confused.

(Reference: B. Preisler "Handbook of English Grammar" 1997. pg 162, 163. ISBN: 87 7288 655 2)

so both of you are plain old silly. 😉

Did that capture the essence of a GG reply? Hope so. Back to our regularly scheduled programme.