When it comes to the governance, of, for, and by the people, it is imperative that our governmental representatives from top to bottom, are faithfully responsible to the people as well as to the Constitution that they are sworn to obey and to uphold. Regrettably, that type of governance does not currently exist in the United States, because the people, to a very meaningful extent, have no real opportunity to know what their government is really up to of that which is of most importance, and thus then hold that government accountable for its subsequent actions and inactions – for our current governance consistently displays a clear lack of integrity, openness, and transparency. Indeed, too much of present day governance involves all sorts of secrets upon secrets, hidden from not only the people, themselves; but often even hidden from those that should have the legislative oversight to see and to know what is really going on. In short, this government, cannot be trusted, because it presents itself in a way and manner, in which that government is opaque, not forthcoming, and far too often, purposely deceitful to the people.
The very best of governments, are those that have as their very purpose, to do what is right and what is necessary for the people. Further to the point, legitimate governments, are the type of governments, that do not obfuscate, lie, cheat, deceive, and misuse their power to the detriment of the people. Whenever what the government is doing on behalf of the people, is not fully disclosed, debated upon, and discussed openly, then it is not thus possible for the people to have a true voice so as to approve or disapprove of such. To believe then that the government always has the best interests of the people in mind, is belied by the fact that some of the most meaningful things so being performed by that government are forever secret, unexplained, and never open for discussion or debate with the general public.
All those that exercise the most important democratic power so provided to them in secret, are not true to what that government is supposed to so represent. While there are certainly going to be those times when secrecy and discretion is necessary, the bottom line is that this should be the exception to the rule, and never the rule, itself. Additionally, it hardly seems fair or right, that this government has never known so much about its own individual people about who and what they really are then what we so see at the present time – yet, in contrast, never has this government had so much that it so does and performs, be hidden behind closed doors, as pretty much being the normal course of its business.
When any government will not permit itself or has structured itself in a form in which it cannot and will not be accountable to the people, then that government is not itself, legitimate, and has become a bastardization of what good governance is all about. It has been said, “trust, but verify,” but there can’t even be trust, when there is nothing of substance to be verified, because what needs to be verified, is not even known, or even available to be investigated, properly. All those then, in positions of power and governance, that want trust and obedience, deserve neither, if they themselves are not open and honest.