ISSUE8

civilppUID: 2999177

Issue8
14:00-14:45
It is often necessary, even desirable, for political leaders to withhold information from the public.

I agree with the speaker that people in the position of power should withhold some information from the public. After all, certain security information which can destroy the nation must be protected from the public. However, it is arbitrary to sweep the conclusion about the necessity to withhold all the information, because reasonably opening messages to the public and revealing how government runs can help to improve the awareness of government
as server to people.

Certain information concerning of security of national level must be preserved only by government or some crucial few; otherwise, a country may suffer from territory attack or threat from other country if some momentous information has been leaked out. It is natural for a country to withhold information for national defense purpose, since various countries compete fiercely in the world so that every country just makes the best use of information from other nation in order to find confidential plans or action taken in secret means such as spying . Especially during the period of World War II, any military details or news of the enemy may determine the next step or strategy to fight against the opponents, which may consequentially matters in saving more sodiers or significant final success of next battle. This example demonstrates the information and details of a nation's plan and action cannot be simply spreaded to the masses.

We must not allow undue blockade of messages or news about government, or there's no power of supervisor can prevent the government from corruption or urge the officer in the position of power to advocate the ultimate interest of the public. It is entirely possible that the governors may be just like normal people who can only pursue for his own interest even taking advantage of his authority to gain profits of his own, ignoring the responsibility of his job to serve to the public, if not supervised by his people.

In order to establish a government more efficient for serving to people's interests, expose information and reasonably report of government mechanism and works can benefit both the society and people. This is the way the common people attach themself to getter a better understanding of working of government, in which people can disengage their doubt of what exactly the government has done for them, and in which the ordinary people can supervise government to serve for themselves, and in which the government officer can learn value lesson from peope's reaction to the policy designed by them. Since whether a government is qualified to serve people depends on the voice from the basic ground, a more honest and harmonious atmosphere in society and larger bases of beneficiary can be ensured.

To sum up, withholding information preserve national secrets from danger and international attack, while no method than opening information to the public can ensure an upright integrity of authorities. In this way, the higher authority can take people's interest into consideration and be of efficiency to contribute to society.