Issue8【再战GRE小组】第一次作业

山方水苑UID: 2362589

I agree with the speakers claim that it is often necessary, even desirable, for political leaders to withhold information from the public. In some certain conditions, withholding imfomation from the public is benefit for the public's ultimate interests. However, the power of political leaders to withhold imformation should be limited.
One reason that I foudamentally agree with the speaker is that the final goal of a would-be political leaders is to gain and maintain political power. So he/she should avoid exposing foibles in front of public. Politics is not a mild game. Complete forthrightness would not win any respect from opponents and would make himself/herself in a passive condition. Moreover, any personal detailed life only if pandering to the electorate would not undermine the political leader's reputation in public. Withholding some personal imformation from the public do help the political leader maintain political power. Moreover, public cannot always truely understand events in a political way. Political leader will avoid misunderstanding for his/her behavior by withholding information in certain conditions.
Another reason that I essentially agree with the speaker is that withholding certain national imformation can ensure the public safety and national security. One kind of information is the top secret of the country. The information submitted to political leader offered by intelligence department must be confine to certain persons, the revealing of which will generate unexpectable disaster or international dispute which any brilliant political leader attempts to avade. Sometimes, withholding information can avoid public panic. If a country's leader is in a bad healthy condition, the fully disclose of this kind of information will make the public in a lasting worried about their country's future. So not telling the truth can reshape the public's confidence. A immediate disclose would have serve no useful purpose.
Even assuming that withholding imformation is necessary in certain conditions, this kind of power should be restricted for political leaders. In any democratic society, public has the right to supervise the goverment's work,and the political leader should be forthright about his/her motives and agenda. History informs us that any kind of deceiving and manipulating the citizenry will lead the political leader a failure. Bill Clinton, who has an affair with the White House intern Monica Lewinsky, is a typical example in this situation. He, hoping to avoid any disgrace, denied any accusation initially and told a lie, saying that there was nothing happening between them. Though it could be understand his withholding with his affair with Lewinsky meant to protect his reputation, his lie led to a huge scandal and almost ended in an impeachment. It is definitely unwise for a political leader to lie even if there is information he is unwilling to reveal.
In sum, in political games, it is necessary for political leaders to withhold personal information. In addition, to ensure the public safety and national security, political leaders should avoid revealing certain information. Moreover, though the political leaders have the right to withhold information from public in certain condition, lying to public will not be forgive.


这篇其实比较早写的了，当时还不太会写，有些模仿北美