issue8[5f]

lestouUID: 2260126

TOPIC: ISSUE8 - "It is often necessary, even desirable, for political leaders to withhold information from the public."
WORDS: 512          TIME: 00:45:00          DATE: 2007-12-15 11:35:05

1.完全有一小部分人决定是有害的,不管是过去还是现在
2.即使将消息传达给人民,也不一定就能做出好的决定,因为人民也容易受舆论影响
3.最终的标准应该是采取人民和领导互动的方式
I agree with the assertion above with my reservation. While there's no doubt that withholding some untoward side information from the public have its advantage, there's doubt as to whether leaders can do that willfully. I still believe that the prerequisite is the whole social system is a free and democratic one.

To some extent, it is harmful to withhold news from public, no matter in the past, or at present. In the feudal society, where emperor was the supreme dictator thus withholding the news from public is inevitable, since all the decision have to ultimately decide by him. In such a condition, every one was confined to his/her status by hierarchy. Aristocrats, the minority of the society, are under control of that very person; peasant, the majority of the society, are totally kept even far away from any political information. Thus one mistake made by that one person may influence the destiny of a whole nation.  As society involves to a more enlighten one, the problem still can not fade away. One negative example is the case of Chernobyl. At the beginning of the accident of Chernobyl nuclear station, leaders of former soviet tried every means that they could to keep the public under the darkness from the truth; however, what the result turns out was so severe that millions of residents living nearby the station died or at least injured by this unwise decision. Thus, it is harmful or even dangerous to put the destiny of a whole nation upon the shoulder of few people.

However, more often than not, public opinion was largely influenced by a small group of person; subsequently, even if public was informed of the negative news, the untoward side effects may still be rigidly rooted. For instance, in the World War II, Adolf Hitler win the trust of the Germany, making them trust that German need to devour the domain from other nations, with his strong ability of agitate. However, the result is the whole world was brought to the abyss of the disaster of War. So even if the decision was supported by the public, it still better to think twice before swing it into action. For better or worse, it is people of the whole society, rather than merely several politics, have to suffer from bitter outcome.

Then, question comes out, who shall make the final decision in order to make a advisable decision? Public or the leaders. This is a thorny question. Yet some principles are availabe to us. We should still go back to the mechanism of the society. Only under a relatively sound social system , where people can enjoy smooth relationship, security and merited freedom, can optimal solution arrives. By listening to the problems from the public, leaders  can know what the problem persist; trying to solve these problem, they will manage to service people better and populace in turn will treasure this hard-working that participated also by themselves. Just as asking advices from experts can better understand the plan was feasible or not. Taking the opinion of the public into account can make it certain that a plan will be benefit or at least not bring detriment to people; Paying more attention to the response of the public can make it clear about the result of the taken measure.This procedure of reciprocity can benefit the society as a whole, as well as every citizens, imbuing them passion and enthusiasm, keeping them away from coldness and brutal.