In the Spirit of Lies and Secrecy

I've been thinking about this discussion on Wikileaks by Glenn Greenwald all day. I was unimpressed with the personal attacks and respectfully disagree with several points, but in general I think that article makes several compelling arguments regarding the abuse of power behind the veil of secrecy, and might be one of the best contributions in support of Wikileaks in the discussion I have seen yet.

I particularly enjoyed the part where Bill Keller is thoroughly mocked, shamed, and disgraced. That alone makes the article worth reading.

These things were on my mind when I read Bill Gertz tonight.

The Obama administration, despite public denials, held secret talks with Russia aimed at reaching a ballistic missile defense agreement that Moscow ultimately rejected in May, according to an internal State Department report.

Disclosure of the report to The Washington Times comes as Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday pressed for a new anti-ballistic missile treaty, warning that a failure to reach an agreement would trigger a new strategic arms race.

The four-page document circulated on Capitol Hill stated that administration officials held four meetings with the Russians and last spring presented a draft Ballistic Missile Defense Cooperation Agreement (BMDCA) to Russian negotiators.

The internal report contradicts congressional testimony by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in June denying a missile defense deal was in the works.

So Hillary Clinton and Robert Gates lied under oath in testimony to Congress. This revelation carries almost no significance anymore though, because being dishonest under oath has become common place on Capital Hill and no one - ever - gets called out for it.

Whether you are the Secretary of Defense or a major league baseball player - committing perjury isn't enforced on Capital Hill. If the people who write laws do not enforce laws like perjury committed against them - then what exactly is the value of a nation that claims rule of law when the law is selectively enforced - and often excused - when the lawbreakers are the rich and powerful? Good thing US Navy Admirals never lie to Congress under oath.

Oh, wait, damn!

No problem, in the 21st century tradition of Navy accountability ashore - that particular Admiral was promoted.