By Daniel M. FitzPatrick
Some readers may remember World War Two-era posters that reminded the public of the dangers posed by unguarded talk, which might provide sensitive information to the enemy.
The posters famously read “Loose Lips Might Sink Ships.” That admonition was taken very seriously at the time, and remains good advice to this day, as there are and always will be individuals and nations with interests and ambitions in conflict with our own.
Sadly, that lesson needs to be relearned. I am not proposing bringing back the posters, advocating national paranoia or pushing the concept of government propaganda. It’s just that, to my mind, we are experiencing a tsunami of loose lips. It’s loud and constant, like the sound of a sputtering motorboat. And the biggest Bronx Cheer is emanating from Washington.
I am of course referring to “leaks.” In this context, the Free Dictionary defines a leak as “an unauthorized or a deliberate disclosure of confidential information.” I would expand that to include the deliberate transmission though whatever means of false information, half-truths, partial information, opinion, suspicion and innuendo, with the objective of doing harm and/or pursuing a political agenda at the expense of larger interests, e.g., national security.
As a country, we are leaking like a sieve, and it threatens to sink our ship of state.
There are two types of leaks that pose grave concern. The first is the classic betrayal of our country by disclosing secrets and other information that undermines our ability to protect and promote our national interests in an always-dangerous world. Think Snowden, Manning and the as-yet unknown CIA employee or contractor who leaked thousands of top-secret CIA documents and hacking tools. These are traitorous acts that require legal response.
The second type, incorporated in my definition above, is much more subtle but no less damaging. It is also extremely cynical, and to my mind, selfish. It is a new development only to the extent of its scale and volume. It has been described as a giant whispering campaign with the intention of undermining an individual and an entire administration in recompense for disappointment in the results of the recent election. But I think there is another element in play here. I call it the Revenge of the Swamp People.
Note to current and future politicians: If you publicly vow to drain the swamp, be prepared to face a lot of angry alligators.
The “permanent government” in Washington finds itself under attack, and its members are fighting back with every tool and tactic at their disposal. A lot is at stake for them, including comfortable sinecures spending taxpayer money on pet projects and causes, the promise of generous government pensions, attractive lifestyles that include suburban homes, private schools, etc. They will not go down without a fight, no matter how dirty or costly to our civic order. This should come as no surprise, for this is how bureaucracies have acted throughout history.
Why do we tolerate this politically motivated leaking? It has become a game for some. The media have been willing—even eager—participants, as their appetite for attention and ratings overcomes any sense of journalistic integrity. Rumors are reported, unchecked, as if they were facts. Anonymous sources feed the voracious appetite of the 24-hour news cycle, with no accountability for the accuracy of what they pass on.
It’s gotten to the point where “questions have been raised” becomes the headline for (and totality of) a news story. It’s like People Magazine has taken over The Nightly News. And all the while, this circus distracts and impairs our ability to address the very real problems and issues facing our nation while diminishing us in the eyes of friends and foes throughout the world. We need to find a way to stop this madness. Now. As Peggy Noonan put it so well recently, “Democracy is not your plaything.”
A question for our elected Congressional representatives in the House and Senate: What, specifically, are you doing to address this problem? Are you pursuing a solution, or are you part of the problem? You each have taken the following oath: “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter.”
That oath makes clear that your first obligation is to the Constitution and the national interest. Not to party. Not to ideology. Not to special interests. Not to campaign donors. Not to personal ambition. This game of “political revenge by leaking” is damaging our country. As one of your constituents, I ask—actually, I expect—that you each take a leadership role in restoring civility to our national discourse, and work diligently and with others of all political persuasions to advance our national interests. After all, that is the job we hired you to do.
Dan FitzPatrick is an active member of the community and volunteer. He serves on the board of Greenwich Emergency Medical Services, Inc.
