Open Discussion of State Secrets, Please

Who determines the boundaries of the security policy? What needs to stay a secret and which information can be made public? How can we prevent abuse? Both Edward Snowden in the United States and Ruud Lubbers and Dries van Agt in the Netherlands supposedly revealed state secrets: Snowden about the eavesdropping done by the National Security Agency (NSA); Lubbers and Van Agt about the storage of nuclear weapons on Volkel airbase.

It is highly necessary that we discuss more often with each other about such secret practices, especially in Congress.

Americans are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to safety and freedom. On the one hand, they want the government to do whatever it takes to guarantee their safety. World War I unleashed a hysterical hunt for German spies, who were supposedly hiding all over the country. Additionally, World War II started a witch hunt against Japanese Americans, who were locked up in gulags out of precaution. Furthermore, ethnic “agitators,” such as Martin Luther King, were followed by the FBI. The Cold War was the pinnacle of this tendency, during which the government monitored all communists and other “un-American” activities out of fear for the Soviet Union.

Furthermore, since the events of Sept. 11, the NSA invested strongly in detection techniques to be able to prevent other terrorist attacks. Most Americans accept this and do not find it a problem that their security agency monitors so many foreigners.

Internet Activists

However, there is another America as well, where the libertarian tradition and mistrust of the government powerfully exist. According to these Americans, freedom needs to be as absolute as possible. This movement manifests itself in progressive organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, but also among conservatives such as Senator Rand Paul, who regards data collection as a violation of the constitution.

Even more striking is the fact that especially the younger generation is influenced by the libertarian tendencies of Internet activists. According to Time magazine, Snowden and his fellow thinkers believe that all information must be public and secrets are not allowed to exist anymore. Of all Americans, a majority believes that Snowden should be prosecuted, but only a third of young Americans share this view.

Who is right? I personally think that it does not have to be a problem if the government stores information, if only the judge gets involved first and if the government searches purposefully — which seems to be the case now.

Digital Tracks

Yet my sympathy lies with these whistleblowers in America and Holland. We are insufficiently aware of the information that is collected and what is done with it. Did the government go too far? What are the risks? Also, the storage of nuclear weapons in the Netherlands seems a public case. It is high time that we enter into a debate about this with each other. More public discussion about such state secrets is of great importance, both in the United States and in the Netherlands.

Furthermore, now is the time for it. Obama has said himself that we have to leave the war behind us, but it is not clear how this compares to his unconditional support of the size of the American security agency.

We need an open discussion in our country and the parliament to make good choices, especially because the proponents of larger transparency and freedom will not win. The power of people to control us will always be bigger than our power to escape from that control.

As New York Times columnist Ross Douthat says, we live in a world where we leave so many digital tracks that all sorts of powerful institutions — from market to government — can manipulate and harm us. Most people have accepted this intrusion with much protest. And maybe there is nothing to worry about; even Snowden could not accuse the NSA of specific misuse. But directors of security agencies and politicians need to know that there are boundaries to what the public wants to accept.