Citizen Power, by Mike Gravel: on Homeland Security

Government secrecy creates 1984-style state

During the past quarter century we have witnessed a growing separation of the state apparatus--including the presidency, the Department of Defense, the CIA, FBI, the Department of State, and associated agencies--from the people it is supposed to be protecting. It is axiomatic that the custodians of the state will attempt to preserve it and to advance its interests. But when the state surrounds itself with the structures of secrecy, creates a loyalty system to ensure that those who serve it possess its values, and maintains a surveillance network to detect and apprehend citizens who oppose its purposes, then we are far along toward a 1984-style state when which suppresses citizens and only serves its own interests.

In such a system, policy-makers act on the international scene to advance their own interests and those of the state, rather than those of the citizens they are supposed to represent or the people in other lands affected by their policies.

Source: Citizen Power, by Sen. Mike Gravel, p. 51 Jan 1, 1972

Cut military budget in half--we don't need such "readiness"

This country has been maintaining its military forces on a wartime basis since the late 1940s. Our overseas forces are ready to move instantly to repel an attack, and the "strategic reserves" in the continental US are ready for deployment overseas within 30 days. The difficulty is that neither we nor our allies believe a war is imminent.

Those who refuse to reexamine our purposes in keeping this vast army deployed around the world must accept responsibility for the snowballing disintegration of our armed forces--disintegrating as their reason for coming together disappears. I believe our military budget need be only half as large as it is to achieve the valid purposes for which we need military force.

The actual defense of the US takes only a small portion of what is called the "defense" budget. We are in the fortunate position of requiring almost no defense at all from conventional attack on our shores. The cost of operating our strategic forces can and should be drastically reduced.

Source: Citizen Power, by Sen. Mike Gravel, p. 76-82 Jan 1, 1972

National security is no need for government secrecy

There must be an end to national decision-making in secret and policy implementation by executive fiat. This requires easy access to virtually all information by the public and, with rare and defined exceptions, the removal of all limits on the information available to its elected representatives. The government's shrill claims of a "need" for secrecy must give way to the higher priority of the citizen's right to know.

At present, the scales are tipped heavily in favor of the government. Information is systematically classified and withheld from the public for vaguely determined reasons of "national security" and denied to Congress by the imperious assertion of "executive privilege." These two ridiculously flexible tools of secrecy provide self-appointed decision-makers with a protective shield against public accountability.

Source: Citizen Power, by Sen. Mike Gravel, p.223-224 Jan 1, 1972

The above quotations are from Citizen Power A People's Platform, by Mike Gravel (published 1972). Click here for definitions & background information on Homeland Security. Click here for more quotes by Mike Gravel on Homeland Security.
*2008 Presidential contenders on Homeland Security:*
*Republicans:* Chmn.John Cox Mayor Rudy Giuliani Gov.Mike Huckabee Rep.Duncan Hunter Sen.John McCain Rep.Ron Paul Gov.Mitt Romney Sen.Fred Thompson	*Democrats:* Sen.Hillary Clinton Sen.John Edwards Sen.Mike Gravel Rep.Dennis Kucinich Sen.Barack Obama	*Third Parties:* Green: Rep.Cynthia McKinney Socialist: Brian Moore Independent: Mayor Mike Bloomberg
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