Secrecy and Loyalty

I have two fears today, so two blog posts I plan to write today.

The first (actually, the second, but the first one I want to write) is typified by this article from the New York Times (you may have to sign up for a free account to view the whole thing).

It talks about Sarah Palin's governing style in Alaska, and there are several things there to be wary of, but the sentence which frightens me the most is this one:

Interviews show that Ms. Palin runs an administration that puts a premium on loyalty and secrecy.

Loyalty and Secrecy. Two hallmarks of the Bush/Cheney administration, and potentially two of the most damaging parts of it. Also, I believe, two of the biggest reasons for the extremely low Bush approval rating. In 8 years, we've gone from a fairly transparent government with qualification being the primary factor in hiring to an unreasonably secretive one in which loyalty is prized above even basic competence (Heck of a job, Brownie!).

To quote John McCain from his speech in front of the green screen the night Obama took the Democratic nomination, "That's not change we can believe in."

Liam.