Fed Court: Just changed interpretation of Espionage Act to cover leaks that are NOT Harmful To USA

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23. I see their reasoning -- it's like not revealing who our enemies are

If they admit that a particular disclosure could harm national security, that's like an invitation for someone to exploit it. Or if they admit that it couldn't, that tells potential trouble-makers they can cross it off their list. So if you're somebody who thinks in those categories, it makes perfect sense not to allow even that tiny scrap of information to get out.

Of course, this creates problems at a deeper level. To start with, if you're trying to prevent all public knowledge of potential weaknesses in your system, you just make it impossible to correct those weaknesses. For example, if you decide that revealing flaws in nuclear plants, or dams, or bridges could aid potential terrorists, you're setting the public up for catastrophic accidents or health risks.

Beyond that, any system of institutionalized secrecy is an invitation to pervasive corruption, graft, and coverups.

All that is even before you get into the question of creeping fascism. But although I don't think the people making these decisions actually worry much about fascism, you might think they'd worry about larger issues of public safety -- and apparently they don't.