Reagan, Iran, Contras and Breaching the Public Trust

The captain who sets the ship of state on a course of one public policy and at the same time an opposing secret policy is indeed a fool. His ship will surely founder on the rocks of division, distrust and confusion.

But then a nation that misuses its power to impose its will upon a smaller, weaker nation deserves to fail--especially when violating sensible international law. Perhaps a divine wisdom allowed a foolish public to place a foolish man in power so as to blunt the capacity to do harm.

Secrecy is the mark of oppressive governments and has no place in free and open societies. The truly wise would do nothing in secret that they wouldn’t want the whole world to know about--eventually the whole world will. A good and wise policy can be openly discussed among friend and enemy alike. Only evil and destructive policies need to be kept secret.

HERBERT G. DORSEY III

Ojai