If you're trying to do actual real work of tracking down terrorists, you don't want the whole world to know(at least until years later). But if you're doing something EVIL behind our back, the world have the right to know.
Information shall not be considered for classification
unless its unauthorized disclosure could reasonably be
expected to cause identifiable or describable damage to
the national security in accordance with section 1.2 of
this order, and it pertains to one or more of the
following:
(a) military plans, weapons systems, or operations;
(b) foreign government information;
(c) intelligence activities (including covert
action), intelligence sources or methods, or
cryptology;
(d) foreign relations or foreign activities of the
United States, including confidential sources;
(e) scientific, technological, or economic matters
relating to the national security;
(f) United States Government programs for
safeguarding nuclear materials or facilities;
(g) vulnerabilities or capabilities of systems,
installations, infrastructures, projects,
plans, or protection services relating to the
national security; or
(h) the development, production, or use of weapons
of mass destruction.
You can't simply mark your shady activities "TOP SECRET". Not even the president has the authority to do that. That's an improper classification, and is illegal -- anyone who works with classified information should know that, and could be expected to report it.
Between rule of law, a law that outlines which categories of things the government is allowed to keep secret, and the fact that even really secret programs of any significant size have to ultimately be staffed with lots of normal citizens, I think it's actually a pretty safe and sane system.
The main safeguard is rule of law. There's a whitelist of information that is allowed to be classified -- spelled out in http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Executive_Order_13526 .
You can't simply mark your shady activities "TOP SECRET". Not even the president has the authority to do that. That's an improper classification, and is illegal -- anyone who works with classified information should know that, and could be expected to report it.Between rule of law, a law that outlines which categories of things the government is allowed to keep secret, and the fact that even really secret programs of any significant size have to ultimately be staffed with lots of normal citizens, I think it's actually a pretty safe and sane system.