That doctrine is that right conduct can never, except by some rare accident, be promoted by ignorance or hindered by knowledge. ... It covers a large part of Governmental activity in concealing facts.
Source： Bertrand Russell: Marriage and Morals, 1929
More info.：https://russell-j.com/beginner/MM08-010.HTM
* a brief comment:
Individuals have the right to keep matters related to their privacy confidential. However, when it comes to matters of public concern, the principle of transparency should prevail. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon for public figures, politicians, business leaders, and others in positions of public responsibility, to evade accountability by saying, "I will refrain from commenting, as this concerns personal privacy," even in cases where the public has a legitimate right to know.
This culture of concealment is increasingly exposed through daily news coverage. Yet, because such incidents occur with overwhelming frequency, a large portion of the public has become numb to them, falling into a kind of societal insensitivity, resulting in many of these cover-ups fading from memory over time.
The falsification of official documents in the Moritomo Gakuen scandal had likewise been forgotten for a long time, but it has recently regained public attention due to a court order demanding disclosure. However, the first batch of related documents released the other day contained several key omissions, deliberate redactions, which has provoked public criticism. For instance, parts of the official record documenting a site visit by Mr. and Mrs. Kagoike along with Akie Abe (then the Prime Minister's wife) to the planned location of Moritomo Gakuen were missing. It appears that those portions may have contained information inconvenient for members of the government at the time, or perhaps for some still in government today.
Even information that the public might not find particularly problematic can be withheld out of fear that its disclosure could lead to the inference of other, more damaging facts. As a result, the scope of what is withheld from the public tends to expand excessively.
It is high time that we begin, in earnest, a process to uncover the full extent of the political scandals under the Abe administration, including the Moritomo and Kake Gakuen affairs, as well as the broader corruption involving the former Abe faction, such as the secret slush funds. Since it is unlikely that the government will take the initiative in such efforts, I hope the media, starting with NHK, will fulfill their responsibility and pursue these matters vigorously.
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Source： Bertrand Russell: Marriage and Morals, 1929
More info.：https://russell-j.com/beginner/MM08-010.HTM
* a brief comment:
Individuals have the right to keep matters related to their privacy confidential. However, when it comes to matters of public concern, the principle of transparency should prevail. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon for public figures, politicians, business leaders, and others in positions of public responsibility, to evade accountability by saying, "I will refrain from commenting, as this concerns personal privacy," even in cases where the public has a legitimate right to know.
This culture of concealment is increasingly exposed through daily news coverage. Yet, because such incidents occur with overwhelming frequency, a large portion of the public has become numb to them, falling into a kind of societal insensitivity, resulting in many of these cover-ups fading from memory over time.
The falsification of official documents in the Moritomo Gakuen scandal had likewise been forgotten for a long time, but it has recently regained public attention due to a court order demanding disclosure. However, the first batch of related documents released the other day contained several key omissions, deliberate redactions, which has provoked public criticism. For instance, parts of the official record documenting a site visit by Mr. and Mrs. Kagoike along with Akie Abe (then the Prime Minister's wife) to the planned location of Moritomo Gakuen were missing. It appears that those portions may have contained information inconvenient for members of the government at the time, or perhaps for some still in government today.
Even information that the public might not find particularly problematic can be withheld out of fear that its disclosure could lead to the inference of other, more damaging facts. As a result, the scope of what is withheld from the public tends to expand excessively.
It is high time that we begin, in earnest, a process to uncover the full extent of the political scandals under the Abe administration, including the Moritomo and Kake Gakuen affairs, as well as the broader corruption involving the former Abe faction, such as the secret slush funds. Since it is unlikely that the government will take the initiative in such efforts, I hope the media, starting with NHK, will fulfill their responsibility and pursue these matters vigorously.
* Amazon Gift Card