The basis for transparency is government, at least in the common law tradition, is the understanding that without it, government actors will tend to act in thei

The basis for transparency is government, at least in the common law tradition, is the understanding that without it, government actors will tend to act in their own interest rather than in that of the public. Do you think that this is a reasonable belief? If so, then it logically and obviously follows both that 1) development of products by the government (to the extent that this is even the reasonable purview of information age government at all) need to be conducted in a profoundly public way and that 2) a failure to do this will result in a properly disaffected populace and shortened moral stature on the part of the government. It is no fairy tale to suggest that secrecy in government is a substantial part of the formula of government failure more generally. The only assertion I'm making that might not yet be in evidence is that, amidst the information age, this aspect of good government is more important and that its effects will be realized far more quickly.