Charles,
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>'Public Opinion' about WMD in Iraq ( or anywhere else ) has no real bearing one way or another on the reality, whatever that is. But there are some very serious people who aren't paying much attention to what the man on the street thinks.

While I agree with your position about secrecy being needed in many instances, and even with the part about 'public opinion' being immaterial as regards reality, I do feel strongly that the latter is basically an indictment of (U.S and Canadian, at least) society as it now stands!

"News" really isn't news any more, but rather carefully crafted/calculated words/sequences always directly aimed at SHAPING "public opinion". Given that situation, you are absolutely correct. But I bet that you are disturbed by this state of affairs. Our day-to-day world is based on deception now, just about everywhere. everything is "marketing" in one way or another, and "marketing" is a license to play loose with the truth.
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>I am very comforted by that.

I'd say I am too, but my big worry - because I think it's already happening - is that even those people will be hired more for their marketing capabilities than for their unbiased skills. Then we'll all be in deep doo-doo.

cheers