Loose Lips Sink Ships, but Feinstein Doesn’t Get It

David C. Stolinsky, MD
Feb. 16, 2009

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, announced that U.S. drone aircraft are flying from bases within Pakistan. This revelation embarrasses the Pakistani government and endangers the lives of U.S. and Pakistani personnel.

There is no reason that anyone not cleared for top secret information needs to know this fact. Feinstein’s motivation remains a question. Was she merely careless? In this case, she should not be on the Intelligence Committee, much less its chair. Or, like many Democrats, is she so accustomed to undermining President Bush that she has not yet gotten out of the habit of revealing embarrassing information? In this case, she does not belong in government in any capacity.

“Loose Lips Sink Ships” was a widely circulated World War II poster. It warned everyone not to reveal information that might get our troops killed.

Thanks to http://tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:utcenhnMODyEuM:http://www.mediabistro.co

Many have commented on how World War II was different from the current war on terrorists. Of course there are differences, but the principal difference is not in the wars but in us.

Back then, we knew who we were and what we were fighting for. We knew our enemies wanted to destroy our way of life. We knew that we had to use every resource at our command to have any hope of remaining free, or even surviving.

But now, many people are in denial. There is a current poster urging people not to reveal secret information that might aid our enemies. Yet it is far from widely circulated. Until I searched the Internet, I never saw it.

Thanks to http://sevenhillspatriot.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/117514.jpg

The gold star indicates that a member of the family died in the service of our country. Perhaps the dog is waiting for him. Dogs understand the meaning of loyalty. That’s their nature. Some people, especially politicians, don’t understand the meaning of loyalty. That’s their nature.

Yes, we have changed. We no longer are sure who we are, or what we are doing:

·         Are we Americans, or “citizens of the world?” The former carries deep obligations. The latter carries none except breathing.

·         Is freedom worth fighting and dying for? Or is our way of life no better than any other − for example, Muslim extremism?

·         Are we fighting a war, as former President Bush knew? Or are we performing a law-enforcement exercise, as President Obama seems to believe?

·         Are we fighting for our lives? Or are we engaged in a boxing match according to the Marquess of Queensbury rules?

·         Are we obliged to keep information secret that, if revealed, would endanger the lives of Americans and our allies? Or may we say anything that pops into our heads?

·         Are we citizens who have obligations to our fellow citizens? Or are we narcissists who spend our days seeking our own gratification?

The answer to these questions, insofar as Sen. Dianne Feinstein is concerned, is regrettably clear. Feinstein is chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. She is privy to highly classified information − revealing which may be a felony. When Feinstein revealed officially, for the first time, that U.S. drones not only overfly Pakistan, but are actually based in Pakistan, she made her attitude toward these vital matters all too plain.

The Pakistani government, for all its faults, cooperates to a degree with our efforts to combat Al Qaeda. But now this government has been revealed as lying to its own people. At best, Feinstein has caused the Pakistani government to stop cooperating in the war on terrorists. At worst, the government will fall − and be replaced by Islamic extremists who will then control Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.

This isn’t the first time she shot her mouth off in a dangerous manner. In 2006 Feinstein, who was then the senior Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, announced in a speech that the U.S. is under no obligation to defend Taiwan if it is attacked by Communist China. She thus contradicted the policy of every President from Harry Truman to George W. Bush. Feinstein’s pro-China stance might be related to the business her husband does with China. Of course, this possible conflict of interest escapes the attention of our liberal media.

What effect will Feinstein’s declaration have on the Chinese government? While Bush was President, the Chinese had reason for restraint. But now that Obama is in office, the Chinese rulers may assume that Feinstein speaks for him − and invade Taiwan. Who knows what might happen?

There is a precedent here. On Jan. 12, 1950 Secretary of State Acheson delivered a speech in which he listed nations that were within America’s defense perimeter − but conspicuously omitted South Korea. Acheson thus emboldened North Korean dictator Kim il-Sung, and his Soviet sponsor Stalin. On June 25, 1950 North Korea invaded the South.

Three years later, the Korean War ended in a stalemate, with the border the same as it was when the war began. But some things were not the same. There were 36,940 dead Americans, as well as at least 180,000 dead South Koreans and perhaps a million dead North Koreans and Chinese. Would the war have occurred if Acheson had not made his verbal blunder? Who can say? But we can say that it did occur after the blunder. Verbal blunders by high officials can be extremely costly − but not to the blunderer.

No, it’s not the high officials but the grunts who pay the price. This is so obviously true that one might conclude that the official big-mouths just don’t care what happens to the grunts. Dianne Feinstein is the more intelligent of my two senators, although being more intelligent than Barbara Boxer is similar to being more honest than Bernard Madoff. Still, Feinstein is the daughter of my professor of surgery in medical school, and I had a soft spot in my heart for her. But no more.

Feinstein is hardly the only member of Congress who leaked secret information. Remember “Leaky” Leahy? And what about our media? The Los Angeles Times revealed that our government is tracking financial transactions that aid suspected terrorists. The New York Times revealed that our government is monitoring international telecommunications that aid suspected terrorists.

Would the terrorists have discovered that their finances were being tracked, and their communications monitored, without the media leaks? Perhaps, eventually. But how many lives might have been saved if the terrorists remained unaware of the monitoring for six months, or a year? Surely some lives might have been saved.

How many lives is a “scoop” worth? To me, not one. But I studied medicine, not journalism or political science. I learned to bend the rules if necessary to save lives. Journalists and politicians learn to bend the rules if necessary to get on the 10 o’clock news, even if it might cost lives. These two viewpoints are incompatible. The viewpoint of a soldier is even more incompatible. It’s his life that is being endangered.

What is your viewpoint? Do you feel that your “right to know” things you have no need to know trumps other people’s right to remain alive? Is your “right to be informed” superior to other people’s right to remain above ground? If so, why? Are you some kind of superior being?

Loose lips do sink ships. And they kill people. But what will the penalty be? Will the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times suffer for their indiscretions? Of course not. They are standard-bearers for the Democrats. They may go out of business, but it will be for lack of being competitive, not for lack of patriotism.

Will Feinstein be removed as chair of the Intelligence Committee? Are you joking? Will she be kicked off the committee and her security clearance revoked? Are you drunk? Will her case be referred to the Justice Department for possible prosecution? Are you on drugs? Will a recall petition be circulated in California? Are you insane? Will the liberal media make as big a fuss over her real leak as they did over the non-leak by “Scooter” Libby? Yes, you must be insane.

Do you think we are at war, and brave people are dying to defend our freedom? Do you believe we owe them our full support, and our silence on crucial secrets? What’s wrong with you? Anyone can see it’s just politics as usual.

Dr. Stolinsky writes on political and social issues. He can be contacted at dstol@prodigy.net.

www.stolinsky.com