Following World War II, the US adopted a new, blatantly undemocratic form of government: the national security state. The article “Cultures of Secrecy” explains the national security state and its culture of secrecy. The “national security state” is the government agency tasked with protecting the American people from threats to their safety and well-being during the Cold War, when the US held nuclear build-up in rural Nevada and Utah to conceal secrets from citizens. The US government decided it was necessary to have domestic nuclear test sites in order to remain competitive in the global arms race, and the Nevada Test Site was established in 1951 because they could see the “big mushroom clouds” during the day and the “sky light up before daylight,” civilians that lived close to the NTS were cognizant of the fact that nuclear tests were being carried out, but had no idea of the dangers this posed to their own health and the health of their livestock (Fox). The United States government used concerns about national security to justify withholding information from the public, but this “culture of secrecy” quickly began to spread into civilian institutions and was used to cover up controversial or harmful government actions—even those that didn’t directly relate to national security (Dean). As the government continued to minimize the dangers, stifle scientific proof of harm, and offer no support to civilians beginning to experience the impacts of radioactive fallout exposure, they purposefully kept information from the local population.
I believe that the cultural elements that go along with the national security state are a major reason why it still exists today. The concepts of national defense and nation-protection have persisted throughout the Cold War and continue to influence US government policy even after the War on Terror started, some ten years later. Furthermore, the national security state’s culture of secrecy caused a shift in American society and the interaction between citizens and the government. Furthermore, this shift in American culture and the connection between citizens and the government was brought about by the national security state’s culture of secrecy, and it continues to this day. In my opinion, there is a great deal of mistrust against our administration. The cultural fixation on hysteria and conspiracy that Dean (612) noted is still present. The internet is rife with conspiracy theories regarding our government and its actions. There is still a lot of secrecy surrounding government operations and things that are justified by national security risks, but I also believe that a significant portion of it has probably been carried over from previous coverups.
Will Wright 