How to fix the US government's classified information problem with Jane Harman

How to fix the US government's classified information problem with Jane Harman

Maintaining secrecy can be invigorating, whether you're a child with hidden treasures or a CIA agent safeguarding classified information. However, the more secrets you bear, the heavier the burden becomes. This week’s guest, Jane Harman, who served nine terms in Congress and was a ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee after 9/11, understands the weight of secrecy firsthand. While there are valid justifications for classifying information, Harman asserts that the US government has grappled with an issue of excessive classification for decades. "A bad reason to classify is to protect your turf—you don't want other people to know what you know in order to protect yourself from embarrassment." The 9/11 Commission revealed that inadequate information-sharing between agencies like the CIA, FBI, and NSA hindered the government's ability to prevent the tragic terrorist attacks. One significant factor contributing to this failure was the over-classification of information. Each year, approximately 50 million documents are estimated to be classified, though the exact count remains elusive—not due to classification, but because the government struggles to effectively manage the vast volume. In the words of former US Solicitor General Erwin Griswold, some “secrets are not worth keeping.” Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.

Subscribe to the GZERO World with Ian Bremmer Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Avsnitt(423)

Renewable energy and the case for climate optimism with Bill McKibben

Renewable energy and the case for climate optimism with Bill McKibben

Is the clean energy revolution finally here? Over the past few years, the world has experienced a sudden and overwhelming surge in renewable energy installation and generation, outpacing even the most...

13 Sep 202527min

How AI will revolutionize medicine with Siddhartha Mukherjee

How AI will revolutionize medicine with Siddhartha Mukherjee

On the latest episode of the GZERO World podcast, Ian Bremmer talks with world-renowned cancer researcher and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee about the future of medicine—and why ar...

6 Sep 202533min

Rethinking the refugee crisis and global aid system, with David Miliband

Rethinking the refugee crisis and global aid system, with David Miliband

The number of people forced to flee their homes because of war, persecution, humanitarian disaster or political collapse topped 123 million people in 2024. That’s double what it was just 10 years ago....

23 Aug 202527min

Pakistan needs to stand up to India, says former Foreign Minister Hina Khar

Pakistan needs to stand up to India, says former Foreign Minister Hina Khar

After nearly eight decades of on-again-off-again conflict, India and Pakistan neared the brink of all-out war last spring. The intense, four-day conflict was an unsettling reminder of the dangers of m...

16 Aug 202537min

Trump vs higher education, with Harvard Law's Noah Feldman

Trump vs higher education, with Harvard Law's Noah Feldman

From lawsuits and executive orders to funding cuts tied to antisemitism claims, the Trump White House is targeting institutions like Harvard and Columbia in what Feldman calls an effort to undermine i...

9 Aug 202526min

The new global trade wars, with Fareed Zakaria

The new global trade wars, with Fareed Zakaria

President Trump’s policies swiftly rewriting the rules of global trade. As the United States imposes tariffs on allies and adversaries alike, do we risk losing our edge? On the GZERO World Podcast, CN...

2 Aug 202544min

Could the future of industry lie among the stars?

Could the future of industry lie among the stars?

Creating artificial human retinas in zero gravity. Mining rare minerals on the moon. There seems to be no limit to what could be possible if we continue to take our more important industries to space....

31 Juli 202531min

The two trillion dollar opportunity

The two trillion dollar opportunity

You might not know it, but you interact with space technology countless times on a daily basis. In fact, the space economy has become so ubiquitous that some estimate that its value could reach as hig...

24 Juli 202532min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

aftonbladet-krim
rss-krimstad
fordomspodden
blenda-2
motiv
flashback-forever
p3-krim
aftonbladet-daily
rss-sanning-konsekvens
svenska-fall
spar
olyckan-inifran
rss-vad-fan-hande
svd-ledarredaktionen
rss-krimreportrarna
rss-frandfors-horna
krimmagasinet
grans
rss-flodet
dagens-eko