The Transparent Society

Unlike freedom of speech, the right to privacy is not clearly defined in the Constitution. Our ideas about privacy depend primarily on whose privacy we are talking about. Most people expect a right to a certain level of privacy [1], yet these same people are equally adamant about openness and accountibility of others--corporations and governments, for instance. David Brin, in his book, The Transparent Society, addresses this issue thoughtfully. Brin's thesis, in a nutshell, is that by shining light on ALL activities--e.g., by installing video cameras inside police stations to complement those on our highways--we can achieve a mutual, pervasive openness that will bring a greater level of safety and freedom to all.

This idea of transparency was first introduced to me in Neale Donald Walsch's book, Conversations with God: Book 2. God suggests to Walsch that a key feature of advanced civilizations is their level of transparency. In a transparent society, there are no secrets. Operating at this level of integrity expands the creative power of the individual and the collective--and in fact, blurs the line between the two. This level of exposure and intimacy is frightening to most everyone at first blush. I feel that the issues it raises are those that most need healing if we are to evolve to the next level of trust, openness and cooperation that will build a new millennium of peace.