Trust

I found myself this week looking around the internet for web sites with information about a contentious topic. In particular, I wanted to separate the sites where I could rely on the information from those with their own agenda, often not explicit, which would bias the viewpoints expressed there. This is, of course, a difficult issue. Anyone can publish nearly anything, on the internet, with ease, or elsewhere with a bit more cost and trouble. Whom do we trust, why do we trust them, and how do we decide among the alternatives.

My first criteria were fairly simple. Sites obviously published by those supporting the cause in question were eliminated. I scanned some of them, read some of the material, and reached some conclusions about credibility. Beyond that, however, I discarded their viewpoints, assuming them to be biased in favor of the cause I was investigating, perhaps even blind to faults. I also found sites with an obvious axe to grind. I read some of this material to see what they had to say, but generally discarded their views as also biased. That left startlingly few web sites to review. I began looking at local agencies or organizations where assistance might be available. Again, there were few.

I finally settled on the state troopers after looking into assorted crisis lines, NGOs, and other groups here. Since the issue did not involve an apparent crime -- perhaps any crime -- the trooper could provide limited help. His one most interesting recommendation was to call the local police in the relevant big city (out in the 48), suggesting that they deal with far more oddities than either local or state agencies in Alaska. That seemed pretty sensible to me.

All this led me to a broader consideration. Just where does one go for independent, unbiased, reliable assistance in a situation of concern which is not a crisis? Whom can we trust?

Once upon a time, I believed that I could turn to defenders of the law: FBI, local and state police, leaders in industry and government, newspapers or other news organizations, educational institutions, and other information providers. After living through Enron and other scandals in industry including the collapse of auditing firms, assorted scandals in government including obvious fabrications in our national administration and congress, fabricated stories in major news media like the New York Times, CBS and ABC news, corruption and abuse in police agencies, and a few arrests in local educational institutions, I've come up against a real wall. I simply don't know whom to trust.

It has also dawned on me that this may be the essence of the American resistance to legislation like the patriot act. I really don't have a problem with a federal agency, even a secret court, investigating me, since I don't think there is anything to investigate, provided I can trust that the investigation is confidential and legitimate. I also believe that federal, state, and local data bases should be linked and extended across law enforcement. It's sensible to make the best use of our communications resources. But I once managed a law enforcement information system. I caught a trusted programmer, one who maintained a judicial information system, dinking with data for himself, friends, and those who paid him. Do I trust these systems? Well, no. I was there. I saw that we could not rely on our existing methods of vetting and trusting people to do "the right thing", meaning to be trustworthy and reliable.

So, to me, trust of those in positions of responsibility is in doubt. I am simply afraid that people cannot be trusted with important data. Were it used for the stated causes -- catching and prosecuting criminals -- I wouldn't object. But to put it in the hands of people who will misuse it for their own benefit or, for whatever reason, to my detriment, whether by intent or simply through ineptness, just leaves me with a chill in my spine.

I believe that we as a nation need to pay attention to the issues of trust and reliability, both in those we put in charge and in those who do the grunt work down in the guts of our support systems. This may be far more important than those grand plans of the guy who is so enamored of the title Commander-in-Chief. We ought to be able to trust SOMEONE out there. I just have to wonder who.

[Republished from my former blog site.]