Anonymous Corollary...

[Peter Wayner <pcw@access.digex.com>]

The debate about the advantages of anonymity reminds me of
the debate over Hillary's Health Care Committee which is
a nameless group of individuals who have all signed a secrecy
pledge. Many are not part of the government and can't be held
accountable or even fired. The Wall Street Journal was able
to get the list of the people involved and published it along
with a reminiscence of the good old days when studying who
was in power in the Kremlin involved watching the cars to 
see who was coming and going and meeting in the baths at
the same time. There never was any dependable list of who
was in power at the Kremlin back then. 

Now, in response to the WSJ's coup de fax, the Clintonians
say that they'll release the list as soon as it has been
prepared. 

The point: the government has a relentless desire to document
and assign accountability for everything. It's bred in their
bones. Even the President can avoid it. 

-Peter