B-2 Bomber Test Results
While the stealthiness of the B-2 bomber continues to drop, the stealthiness of the Pentagon continues to rise. I can still remember when we were assured that the cost per plane would not exceed $500 million. How credible, then, can the current figure--$860 million per copy--be? By a felicitous coincidence the Sept. 14 Times contained an editorial (“It’s Your Right to Know”) speaking out against “manipulative Pentagon press policy in the Gulf.” It was a timely and well-taken reminder that the Pentagon, “like any arm of government,” strives for favorable public opinion even if that means distorting or even concealing information that we the people should have.
We should never forget that at its bottom line, democracy guarantees one thing only: that its citizens get what they deserve. Citizens who are uniformed or misinformed have little chance of “deserving” as much as they should.
HAROLD WILLENS
Senior Adviser, Center for Defense
Los Angeles
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