--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the problems we have as a…" description: "\"One of the problems we have as a government is our inability to keep secrets. And it costs us, in terms of our relationship with other governments, in ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/dick-cheney-1810_cost_one-of-the-problems-we-have-as-a-governm_1988785.jpg" --- # One of the problems we have as a government is our… ![“One of the problems we have as a government is our inability to keep secrets. And it costs us, in terms of our relationship with other governments, in terms of the willingness of other intelligence services to work with us, in terms of revealing sources and methods. And all of those elements enter…” quote by Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/dick-cheney-1810_cost_one-of-the-problems-we-have-as-a-governm_1988785.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/dick-cheney-1810_cost_one-of-the-problems-we-have-as-a-governm_1988785.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/dick-cheney-1810_cost_one-of-the-problems-we-have-as-a-governm_1988785.jpg) > “One of the problems we have as a government is our inability to keep secrets. And it costs us, in terms of our relationship with other governments, in terms of the willingness of other intelligence services to work with us, in terms of revealing sources and methods. And all of those elements enter into some of these leaks.” [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government secrecy failures erode trust and cooperation with allies, leading to leaks and compromised intelligence operations. **In simple terms:** Keeping secrets is essential for diplomatic trust. Key Takeaway Protect classified information diligently. Themes trust secrecy government intelligence leaks Mood cautious serious Type political advisory When to use this quote - Foreign negotiations - intelligence sharing - policy formulation - crisis response Key Concepts National security diplomacy information management Questions to Reflect On - How can governments improve secrecy without sacrificing accountability? - What safeguards prevent leaks while maintaining openness? A Different Perspective Balancing transparency with secrecy is challenging in democratic societies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Inability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-inability-3436203/) [Inability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inability/) [Intelligence services](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence-services/) [Intelligent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligent/) [Leaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaks/) [Method](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/method/) [Our relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-relationship/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problems Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems-government-642380/) [Relationships with others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships-with-others/) [Revealing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revealing/) [Revealing Sources](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revealing-sources-3436201/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrets/) [Secrets Costs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrets-costs-3436202/) [Source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/source/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [It is very difficult to reconcile the American ideal of a sovereign people capable of owning and managing their own government with an inability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/it-is-very-difficult-to-reconcile-the-american-ideal-of-a-sovereign/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [We haven't really had the time yet to pore through all those records in Baghdad. 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Free markets work best when the transaction between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/free-markets-is-a-very-general-term-there-are-all-sorts-of-problems/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [My experiences building Palantir and running Addepar made me aware of serious problems with government and inspired me to build a non-profit to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lonsdale/my-experiences-building-palantir-and-running-addepar-made-me-aware-of/) [Joe Lonsdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lonsdale/) ## More by Dick Cheney > [A little tough talk in the midst of a campaign or as part of a presidential debate cannot obscure a record of 30 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/a-little-tough-talk-in-the-midst-of-a-campaign-or-as-part-of-a/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [Senator Kerry says he sees two Americas. 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They're loading on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-think-we-need-to-significantly-reduce-the-regulatory-burden-on-the/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [I'm often asked why I left politics and went to Halliburton and I explain that I reached the point where I was mean-spirited, short-tempered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-m-often-asked-why-i-left-politics-and-went-to-halliburton-and-i/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [I do find that the mainstream media oftentimes is what I would consider off base or has a bias.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-do-find-that-the-mainstream-media-oftentimes-is-what-i-would/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [I'm one of those people who believes that part of the greatness of the United States is our private sector. 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