--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The United States is not nearly so…" description: "\"The United States is not nearly so concerned that its acts be kept secret from its intended victims as it is that the American people not know of them...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/ramsey-clark-20396_american-people_the-united-states-is-not-nearly-so-conce_531586.png" --- # The United States is not nearly so concerned that its acts… ![“The United States is not nearly so concerned that its acts be kept secret from its intended victims as it is that the American people not know of them.” quote by Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/ramsey-clark-20396_american-people_the-united-states-is-not-nearly-so-conce_531586.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/ramsey-clark-20396_american-people_the-united-states-is-not-nearly-so-conce_531586.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/ramsey-clark-20396_american-people_the-united-states-is-not-nearly-so-conce_531586.png) > “The United States is not nearly so concerned that its acts be kept secret from its intended victims as it is that the American people not know of them.” [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes that secrecy from victims is less concerning than the public being unaware of government actions. **In simple terms:** Government secrecy harms public trust more than hiding from victims. Key Takeaway Demand transparency from officials. Themes government trust transparency Mood concerned critical Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy debates - media reporting - civil activism Key Concepts public accountability democratic oversight Questions to Reflect On - How does secrecy affect democratic legitimacy? - What mechanisms ensure public awareness? A Different Perspective Transparency may be limited by national security concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim/) ## Related quotes > [I agree that there are things that should be kept secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/i-agree-that-there-are-things-that-should-be-kept-secret/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [I'd learned that some things are best kept secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-d-learned-that-some-things-are-best-kept-secret/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [The first best-kept secret of total success is that we must feel love inside ourselves before we can give it to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/the-first-best-kept-secret-of-total-success-is-that-we-must-feel-love/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [The best kept secret in the investing world: Almost nothing turns out as expected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/the-best-kept-secret-in-the-investing-world-almost-nothing-turns-out/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [The best kept secret in America today is that people would rather work hard for something they believe in than live a life of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/the-best-kept-secret-in-america-today-is-that-people-would-rather/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [It is in the public interest to know what our governors are up to. If they are up to doing good, then they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-reid/it-is-in-the-public-interest-to-know-what-our-governors-are-up-to-if/) [Jimmy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-reid/) > [All registers which, it is acknowledged, ought to be kept secret, ought certainly never to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/all-registers-which-it-is-acknowledged-ought-to-be-kept-secret-ought/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [The whole idea that what is not normal should be kept secret - that's really distasteful to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-farmer/the-whole-idea-that-what-is-not-normal-should-be-kept-secret-that-s/) [Dan Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-farmer/) > [Despite what The Wall Street Journal says, our awards are the best-kept secret in America, with the possible exception of what George W. Bush…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-crystal/despite-what-the-wall-street-journal-says-our-awards-are-the-best/) [Billy Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-crystal/) > [Northern Ireland is the world’s best kept secret, both in the character of its people and its scenery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/northern-ireland-is-the-world-s-best-kept-secret-both-in-the/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [There have always been huge musicians and poets in Uruguay, but Uruguay is a well-kept secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sater/there-have-always-been-huge-musicians-and-poets-in-uruguay-but/) Steven Sater > [Most of what is done I think is to kept secret so the public won't know. The same is true of what Wikileaks exposed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/most-of-what-is-done-i-think-is-to-kept-secret-so-the-public-won-t/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Your giving is sacred and therefore should be kept secret. It is wise to give quietly with no strings attached.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ponder/your-giving-is-sacred-and-therefore-should-be-kept-secret-it-is-wise/) [Catherine Ponder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ponder/) > [The term blowback, which officials of the Central Intelligent Agency first invented for their own internal use, . . . refers to the unintended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/the-term-blowback-which-officials-of-the-central-intelligent-agency/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [The American people know that we cannot spend our way to prosperity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-davis/the-american-people-know-that-we-cannot-spend-our-way-to-prosperity/) [Geoff Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-davis/) ## More by Ramsey Clark > [Most faults are not in our Constitution, but in ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/most-faults-are-not-in-our-constitution-but-in-ourselves/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [ How dare Americans allow their government to cause such misery \[in the world\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/how-dare-americans-allow-their-government-to-cause-such-misery-in-the/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [Turbulence is life force. It is opportunity. Let's love turbulence and use it for change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/turbulence-is-life-force-it-is-opportunity-let-s-love-turbulence-and/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [We're not a democracy. It's a terrible misunderstandin g and a slander to the idea of democracy to call us that. In reality, we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/we-re-not-a-democracy-it-s-a-terrible-misunderstandin-g-and-a-slander/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [A great many people in this country are worried about law-and-order. And a great many people are worried about justice. But one thing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/a-great-many-people-in-this-country-are-worried-about-law-and-order/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [Islam is the only religion that gives dignity to the poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/islam-is-the-only-religion-that-gives-dignity-to-the-poor/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [Democracy is just a word. You have to give it meaning. The US is not a democracy. Most Americans do not vote. We haven't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/democracy-is-just-a-word-you-have-to-give-it-meaning-the-us-is-not-a/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [The Christian Church overwhelmingly - there are exceptions - who choose to call Muhammad a terrorist. They could call Jesus a terrorist too. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/the-christian-church-overwhelmingly-there-are-exceptions-who-choose/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [Both trials are marred with injustice, both are flawed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/both-trials-are-marred-with-injustice-both-are-flawed/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [Our history shows that the death penalty has been unjustly imposed, innocents have been killed by the state, effective rehabilitation has been impaired, judicial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/our-history-shows-that-the-death-penalty-has-been-unjustly-imposed/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [Our first concern is the security of the lawyers because without security you can't possibly have a fair trial, if trial at all, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/our-first-concern-is-the-security-of-the-lawyers-because-without/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [There are few better measures of the concern a society has for its individual members and its own well being than the way it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/there-are-few-better-measures-of-the-concern-a-society-has-for-its/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [Our emotions may cry for vengeance in the wake of a horrible crime, but we know that killing the criminal will not undo the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/our-emotions-may-cry-for-vengeance-in-the-wake-of-a-horrible-crime/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [This country of ours has committed the most serious act of aggression in its history by engaging in a war of aggression without a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/this-country-of-ours-has-committed-the-most-serious-act-of-aggression/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [It has never happened in history that a nation that has won a war has been held accountable for atrocities committed in preparing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/it-has-never-happened-in-history-that-a-nation-that-has-won-a-war-has/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) [Explore all 31 Ramsey Clark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) ## More American people quotes > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-as-much-as-government-can-do-and-must-do-it-is-ultimately-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Given a choice between two bald political candidates, the American people will vote for the less bald of the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-gold/given-a-choice-between-two-bald-political-candidates-the-american/) Victor Gold > [When the American people saw the LA riots and crowds of Blacks cheering O.J. Simpson (who was acquitted by the almost all Black jury),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duke/when-the-american-people-saw-the-la-riots-and-crowds-of-blacks/) [David Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duke/) > [In any event, it is one thing to assert, then or now, that the Iraq war was ill-advised. It is quite another to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-silberman/in-any-event-it-is-one-thing-to-assert-then-or-now-that-the-iraq-war/) [Laurence Silberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-silberman/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [I don't know a politician who enjoys fundraising. The system is such that the American people have lost faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-don-t-know-a-politician-who-enjoys-fundraising-the-system-is-such/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Probably the greatest single obstacle to the progress and happiness of the American people lies in the willingness of so many men to invest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/probably-the-greatest-single-obstacle-to-the-progress-and-happiness/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [If a financial institution has business operations in the United States, hires people in the United States, if they are clogged with illiquid assets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/if-a-financial-institution-has-business-operations-in-the-united/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/) [Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/) > [The coronavirus has yet again exposed the strong contrast between President Trump - who is working ardently for the American people - and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/the-coronavirus-has-yet-again-exposed-the-strong-contrast-between/) [Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/) > [The American people demand results, not rhetoric, especially when it comes to national security issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-hayworth/the-american-people-demand-results-not-rhetoric-especially-when-it/) [J. D. Hayworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-hayworth/) > [Hillary Clinton truly is sincere, but she has to connect more with the American people in terms of what she believes in and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/hillary-clinton-truly-is-sincere-but-she-has-to-connect-more-with-the/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [The American people are incredibly generous and even playful when you open yourself up and feed the media beast until it goes away satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/the-american-people-are-incredibly-generous-and-even-playful-when-you/) [Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/) [Browse all 2,233 American people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The United States is not nearly so concerned that its acts be kept secret from its intended victims as it is that the American people not know of them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ramsey Clark" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/the-united-states-is-not-nearly-so-concerned-that-its-acts-be-kept/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/the-united-states-is-not-nearly-so-concerned-that-its-acts-be-kept/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/ramsey-clark-20396_american-people_the-united-states-is-not-nearly-so-conce_531586.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/ramsey-clark-20396_american-people_the-united-states-is-not-nearly-so-conce_531586.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/ramsey-clark-20396_american-people_the-united-states-is-not-nearly-so-conce_531586.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The United States is not nearly so concerned that its acts be kept secret from its intended victims as it is…” — Ramsey Clark", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ramsey Clark", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The United States is not nearly...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/the-united-states-is-not-nearly-so-concerned-that-its-acts-be-kept/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/the-united-states-is-not-nearly-so-concerned-that-its-acts-be-kept/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```