Government control Quote by Walter B. Wriston
““Information has always been power, now it is also wealth. Nonmaterial and, with the aid of modern technology, extremely mobile, information can escape government control far more easily than other forms of capital. Draconian or even merely bureaucratic systems for controlling the flow or use of information tend to destroy or waste it. Economically useful information is usually original, innovative, or at least timely, nuanced, precise, complex, and challenging. Bureaucracies and governments live for delay, blunt originality, oppose innovation, abhor nuance. Governments are good at governing matter but everywhere misrule mind, especially the best and most productive minds, minds that are frustrated and demoralized by the pretensions of the merely powerful.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on Information Economy, 1990s
Information is both power and wealth, but its mobility makes it hard for governments to control, while bureaucratic systems waste it.
In simple terms: Information is powerful, mobile, and often suppressed by bureaucracy.
Key Takeaway
Protect and share valuable information.
Themes
power
wealth
information
government
bureaucracy
Mood
critical
concerned
Type
analytical
political
When to use this quote
- policy making
- tech development
- journalism
- activism
- academic research
Key Concepts
digital economy
control
innovation
delay
nuance
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies balance openness with security?
- What safeguards prevent misuse of information?
A Different Perspective
Bureaucracies may also preserve essential data for security.
