All I'm saying is you are giving way to much credit to a government or organization that can barely sustain itself (if even that!), let alone keep these amazing secrets of these fantastical events and extraordinary technologies.
This is a government that can't keep a secret (Bill Clinton/Monica debacle)
Can't fabricate a lie (couldn't fabricate WMDs to justify a war)
Can't even assemble aid to its constituents (Katrina Relief)
Can't even stay solvent (trade deficit, budget, Social Security)
Can't reliably even get into space or back without blowing up (Challenger, Columbia)
Look face it, the US government has a hard enough time being a semi functioning government, let alone be this well oiled machine of supreme secrecy people think it is. I've lived in DC, I've worked in government. Do you know what the government is? Here's a hint it's not full of evil masterminds, scheming up some amazing conspiracies or ways to hide things to the public. It's full of sleepy, average-intelligence drones, pulling in between 45-85K a year, who grind through every day filling out TPS reports and very inefficiently working through bureaucratic red tape (no offense to those that work for the government). Oh and nobody can keep a secret. Heck, two people can even hook up at an office Christmas party without it spreading like wildfire, let alone hide the evidence of aliens.
Vegas is another classic example. When people think of inside Casino security what do they think of? They think of huge vaults with laser beams. They think of eagle eyed floor managers and pit bosses who scan the floor like robots. They think of security cameras everywhere and back rooms where hands are broken with hammers. They think of an inner labyrinth of hallways and super secure entryways and retina scanners. You know, Oceans 11 stuff. It looks great on camera and makes it look like some magical place. However, I've been all over, in and about Vegas casinos. I've been there when they are being built and I've seen all the plans. There are no secret hidden rooms. There are not gigantic vaults with laser beams and guards that look like SWAT team members. The pit bosses and floor managers, are just average people, who can get bored, be drowsy at work because they stayed up too late the previous night drinking or just lazy. They do their job, but they aren't super hawk eyed detectives who are constantly analyzing every player that walks by and can instantly tell you what their favorite alcoholic beverage is because of how they are betting. Do you know how easy it is to get into the inner side of a casino? It's as easy as opening the right door. It's amazing how just putting a sign that says "employees only" is as effective a 2 lb padlock. People think, oh it's impossible to rob a Vegas casino. It happens ALL THE TIME. It's like any other workplace. There is no magic there. They don't have the time or money to spend on all for all these fantastical movie inspired security features. It's an illusion because they WANT you to think that. They like movies like Oceans 11 because it if you believed it, you would never think about trying to commit a crime in a Vegas casino. Perception is more valuable than reality. The reality is crimes happen all the time on Strip properties that go unsolved all the time even with cameras and security everywhere.
The greatest book is the one where the pages are blank. That's because the reader will imagine something far greater than any words the writer can print. The government, aliens, Vegas, palm readers, secret recipes and special sauce, the Stig, are all effective because they are shrouded in mystery. But when the curtain is pulled back, the sauce is revealed, and the helmet removed, you'll realize there wasn't anything really magical or anything beyond than what it really was.
