From The Many, Not the Few, by Richard North, a re-telling of the history of the Battle of Britain recommended to me by Amazon reviewer Andrew S. Rogers:

“As to the consequences of its inadequate and lethal policies, the State used its powers of censorship and its propaganda resources to conceal them. That highlights another lesson, that censorship and government power over the flow of information are invariably used to protect the government from the consequences of its own actions, rather than for the purpose intended.

“Without taking this too far, we could therefore aver that important lessons which emerge from a wider overview are that, if you rely completely and uncritically on government, its neglect may kill you. Having done so, it will seek to obscure its actions and its responsibility for them. From this, we could further state that, even in times of extreme peril–or, perhaps, especially so–salvation does not lie entirely in government. In such instances, it is necessary to take the initiative and make government conform to the wishes and needs of the people, rather than the other way around. Government is a poor master. But it can be an adequate servant, if forced to be so.”