The War on Americans right to know “It’s already starting to happen, that’s what we have to stop.” William Binney Binney, a former senior NSA official has no problem with spying on foreign targets like Brazil’s president or the German chancellor, Angela Merkel. “That’s pretty much what every government does,” he said. “It’s the foundation of diplomacy.” But the agency is a threat of “turnkey totalitarianism” — the capability to turn its awesome power, now directed mainly against other countries, on the American public. The NSA - National Security Agency, has turned the nation’s Internet & telecommunications companies into collection partners, installing filters in their facilities, serving them with court orders, building back doors into their software & acquiring keys to break their encryption. Bradley Manning’s harsh 35 year sentence under the Espionage Act was meant to intimidate those who might reveal Government conduct. Despite promises to strengthen protections for whistle-blowers, President Obama has launched an aggressive crackdown on them. New internal efforts to stop leakers have even National Park Service employees fearful of talking to journalists. With charges filed against NSA leaker Edward Snowden this June, the Obama administration has brought a total of seven cases under the Espionage Act. The routine use of email, text, instant-messaging services, & cell phones, along with the proliferation of surveillance cameras & turnstiles that track people in federal buildings, has made it far easier than in decades past for investigators to gather electronic communication records & other evidence that can be used to build criminal cases against leakers. The administration has also targeted journalists. In May, it was revealed that the Department of Justice had secretly seized AP reporters’ phone records while investigating a potential CIA leak, & targeted a Fox News reporter as part of a criminal leak case. No journalist has been charged with a crime yet. Obama’s hard line on leaks has already had a chilling effect on journalists sources. ProPublica America’s actions are legal. We were attacked on 9/11. Within a week, Congress overwhelmingly authorized the use of force. Under domestic & international law, the US Government is at war with al Qaeda, the Taliban, & their associated forces. We are at war with an organization that right now would kill as many Americans as they could if we did not stop them first. So this is a just war — a war waged proportionally, in last resort, & in self-defense. President Barack Obama. British authorities claimed the domestic partner of reporter Glenn Greenwald was involved in terrorism when he tried to carry documents from former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden through a London airport in August, according to police & intelligence documents. Reuters The Espionage Act of 1917 made it a crime to convey information with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the armed forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies. On June 16, 1918, Eugene V. Debs, a leader of the Socialist Party of America, gave a speech in Canton, Ohio protesting involvement in World War I. During the speech, he praised individuals who had refused to serve in the military & obstructed military recruiting. Debs was charged with violating the Espionage Act. At trial, Debs argued the Espionage Act violated his right to free speech. A federal district court sentenced Debs to ten years in prison. The War on Terror has been used to justify wars, torture, kidnappings, assassinations, mass surveillance, secret indefinite detention of Americans, & trillions of dollars in new spending. Our liberty, privacy, money, Constitution, & our right to know about the crimes our Government has committed are under attack by the Courts, Congress, & our President. Principles NOT Parties
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 09:48:14 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015