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National security experts say they can't remember a time when the Justice Department has pursued so many criminal cases based on leaks of government secrets. Steve Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists has been following five separate prosecutions, part of what he calls a tremendous surge by the Obama administration.
This is the real purpose of the Government's devotion to the secrecy regime: it prevents any meaningful accountability on the part of those in power. Preventing the public from knowing what they're doing (and what their "private partners" are doing) ensures no backlash ensues and there is no accountability possible. That, manifestly, is the Obama administration's overarching goal in adopting the Bush/Cheney version of the "state secrets" privilege and thus shielding even presidential crimes from judicial review: by keeping everyone, including courts, in the dark about what they do, they shield themselves (the public/private consortium that runs the National Security and Surveillance States) from the rule of law. And by keeping the public in the dark about what they do, they maintain exclusive control over information and thus shield and enable their own propaganda. Whistleblowers in general -- and WikiLeaks and Assange in particular -- are one of the very, very few genuine threats to that scheme. And that -- and that alone -- is why they are being targeted with such fervor and force. And it's why those who believe in greater transparency and in subverting that secrecy regime should do everything possible to defend whistleblowers from this assault.
Originally posted by aptness
Any chance of real accountability during Obama’s presidency died on day one, when he said he wouldn’t look into possible abuses from the previous administration, particularly in relation to torture. “Let’s look forward,” he said.
I’m not really surprised he is going after whistleblowers because it’s obvious Obama has decided to appear strong on ‘defense’ and “national security” — increasing troops in Afghanistan, exponentially increasing the number of drone attacks, and so on — and if he didn’t have this posture, especially after the wikileaks incidents, the right would attack him on not doing everything to “protect national security.”
Obama, like any other President in recent memory, will stand on principle if it’s politically expedient.
Originally posted by Unity_99
Whats behind him? The International Bankers, Nat Rothschild in particular, and the House of Windsor. In short, he's not a free man. He follows orders. With German buyout of the New York Stock exchange a company that is Nat Rothchild's, deeply connected, Nat is more the president of the US than Obama.
www.oregonlive.com...
www.guardian.co.uk...
destination-yisrael.biblesearchers.com... /
edit on 14-5-2011 by Unity_99 because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by neo96
i personally would like to see assange and manning do life in leavenworth
simple fact without national security there is no nation.
as to obama theres clearly a motive behind this and everything he does.
the funny part to this is those two and others were and still some what heralded as heroes.
but not so fast their usefulness has come to an end.
it was all politics before and its all politics now the fact that they are going after them now is an indication that there is something massive they are hiding.
hence the war on them and others like them.
sorry they opened this door and now they have to live with the consequences.
edit on 14-5-2011 by neo96 because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by neo96
reply to post by UcDat
no man i am not ok with the gestapo clowns aka the tsa or the patriot act or any other fascist tool that is currently being used.
everything has been ramped up and will continue to be ramped up.
now i am a bit confused what does that have to do with the doj going after whislte blowers?
Originally posted by TheImmaculateD1
Yet again some idiot is using yet another lame excuse to try and blame Obama for everything and anything wrong with this nation and humanity. My, my, how far from the tree have we fallen?
This is not a push by either The White House, Office Of POTUS, The US Federal Government but a push by TPTB to entre the US into a DICTATORIAL NATION DEVOID OF ALL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS THAT THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO PUSH THROUGH SINCE BEFORE WWII! The reason for it is simple and is to prevent the people from speaking out against the actions of TPTB.
edit on 14-5-2011 by TheImmaculateD1 because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by UcDat
Originally posted by TheImmaculateD1
Yet again some idiot is using yet another lame excuse to try and blame Obama for everything and anything wrong with this nation and humanity. My, my, how far from the tree have we fallen?
This is not a push by either The White House, Office Of POTUS, The US Federal Government but a push by TPTB to entre the US into a DICTATORIAL NATION DEVOID OF ALL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS THAT THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO PUSH THROUGH SINCE BEFORE WWII! The reason for it is simple and is to prevent the people from speaking out against the actions of TPTB.
edit on 14-5-2011 by TheImmaculateD1 because: (no reason given)
Ya not like nObama is doing anything but helping them along IMO but hey watch him veto the UN when its time to vote on a Palestinian state. Maybe ask his goldman sachs buddies or listen to the lies the white house is spitting out at record levels. Poor poor obama lol TSA'ing patriot act warmongering puppet for TPTB is what he is.