UPDATE #5 New Greenwald post at The Guardian. He says he has no time and little interest in responding to all of the recent comments and threats and instead is promising more revelations. Hails whistleblowers as true heroes. Concludes: "I'm going to go ahead and take the Constitution at its word that we're guaranteed the right of a free press. So, obviously, are other people doing so. And that means that it isn't the people who are being threatened who deserve and will get the investigations, but those issuing the threats who will get that. That's why there's a free press. That's what adversarial journalism means." {Note: My just-updated Bradley Manning book (w/ Kevin Gosztola) features Greenwald in key supporting role.)
UPDATE #4 The great Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism hits NYT profile of Greenwald (see below). "So where do we start with this? First, Greenwald is introduced as a blogger, not a lawyer, and most important, a recognized expert on constitutional law and author of four books, including New York Times best sellers. Second, the depiction of him as intense and obsessive (warning! possibly dangerous!) puts his personality rather than his information and analysis in the spotlight."
On Twitter, NYT public ed Margaret Sullivan calls "blogger" headline for paper's profile of Glenn Greenwald rather "dismissive."
UPDATE #3 (see others at bottom): NYT profiles Greenwald, the "blogger" tonight. Note Andrew Sullivan quote: “I think he has little grip on what it actually means to govern a country or run a war. He’s a purist in a way that, in my view, constrains the sophistication of his work.” Of course, Sully, we know, has run a country and governed a war.
Earlier: Greenwald, a semi-friend for several years now, was already no doubt getting probed by U.S. for his part in the big NSA/phone leak yesterday. Now he's back, just a day later, with the big PRISM internet spying scoop (along with Wash Post writers). So: doubly in trouble now with the state (ironically in same week as start of trial of Bradley Manning, who Glenn has strongly backed).
Roger Simon of Politico jokes in a tweet: "Glenn Greenwald is an American working for British publication & living mainly in South America. So how many drones circling him now?" But here's Glenn's own tweet: "I wish English language were broader so I could express my simultaneous contempt & mockery for the investigation threats emanating from DC." He'll be on Piers Morgan show tonight. Another tweet from him tonight: "The dam has broke - let the water and sunshine flow."
UPDATE #1 On Piers Morgan just now, Greenwald said he was taking courage from leakers who risked so much to get story out. Promised more of his own investigations even as others promise to probe him. Says time long overdue for debate over this now that out in sunshine. End the false claims of just saving us from "terrorism." He'll be with Lawrence O'Donnell at 10 pm.
Bart Gellman of Wash Post now on. Mentions of the irony of all the "jokes" about Google as world's greatest intelligence agency, ha ha. Asked about Google etc. denying they are working with government, Gellman says not shocked they are denying--maybe they are basing it on a "technical" clause but he has talked to someone who has taken part. Then Piers brings on Sen. Bernie Sanders who reminds us he voted against the Patriot Act.
UPDATE #2 Now Piers welcomes famed attorney Alan Dershowitz, who says he's concerned about revelations but then spends nearly all his time blasting (almost while sputtering) Glenn Greenwald, accusing him of being attached to "radical ideology" who has exaggerated things for a long time in many cases. Claims Obama not out to probe journalists and politicos and harmless individuals but admits 'we don't know what we don't know."
2 comments:
So . . . in the Bush years, we were upset at the lack of judicial oversight and the use of illegal wiretaps. In the Obama administration there is both legality and judicial oversight of these spying activities. I don't really get why we're mad at the Obama administration for using the authority that was granted to him. I think it is justified to be concerned about the laws that allow these, but why is it surprising that the administration would use the authority granted to him by Congress?
Furthermore, these leaks are not "whistleblowing." Whistle blowing is what you call releasing information about illegal or corrupt activities. This NSA spying business is neither of those. This is just plainly leaking classified information which is illegal. Greenwald and other reporters should indeed be investigated to find the source of the leaks.
Julian Assange already outed Facebook, Google - last Nov 2012 (!) in his book "Cypherpunks" http://www.orbooks.com/catalog/cypherpunks/#PRISM "...Do Facebook and Google constitute “the greatest surveillance machine that ever existed,” perpetually tracking our location, our contacts and our lives? Far from being victims of that surveillance, are most of us willing collaborators?..."
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