“U.S. prosecutors didn't get what they wanted in their vindictive Espionage Act prosecution against Daniel Hale. They wanted 9 years in prison, especially since he succeeded in convincing many he is a conscientious soul. But 45 months is still 45 months too many.” -- Kevin Gosztola, “Shadowproof”
The post The Making of Two Political Prisoners: Daniel Hale and Craig Murray appeared first on MintPress News.
This past June 13th, The New York Times celebrated the 50th anniversary of its publishing the Pentagon Papers. In a special section, “Uncovering the Secret History of the Vietnam War,” it told how a team of 50 reporters, researchers and editors worked on the story for nearly four months, holed up in a “whole group […]
We live in a time and within a culture where the best amongst us are thrown in jail, demonized or destroyed, while the worst are celebrated, promoted and enriched. Nothing more clearly crystalizes this sad state of affairs than the U.S. government’s ruthless war on whistleblowers who expose severe constitutional violations by those in power. This war knows no political affiliation, and has been waged with equal vigor by the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack H. Obama.
What is it about whistleblowers that the powers that be can’t stand?
When I blew the whistle on the CIA’s illegal torture program, I was derided in many quarters as a traitor. My detractors in the government attacked me for violating my secrecy agreement, even as they ignored the oath we’d all taken to protect and defend the Constitution.
