Pass the PRESS Act
The PRESS Act is the most important press freedom bill in modern history.
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Stop Arresting Journalists
Too often, police arrest journalists for doing their jobs. These arrests and prosecutions chill important reporting.
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Reform Government Secrecy
The U.S. classifies far too many secrets, obstructing democracy.
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Author Barry Eisler talks about whistleblowers and secrecy at the Association of Former Intelligence Officers
Author and former CIA officer Barry Eisler spoke at the Association of Former Intelligence Officers opposite ex-CIA and NSA director Michael Hayden on Monday. Below is an adaptation of his opening remarks about the importance of whistleblowers and government transparency. Eisler's new novel, "God's Eye View," inspired by the Snowden …
This is what happens when officials don't get prosecuted for illegally torturing people
Well, I guess this is a thing now…people running for president musing about whether they might reintroduce the torture techniques Obama “prohibited” when he took office. The latest is Jeb Bush; three years ago, it was candidate Romney. The fact that torture is framed by these candidates as …
Snowden DoublePlusUngood: Continuing shades of Orwell in the NSA saga
It was great to read this Edward Snowden New York Times op-ed—great because the piece is as thoughtful and informative as you’d expect, and even better because it’s an example of Snowden’s continuing ability to raise awareness of the dangers of an unchecked surveillance state. In fact, Snowden has …
Why everyone should care about journalist Barrett Brown's sentencing today
Journalist Barrett Brown is expected to be sentenced by a judge today in a highly controversial case brought by the Justice Department. The below excerpt is an adapted and updated version of the foreword to Barrett's most recent book, written by author Barry Eisler. If you don’t believe …
Why the court decision to release the Guantanamo force-feeding videos is so important
Okay, this is huge: a federal judge has ordered the government to release videos of Guantanamo force-feedings. Expect the footage to be sickening to watch.Why is this so important? Because, as the saying goes, if the slaughterhouses of the world were made of glass, we'd all be vegetarians. …
On Torture: The New York Times Gets the Right Result for the Wrong Reasons
I’ve been trying to feel good about the New York Times’ decade-late decision to call torture torture—that is, to “deploy the English language to describe things,” as the Washington Post’s Erik Wemple memorably put it. Obviously, late is better than never, and I don’t see how a reasonable person …
Don't Cheer Obama's 'Ban' on Torture
I have a question for all the well-meaning people who praise President Obama for “banning” torture: Would you also find it helpful for the president to ban kidnapping? Child abuse? Mail fraud? Maybe you would. After all, no one likes kidnapping, child abuse, or mail fraud. Maybe it would be …
Prioritizing Personalities Over a Free Press
One of the most fascinating aspects of Glenn Greenwald’s journalism is the way it provokes various people who think of themselves as journalists to reveal their actual priorities. I wrote about this at length last week in a response to Michael Kinsley’s non-review review of Greenwald’s new book, No Place …
'Journalist' Argues In NY Times That Publishing Decisions Should Ultimately Be Made By Government
Glenn Greenwald spends the last third of his excellent new book, No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the US Surveillance State, exposing the mentality and function of pseudo-journalists like David Gregory, who are in fact better understood as courtiers to power. So it was kind of …
Motive, Means, and Opportunity: Why NSA Secrecy Should Worry Us All
Even if you haven’t studied criminal law, you’ll immediately understand the concept of motive, means, and opportunity. Motive is you wanted to kill the victim. Means is you were holding a loaded gun. Opportunity is the victim was standing right in front of you. Without all three, you can’t have …
