Once again the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times have decided the interests of the enemies of the United States are more compelling than the interests of the people of the United States and the elected government which exists to "provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare."
By once again releasing classified information concerning anti-terrorism measures, our American "Fourth Estate" has proven beyond a doubt that its delusions of grandeur and self-importance are greater than its respect for the U.S. Constitution.
By publicly exposing and releasing details of the cooperative efforts of the international community to trace financial transactions between potential terrorist organizations, the NY/LA Times have officially laid claim to being legitimate heirs of the infamous legacy of the "Fifth Column."
I suppose that the promotion from "Fourth" to "Fifth" might be viewed by some as a step up.
I, on the other hand, see it as having more in common to a descent into hell.
As Samuel Johnson once put it, "Hell is paved with good intentions."
Or, as T.S. Eliot put it:
- The last temptation is the greatest treason:
To do the right deed for the wrong reason.
Regardless of their intentions, the publishing of this and other classified information by these papers in defiance of adamant requests from the U.S. Government not to do so has undeniably compromised our national security and placed every one of us at greater risk to terrorism.
These publications have not only hurt the United States but, particularly in today's exposé, many other nations as well; every nation that has cooperated in implementing the access to international financing data has been exposed.
Few in the United States will view this latest "revelation" as helpful and useful to any but those enemies of this country who are the targets of such surveillance.
Never before in my life have I been tempted to seek government suppression of the press. Yet never before in my life have I experienced the American press abusing its freedom of speech with such blatant disregard for national security and the constitutionally established authority of the U.S. Government to "provide for the common defense."
It is incumbent upon the U.S. Attorney General to begin a formal investigation of these matters immediately and in full view of the American and world public.
Not to do so will only encourage the Fourth Estate to morph even more completely into an even more bold and shameless Fifth Column.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - RJ Elliott
I agree 100% with your sentiments, but it will never happen.
If the federal government was to seriously investigate the NYT for "treason" the rest of the MSM would go absolutely nuts. And because most Americans get their (limited) info on the world around them from the MSM, they would then be prejudiced into believing that the federal government was "repealing" the First Amendment, and the rest of the Bill Of Rights. I'm sure disingenuous comparisons to NAZI Germany would be commonplace in newspaper editorials, and the Dems would quickly take the side of "free speech" against an "increasingly secretive and authoritarian" Republican administration.
This is a no-go area for the administration.
So, essentially, the NYT can do whatever it likes to undermine the War On Terror or aid the terrorists who want to kill us, and the federal government can do nothing to stop them. That's the reality we all have to deal with.
2 - Hoggle
You have nothing to fear, but fear itself.
The rightwing agenda is to generate paranoia and fear so as to erode civil liberties and take the 'people' check out of the government system of checks and balances. If you allow your overblown fear of terrorism to blind you to the incremental loss of privacy this covert mass-spying represents, then one day you will wake up in the Holy American Empire with President for life Bush.
3 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
BoP,
You can't make war on an idea. A "war on terror" is as false a paradigm as a "war on Christianity" or a "war on Islam."
I'm sure you realize this. In the last decade or more, your government has taken advantage of your patriotism, good will and honest love of country to lead you down a blind alley of death. My government has done the same.
Most sides in this conflict either do not know what they are doing, or do and are misleading others in their attempt to work evil upon us. I suggest that this is what you see here.
4 - JP
Hoggle, thank you! I am so disgustedly tired of people waving the flag of surrender to fear in this allegedly brave country of ours, it makes me sick.
I don't feel any less safe than I did last Monday morning. I do, however, feel less safe than I did before this whole Iraq debacle began.
5 - gonzo marx
interesting that the Wall Street Jopurnal put this Article out at the same time, but the GOP apologists aren't going after them...
but i digress...
in this type of Investigation, woudl it not be more prudent to begin any investigation trying ot find out where the "leak" of this "secure" information came frmo before blame starts being tossed around...
or, better yet, before anyone starts tossing about words like "traitor"
"uniter, not divider"- W
more bullshit
Excelsior?
6 - mschannon
Hoggle, JP, & Gonzo said it all! Anyone who trusts the Bush administration has serious problems with reality--I'll put my trust in the NY & LA Times any day before the wannabe dictators in D.C.
In Jameson Veritas
7 - Dave Nalle
The rightwing agenda is to generate paranoia and fear so as to erode civil liberties and take the 'people' check out of the government system of checks and balances.
Primo talking point there, Hoggle. Pity it's not supported in any way by the facts. From what I can tell the Bush administration goes out of their way to do everything they can to make the American people feel safe and secure - probably unjustifiably so - and take the credit for those efforts.
Dave
8 - Hoggle
How Bush makes people feel secure:
* Spend lots of taxes on 'Homeland security' when the actual threat level from terrorism is quite modest. (9/11 was an intelligence failure and should have been prevented with the resources already in place.)
* Reduce spending on coastal defence in Louisiana when the threat is both high and recognised.
* Spend trillions invading a foreign nation when the threat of WMDs is minimal (still no evidence).
* Rack up a massive trade deficit with no end in sight, destabilising the world economy.
* Condemn a paper for telling people what the government is really up to.
The War on Terror is nothing more than an excuse for wartime authoritarianism during peacetime - in exactly the same way as the 'red menace' was in the 50s and 60s.
9 - Arch Conservative
How the left keeps us secure:
-does everything in it's power to undermine attempts to prevent further terrorism so they can score political points
- vote to cut military spending every chance they get
-side with illegal aliens versus american citizens
- kiss the un's ass and do nothing to dicatators with weapons who ignore 12 un resolutions
- attempt to convince the american population that we are living ina police state
-Sides with the other party every time an incident regarding our soldiers comes up (haditha and gitmo.)
How's that for you hoggle and JP?
NO one cares what you two dolts are sick of.
I won't even get into the left's domestic politics of victimization and class warfare.
10 - gonzo marx
oh Arch..here we go again...
Arch sez...
*- vote to cut military spending every chance they get*
i call bullshit, with a minority in both HOuse and Senate they Dems can't cut shit, o reven put forward amendments...much less cut the earmarked pork of the GOP in the last 5 years...non-sequitor
and...
*-side with illegal aliens versus american citizens*
some Truth here, but you fail to mention that it is Bush's bill, backed by Frist et al in the Senate that is the problem under Debate here...i'm all for the HOuse bill on Immigration, but that was effectively stopped by Senate GOP types and the WH...all the Facts for a full picture here Arch
and...
*- kiss the un's ass and do nothing to dicatators with weapons who ignore 12 un resolutions*
the same UN that the GOP says is "irellevant" and wants ot wipe out? but when it suits their purposes they will Ignore the UN weapons inspectors byut scream for the resolutions...which is it? hypocritical by very definition to be on both those sides of the Issue...cherry picking at it's finest
and...
*- attempt to convince the american population that we are living ina police state*
well now, if you can lock up a Citizen for over 2 years with NO warrant, or due process merely by claiming he is an "enemy combatant" with NO proof or trial....or how about ignoring warrants, or signing statements...and Argument can be made that a "police state" is EXACTLY what this Administration is working towards consciously...is it True? we don't know....yet
see after November, if either House or Senate go Dem, expect some Investigations, and hopefully...Answers...if nothing else, chacks and balances will be restored
and finally....
*-Sides with the other party every time an incident regarding our soldiers comes up (haditha and gitmo.)*
no prejudging here on my part...i think almost everyone is quite content to wait and see how the system works these out...but after the bullshit semi-cover up of Abu Grahib, along with what has been released about Haditha (11 women and children possibly executed) added to the WH position that torture and extrodianiry rendition are ok by them...you wonder why this Admin is not trusted by a part of the US as well as many others in the World, including many stauch allies?
so again Arch...i ask you to stop for a second, and look at all that i have brought up..and just for a second, think of it with a DEm pres and House and Senate...
then tell me if you wouldn't be screaming fucking murder if they tried even half of this shit...
be honest
Excelsior?
11 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
You know, gentlemen, once you get beyond this left right garbage, and start dealing in facts, you may discover that the fault lines of agreement and disagreement are elsewhere.
Right now, all this "conservative" vs. "liberal" mudslinging only obfuscates (clouds up, for those whose English is not yet up to the National Enquirer level) the issues of whether the release of all this data by the New York Times and Wall Street Journal actually endangers your security or indicates something else at work.
12 - IgnatiusReilly
"Pity it's not supported in any way by the facts."
Which are what exactly? All I hear is cries about the NY Times, yet no mention of finding the leaker of this "important" information. Why? Wouldn't that be a higher priority? Has Peter King or the President talked about that? Please cite.
Now I don't think the administration is using this info for nefarious reasons. What they won't tell you is the resources we have working on the war on terror won't catch people serious about hurting us. They will only trip up the lazy and cocky. Drug dealers know not to use the phone and the banks. Hell, even Limbaugh was drawing money just under the amount that gets reported when he was in the middle of his Oxycontin binges. Yet, the brains that came up with 9/11 aren't smart enough to cover their traces? Please.
If you think somehow the enemy was tipped to our actions by this story, you are either not knowledgeable enough to being discussing it or you are purposely fanning the flames.
13 - gonzo marx
Ignatius sez...
*If you think somehow the enemy was tipped to our actions by this story, you are either not knowledgeable enough to being discussing it or you are purposely fanning the flames.*
Quoted for Truth
Ruvy sez...
*Right now, all this "conservative" vs. "liberal" mudslinging only obfuscates (clouds up, for those whose English is not yet up to the National Enquirer level) the issues of whether the release of all this data by the New York Times and Wall Street Journal actually endangers your security or indicates something else at work.*
Quoted for Truth
one Trick ya missed Reuven, was WHO is getting bent about this, and the whole timing thing once again...if you follow the American news media a bit, you can see the currents and trends as easily as a tide on a beach...the Timing of ALL the major political Stories since the moment Rove was cleared by Fitzgerald (not cleared of implication, but told that he woudl not be indicted...big difference)
elections in November, Rove is one of the best ever in the field of dirty politics and campaigns...Machiavelli would be Proud...i just think it woudl be better to have him working on the "hearts and minds" of the Foe, than treating half the US population as a "liberal disease"...or try and paint those that disagree as traitors, or aiding and abetting the Enemy merely because they have doubts and Questions about WH policy...
silly of me..i know...but until i am made Galactic Overlord, all i can do is the Jester's task...and talk about it for those wth "two good ears, who had better listen"
nuff said
Excelsior?
14 - JustOneMan
It must be a full moon in here! Rove is behind the NYT stories...Duh...lets see if I understand the logic in this reasonong - the NY Times participates in breaking a story about secret BUT LEGAL anti-terrorist activities - but is too stupid to uncover a story that would bring down the Presidencey as well as the Republican Party....hmmmm
You blowing it all with paranoia
Youre so insecure you self-destroyer - Ray Davies
15 - gonzo marx
i only spoke about timing, on this and many other things
not that it matters...
heh
Excelsior?
16 - Bird of Paradise
I wrote this posting because I believe that the NY Times editorial folks consistantly treat the current administration as though it was the "enemy" that needed to be brought down. If this were true then the way to bring down the administration is to reveal corruption, abuse of power, personal scandal that compromises the ability to govern, obstruction of justice and the like. It is virtually unprecedented (yes, I remember the 'Pentagon Papers,' too) for the press to publish classified material for no real purpose except to stick it in the eye of an administration (which includes the Justice department and all national security aganecies for pete's sake).
There are things that, by law, the American people do not have the "right" to know. The NY Times is not and must not be the arbitor of what can or cannot be published. Even the Washington Post gained court approval before publishing the Pentagon Papers, demonstrating a respect for law and due process sadly lacking in the case of the NY Times.
By the way, I have expressed my contempt for those who either leaked or conspired to release this and other material to the NY Times in a follow-up post (on blogspot) called "The NY Times: Your Source for All Classified Information."
17 - Arch Conservative
gonzo............
you line up all the senators from the past 30 years and see which side has voted more often against military spending...........
then let's see if you're so quick with you're "bullshits"
as for the illegal aliens........well yes neither side exactly gives a fuck
i wouldn't be screaming murder if it was a dem president and congress because i believe their intent is not to snoppon people like you or i and disturb our lives.....
i actually believe they're trying to get the terrorists..........imagine that............now you know that if we had another terrorists attack the left would be up in arms screaming why didnt bush prevent..........and all he would have to say is well i tried to but you dumb fucks wouldn't let me
it is clear to anyone who isn't in league with the dark side that the NYT and the msm has a political agenda in the way that the present the news or don't present it as is sometimes the case...........they're a bunch of leftists who would rather die than give anyone right of center the least amount of credit when and where it is due.......
anyone who thinks the nyt is objective and that there intentions are to inform us of alll the news we really need to know.............quite frankly..........is a fucking moron
18 - Arch Conservative
Breaking news on the daily kos...........
operatives from the dnc have just uncovered documents implicating karl rove in the crucifixion of jesus...... when questioned one of the operatives was quoted as saying " we knew it all along and we're gonna get rove this time!"
stay tuned for the full story on channel 5 action news at 11
19 - Dave Nalle
* Spend lots of taxes on 'Homeland security' when the actual threat level from terrorism is quite modest. (9/11 was an intelligence failure and should have been prevented with the resources already in place.)
The positive intention of the DHS restructuring is to try to make sure that this kind of interagency communication problem doesn't happen again. I'm not a big believer in DHS, but it's at least well intentioned.
* Reduce spending on coastal defence in Louisiana when the threat is both high and recognised.
Except, of course, that Bush increased spending in that area during his administration, but the funds were misdirected and misappropriated.
* Spend trillions invading a foreign nation when the threat of WMDs is minimal (still no evidence).
You still, still don't understand why we invaded Iraq? Do you need your hand held? We invaded as a distraction for the terrorists and to put pressure on the real threat - Iran. How many times do I have to explain this?
* Rack up a massive trade deficit with no end in sight, destabilising the world economy.
Do you even understand how the trade deficit works? A trade deficit is not necessarily a bad thing in a country like the US where the economy is driven by consumerism. You may have confused the trade deficit with the federal debt or else you're listening to that idiot Lou Dobbs.
* Condemn a paper for telling people what the government is really up to.
No, for publishing classified information. And in this case the information doesn't reflect negatively on the government or suggest any misdeads, it's just secret.
The War on Terror is nothing more than an excuse for wartime authoritarianism during peacetime - in exactly the same way as the 'red menace' was in the 50s and 60s.
To quote the Kinks, "Paranoia will destroy ya". Could you point out ONE way in which the current administration has specifically reduced your rights in any statutory way?
Dave
20 - Diz
My fellow americans, it deeply saddens me to hear the crimes that have been committed upon this great nation by some of our very own citizens. To combat these terrorist supporting evil-doers I urge congress to pass an amendment to the consitution banning free press, legalizing domestic spying, and providing additional presidential powers necessary to fight the continuing war on terror...because we owe it to our children and our grandchildren to do everything in our power to stop these fundamentalists from providing the means necessary for a full-fledged terrorist infiltration upon U.S. soil.
***If you didn't read that with a Bush tone go back and do so.
Now lets get real, I think IgnatiusReilly has made by far the best point by asking who the leaker of this highly classified, sensitive, and crucial information is. It doesn't seem to be on the minds of the administration whatsoever. The only thing on their minds is what I pointed out in the "From telephone calls to bank records" thread.
So should I alter my career path and start writing speeches or what?
21 - Arch Conservative
Well considering you didn't break out in lunatic screams during your post maybe you could get a job writing speeches for Howard Dean Diz.
The fact that someone other than the NYT may have leaked the info does not relieve them of the culpability of making it public to the world.
22 - JustOneMan
[Entire comment deleted]
23 - Diz
I'm not exactly defending the NYT i'm just trying to say that this is such a minor issue that the administration is trying to blow up to do damage control on some of the past "leaks". That and it scares the shit out of me that the guy who is in charge of the country cares more about a newspaper broadcasting information he wants to keep secret than someone in his own camp.
I don't think I could bring myself to write speeches for old Howard, but have you ever been to Vermont? Its pretty nice other than the abundance of hippies. Well I don't know whether or not you'd appreciate it being someone who wants to let the republicans desecrate an entire ecosystem up in Alaska so they can pretend to save america from its "addiction to oil" while really just lining the pockets of the already abundantly wealthy...
24 - Diz
"addiction to foreign oil" I should say
25 - Hoggle
"Could you point out ONE way in which the current administration has specifically reduced your rights in any statutory way?"
Tricky, as I'm not american, but I'll have a go. Under the US constitution all men have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. So even though I'm not a citizen, my right to life etc is protected by your constitution. However, my life is in more danger of ending prematurely through violence now because of the failure of the US government to act decisively to curb the growth of CO2 emissions. From a statutory point of view, this includes the energy bill, which (while making token gestures towards renewables) gave the oil lobby every weakening of restrictions that it asked for.
Of course, as I understand it, congress makes the statutes, not the administration, although the president can sponsor bills and has to sign them. He can also sign 'signing declarations' which is an undemocratic document saying how he intends to implement the law, and has been used (with far higher frequency by GWB than any previous president) to effectively amend a law after it has been passed.
Amazing to think you guys still believe you live in a democracy.