Some scoffed and some laughed and some said I was just too negative. Recent events, however, show that all three concerns were valid.
As the Bradley Manning trial continues and Julian Assange sits in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, Edward Snowden sits in an airport in Moscow bound for - somewhere. Meanwhile the world wonders about the massive spying efforts by the United States.
The Associated Press and the Fox Network (and undoubtedly many others) now know that their reporters - and their contacts - were monitored by the Government. They expressed outrage. They decried the invasion of privacy. They expressed horror and disbelief. In short, they revealed their naivety and ignorance. If they say they had no idea that such a thing could happen then I believe it's safe to say they've been 'asleep at the wheel' for a long, long time. Illegal spying by the Government is no new thing. But, in the past we had real Journalists on the job to investigate such matters. Since the days of Ronald Reagan the Press has, by and large, given the Government ever increasing autonomy. Today, we have no serious 'main-stream' News reporting; we have talking heads, propaganda and entertainment. Serious News reporting has fallen to Independent Agencies and individuals. (Who are also monitored and marginalized.) Even Public Agencies, such as PBS, have acquiesced to the 'powers that be' on occasion.
And the Government influence and control continues. In America the News people are having a field day with the "Hero or Traitor" debates rather than focusing on the unconstitutional actions of the Government.
The real issue is: How can the Government make it illegal to tell the public that the Government is acting illegally?
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