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stockholmer

(3,751 posts)
Wed May 23, 2012, 06:15 PM May 2012

Greenwald: White House leaks for propaganda film

http://www.salon.com/2012/05/23/wh_leaks_for_propaganda_film/singleton/

As is now well documented, the Obama administration has waged an unprecedented war on whistleblowers, prosecuting more of them under espionage statutes than all prior administrations combined: twice as many as all prior administrations combined, in fact. They are attempting, or have attempted, to imprison whistleblowers who exposed corrupt and illegal NSA eavesdropping, dangerously inept efforts to impede Iran’s nuclear program (which likely strengthened it), the destructive uses of torture, and a litany of previously unknown U.S.-caused civilian deaths and other American war crimes.

But there’s one type of leak of classified information that the White House not only approves of but itself routinely exploits: the type that glorifies the President for propagandistic ends. The transparency group Judicial Watch brought FOIA lawsuits against the administration seeking information regarding the Osama bin Laden raid, but the administration insisted in federal court that the operation is secret and thus not subject to disclosure (even as they were leaking details about the raid to the press).

At the same time, Judicial Watch has also sued the White House seeking documents showing the administration’s collaboration with Hollywood filmmakers — The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal – who have been planning a big-budget, studio film from Sony recounting the raid that killed bin Laden, oh-so-coincidentally scheduled for release in October, 2012, just before the election (that’s clearly a coincidence because Democrats, unlike those Bush/Cheney monsters, do not exploit national security for political gain). And, oh, just by the way: as The New York Times reported in January, “Michael Lynton, the Sony Pictures chief executive, has been a major backer of President Obama and last April attended and paid the donation fee for a high-priced political fund-raising dinner for the president on the Sony studio lot in Culver City, Calif., which was rented by the Democratic National Committee.” As Maureen Dowd wrote last year:

The White House is also counting on the Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal big-screen version of the killing of Bin Laden to counter Obama’s growing reputation as ineffectual. The Sony film by the Oscar-winning pair who made “The Hurt Locker” will no doubt reflect the president’s cool, gutsy decision against shaky odds. Just as Obamaland was hoping, the movie is scheduled to open on Oct. 12, 2012 — perfectly timed to give a home-stretch boost to a campaign that has grown tougher.
The moviemakers are getting top-level access to the most classified mission in history from an administration that has tried to throw more people in jail for leaking classified information than the Bush administration.


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44 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Greenwald: White House leaks for propaganda film (Original Post) stockholmer May 2012 OP
Looking forward to seeing it. The Hurt Locker was amazing. FarLeftFist May 2012 #1
October is the traditional -- Hell Hath No Fury May 2012 #2
Actually I think late December is the season for Oscar bait RZM May 2012 #41
Fall starts the Oscar chase -- Hell Hath No Fury May 2012 #44
Thanks for including the links! Luminous Animal May 2012 #3
yes it was mentioned and rightly ridiculed by Martin Bashir OKNancy May 2012 #19
Did Martin Bashir do any reporting on the documents? Luminous Animal May 2012 #20
He scoffed... said something like " it's a MOVIE! get real people" OKNancy May 2012 #22
You did not grasp the point of the article at all. It is about the CIA and DoD leaking Luminous Animal May 2012 #24
Thanks. Scurrilous May 2012 #4
Yet another shrill Greenwald tantrum struggle4progress May 2012 #5
It's amazing how much more "manly" he was during the Bush Admin. Luminous Animal May 2012 #6
Nah, he's always been a nasty little libertarian shit, as quick to whine about struggle4progress May 2012 #10
Hahahahaha!!! Luminous Animal May 2012 #15
Glenn must be upset that Gary Johnson's bid to be president elicited *zero* response. Ikonoklast May 2012 #21
Unsupported allegations? You can read the documents here: Luminous Animal May 2012 #25
He throws the 'whistleblower' term around rather loosely. Ikonoklast May 2012 #9
Whistleblowers existed long before official legal processes. Luminous Animal May 2012 #13
There is a legal process to follow. Ikonoklast May 2012 #18
Yep. And if these whistleblowers had been procecuted under the Espionage Act by the Bush Admin Luminous Animal May 2012 #23
This administration has taken Bush's hypocritical take on gov't secrecy to new depths. DirkGently May 2012 #7
Speaking of "propaganda" ProSense May 2012 #8
+ struggle4progress May 2012 #11
As usual, address the messenger. Ignore the message... Luminous Animal May 2012 #12
Not only do the apologies flow for the extension of Bush-era policies... villager May 2012 #14
+2. Thank You. GG is a full fledged racist defending asshat, which I hear makes one a Libertarian. Tarheel_Dem May 2012 #26
A-a-a-a-men! Luminous Animal May 2012 #27
Oh, now Greenwald's a "racist" brentspeak May 2012 #35
There is background to that... Luminous Animal May 2012 #38
Well, since Obama does the bidding of the Right Wing US Chamber of Commerce brentspeak May 2012 #37
Well now you've done it. Greenwald and an "anti" Obama piece. Autumn May 2012 #16
Greenwald and anti-Obama, brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department...nt SidDithers May 2012 #31
Ahh Sid. Redundancy Department says... Autumn May 2012 #33
Well played brentspeak May 2012 #36
Post removed Post removed May 2012 #17
Let's look at some of Greenwald's tiresome BS struggle4progress May 2012 #28
Hehehe! Nice how you pretend that Greenwald is asserting "investigation" when he clearly Luminous Animal May 2012 #30
The Department of Justice (based on the figures in the United States Attorneys’ Annual Statistical struggle4progress May 2012 #32
I apologize. Obama's appointee Holder is totally ignorant of these ESPIONAGE cases... Luminous Animal May 2012 #34
Perhaps reading Greenwald has affected your ability to reason carefully struggle4progress May 2012 #39
So explain it to me carefully. Bush Admin investigates. Obama Admin prosecutes... Luminous Animal May 2012 #43
Du Rec. nt woo me with science May 2012 #29
Greenwald has good points sometimes but this is just stupid, really really stupid. Mr.Turnip May 2012 #40
Apparently the mourning period for BBI is over n/t RZM May 2012 #42
 

Hell Hath No Fury

(16,327 posts)
2. October is the traditional --
Wed May 23, 2012, 06:23 PM
May 2012

time movies hoping for Oscars hopefuls are released (which this clearly will be), but I am queasy at the connections/timing. "The Right Stuff" release was also held the same problem for John Glenn's run.

 

RZM

(8,556 posts)
41. Actually I think late December is the season for Oscar bait
Thu May 24, 2012, 12:41 AM
May 2012

Since the cutoff is the end of the year and the holiday season is a big time for movies, you often see Oscar contenders bunched together around Christmas.

 

Hell Hath No Fury

(16,327 posts)
44. Fall starts the Oscar chase --
Fri May 25, 2012, 11:19 AM
May 2012

with September being the start. A lot of smaller films hit theaters in a limited run around December to qualify.

Luminous Animal

(27,310 posts)
3. Thanks for including the links!
Wed May 23, 2012, 06:25 PM
May 2012

And this:

On a different note: I wonder if any MSNBC shows will find the time today to mention these newly disclosed documents. Would it have been news there if Bush national security officials had been secretly meeting with and passing classified information to conservative filmmakers in order to enable the production and release of a Bush-glorifying Hollywood propaganda film a few weeks before the 2004 election?

Luminous Animal

(27,310 posts)
20. Did Martin Bashir do any reporting on the documents?
Wed May 23, 2012, 07:41 PM
May 2012

Or did he merely mock the notion that he wouldn't do any reporting?

OKNancy

(41,832 posts)
22. He scoffed... said something like " it's a MOVIE! get real people"
Wed May 23, 2012, 07:59 PM
May 2012

I'm sure you don't agree.

And fwiw, you bet I'm glad if there was some sort of positive movie about Obama and getting bin Laden.
I welcome it. You see, I prefer Democrats and I prefer winning.

Luminous Animal

(27,310 posts)
24. You did not grasp the point of the article at all. It is about the CIA and DoD leaking
Wed May 23, 2012, 08:10 PM
May 2012

classified info about an operation that the Admin claims that they cannot talk about because the info is classified.

struggle4progress

(118,041 posts)
10. Nah, he's always been a nasty little libertarian shit, as quick to whine about
Wed May 23, 2012, 06:50 PM
May 2012

immigration as he is quick to support the Citizens United decision

Ikonoklast

(23,973 posts)
21. Glenn must be upset that Gary Johnson's bid to be president elicited *zero* response.
Wed May 23, 2012, 07:58 PM
May 2012

Time to lash out with unsupported allegations, and put two and two together and get twenty-two.



Ikonoklast

(23,973 posts)
9. He throws the 'whistleblower' term around rather loosely.
Wed May 23, 2012, 06:45 PM
May 2012

There is an actual legal process to be followed in order to fall under the 'whistleblower' law; one cannot unilaterally do what, say, Bradley Manning did and then call for legal protection under that law.

Greenwald calls people whistleblowers that are engaged in illegal activity, and that cheapens the term for those that are actually whistleblowers.

Greenwald isn't the guy that gets to make that determination.




Luminous Animal

(27,310 posts)
13. Whistleblowers existed long before official legal processes.
Wed May 23, 2012, 06:55 PM
May 2012

A whistleblower is an informant who reveals information of wrongdoing in order to inform the public and, if the wrondoing is ongoing, stop it.

Ikonoklast

(23,973 posts)
18. There is a legal process to follow.
Wed May 23, 2012, 07:25 PM
May 2012

If you take the extra-legal route, don't be surprised when charged criminally.

Matters not what used to be, this law is in place now, and has been put in place in order to protect informants.

You cannot act unilaterally outside of the legal process, unless you are a vigilante.

Manning acted unilaterally.

He didn't have to, but he did.

Luminous Animal

(27,310 posts)
23. Yep. And if these whistleblowers had been procecuted under the Espionage Act by the Bush Admin
Wed May 23, 2012, 08:04 PM
May 2012

we'd be critical.

There are 4 other people who have been prosecuted during the Obama Admin under the Act. Manning isn't the only one being prosecuted.

ProSense

(116,464 posts)
8. Speaking of "propaganda"
Wed May 23, 2012, 06:43 PM
May 2012

it's good to see Greenwald doing the bidding of a RW hack group:

Between 1997 and 2002 Judicial Watch received $7,069,500 (unadjusted for inflation) in 19 grants from a handful of foundations. The bulk of this funding came from just three foundations – the Sarah Scaife Foundation, The Carthage Foundation, both managed by Richard Mellon Scaife, and the John M. Olin Foundation, Inc.,[40] which folded in 2005.[41] As of 2010, Scaife remains the group's main contributor.[7]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_Watch#Funding



Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians

In 2010 Judicial Watch released their list of "Washington's ten Most Corrupt Politicians." [38] Appearing on the list are:[39]
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Rahm Emanuel, Former Obama White House Chief of Staff
Senator John Ensign (R-NV)
Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
President Barack Obama
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY)
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)


Thanks Glenn, you're officially a hack!

Luminous Animal

(27,310 posts)
12. As usual, address the messenger. Ignore the message...
Wed May 23, 2012, 06:52 PM
May 2012

Link to the documents here:

http://www.scribd.com/JWatchDC/d/94447718-Judicial-Watch-Bin-Laden-Movie-DoD

It's amazing. I learned more about the raid while reading those 153 pages than a year's worth of chatter from the Admin.

 

villager

(26,001 posts)
14. Not only do the apologies flow for the extension of Bush-era policies...
Wed May 23, 2012, 07:01 PM
May 2012

...but Bush-era tactics (like attacking the messenger!) are used to do it...

brentspeak

(18,290 posts)
35. Oh, now Greenwald's a "racist"
Wed May 23, 2012, 10:28 PM
May 2012

Hear that, everyone? Criticize Obama - get called the Grand Wizard.

There are Fox News acolytes with higher standards than that.

Luminous Animal

(27,310 posts)
38. There is background to that...
Wed May 23, 2012, 11:11 PM
May 2012

And here is his response: (Oh the horror of the evolution of an informed citizen. THE HORROR. THE HORROR!)

The GOP fights itself on Illegal Immigration

GG note: This post was written in 2005, one month after I began blogging. It was recently dug up by some Obama cultists trying to discredit my criticisms of the President (to understand what I mean by "Obama cultists," see this 2006 post I wrote about Bush cultists: exactly the same mentality). As my subsequent writing reflects over the next many years, this post does not remotely reflect my views on immigration. My response to someone who recently asked about it is here:

That was a 6 yrs ago: 3 weeks after I began blogging, when I had zero readers. I've discussed many times before how there were many uninformed things I believed back then, before I focused on politics full-time - due to uncritically ingesting conventional wisdom, propaganda, etc. I've written many times since then about how immigrants are exploited by the Right for fear-mongering purposes. I'm 100% in favor of amnesty, think defeat of the DREAM Act was an act of evil, etc. That said, I do think illegal immigration is a serious problem: having millions of people live without legal rights; having a legal scheme that is so pervasively disregarded breeds contempt for the rule of law; virtually every country - not just the U.S. insists on border control because having a manageable immigration process is vital on multiple levels. But that post is something I wrote literally a few weeks after I began blogging when nobody was reading my blog; it was anything but thoughtful, contemplative, and informed, and - like so many things I thought were true then - has nothing to do with what I believe now.

brentspeak

(18,290 posts)
37. Well, since Obama does the bidding of the Right Wing US Chamber of Commerce
Wed May 23, 2012, 10:49 PM
May 2012

i.e. things like this, it's kind of a wash, right?

Response to stockholmer (Original post)

struggle4progress

(118,041 posts)
28. Let's look at some of Greenwald's tiresome BS
Wed May 23, 2012, 09:33 PM
May 2012

How about the Thomas Drake case?

The FBI first raided Drake's home in 2007, somewhat before Obama was elected President. The eventual prosecutor came into position earlier that year.

... In November 2007, there was a raid on Drake's residence. His computers, documents, and books were confiscated. He was never charged with giving any sensitive information to anyone; the charge actually brought against him is for 'retaining' information ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Andrews_Drake#2007_FBI_raids


... The government argues that Drake recklessly endangered the lives of American servicemen. “This is not an issue of benign documents,” William M. Welch II, the senior litigation counsel who is prosecuting the case, argued at a hearing in March, 2010 ...
The Secret Sharer
Is Thomas Drake an enemy of the state?
by Jane Mayer May 23, 2011
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/05/23/110523fa_fact_mayer


... Welch has headed the unit since March 2007 ...
William Welch, head of Justice Department's anti-corruption unit, to leave post
William M. Welch II has led the public integrity unit since 2007.
By Carrie Johnson
Thursday, October 22, 2009
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/21/AR2009102101899.html


So this is an investigation that began before Obama ever took office.

How about Jeffrey Sterling?

... Between 2002 and 2004 the U.S. federal government intercepted several interstate emails to and from Sterling, which were &quot ...) routed through a server located in the Eastern District of Virginia (...)". The authorities also traced telephone calls between Sterling and - according to a senior government official - the journalist and book author James Risen. In the intercepted communications Sterling allegedly revealed national defense information to an unauthorized person ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Alexander_Sterling


So there's another investigation that began before Obama ever took office.

It's actually fine with me if Greenwald disagrees with the prosecutions; I might well disagree with some of them myself, especially since I've never been a fan of such Reagan-era innovations as the Intelligence Identities Protection Act. But, as usual, Greenwald's discussion is nauseatingly dishonest and (what is perhaps worse) entirely uninformative: one learns nothing about the dynamics of power from Greenwald and so gains no insights into how we might fight back -- unsurprising, since Greenwald is a libertarian ideologue who does essentially no independent research and hence really cannot be expected to inform us








Luminous Animal

(27,310 posts)
30. Hehehe! Nice how you pretend that Greenwald is asserting "investigation" when he clearly
Wed May 23, 2012, 09:42 PM
May 2012

states "prosecution" and specifically prosecution using the Espionage Act.

And one of the tools of fighting back is, you know, knowledge.

struggle4progress

(118,041 posts)
32. The Department of Justice (based on the figures in the United States Attorneys’ Annual Statistical
Wed May 23, 2012, 10:18 PM
May 2012

Report for the fiscal year 2010) considers over 150K cases each year, involving nearly 200K potential defendants, and (from these) begins to prosecute about one case every two minutes, during every working day through the year

To my view, Greenwald is simply bat-shit crazy if he imagines this to be a centralized process: it is institutionally impossible, based on the numbers, for the process to be centralized. US Attorneys are given wide discretion about what they prosecute

About a million potential defendants have come to the attention of the Department of Justice, for example, since the investigation of Drake began. That Drake's case did not simply sink below the horizon, under the onslaught of newer matters, indicates that someone with discretion regarded the case as worth pursuing. That "someone with discretion" is likely to be a career DoJ employee, and in Drake's case it is probably Welch, who has been there at least since the Bush-II era

Greenwald is a little bullshit noise-maker: his noise doesn't inform us

Luminous Animal

(27,310 posts)
43. So explain it to me carefully. Bush Admin investigates. Obama Admin prosecutes...
Thu May 24, 2012, 12:54 AM
May 2012

under the Espionage Act. Am I wrong?

Mr.Turnip

(645 posts)
40. Greenwald has good points sometimes but this is just stupid, really really stupid.
Thu May 24, 2012, 12:38 AM
May 2012

I mean O MY GOD The President likes media that portrays him positively WHAT A SHOCK!

And the Administration is sharing facts about events it was involved in with filmmakers looking to make films on said events WHAT AN EVIL ACT!

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