"Silenced" Film Explores the Human Toll of Obama’s Crackdown on National Security Whistleblowers

[Jefferson23]

April 24, 2014

snip* JUAN GONZÁLEZ: How far would you go to tell the truth? That’s the question posed by a remarkable new documentary called Silenced, which just premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. It follows three national security whistleblowers who fight to reveal the darkest corners of America’s war on terror, challenging a government that is increasingly determined to maintain secrecy as it expands its powers. They are former Justice Department lawyer Jesselyn Radack, former senior NSA official Thomas Drake, and the former CIA officer John Kiriakou. The film depicts the extraordinary lengths the government traversed to wreak havoc on their personal lives through a sustained campaign of intimidation and harassment. This is the trailer for Silenced.

THOMAS DRAKE: Part of the purpose of doing what they’ve been doing for the last several years is to destroy you.

JOHN KIRIAKOU: I never thought of myself as a whistleblower. Sometimes I go back and forth in my mind, where I wish I had kept my mouth shut, and other times I wish that I had shouted it from the rooftops.

JESSELYN RADACK: There is information that the public, in a functioning democracy, has a right to know.

in full: http://www.democracynow.org/2014/4/24/silenced_film_explores_the_human_toll

[mike_c]

1. I listened to this on DN! this morning-- it's chilling....

They also discussed the secret no fly list, etc. Remember all the stuff they used to tell us about life in the old Soviet Union? It's SOP in the U.S. now.

[Jefferson23]

2. We do not deserve this, not at all. They're wrong and they need to know we don't agree. n/t

[zeemike]

5. I don't think they care if we don't agree.

they only care that we comply.

[Jefferson23]

10. Two fronts, we do not agree, and we demand this infringement end..they need to see us, imho,

en masse..in their faces...civil disobedience.

This is so much more about a long list of issues we can't afford to ignore and although the
situations are overwhelming, collectively, we can put them on defense. I think it starts
there and we don't let up. Same with Citizens United, we must unite to over turn policies
that do not represent our interests, not domestically nor on foreign policy.

[zeemike]

11. It is the demand that will get their attention.

And the only thing that will change it is civil disobedience because we have went too far down the hole to simply step out.
And to see that happen is a tall order...we have no liberal or progressive organizations that are not co oped by the PTB...and they tend to keep us busy with peripheral things, and asking for money to fight for them.

[Jefferson23]

12. Yes, it must be demanded..absolutely. Tall order indeed, but we have to do it. n/t

[FiveGoodMen]

16. IOW: oderint dum metuant

"let them hate, so long as they fear"

I think that's about the size of it.

[rhett o rick]

3. This is extremely disappointing. We start the fight now. We can not

survive another 8 years of oligarch dominated government.

[emsimon33]

4. K&R

[NYC_SKP]

6. *** I totally disregard any post that includes "Obama's" and I say "Prove it" to the asshole author

....of the article.

Not of the OP, people who post aren't authors, they tend to be useful idiots.

That's all I got.

[TiberiusB]

7. Prove what?

The crack down on whistleblowers under the Obama administration is 100% established fact. Are you saying it isn't happening, or that Obama isn't at all to blame, that he's just a helpless, and conspicuously mute, victim? A casual Google search turns up an endless sea of articles. Here are just a few:

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/06/obamas-whistleblowers-stuxnet-leaks-drones

http://www.projectcensored.org/4-obamas-war-whistleblowers/

http://www.salon.com/2012/02/09/obamas_unprecedented_war_on_whistleblowers/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/16/obama-whistleblower-prosecutions-press_n_3091137.html

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/obama-wages-war-on-whistleblowers-and-journalists-a-912852.html

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/06/obama-abuse-espionage-act-mccarthyism

http://www.juancole.com/2014/03/transparent-administration-whistleblowers.html

Useful idiots indeed.

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

8. Thank you, nt

[Jefferson23]

9. Who exactly, are you calling a useful idiot? n/t

[stillcool]

15. better late than never..

It might be decades old news, but if you put Obama's name in front you get traction. it's good to see teensy bits of our governments' history being discussed, even if it's only through the prism of Obama. Maybe it will spur people to learn more? Nah... That's crazy talk. thirdworldtraveler.com

[Doctor_J]

13. Amy Goodman just doesn't understand chess

and she didn't get her pony.

rec

[Jefferson23]

14. She's funny that way, isn't she. n/t