Obama Continues the Bush Policies of Secrecy

[rhett o rick]

Some of us naively thought during the terrible Bush decade that we could replace the heavy handed Security State of the Republican administration by electing a Democratic president and that we could reestablish our tattered democracy. In hindsight how foolish we were. We thought that Obama, who campaigned on government transparency and rolling back the Patriot Act would end the dominating control of the most powerful NSA/CIA Security State made strong by 8 years of zero oversight and an unlimited budget. We were wrong. How could we think that those in power would relinquish that power just because a new president was inaugurated? Sadly, some here in DU think that’s exactly what happened in spite of the evidence otherwise.

In “The Nation” magazine of Oct 27, there is a good article, “The Government’s War on Whistleblowers.”

“To date, the Obama administration has charged nine people with violating the …… Espionage Act – far more that all other administrations combined.”

As bad as that sounds, that is the tip of the iceberg. Many others have undergone Espionage Act “investigations” that didn’t result in prosecutions, but most likely destroyed careers. Some see this as heavy-handed intimidation.

“In its 2011 Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide, the FBI formally authorized the use of national-security letters to obtain the call records of journalists who are witnesses to a crime. (NSLs are secret orders that the FBI can issue with no judicial review. Recipients are prohibited from telling anyone they’ve received such an order.)”

The article goes on to detail how Obama’s DOJ used subpoenas to gather records of 100 journalists exposing their sources whether or not the sources were relevant to the justification for the subpoenas. This is more heavy handed intimidation.

It is apparent that our powerful NSA/CIA Security State, via the DOJ, has declared war on whisleblowers and investigative journalists.

When Obama became president he inherited a very powerful Security State from the Bush/Cheney administration that operated with an unlimited budget, carte blache authority and zero oversight. It appears that Security State has grown even more powerful under President Obama. This threat to our democracy should be obvious to all but those living in a state of denial. And those that applaud the president for the gains we’ve made must realize that without democracy those gains can disappear quickly.

[rhett o rick]

1. Kick for the after dinner crowd. nm

[bmac19gg]

2. time for a change?

No, more of the same. I share your sentiment on this and I think the only thing worse than President Obama's lies and abuse of power in these areas is the unwillingness of some people to admit its even happening. People cant afford to just blindly support anything because its "their side" doing it. At no time in human history has a population ever benefited from their government having absolute power over them. Scary stuff.

[rhett o rick]

6. Some people have a very restricted reality. It's critical for them to believe

in something. It's our authoritarian upbringing that teaches us to have "faith" in our leaders.

[villager]

27. or to defer to "leaders" in the first place

n/t

[leftstreet]

3. What a total fucking waste

DURec

[KoKo]

11. The Power of the People......Look at That!

Will we ever get it back?

[rhett o rick]

13. It almost looks like we have a democracy. nm

[KoKo]

14. Past Tense?

It almost "looked" like we have a democracy?

[rhett o rick]

15. We have mockery of a democracy. We may have some say over social issues but nothing to say over

economics, foreign policy, the uncontrolled Security State.

[KoKo]

16. Indeed....... Wedge Issues Rule..the Health of America Overall..

get's little attention. We should be focusing on the "Big Picture."

[villager]

28. People get in trouble for that. You lose media sinecures, and if you're a *President* who dares

...take on over-arching structural issues...

Well, there's a parade route in Dallas waiting for you.

[hifiguy]

31. Absolutely, totally and completely correct

[woo me with science]

4. To the Greatest Page.

[rhett o rick]

10. Thanks. I think this is one of the most important issues facing us today. nm

[woo me with science]

12. Absolutely.

[bigwillq]

5. K and R (nt)

[rhett o rick]

17. Thanks for the k & r

[JEB]

7. K&R

[FSogol]

8. Only 4 more Ratfucking Days until the Midterms!

[hifiguy]

9. Kick and Rec!

One of Obama's two greatest failures. The other was not nationalizing the Big Bank$ and prosecuting the banksters. Deliberate and calculated inactions that let the country slide a lot further in the direction of soft fascism.

[oneshooter]

18. "The most transparent administration EVER" n/t

[rhett o rick]

19. Well in a way, yes. If you look closely you can see the Wall Street Oligarchs pulling the strings.

Happy Halloween

[Time for change]

20. The Nation's article is excellent and very important

I wish that a lot more people would take this seriously. I have a lot problems with President Obama's actions as president, but this is at the top of my list. You are so right that "this threat to our democracy should be obvious to all ... "

[rhett o rick]

21. Hey, it's good to see you posting. Maybe you have been and I just missed it.

How is your book coming?

[rhett o rick]

22. “To date, the Obama administration has charged nine people with violating the …… Espionage Act – far

more that all other administrations combined.” That means far more than Bush/Cheney. The heavy hand of government is getting heavier with each respective administration. And it looks like it doesn't matter which party is in power.

Some say that both parties are the same. I don't agree except in the area of the powerful Security State.

[MineralMan]

23. Duly Ignored as Pre-Election Agitprop.

After Tuesday's election, I'll be responding to this sort of stuff again.

[rhett o rick]

24. So there is a moratorium on political discussions before an election?

How long does it last? I don't think The Nation Magazine is honoring the moratorium.

It seems that "agitprop" means to some here, anything that doesn't agree with the conservative world view.

[MineralMan]

25. Obviously there is no such moratorium.

Clearly there isn't. My reply is part of that discussion. You appear to disagree with me. We are discussing something. I started my own OP:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025744699

[woo me with science]

26. +1 And how predictable to see complaining

ludicrously mislabeled as "ignoring."

[Maedhros]

29. Yes, we should ignore abuses by the government,

ESPECIALLY around election time when our view just MIGHT be listened to.

[woo me with science]

30. Third Way argle blargle. I'm gonna get whiplash

from the Third Way telling us first that liberals are "fringe" and irrelevant, but then that we are so powerful that a critical post *on a political discussion board* is going to sink the election.

Corporatists really need to start having their talking point meetings all together in the same room.

The ONLY people I see deliberately trying to reduce turnout are the corporate faction of the party. In fact, I can't *ever* remember seeing such a sustained, relentless, and deliberate effort to discourage, demoralize, and outright attack the base of the party. It makes no sense whatsoever...until you realize that corporate politicians depend on divided government in order to be able to continue to claim to the electorate that they cannot stop predatory corporate policies.

I presume you have contacted the DCCC about this garbage?

"Accept Defeat" <--- newest DCCC fundraising email
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025736826

[rhett o rick]

33. Well said woo.

"The ONLY people I see deliberately trying to reduce turnout are the corporate faction of the party. In fact, I can't *ever* remember seeing such a sustained, relentless, and deliberate effort to discourage, demoralize, and outright attack the base of the party. It makes no sense whatsoever...until you realize that corporate politicians depend on divided government in order to be able to continue to claim to the electorate that they cannot stop predatory corporate policies. "

" I'm gonna get whiplash from the Third Way telling us first that liberals are "fringe" and irrelevant, but then that we are so powerful that a critical post *on a political discussion board* is going to sink the election. "

I also get whiplash from the Third Way saying that the crazy liberal want too much and then turn around and say that Obama and Clinton are liberals.

They try to claim they are "moderates" yet support fracking, XL Pipeline, Wall Street bailouts, continued war, etc. Those are conservative stands not moderate.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

32. At least he's transparent in his in-transparency his CYA attempts to appear pro-freedom.