President-elect Donald Trump isn’t waiting until his inauguration to push for investigations of leaks to the press — an indication that he’ll emulate and possibly surpass President Obama’s practice of criminalizing disclosures to the media.
Trump on Friday urged Congress to investigate leaks of “top secret intelligence shared with NBC,” in a tweet:
I am asking the chairs of the House and Senate committees to investigate top secret intelligence shared with NBC prior to me seeing it.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2017
He was apparently referring to the NBC News write-up of what was actually a leak to the Washington Post, which reported on Thursday about the contents of a new Obama administration report describing alleged efforts by the Russian government to influence the U.S. election. NBC confirmed the Post’s account with an anonymous “senior U.S. intelligence official.”
Trump was briefed on the report on Friday afternoon, and an unclassified version was released publicly.
Unauthorized leaks of information are essential for journalists investigating the government, and free speech advocates were quick to condemn Trump’s impulse to crack down on them.
“It is worrisome that the president-elect, even before taking office, is training his sights on the media,” said Suzanne Nossel, executive director at PEN America, one of the largest writers groups defending freedom of expression.
“Amid the seriousness of the allegations of hacking and foreign interference in our election, asking the House and Senate to look into an alleged leak is a woeful diversion of resources and has the potential to chill the ability of the press to play their crucial role going forward.”
Senator Wyden, D-Ore., a prominent member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, also expressed concern.
After January 20, will Trump be personally directing investigations whenever a news story annoys him? https://t.co/DINxJ72frR
— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 6, 2017
When he becomes president, Trump will inherit a Justice Department already accustomed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting leaks.
Despite claiming to oversee “most transparent administration in history,” Obama has presided over an unprecedented crackdown on leaks and whistleblowers, laying the groundwork for future presidents to threaten would-be leakers.
Obama has used the Espionage Act — a World War I-era law designed to outlaw spying — to prosecute twice as many leakers as all his predecessors put together. As part of leak investigations, the Justice Department has authorized the FBI to collect the phone records and emails of journalists, even naming a Fox News reporter an unindicted “co-conspirator” in one case.
Obama even opposed efforts to grant journalists more legal protection. After Congress was close to passing a law in 2009 that would have shielded reporters from having to testify against sources, Obama’s demands to add exceptions to the bill ended up killing it.
The Obama administration fought a costly, seven-year legal battle to force Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times Reporter James Risen to testify against his sources after reporting on a botched operation where the CIA passed nuclear blueprints to Iranian scientists. The government dropped its subpoena only after taking the case to the Supreme Court, likely to avoid negative publicity for jailing a reporter.
In several weeks, the system Obama has created will pass to the next president, who has already proven himself deeply hostile to press freedom.
Throughout his campaign, Trump threatened to sue newspapers for negative coverage. In response to the Chelsea bombings in New York City in September, he told Fox News that “freedom of the press” was what allowed terrorists to learn how to build bombs. He said that the press has “too much protection,” and that he wants to “open up our libel laws” to make it easier to sue media companies.
Writing in the New York Times last month, Risen argued that Obama’s expansive war on press freedom laid that groundwork for future abuses. “If Donald J. Trump decides as president to throw a whistleblower in jail for trying to talk to a reporter, or gets the F.B.I. to spy on a journalist,” Risen said, “he will have one man to thank for bequeathing him such expansive power: Barack Obama.”
Top photo: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump points to the crowd as he delivers a speech on July 21, 2016, in Cleveland.
I think one could say with high confidence that this was what’s known as an “authorized” leak – a quite common means of shaping public opinion.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/06/all-leaks-are-illegal-but-some-leaks-are-more-illegal-than-others/276828/
This is fake news. Trump calls for investigation of law breaking (it is still against the law to release top secret information, ask Hillary) and this author tries to make Trump out as a free speech antagonist, what a joke. Article should at least say it was an illegal act to release the report. There is no whistle blowing here. No purpose other than to put Trump in a negative light. Trump says America first, this reporter and the left says “me first”.
Whistle blowing is always vital, whether legal or illegal. And I love how trendy you are with your “fake news” buzzwords. Your name says all, and if Shillary Clinton, in an alternate universe, ran under the Republican ticket and Trump under the Democratic one you would have been so quick to tear apart all the crap that Trump has done. Two sides of the same disgusting coin.
I suspect he would be less miffed if they’d at least had the courtesy to get it to him BEFORE the leak. And that seems reasonable to me.
It’s bad enough that the “secret” version hit the press … it did so ahead of the President elect’s briefing.
The effort to de-legitimize the PEOTUS continues. “See how clever we are ? We don’t need you.”
That’s okay. We’re down to less than two weeks and the worm will begin to turn.
Don’t justify the passing of classified materials to the press ahead of even their official distribution. That’s not “whistle blowing” … that’s an intentional breach of national security.
“Priebus said yes the Russians probably did some hacking along with everybody under the sun.”
Nuf is right. Hell, with zero legit cyber security deployed or implemented to protect John Podestas emails from himself along with the vast swath of poorly protected DNC servers or even Hillarys “Fuck the FOIA” Private Email Server there were probably scores or hundreds of incursions by Friends and Foes and IT Savvy Journalists of every political stripe. Just like every election that preceded it.
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
Kellyanne Conway went to @MeetThePress this morning for an interview with @chucktodd. Dishonest media cut out 9 of her 10 minutes. Terrible!
If you watch Annmarie Conways full interview with an exceedingly militant Chuck Todd in its entirety it becomes pretty clear the Donalds actual “position” on Russia “hacking” the US election hasn’t changed one bit. Click below.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-08/santelli-meets-press-you-picked-sides-election-night-ive-never-seen-you-so-unhappy
In another section of Meet the Press in Andrea Mitchells interview with Rick Santelli he floors our Russophobic NBC (Nobody But Clinton) Shills…“What’s going on here is really so politically driven… where was all this uproar in June when the DNC emails were hacked…this wasn’t made an issue because it would have put the emails in Hillary’s server right in the thick of it… that’s why this went under the radar – this is all tied together”
The shocked looks on the faces on Andrea Mitchell, Chuck Todd, and David Brooks was only bettered by their repeated efforts to refocus the narrative on Putin “as the devil and journalist-murderer” and Trump “as a puppet” but Santelli was not done with them…
JIM CLAPPER ADMITTED NO VOTING MACHINES WERE HACKED AND NO VOTES WERE ADDED OR CHANGED. THE IC HASN’T CHANGED TRUMPS MIND OR FLIPPED HIM YET. TRUMP AND PRIEBUS BOTH ASSERT MANY COUNTRIES TRACK AN TRY TO INFLUENCE EACHOTHERS ELECTIONS EVERY ELECTION CYCLE GOING BACK 100 YEARS. DONALD, ANN MARIE AND REINCE SAY THAT THE FOREIGN PRESS AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS ALWAYS DO THIS KIND OF THING (COVER AMERICAN ELECTIONS) IS GOES ON ALL THE TIME. THEY ALSO ASSERT THAT GIVEN THE COMMON AND LONG TERM NATURE OF FOREIGN COMMENT ON US ELECTIONS OBAMA AND CAPITOL HILLS DRACONIAN SANCTION AND EXPULSIONS ARE EXCESSIVE AND PREMATURE COMING BEFORE THE DNI DELIVERED ITS NOTHING BURGER (REPORT)
Oh come on. Yes, Trump is contemptuous of the media and no defender of the 1st Amendment. Nonetheless, his actual statement is unobjectionable in this case. He said to investigate a leak of secret material – what other response could a president or president-elect possibly have? “Don’t investigate this leak, we don’t need any more info about it?”
US GOV leaks The Washington PropOrNotPost and NBC (Nobody But Clinton)
Trump was apparently referring to the NBC News write-up of what was actually a leak to the Washington Post, which reported on Thursday about the contents of a new Obama administration report describing alleged efforts by the Russian government to influence the U.S. election. NBC confirmed the Post’s account with an anonymous “senior U.S. intelligence official.”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-08/santelli-meets-press-you-picked-sides-election-night-ive-never-seen-you-so-unhappy
Yes, that is a standard response when the leaks benefit the administration.
The administration who praised Wikileaks when it hurt the right?
information wants to be free … when you have nothing at stake
Information doesn’t want anything … it’s just information. The US is sneaking up on a potential war with Russia … are you sure we want to play this game with our cards face up and theirs face down?
dont worry, the CIA has everything under control
They’re pretty much clueless. They figured out the Kryptos sculpture’s “riddle in a riddle”, but don’t understand its meaning. “People to create a safer freer world and surely there is no better place than Berlin the meeting place of east and west.” When they actually solve it for themselves they won’t be eager to share it. But don’t worry, all under control.
Regardless of the merits of the “leak” it should surprise no one that a “leader” dismissive of fact at every possible opportunity will seek to stifle the dissemination of information from any source other than himself.
We’ve seen it before. We’re seeing it again. Maybe the real issue is whether we will acknowledge the lessons of the past or simply be lead to the charnel houses again.
When the information comes from the CIA mockingbird MSM I hope he stifles it. The End of the propaganda will be a good thing.
Doesn’t this “leak” come across as officially approved propaganda disbursement ordered from the top, much like “leaks” on Iraq’s WMD programs back in 2002?
Other media coverage with a more informed viewpoint:
https://consortiumnews.com
US Report Still Lacks Proof on Russia ‘Hack’
January 7, 2017
“Exclusive: Despite mainstream media acceptance, the U.S. intelligence community’s assessment on alleged Russian “hacking” still lacks hard public evidence, a case of “trust-us” by politicized spy agencies, writes Robert Parry.”
Pushing for a Lucrative New Cold War
January 7, 2017
“The New Cold War promises untold riches for the Military-Industrial Complex, causing hawks inside the Obama administration to push for more hostilities with Russia, as in a Syrian case study dissected by Gareth Porter for Truthdig.”
Also see Naked Capitalism:
Trump’s Win: America’s Failures of Representation and Prospects for Democracy
Posted on January 7, 2017 by Yves Smith
It’s pretty hard to run a media outlet without “catering slavishly to the wealthiest sliver of American society,” as well.
And on the corporate media hysteria scale, the Guardian has reached a new high with this op-ed by Nick Cohen, “Russian treachery is extreme and it is everywhere.” Frothing-at-the-mouth McCarthyism has never been so funny.
So let’s guess what the real agenda is:
(1) Corporate Democrats trying to retain their grip on power by blaming their historic electoral failure on Russia, rather than accepting the blame. See this Naked Capitalism article, “The Elephant in the Room is a Donkey”, Jan 7 2017
(2) CIA – State – Pentagon neocon/neolib war pigs trying to whip up Cold War 2.0 for the benefit of NATO and the military-industial complex that threw its weight behind Hillary Clinton, as well as to avoid exposure of the scale of their debacle in Syria, particularly the arming and supporting of Al Qaeda and ISIS forces as an anti-Assad proxy force. This includes the McCain Republicans, Ashton Carter, John Brenner, etc.
no doubt the MSM & US Intel Quacks are pretending their presence over there is invaluable –
Germans protest NATO troop deployment
http://PRESSTV.COM/Detail/2017/01/08/505296/Germany-Bremerhaven-protest-US-deployment
What’s more, with the dumb&dumbers putting nukes with friends, it might make them a target should the US ever provoke a war, even accidentally since as foul as the US rep is now a mishap nuke-off might be seen as a pre-emptive strike.
It will be a real challenge for Trump to be worse than the current war criminal holding the office. The same goes for AG Holter, the scumbag who sanctioned the the theft of trillion s. USA, an evil empire on steroids.
I’d take that bet. These guys can easily be much, much worst.
You must have a crystal ball! If the military industrial complex the dems and MSM are acting this way I think it’s because their criminal thieving fraudulent enterprise is coming to a halt. One can only hope unless they can see the future like you seem to think you can.
My crystal ball is cracked and foggy with no warranty. I would hope that the incoming Trump administration would be much better than Obama on the protection of civil liberties, rolling back perpetual warfare, on crony capitalism, ect. I’m also appualed at the current Russia fear mongering. Yet if I had to bet on it, counter to my wishful desires, I would put my money on this incoming administration being much worse than the current administration as much as could be objectively measured. As to how I would bet on who would have been worst, Hillary or Trump; wagering on future outcome vs a hypothetical one, would be akin to futilely betting on the outcome of dungeons and dragons battle.
MOST “unauthorized leaks of information are essential for journalists investigating the government” ARE ANONYMOUS.
MOST “authorized leaks of information are essential for journalists investigating the government” ARE ON THE RECORD.
SOME “unauthorized leaks of information are designed to mislead journalists investigating the government”
SOME “authorized leaks of information are designed to mislead journalists investigating the government”
I meant to post the previous comment in one of biddles articles, but whatever. Also, while I am at it, let me underline the fact that comments are now censored. Greenwald is such a gallant defender of free speech.
Yet more proof that greenwald – who is responsible for the garbage the intercept publishes – is nothing but a ‘progressive’ fascist trying to pretend that he is something else.
If you feel that way why are you wasting your and our time?
What the hell are you babbling about?
i cannot say, i will pretend i did not hear that
instead
i have to say
i will pretend that i did hear what you said because i would have to pretend to understand what you said as factual.
What is a progressive fascist?
A fascist with an eco car and two girlfriends … one of whom used to be female.
“If Donald J. Trump decides as president to throw a whistleblower in jail for trying to talk to a reporter, or gets the F.B.I. to spy on a journalist,” Risen said, “he will have one man to thank for bequeathing him such expansive power: Barack Obama.”
Trump needs to personally thank Obama for getting him elected (Hillary was stupid enough to campaign on O’s failed policies) and opening the door to fascism in America. At least it will be out in the open now, not covered up with “hope and change” BS.
Hey, dumb dumb, fascism is a socialist construct. History’s most notorious fascist edited Italy’s premier mid-century Socialist newspaper Avanti! (“Forward!”).
Mussolini edited Avanti! 1912-14, not mid-century.
“Forward!” as in Lean Forward.
“Forward!” as in Great Leap Forward.
“Forward!” as in https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=forward%20obama
“Forward!” as in https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Hillary+forward
We get it. It’s the same word. Obama used “Forward”. A socialist magazine used the word “Forward” a hundred years ago. The magazine was edited by Mussolini for a time, so… Obama must be Hitler or something.
Mussolini was kicked out of Avanti, btw, when they realized he was a warmonger. Mussolini later had Avanti burned to the ground, and it was ultimately banned, because, you know, Mussolini loved socialism and leftist politics so much.
When will you realize obama is a fascist war mongerer? I doubt you ever will with that cognitive dissonance you suffer from.
yeah.
or, we could have hellary for pres and be ruled by her TPP.
““Amid the seriousness of the allegations of hacking and foreign interference in our election, asking the House and Senate to look into an alleged leak is a woeful diversion of resources and has the potential to chill the ability of the press to play their crucial role going forward.”
The hypocrisy and internal contradictions found in this paragraph are stunning.
It seems the dim dems don’t yet know Trump is now party leader and has all the political power that role provides him as president-elect. But repubs certainly know it and they are in control of both houses.
the “leaks” have nothing to do with journalists doing their jobs; it has to do with spreading propaganda.
what nonsense…if the pretender looks to jail reporters it wont have a thing to do with obama.
in case you were absent the day the class was taught…that EVERYONE is responsible for their own actions…you might be shocked to learn i cant for example kill someone and blame it on the guy already in jail for murder.
what a horrible writing style and perception.
Your ignorance is telling. It has to do with laws obama passed. It’s funny that the pretender is obama and refuse to come to grips with obamas actions and his responsibility of them.
Sunshine is always better than behind closed doors. If somebody on the inside is willing to risk their their soul, then the info should be published.
The public can judge the info on its merits.
There is a growing concern that the vilification of Russia via an election hacking charge is part on a much larger, long-term strategy wherein the threat of a reemerging Sino-Soviet alliance can be directly addressed. For instance, Gazprom’s $400 billion, 30-year export deal with China has commanded serious attention from the west and is currently shaping American foreign policy as we speak. By radically increasing domestic energy exploration and production, the US has managed to temporarily undermine the projected profitability of such an arrangement. If the resulting 56% drop in crude oil prices continues to hold, then the profit incentive for the Russian owned Gas giant has been erased altogether.
The new Silk Road is another another sign of thawing relations between China and Russia. If allowed to come to fruition, the project will result in a “unified continental market with a capacity worth trillions of dollars per year” for China, Russia, and the EU. The challenge of derailing such a project is immense as its financial backing has solidified with the creation of: (1) a Silk Road Fund, (2) the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), (3) the BRICS’s New Development Bank (NDB). Further solidifying the financial viability of a New Silk Road project is the fact that the yuan now qualifies for the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights.
Absent an understanding of the larger concerns that govern US Foreign policy decisions, one is at a complete loss to fully weigh the significance of many regional conflicts such as Syria. As a precondition to fully realizing the vision of “a unified continental market”, many preliminary trade routes have already been established that are intended to be essential thoroughfares of east-west trade in the near future. In a Oct 16, 2016 article, Pepe Escobar ststes:
When coupled with the fact that a Russian backed Syria is advantageously positioned to benefit from the Iran-Iraq-Syria gas pipeline that would allow vast reserves of Iranian gas to flow into Europe, and eventually toward the far east, one can begin to fathom the Geo-strategic significance of a single nation state. As Trump was boasting his eagerness to do business with Putin during the 2016 election cycle, his posture stood in stark opposition to US foreign policy objectives wherein the US intends to serve as the defacto architect of the emerging global economic order. Because Russia, the EU, Iran, Syria and China are all aligning their economic interests in open opposition to US foreign policy objectives, Trump’s stated intentions are being received as a cause for alarm by many who comprise the established order. Were Trump’s pro Putin statements merely the product of ignorant campaign bluster, or did they actually represent an intended shift in American foreign policy? As Clinton (and, by extension, the democratic party) clearly represent a continuity of American foreign policy that is intended to advance and preserve the financial interests of those who have long comprised the dark state, is it any wonder that the democrats are attempting to resurrect a cold war scenario that will necessitate a shift in Trump’s stated positions in keeping with the status quo?
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/361898-new-silk-roads-terrify/
reemerging Sino-Soviet alliance”
There was Stalin-Mao alliance. Khruschev did everything to introduce Sino-Soviet Split. 1969 Zhenbao incident.
This time, however, Russia seems to be a push-over minor partner, being dictated terms the Chinese deem fit.
“The Sino-Russian pipeline question is one step forward, two steps back… One moment Russia is saying they have made a decision, the next saying that no decision has been made.” – Zhang Guobao, energy minister of PRC, 2006
Russia-China oil pipelines (part of diversification of Russian oil exports plan in early 00s) construction was consistently sabotaged. Khodorkovsky, head of Yukos, who was a proponent of Russia-China energy trade, eventually got imprisoned and stipped of business. Instead contracts between state-owned Rosneft, directed by Sechin, and Exxon-Mobil in Arctics, were given preference.
– Russia-China Relations in the Post-Crisis International Order, 2015
There’s an opinion Xi despises Putin’s inablity to make russian government officials implement contracts signed on the state level. Sees that as a weakness and capitalizes on that, since the 2008 crisis and “Crimean” sanctions push the russian energy sector into the Chinese market.
Silk Road is another another sign of thawing relations between China and Russia
Belt and Road Initiative means there’s Belt of regions alongside the “Road”, that are to be heavily invested by the Chinese ($3 trln of cash the chinese gov has?), that’s the most important part. Russia is not a part of this belt. that focuses on counties of the Central Asia and the Middle East.
My two-cents, do with that whatever you want. You will never see that on RT.
Hi John,
You make some valid points. In the post Soviet era, control of Russia’s fate has been savagely fought over by a number of very wealthy, competing oligarchs. You mention Khodorkovsky and his support of Russia-China oil pipelines, but you failed to mention that Yukos was the only major Russian based oil exporter to China (128, 000 barrels a day) at the time of Khodorkovsky’s arrest. Because Khodorkovsky was already advantageously positioned to reap the benefits of expanding energy trade with China, he was an outspoken advocate of building the necessary infrastructure (Eastern Siberia -Pacific Ocean (ESPO) line) to accommodate projected flows. During his trial, Khodorkovsky has been characterized by Putin himself as a self-interested oligarch whose own obsession with wealth resulted in proposed policy that was deemed destructive to the long-term interests of Russia. In short, Khodorkovsky’s trial reflected a much larger struggle in which the very sovereignty of the Russian state purportedly hung in the balance while a ruthless string of competing oligarchs fought to shape its foreign policy – each to their own advantage. The profits derived from Yukos’ subsequent oil sales to the Chinese Government were use to fund a re-nationalization of Russia’s energy sector – as were those of Lukoil, another private oil company who was tasked to fill the void in Khodorkovsky’s absence.
The Eastern Siberia -Pacific Ocean pipeline would have been constructed to only serve a single client- the Chinese government. The profits derived from the pipeline would have been realized by Yukos exclusively. Khodorkovsky wealth at the time was already estimated at 15 billion dollars – which afforded him a lot of political clout. The Russian government ultimately concluded that the development of its energy infrastructure would better weather unforeseen political circumstance if it was more diversified. This shift toward state controlled energy policy did not put an end to Sino-Soviet oil sales however. By February of 2005, the Chinese government negotiated directly with its Russian counterpart to purchase another 48 metric tons of Russian oil even though there was know future development of Sino-Soviet oil infrastructure in the offing. In the end, Rosneft won the contract to bring Russian oil to the chinese market. To facilitate that arrangement, the Russian government helped to finance Rosneft in its bid to acquire Yukos’s main production asset, Yuganskneftegaz in the immediate wake of Yukos’s demise. Further solidifying this emerging Sino-Soviet relationship was the willingness of the Russians to allow the Chinese government (National Petroleum Company) to acquire a 4 percent stake in Rosneft for $500 million (a three billion dollar offer had been tendered). By October 2006, CNPC and Rosneft jointly established Vostok Energy Ltd., in which CNPC has a 49% stake. This arrangement made the Chinese partners in the exploration for oil and gas in two eastern Siberian blocks in North Irkutsk Province of Russia — Verkhneichersky and West Chonsky.
By 2006, work began on an Eastern Siberia–Pacific Ocean oil pipeline (ESPO) whose first leg was already in operation by 2009. Its successful completion led to the completion of a planned second phase in 2012. The pipeline has a maximum capacity of 1,600,000 barrels of oil per day.
An ESPO pipeline spur has also been built (circa 2009) to accommodate the flow of an additional 300,000 barrels per day from Russia to China. And a parallel spur is currently under construction and will be completed by Oct 2017. Combined, the two pipelines will have a combined annual capacity of 30 million metric tons of crude.
The CNPC website further articulates an evolving relationship with its Russian counterparts:
In regard to Russian support of a New Chinese silk road:
https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/osw-commentary/2016-07-21/russias-greater-eurasia-and-chinas-new-silk-road-adaptation
Hi Karl,
Your analysis of Russian-China’s growing alliance is knowledgeable and an important foreign policy development for us to consider. Much of the economic analysis that you provide is relevant, yet the driver of the emergence and the continual push by both countries to overcome obstacles to develop strong ties is that is a matter of national security. Americans forgein policy shift that focuses on militarism to push American forgein policy has scared both China and Russia (your focus solely on the Clintons is misplaced as this militarized policy became dominate during Bush II administrations). Yet the fact remains that our neglect of forgein policy tools like diplomacy, trade, cultural influence, ect. and pivot to militarism has both China and Russia convinced that its very likely that American troops and/or weapons will end up on their doorsteps and eventually be used against their countries. No matter what intrinsic differences China and Russia may have, this powerful motivator will push them to overcome their grievances to prevent a catastrophic war. Unfortunately un-balanced American foreign policy that strives for hegemonic power, backed by the threats of bombs, is push all sorts of countries together, thus paradoxically eroding American leading place in the international order since WW2. No matter what economic or trade obstacles that China and Russia encounter with one another, the threat of destruction via war will ensure that they continue to forge stronger ties and find solutions (as you aptly provided examples of).
As the article specifically addresses the potential of Russian interference in Clinton-Trump Presidential race, my comments were constructed to provide historical context for the democrat’s anti-Russian hacking narrative; it is not merely a DNC attempt to explain away Hillary’s un-electability, rather it is part of a larger strategy of creating a political climate that will compel Trump to solely rely on intelligence community assessments in the formulation of his foreign policy objectives. As the Intelligence community has been consistent in emphasizing the importance of the US maintaining its role as the World’s preeminent superpower since the passage of the Breton Woods agreement, every US President is subject to intense pressure of further facilitating its basic aims. As Clinton has assumed the role as a consummate insider, she repeatedly emphasized the need to maintain the status quo. It is in this regard that you are right, Obama’s foreign policy was built on that which went before. America’s neoliberal drive toward global economic hegemony is not without limits however. It understands that its concept of free trade is best facilitated by forming legally binding partnerships with like minded nations. As international trade agreements require a unique body of enforceable law, it only stands to reason that a certain degree of national sovereignty must be sacrificed by each partner in the creation of global governing bodies. Even when taking a competitive stance to US hegemonic aspirations, China and Russia are forced to rely on global governing agencies (i.e. World Bank, IMF) of America’s making. The United States is at the pinnacle of power as we speak.
Yes, and this may very well be the hidden purpose of ratcheting up the threat of US hegemonic aspirations. Many of America’s most powerful corporations are transnational in nature; their primary concern is for their own bottom line. Creating conditions that allow for the unfettered flow of transnational capital and labor serves to optimize the potential for the creation of new markets. To this end, the global war on terror is being used to target politically regressive cultures by means of regime change. Transnational Corporations would prefer the creation of corporatist political systems to those that reflect the American ideal as its primary concern is perpetually safeguarding its investment in emerging markets. Russian, Chinese, and Iranian business interests are as equally concerned about safeguarding their own investments in the creation of transnational infrastructure and ensuing markets. The success of the New Silk Road, Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor, and the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor initiatives will all have to rely on a set of conditions that closely mirror those that are intended via regime change. In short, forcing the cooperation of America’s global competitors has the net effect of further legitimizing the role of existing global governing agencies while simultaneously producing mutually agreeable, corporate friendly outcomes in the form of highly integrated regional trade blocks.
Very solid post overall.
In short, forcing the cooperation of America’s global competitors has the net effect of further legitimizing the role of existing global governing agencies while simultaneously producing mutually agreeable, corporate friendly outcomes in the form of highly integrated regional trade blocks.
Untill those mentioned form their own global/regional governing agencies. No growth – no IMF, World Bank, WTO influence. They already defect from bretton woods through trade in local currencies. That is happening now with russia-turkey-iran-india-china, and is damaging to very structure of american-based global financial bodies. There are scissors IMO.
“They already defect from bretton woods through trade in local currencies. That is happening now with russia-turkey-iran-india-china, and is damaging to very structure of american-based global financial bodies.”
In the case of Russia the sanctions placed on them has created a situation where they need to work outside of the Bretten Woods system to continue trade given the sanctions placed on them. In Iran’s case they are willing to join the Bretton Woods system as negotiated in the recent Iran deal. Yet Israelis and Zionistist embedded within our government have worked vigerously to exclude Iran from Bretton Woods thus jeopardizing the dollars world reserve status, the greatest source of wealth to all Americans. Yet it should come as no surprise that Zionists actions are repeatedly detrimental to America’s national interests.
https://youtu.be/99Sf918pUkQ
Nice. Yeah, legit points on Khodorkovsky. But the fact is setbacks on signed contracts after 2006 were real. Shuvalov was responsible for strategic development in the Far East, “assisted” by Dvorkovich (unconfirmed, but they’re from the same “Gaydar” team).
Also we can speculate that the Chinese would cover all the expenses dealing with oil field exploration as well as pipeline construction on russian territory, fact potentially positive for russian energy sector. For the Chinese, it is a vital strategic question, they have to be sure certain volume of oil/gas is delivered by certain date (30 years ahead), in order to do their planning. Of course they cannot do that while there is a climate of mistrust that was (and is?) present.
So private Chinese investors were somewhat reluctant to sign new deals.
One can offer a few conspiratorial explanations why Russians behaved that way.
1) They were afraid the Chinese would take over the process of Economic and Social development in Siberia and the Far East. [somewhat unlikely]
2) China takes over possible oil shipment to the Southeast Asia.
3) Everyone is incompent/unwilling to deal with the Chinese market [somewhat likely, but Sechin was always present, and now he plays an important part in the process]
4) Government (Gaydar part, economic bloc) is existencially western-oriented and delivered on their’s gentlemen agreements with certain groups abroad.
Fun part: the Chinese are the main benefitiaries of the whole 2013 Ukrainian story. Need to google Yanukovich China Crimea.
What’s that saying about a clever monkey who watches two tigers battling each other in the valley?
Khodorkovsky was a criminal from the start.
He acquired Yukos thru fraud by rigging the bidding so that he could buy the company for peanuts.
He belongs in prison for life.
A seemingly credible analysis that assumes citizens will have access to information outside the MSM and are willing to make an effort to investigate on their own.
Reasonable certainly, unfortunately, not likely.
The Media should be hung out to dry on this debacle… anyone who thinks this is real is either not paying attention, is in denial, has amnesia or has very little gray matter. as for leaks to ComPost… Bezos, who owns the ComPost has a 600m contract with CIA… of course all leaks lead to him. And he’s gonna print whatever they tell him. Who’s a fascist?
Pravda called they want their journalist back. The “intercept” how funny it is just like the “guardian,” a limited hangout. So much in a name. Propaganda peddlers, acting gatekeepers for the PTB.
imagine the losers at the cia letting Americans get killed in the WMD fraud – how stupid are they. Invading a sovereign country for no reason other than sicko paranoia with fun and profit for criminals like bush and cheney. And wallstreet robbing Americans of homes and retirement funds so they can do it all over again because they are unamerican gangster thieves – probably pigs.
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/ussliberty.html
Good for Trump. The whole Russian hack is a lie, based on assertions, not evidence. Wikileaks has stated repeatedly that Russia never gave them the emails and Obama’s cooked intelligence rants provide no evidence to the contrary.
When we contrast the hack of a private non-profit, the DNC, to the 20 million government employee records hacked by the the Chinese, we can see that the media is neoliberal, unconcerned with real hacking, and whipping up hate against Russia to stir up a potential nuclear war.
Trump doesn’t dispute the Intelligence Community’s findings. He’s as corrupt as Obama and Clinton, and he hasn’t even taken office yet.
Corrupt how? You do know he hasn’t even taken office yet. And you might think he needs to tread carefully with the known CIA conspirators that have erased one US president and countless foreign leaders. Lots of judgements going on with zero facts. Kind of like this whole Russian hackers thing….
Hmmm
“Corrupt how?” Wellllllll…. Please research the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which is one of the most critical conflict of interest provisions for all U.S. government officials.
Wellllll he’s not even president yet. He has clearly stated he would divest from his businesses. You were ok with the Clinton foundation I’m sure and the saudis 20 mil donation. That’s cool. With all the scrutiny on trump that’s your go to. Impressive.
“[Trump] has clearly stated…” … Oh? lol Has he? Well then, Silly, I have a bridge I’d like to sell you … Please step right this way.
” journalists investigating the government”
The problem is, they don’t investigate, they report the info that was leaked. If they investigated and actually told the truth, we wouldn’t have Donald Trump as president right now.
That’s funny. The real investigative reporters seemed to favor trump over the status quo.
i don’t think anyone should be jailed for leaking classified information to the press. But if any leaker is going to be pursued criminally, this is exactly the kind of leak that should get someone locked the fuck up.
Greenwald constantly points out the hypocrisy of punishing people like Chelsea Manning or Snowden or Kiriakou. This is exactly the kind of leak he always counterposes — powerful people high up in government leaking bullshit “secrets” for political purposes. 180 degrees from genuine whistleblowing.
The source for the leak should be locked up until s/he rats on the higher ups. You know damned well it was either senior congressional Democrats or, much more likely someone from the White House or the Intelligence “community.” That means walking it up to Clapper, or even Obama.
If Trump were to go after the leakers without trampling the reporters, on this one I’d stand up and cheer. He won’t lay off the press, of course, and the people who would “investigate” it are the actual leakers, but this whole phony hysteria about the Rooooooskie hackers represents everything wrong with the national security classification system.
If he were serious, Trump would ask for all of the intel, and not their chickenshit “analysis” and just summarily declassify it. Sources, methods, all of it. Do it day 1. There is no question under US law that he has the authority to do so, save possibly for revealing the names of undercover US intelligence officers.
Again, he won’t. He’s as much an authoritarian as Obama if not more so, and wants to preserve the privilege to abuse classified information by making political discourse subject to criminal secrecy sanction, but it would be fun to watch the bipartisan hissy fits. There would be an unprecedented run on smelling salts and fainting couches in DC.
What you people do not understand is that the Press is the Enemy.
This was iterated by President Richard Nixon to his confidant and adviser Henry Kissinger.
The entire Press Corp. has been infiltrated and filled with Prostitutes and Felons that are beholden to their masters for the release and leniency they received in the commutation of the sentences.
They live at the expense of the American People, under the White Slavery that holds all men in stagnation or the wealth of their willingness to accept the corrupt system that our government has become.
Trump is not in charge of anything.
He is just another in a long line of Puppets that serve a vast and intricate criminal enterprise.
The government is run by exactly the people who President Dwight Eisenhower warned you about.
The same people the JFK warned you about.
The same people that Richard Nixon warned Kissinger about.
They are the slave masters of Vietnam and the importation of Golden Triangle Narcotics.
They are the FBI, the DEA that prosecuted the War on Drugs, while fully supporting the importation of Narcotics by the CIA to fund foreign Wars of South America.
They are the Iran-Contras, Sandinistan Rebels, Saddam Husseins, Manual Noreigas, Osama bin Ladens, ISIL/ISIS’s and Leaders of JSOC of Iraq/Afghanistan fame as described in “Dirty Wars” by Jeremy Scahill.
These are the Enemies of th American Dream and the American landscape.
This is “Our Nation”.
The People of the United States.
And the Only Answer is the Destruction of these Men, Agencies and Organizations at All Costs.
These are the Enemies that Our Nation is now Saddled with.
Tracy Mapes
The Red ‘X’ Society
————————
https://www.facebook.com/notes/tracy-mapes/top-national-intelligence-failure-of-the-21st-century-sacramento-california/10154671060488280
This idiot “Russia hacked the election” meme is now officially over, see?
If I had any “confidence” in our Alphabet Agencies before this, it is completely shot now, but tbh, I can’t say I ever had very much to begin with..
A clown-show(Insane Clown Posse?)when you mix them with our Congress.
I’m sorry, but they all seem so…childish. And not in a Shirley Temple way, more like Damien, from The Omen..
They are there to promulgate their own war-driven, profit-driven (for them), austerity causing (for US), agenda through this type propaganda. Too many see right through it now.
How is it that when you just sample forums online, or you talk with people you know, you get a WIDE range of opinions and “thoughts”, but if you listen to all of these people from our government and “media”, they’re all saying and projecting the exact same “talking points”? It’s the stuff of Stepford Wives. Hardly an “outlier” to be found…
None of our “representatives” can show even an inkling of some independent thought? And they’re supposed to represent us? That’s laughable….no wonder why Trump won…ah, would have loved to have seen a Trump vs. Bernie showdown..now that would have been grand!..but oh, yeah, the DNC INTERFERED in the election and stole that possibility from all US citizens, thus changing the course of history…oops?
SPOT ON
They are there to promulgate their own war-driven, profit-driven (for them), austerity causing (for US), agenda through this type propaganda. Too many see right through it now.
they’re all saying and projecting the exact same “talking points”? It’s the stuff of Stepford Wives.
None of our “representatives” can show even an inkling of some independent thought
The foreign policy crowd is a nest and network of thieves, guaranteed!
“Unauthorized leaks of information are essential for journalists investigating the government, ..”
Any journalist “investigating the government” would be fired by the Washington Post (aka The Slaveowner’s Gazette).
This wasn’t a leak by a well intentioned citizen working for the government, it was part of a massive propaganda campaign by neo-con warmongers who will do anything to prevent any lowering of international tensions. They fear peace the way that other vampires (the nocturnal ones) fear garlic. As to Free Speech and the media-don’t make me laugh.
You are absolutely correct and point out why this journalist will probably keep his job here at the New York oops I mean Washington oops I mean the intercept. Propaganda has many heads….
According to DailyBeast it was Wikileaks who tweeted that thedonald should be upset.
I love this coming from Wikileaks. “Oh god, they’re doing what we do. This is outrageous!”
The fact that you don’t see why this is a problem is outrages. Wikileaks isn’t supposed to be accountable to us the government is. The whole point is lost on you…
“Amid the seriousness of the allegations of hacking and foreign interference in our election, asking the House and Senate to look into an alleged leak is a woeful diversion of resources and has the potential to chill the ability of the press to play their crucial role going forward.”
Um, huh? The before and after comma statements seem to be at odds with each other. Wikileaks is a press organization. She apparently wants the House and Senate to look into an alleged leak/hack (to Wikileaks). But then she says they shouldn’t look into leaks to the press.
Does she not think Wikileaks is a press organization? Does she think it has a “crucial role going forward”? Or does that only apply to press/leaks she agrees with?
Maybe you don’t understand, but the Russian government, The Kremlin, is what/who that is in reference to….Wikileaks released material, but are not being blamed for the hacking. So the article/statement makes perfect sense.
I don’t think you are such a naive fellow to believe that this was a disclosure to the media. This is part of a concerted and determined effort to discredit our President-Elect his victories over crooked, evil, lyin’ and low-energy people from all over the country, and is intended to bottle him up with one controversy after another so that he spends more time battling himself than doing all the good things he has in mind.
What Donald Trump has actually done is called the bluff by the phony spooks in this Russian stuff. I have grave doubt if “anonymous sources” really exist, or people at WaPo just make up stuff and attribute it to them. Media has become so toxic that anything is possible. The story may have actually been originated at NBC and passed on to the spooks to feed our President-Elect, who true to his character and intelligence can see through the mischief.
Referring to Trump’s “character and intelligence” makes a post very suspect, fyi. Maybe skip that if you want to be taken seriously.
Coming from a successful intelligent character like you! Ha ha
Bubbling over with joy, are you? Oh, you flatterer!
You sound insane.
Gee imagine a world, and government, where the governed were entitled by law to know as much as possible about those governing them, rather than the other way around. Oh wait, that’s primarily what the founders wanted to see happen in giving the press special protection in our Constitution (the one “industry” or human endeavor other than the requirement to have a Post Office, which incidentally was also addressed for the express purpose of creating the opportunity for every American to be informed about those who govern and influence their lives by low cost circulation and delivery of publications and personal correspondence so that the American people would have access to the information necessary to actually engage in self-governance.)
Sad that some people have forgotten that. Particularly the US Congress, its members, and those in the Executive Branch who seem to have forgotten it as well.
new law
the PUBLIC INFORMATION OWNERSHIP ACT
(give it a try)
Yes, While were at it we should bring back the USPS banking system since the FDIC that supplanted it was nearly insolvent during the 2008 – 2010 Financial crisis. I believe that Bernie
Sanders floated the reprise of that idea. Too bad he and his supporters are blamed for the failure of the Affordable Care Act according to our current Shuck and Jiver – in -chief promoting his singular domestic policy achievement. Hillary Clinton and President Obama would have you believe that it would be too disruptive to the status quo.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obamacare-idUSKBN14Q2E5
The following trope and meme is excerpted from:
For Immediate Release August 11, 2009
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
IN HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM TOWN HALL
Portsmouth High School
All right. The gentleman right here in the white shirt.
Q Good afternoon, Mr. President. My name is Ben Hershinson (ph). I’m from Ogunquit, Maine, and also Florida. And I’m a Republican — I don’t know what I’m doing here, but I’m here. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: We’re happy to have you. We’re happy to have you. (Applause.)
Q Mr. President, you’ve been quoted over the years — when you were a senator and perhaps even before then — that you were essentially a supporter of a universal plan. I’m beginning to see that you’re changing that. Do you honestly believe that? Because that is my concern. I’m on Medicare, but I still worry that if we go to a public option, period, that the private companies, the insurance companies, rather than competing — because who can compete with the government; the answer is nobody. So my question is do you still — as yourself, now — support a universal plan? Or are you open to the private industry still being maintained?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think it’s an excellent question, so I appreciate the chance to respond. First of all, I want to make a distinction between a universal plan versus a single-payer plan, because those are two different things.
A single-payer plan would be a plan like Medicare for all, or the kind of plan that they have in Canada, where basically government is the only person — is the only entity that pays for all health care. Everybody has a government-paid-for plan, even though in, depending on which country, the doctors are still private or the hospitals might still be private. In some countries, the doctors work for the government and the hospitals are owned by the government. But the point is, is that government pays for everything, like Medicare for all. That is a single-payer plan.
I have not said that I was a single-payer supporter because, frankly, we historically have had a employer-based system in this country with private insurers, and for us to transition to a system like that I believe would be too disruptive. So what would end up happening would be, a lot of people who currently have employer-based health care would suddenly find themselves dropped, and they would have to go into an entirely new system that had not been fully set up yet. And I would be concerned about the potential destructiveness of that kind of transition. All right? So I’m not promoting a single-payer plan.
I am promoting a plan that will assure that every single person is able to get health insurance at an affordable price, and that if they have health insurance they are getting a good deal from the insurance companies. That’s what I’m fighting for. (Applause.)
Now, the way we have approached it, is that if you’ve got health care under a private plan, if your employer provides you health care or you buy your own health care and you’re happy with it, you won’t have to change.
What we’re saying is, if you don’t have health care, then you will be able to go to an exchange similar to the menu of options that I used to have as a member of Congress, and I can look and see what are these various private health care plans offering, what’s a good deal, and I’ll be able to buy insurance from that exchange. And because it’s a big pool, I’ll be able to drive down costs, I’ll get a better deal than if I was trying to get health insurance on my own.
This is true, by the way, for small businesses, as well. A lot of small businesses, they end up paying a lot more than large businesses per person for health care, because they’ve got no bargaining power, they’ve got no leverage. So we wanted small businesses to be able to buy into this big pool, okay?
Now, the only thing that I have said is that having a public option in that menu would provide competition for insurance companies to keep them honest.
Now, I recognize, though, you make a legitimate — you raise a legitimate concern. People say, well, how can a private company compete against the government? And my answer is that if the private insurance companies are providing a good bargain, and if the public option has to be self-sustaining — meaning taxpayers aren’t subsidizing it, but it has to run on charging premiums and providing good services and a good network of doctors, just like any other private insurer would do — then I think private insurers should be able to compete. They do it all the time. (Applause.)
I mean, if you think about — if you think about it, UPS and FedEx are doing just fine, right? No, they are. It’s the Post Office that’s always having problems. (Laughter.)
So right now you’ve got private insurers who are out there competing effectively, even though a lot of people get their care through Medicare or Medicaid or VA. So there’s nothing inevitable about this somehow destroying the private marketplace, as long as — and this is a legitimate point that you’re raising — that it’s not set up where the government is basically being subsidized by the taxpayers, so that even if they’re not providing a good deal, we keep on having to pony out more and more money. And I’ve already said that can’t be the way the public option is set up. It has to be self-sustaining.
Does that answer your question? Okay, thank you. (Applause.)
Shuck and Jive urban dictionary definition:
“Shucking and jiving” was a tactic of both survival and resistance. A slave, for instance, could say eagerly, “Oh, yes, Master,” and have no real intention to obey. Or an African-American man could pretend to be working hard at a task he was ordered to do, but might put up this pretense only when under observation. Both would be instances of “doin’ the old shuck ‘n jive.”
It has been adopted into non-Afroamerican speech, with a reference to behavior adopted in order to avoid criticism.
This means what. Wyden’s going to speak in coded soundbites every night so he doesn’t get his ass prosecuted under the Espionage Act?
Oh, c’mon. Trump is just tweaking the self-importance you media types hold yourselves in. Your panties are all in a twist because Russia allegedly leaked DNC emails to Wikileaks but you don’t give a crap that top secret intelligence information is being leaked to the Washington Post. Get over yourselves.
I always assume that these “anonymous officials” leaks are authorised. They are given to media outlets that can be counted on to put the proper spin on it.
I expect Trump will continue this tradition, but the recipients will be Breitbart, etc.