Exposing The War on Whistleblowers - With robert greenwald - 2/2

i believe it's to at least two times more what is it the day views of six or seven times approach which is more powerful at all previous ministrations point to get that it's it's a little dog what but they're prepare it's double all previous administrations now you could argue you know this point about point that pat again staring up at the fate that need to be talked about now why is it important a cad right last center how is ur money being spent where is it being spent uh... one of the laws that are being broken one of the moral codes that are being broken you've got money making up safer in national security or is it all isn't being used for profit and protected tution and we're not going to find out from these institutions it is interesting because you know we we have seen also uh... now the imprisoned and uh... the c_i_a_ agent who reported essentially who blew the whistle on torture uh... carolco and and of course those people who in this in the torture who ordered the torture and this league disdains even more relevance now i'll last week we we saw the release of a report by the constitution project headed by um... a self-righteous in and uh... a former congressman jones which said unequivocally that we tortured unequivocally that it was systemic unequivocally that it was a came from the highest um... the highest levels of though the u_s_ government is speaking of the the bush administration none of those people have faced any accountability there is a wide consensus in this country that uh... torture is wrong uh... and certainly a by all legal standards it is illegal yet the whistleblower is in jail meets was an ending you also tell the story i should say of thomas temple who worked at the justice department and essentially provided the the whistle blowing on the uh... illegal n_s_a_ wiretapping that was taken place the warrantless wiretapping so art so we have liked to have a most two different types of of whistle blowers that are being attacked there some that are that are better uh... that are revealing the overreach of the government in terms of of uh... there the our civil liberties and some that are basically just coming out and saying hey there's a tremendous mona fraud or waste going on here in both instances were seen the the security in secrecy apparatus u use the guest and in this i think you know your your your uh... analogy of a middle managers quite apt media began when he returned to stand that if they're box some type of secret code at their company you know i work at verizon and we have a we have a national horizon ah... secrecy died doctrine we're going to use at any time you start telling people then taken three our lunches uh... to get drunk or something that's basically what uh... what we're seeing here in in many respects yet that's exactly right and and so i mean it won't do you think weren't u you mentioned that this you express that that in some ways the au bon ministration is a victim of this nat's carry apparatus is it growing and what's happening that deal bomb administration in obama who came into office at least expressing um... a a problem with these issues of uh... warrantless wiretapping and secrecy in one of more transparency what what is happening to that apparatus that it's actually seems to be gaining exponentially more power analytical political locking thing um what is its license scope is we stay in the film and dana priest the bill archit in there groundbreaking series of articles books point out national security state monitors route annually one point you can email everyday national security state has buildings uh... sides of repaired the car put together head on and on and on so thats you know of the mir indicator of its side you think will the president comes david he could do whatever he wants well part of our job is we've seen from a friend to the immigrant the l_d_p_ he community is to push the precedent this is an issue if you need to push it uh... dana priest jade mayor talk of the film about the president getting to close to the city i uh... taking his job on as uh... being in alignment with the c_i_a_ rather than understanding and realized thing that peace secrets are not going to make up safer you know he does take his job seriously we may disagree with him a lot about about being commander it'll be making our country's safer but keeping these secrets in noche performa any kind makes safer it has the opposite effect and that's why in the film you know we have people across the political spectrum calling this issue i have and and uh... in u you also spend a lot of time the film the talking to allot of journalists who uh... you know last week the end and discuss the chilling effect that it's taken a journal so i don't think people really fully grasp that and uh... talk a little bit about that because uh... you also uh... you didn't mention in the film this is the the legal issues that james rise in is having uh... mba we hear from a lot of different uh... journalist that this is actually having a real impact on on the not just uh... the sort of the wholesale level in terms of the uh... the whistle blowers but on the retail level of the uh... of the journalists there will be journalist servers saying for a critical pickup message out without them we wouldn't hear about the story they would dodi state dept within the institution so the journalistic critical and what the journalist alyssa we got an amazing group of journalists who were not in the habit of speaking out by the way 'cause they you know journalist dot abdicated one of the things i hope people will deal with the pill will be discredited hewlett packard kate so we have checked barefoot your kid dana priest for the washington post mike isikoff of events and peace she and david carr and bill keller from the new york times said side her shoe you know everybody knows should know and each of them talks in different ways it's crippling which different experiences about the effect that these crackdown has that it's harder to get sources from the phone harder to talk to people jane talked about doing that story and you know having to fly around the country and hobe strange hotel rooms to interview people because of a-level here at that gender when they come after him prom tradekey mentioned you know was as cited under the speed and um... and of course a you know uh... the you you you cover how the the these whistleblowers lives have been ruined and uh... the legal bills that uh... one of these journalists do it let me ask you to do you think that there is or paranoia within this uh... national security apparatus in some respects because a whistleblower today has far more avenues the message acne is it for is less isolated from the public in some respects than they were even ten years ago i mean i i i'm thinking specifically uh... vom of i it was the court's linked with i guess it was the court's in youtube uh... and provides a sort of uh... i guess uh... uh... an avenue for whistle blowers that didn't exist ten years ago yes will backstreet definitely are avid use in a way get it out but both same avenues also exist for the national security state for the f_b_i_ and for others to spy listen crackdown gain access to your emails and your phone calls so it's it's definitely works both ways in you know there are opportunities to get things out and uh... there is the fear that they can find u_n_ track you no matter where and how i mean i guess i'm thinking of that uh... that that uh... fatal scene at the end of three days of the condor max uh... on cedar says to uh... sister robert redford you tell them the story speaking of the times the how do you know they print it what will happen to you if they don't print it today a robert redford would say then i'll put it on you tube and uh... some of the buzzfeed yes debited back actually but good news the problem is they're trying to scare people into not using those sources those possibilities that are available to get to work and robertson in week uh... you know was interviewed you many times over the years since you you know and um... i i think people uh... know that you use to be hehehhe that you use to make ah... entertainment more entertainment based films i mean i did the uh... a steal this movie the uh... abbie hoffman film so you clearly always had uh... you know some sort of uh... political uh... interest and uh... proclivities in fact uh... i don't know if you remember i know i thought you story on there but hi uh... i was very close to getting the reporter role but apparently you have to put a canadian in there to shoot it up in a corner now we've talked about a pastime five-letter gary west professional perspective mates yes i understand it but uh... where but living with the uh... with the implications of it but i mean as you've done now and almost uh... like eight i think it is uh... documentaries uh... since that time what has your perspective on our politics changed in terms of what you see is the fundamental problems that we're dealing with i think i've become more aware systemic structural issues the more i work on the films of the more that we try to connect the dots that the dots jump at it us more and uh... i don't think it and i'm it's clearer and clearer to me that hits not a question of electing individual candidates it is a question of social movements that create the change the pressure the candidates no matter who they are and the social movements that came up to take on the structural issues of economic inequality of uh... the war is about how we get into the what our society has become and i'm thrilled to we've been able to make vivi silverton as long as uh... support continues for listeners we have small funders big funders nations the amazing amazing payment brave new films salvation you know we have plan to continue to do more of these which continued to say this is how it works and i think that's something in net you know one of the saying media environment that sadly lacking this is how it works this week to this point today and so that you know the best emails like adder tweak that i get over and over again our people appreciative of being able to understand something better and from the understanding i think comes back uh... robert greenwald of from brave new films that brave new films dot org uh... we'll put a link up of to your latest film the uh... uh... the war on whistleblowers and upside headed right in front of me the war on whistleblowers free press in the national security state and again uh... folks we're gonna put a link up and uh... brave new films is uh... offering you the dvd for free if on your honor you will basically hold the screening so that more people can see the film it's a very important film it's um... uh... and uh... i appreciate your taking the time to talk to us about it today robert thank yous sanskrit feedback on the air