The lengths of douche-baggery governments will descend to astounds me. David Miranda, partner of investigative journalist was detained at London's Heathrow Airport for almost 9 hours (the maximum time one can be held without being charged) under Schedule 7 of the UK’s Terrorist Act. It isn’t much of a leap to assume that the US’s long arm of intimidation had a hand in this most recent harassment of journalists. This administration, the one recently caught with their hand in the proverbial privacy/freedom of the press cookie jar when it was revealed that it collected the hone records of Associated Press editors and journalists, has clearly demonstrated that it has no respect for the Constitutional rights and civil liberties of the American population.
Harassing the partner of a high profile journalist who recently authored the NSA disclosures by whistle blower Edward Snowden falls in the category.of beneath con tempt. Flexing it’s ‘ bully muscles once again, the United States only gives credence to what Greenwald had charged in his numerous articles, no government, no administration should have this much power that it secretly obtained,, with no real oversight. Legislation passed In the post 9/11 era that is supposed to keep us safe, is the very legislation that subverts the civil liberties and constitutional rights of its population to allow for tactics of intimidation demonstrated here. To appreciate the dangers of this over reaching legislation started with Bush, expanded and codified under Obama, all you have to do is visit Guantanamo or read about 16 year old, American citizen Abdulrahman al-Awlaki.
Does it even make sense to detain and harass the partner of an investigative journalist who has demonstrated that he will expose the truth at any cost?. The lack of forethought defies logic. Glenn Greenwald’s profession uses words to communicate to the world specifically regarding the wrong doings of governments. He does this well and he is effective. Does it even make sense to detain and harass the partner of an investigative journalist who has demonstrated that he will expose the truth at any cost?. The lack of forethought defies logic. What did they expect would happen that David Miranda and Glenn Greenwald would hide.
The airwaves are filled with prime time noise, the Apprentice or Bachelorette which differs little from the news presented by CNN or MSNBC. It is all superficial fluff, distracting static which we follow like a shiny object while the fabric of nation is ripped apart by those we elected. If they are willing to harass and intimidate Glenn Greenwald, who is a Constitutional lawyer, has resources, has the ear of the people, has the Guardian’s legal team on his disposal, how do you think regular citizen Joe will fare?