Who's really gambling on national security?
To: Chicago Tribune Editorial Board
One statement in your June 1 editorial 'The Senate gambles on national security' stands out:
"You might blame Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky for this national security lapse. He held up Senate action to save provisions of the Patriot Act that expired Sunday night. Paul, running for president, filibustered, protested and campaigned as the deadline approached. His bid to raise campaign cash linked to this maneuvering is crass."
What is truly crass is how easily the Trib Editorial Board uses an irrelevant, unprovable and salacious charge to denigrate the important, largely lone effort Paul has made to end the originally secret, illegal spying on all Americans in contravention of 4th Amendment privacy rights. The Trib has never exercised its duty as an influential member of the Fourth Estate to protect our privacy rights under assault from a renegade government bent on launching criminal war after the 911 attacks.
Come to think of it, the Trib never did its Fourth Estate duties to challenge the rush to criminal war based on lies, manufactured false evidence, fear tactics and endless propaganda. Only one member of mainstream media, MSNBC's Phil Donohue, challenged the Bush administration's Iraq war juggernaut, and he was summarily fired to keep the entire Fourth Estate in line.
What really jeopardizes national security is rogue terrorist events such as the Boston Marathon bombing launched by one-off attackers influenced by America's endless bombing of innocent Muslims in the Middle East as we try to salvage our empire and influence there. Sadly, the Trib is fully supportive of that empire and influence retention in spite of its inevitable bad ending for a world power declining from military overreach.
Your editorial said nothing in support of the reforms implemented by Edward Snowden's revelations and Rand Paul's legislative efforts to end senseless, unwarranted and un-Constitutional spying. That absence speaks volumes about the Trib's media and governing values.
One statement in your June 1 editorial 'The Senate gambles on national security' stands out:
"You might blame Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky for this national security lapse. He held up Senate action to save provisions of the Patriot Act that expired Sunday night. Paul, running for president, filibustered, protested and campaigned as the deadline approached. His bid to raise campaign cash linked to this maneuvering is crass."
What is truly crass is how easily the Trib Editorial Board uses an irrelevant, unprovable and salacious charge to denigrate the important, largely lone effort Paul has made to end the originally secret, illegal spying on all Americans in contravention of 4th Amendment privacy rights. The Trib has never exercised its duty as an influential member of the Fourth Estate to protect our privacy rights under assault from a renegade government bent on launching criminal war after the 911 attacks.
Come to think of it, the Trib never did its Fourth Estate duties to challenge the rush to criminal war based on lies, manufactured false evidence, fear tactics and endless propaganda. Only one member of mainstream media, MSNBC's Phil Donohue, challenged the Bush administration's Iraq war juggernaut, and he was summarily fired to keep the entire Fourth Estate in line.
What really jeopardizes national security is rogue terrorist events such as the Boston Marathon bombing launched by one-off attackers influenced by America's endless bombing of innocent Muslims in the Middle East as we try to salvage our empire and influence there. Sadly, the Trib is fully supportive of that empire and influence retention in spite of its inevitable bad ending for a world power declining from military overreach.
Your editorial said nothing in support of the reforms implemented by Edward Snowden's revelations and Rand Paul's legislative efforts to end senseless, unwarranted and un-Constitutional spying. That absence speaks volumes about the Trib's media and governing values.
posted by Walt Zlotow at 8:31 AM
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