News 080417

Now a word from the administration's sponsor.  Axioms of history's most successful propagandist, Joseph Goebbels, include the following:

    “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”
    “Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.”
    “Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated are confident they are acting on their own free will.”

Aug. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Friday the Department of Justice is "reviewing" media subpoena policies for reporters who cite anonymous sources in leaking classified information.

Sessions said at a news conference that federal law enforcement agencies will ramp up efforts to stem the tide of information leaks emanating from within the Trump administration, a fact that President Donald Trump has vented about publicly.

"One of the things we are doing is reviewing policies affecting media subpoenas," Sessions said. "We respect the important role the press plays and will give them respect. It is not unlimited. They cannot place lives at risk with impunity. We must balance the press' role with protecting our national security."

This is clearly an attempt to intimidate the media from publishing public information that the people have a legal right to know.  Administrations in the past have attempted to control public information that is "leaked".  The extent of the leaks within the Trump administration work both ways, some to counter abuse of power and other leaks by the administration itself to gain power.  DOJ claims all non-official leaks are breaches of national security and classified.  The reality is that most of these leaks are political embarrassments stamped classified not military of diplomatic secrets. 

The problem with the Trump administration is that there are to many blunders to keep concealed from the public.  The Trumpites began their cover up by demonizing honest reporting while elevating alternate facts (flat lies) generated by White House propagandist as the only truth.  It quickly became apparent that only Trump's troops were being deceived so suppression was ramped up with direct threats against journalist.

Freedom and democracy quickly fall victim to suppression of independent oversight and public debate.  If public policy can not withstand public viewing then the policies are dangerously wrong.