Posted by JimHK on November 11, 2013 at 12:11:26:
In Reply to: Heidi Boghosian book Spying on Democracy posted by JulieH on November 11, 2013 at 12:04:35:
I also saw that program on book TV. Sometimes I think shows like Book TV (and the internet at forums like this) are the only places you can find out what is actually going on in this country. I was especially impressed with Robert Scheer. His main point was about secrecy in a democracy. A government that won't let the people know what they are up to doesn't sound like a democracy to me.
: Anybody read Heidi Boghosian's book "Spying on Democracy"? I saw her on book TV this weekend. She seemed quite knowledgeable about the US government's current move to suppress any and all information about what they are up to. She said the Obama administration is the most secretive in history and has prosecuted more reporters than any other administration. Robert Sheer was the moderator. He said no matter what we think of Edward Snowden, we have to admit that he has helped us understand what the government is really up to. He said if the government is going to lock up reporters that try to reveal what the government is up to, how are we, in a democracy, going to know who to vote for (or against)? I guess that's the point: they don't want us to know what they are up to because if we knew, we wouldn't re-elect them. They make promises when they are campaigning for office, and then when they get elected, they break those promises but try to keep that fact secret.