We have previously discussed the attack of President Obama on press freedom. As with the comprehensive attack on privacy, there has been little outcry from Democratic or liberal voters to the placing of journalists under surveillance or the treatment of reporters as potential criminals for receiving information from whistleblowers. Even those who express disappointment have not let these policies alter their continued support for the Administration. Many simply buy the White House argument that the other guys are worse. Well, international groups view the matter a bit more objectively and this month released a report that should be an utter embarrassment for every American. The United States — once the world champion of press freedoms — have called to forty-sixth in the world, according to the World Press Freedom Index. The drop is tied directly to the anti-media policies of President Obama.
The report notes that George Bush also cracked down on reporters but that the situation has grown even worse under Obama:
There has been little improvement in practice under Barack Obama. Rather than pursuing journalists, the emphasis has been on going after their sources, but often using the journalist to identify them. No fewer that eight individuals have been charged under the Espionage Act since Obama became president, compared with three during Bush’s two terms. While 2012 was in part the year of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, 2013 will be remember for the National Security Agency computer specialist Edward Snowden, who exposed the mass surveillance methods developed by the US intelligence agencies.
The whistleblower is the enemy. Hence the 35-year jail term imposed on Private Chelsea/Bradley Manning for being the big WikiLeaks source, an extremely long sentence but nonetheless small in comparison with the 105-year sentence requested for freelance journalist Barrett Brown in a hacking case. Amid an all-out hunt for leaks and sources, 2013 will also be the year of the Associated Press scandal, which came to light when the Department of Justice acknowledged that it had seized the news agency’s phone records.
Due to these policies and actions, the United States dropped 13 places and is now ranked behind behind the former Soviet republics of Lithuania and Latvia as well as Romania, Poland and Czechoslovakia (both the Czech Republic and Slovakia), Ghana, South Africa and El Salvador.
One could easily ask: how did we come to this? The answer is as obvious as it is shameful. We came to this place through the acquiescence or silence of many who refuse to oppose Obama despite policies that have led to repeated foreign military excursions, killing U.S. citizens on his sole authority, assault on privacy rights, refusal to investigate war crimes, and attacks on media and whistleblowers. As I have said before, there is a clear cult of personality surrounding this President that has insulated him from opposition by many Democratic and liberal voters. Worse yet, this silence has led to a massive increase in presidential powers that will continue beyond this President. He will leave a different system and a different country in the wake of his tenure. It will not only be difficult for many Democrats to criticize abuses in the future but even more difficult to regain ground that we have lost. The increasing national security and presidential powers asserted by Obama have become the new normal.
The report is a sad measure of our standing in the world. Obama had an opportunity to reverse many of the abuses of the Bush Administration. However, he chose to retain and expand on those abusive policies. Now the core rights that have long defined Americans — privacy and the free press — have been sacrificed with little more than a shrug of regret by Obama followers. For the first time, Americans must look at countries like Romania as example of greater support for press freedoms.
As I have previously discussed, our claims to be the world’s leader in civil liberties and constitutional protections is increasingly being challenged around the world. Indeed, the problems described in my earlier column on the “Ten Reasons Why The United States Is No Longer The Land Of The Free” have only grown worse. As our press and privacy rights fall, the White House continues to stress that we have to trust the President to do the right thing. As I discussed in another column, this is the very argument that the Framers warned us to reject as a siren’s call of every authoritarian in history.
So, in the end, I do not blame Obama who (like other leaders) has shown an insatiable appetite for unilateral power. I do not blame him for using his star power to distract from these policies. No, he merely demanded the powers but, to paraphrase Julius Caesar, “The fault, dear citizens, is not in our stars, But in ourselves.”
United States Drops To 46th in Press Freedoms Under Barack Obama
But we’re still exceptional.
Right?
We need more choices, not just the 2 corrupted parties. That is the ONLY way back to freedom. “There is no freedom w/o choice.”
One of the hallmarks of the Obama administration is the use of right wing boogie men as a way of smearing those who object to Obama’s policies. t. This has been an effective propaganda technique. It has thought stopped many people on the left from considering the merits of the case for impeachment.
This type of propaganda depends on teaching the left to believe every right wing person is evil and their views are without merit. It further tries to erase reality by making certain that left wing critics are seen as evil people, in league with far right odious figures, out to get an innocent president.
So my question to the propagandists is, why is considering impeachment, when impeachable offenses have been committed, wrong? This question cannot be deflected by pointing to evil right wing Republicans unless one is trying to propagandize others.
Answer it straight up. Why is it wrong to consider impeachment for impeachable offenses?
http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/item/17524-congressman-seeking-support-to-impeach-obama Annie, Far right wing Texas congress man and senate candidate Steve Stockman would like to impeach Obama. I doubt he will get too far as his reputation is rather unsavory. He probably has some supporters that post here.
We didn’t love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation…. We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward.” ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Annie,
“I’m not in favor of impeachment because I don’t think he has committed an impeachable offense. I certainly don’t think he’s corrupt either.”
I looked up Nixon’s Articles of Impeachment and #8 lists as one of his high crimes and misdemeanors his misleading public statements to deceive the people of the US that a thorough investigation was occurring. President Obama has made misleading statements to the public about the ACA and about the NSA surveillance for sure. However, unlike for Nixon, there is no investigation into any wrongdoing.
Does there need to be an ongoing investigation for his misleading statements to be considered impeachable?
What about for the kill lists? Is he acting outside the scope of the presidency to have and utilize kill lists (particularly as it pertains to Americans)?
Annie,
Obama has committed a longer list of impeachable offenses than Bush! Even Kucinich, a Democratic minion, thought he should be impeached. Several times different Congress members have mentioned thinking about filing articles of impeachment. If we had a functioning system of govt. Bush’s and Obama’s butt’s would have been out of office pronto. They would likely, after a free and fair trial, both be in prison for war crimes.
Giovanna, Obama is not a socialist. He is a corporatist through and through. The socialist party has been highly critical of Obama. It is correct to say he has made many unilateral decisions which he does not have the legal right to make. These decisions come from a raw power grab, not socialism. If you read up on socialism, it is not anything the same as Obama’s policies.
There is a saying that Obama practices capitalism for the poor and socialism for the rich. That is an ironic way of showing how destructive his policies are to the poor.
Barack H. O-bummer……… the GREATEST political disappointment of my 70 year old life…….!
Annieofwi-Because of foolish liberal pride, it’s people like you who choose to bury your head in the sand, and because of this you are contributing to the bringing down of this country. Why is it we hate to admit we made a mistake in voting him into office? Let’s stop voting for the party and start voting for what is best for our country and our people.
Obama and his administration has deceived our country in many areas, yet you contend he’s not corrupt. His socialistic views are overstepping his constitutional boundries, he is bypassing Congress and making decisions he has no right to make without their vote.
Mr. Turley is one of the few liberals who has had the courage to stand up and say this is wrong and we must take action.
Annieofwl – You certainly don’t think he’s corrupt?
cor·rupt [kuh-ruhpt] adjective
1. guilty of dishonest practices,
IF you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. In my world, dishonest practice is lying over and over again.
I certainly don’t need to mention all of the other abuses of this administration to realize that the freedom of this country is headed in the wrong direction.
And as far as what will we do? I guess we’ll have to wait until November to see if America will stand up & be heard.
I’m not in favor of impeachment because I don’t think he has committed an impeachable offense. I certainly don’t think he’s corrupt either.
Arent you just critisizing the POTUS because he is black? Do you have a deep seeded hatred for all black people?
Seriously though I was not considered a rascist when I voted for the man the first time but now that I see he is just as much a puppet as the previous traitor to hold that office its because Im rascist. Its obvious now that this particular puppet was selected by the controlling elites because of the power of the race card .
The whole New World Order agenda is Satanic in case you havnt figured it out yet.
Annie,
“Impeachment? … I doubt that the majority of Americans would be in favor of such measures, I know I wouldn’t.”
Why are you not in favor of impeachment? This is the least violent and chaotic of the list you outlined, and one that is expressly outlined by the Constitution as the method of handling a corrupt president.
To announce that there must be
no criticism of the president…
is morally treasonable to the American public.
Theodore Roosevelt
surely we have as much forcefulness in our nature to stand up to this martinette. Where are the congressmen who will bring this tyrant to justice?
I meant “isn’t” wacky enough. I’m watching skeleton as I try to write this.
I think Jill’s got it just about right.
Figures David thinks the Republitea party is wacky, I mean, libertarian enough.
Professor Turley,
Where were your complaints six years ago when Obama said he was going to do precisely what he is doing now?
Free speech may be turning for the better:
Speech must still be free on the Internet
Posted Friday, Feb. 14, 2014
BY MIKE NORMAN
mnorman@star-telegram.com
The Internet has given us an explosion of information, commentary, communication and just plain word flow the likes of which have never been seen before.
You’d think our democracy could handle it — and for the most part, it has.
Words on the Internet are not without restriction. Threats, bullying, reckless lies and fraud are just as wrong in cyberspace as they are in the real world.
Still, serious questions and court fights have been raised about whether speech on the Internet is free speech.
Full article here:
http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/02/13/5567996/speech-must-still-be-free-on-the.html?rh=1
@randyjet
No one will argue that UK has more restrictive press freedom laws than the US.
But I don’t recall MI-5 trying to accuse a journalist working its sources (what any decent investigative journalist ordinarily does BTW) under a statute like the Espionage Act.
Oh! What about Barrett Brown? 105 years in prison for the Stratfor emails? And James Risen?
Yes we’ve got awesome laws? What good are they if TPTB trash them at every turn?
American woman, ok I’ll bite. “What are we going to do?” What would you have like to be done? Insurrection? Impeachment? Secession? I doubt that the majority of Americans would be in favor of such measures, I know I wouldn’t. I’d be curious to know what you feel should be done.