While I agree with Friedman's analysis of the content of the materials leaked, I think he soft-pedals the ramifications. The justice department is going to spend millions of dollars and thousands of man-hours, to unravel the actions to build a case that involved the release of relatively useless information. New rules and regulations to protect relatively useless information will be created, which will mean increased bureaucratic reach and size. All of this is on behalf of an effort to criminalize behavior down to the smallest detail that in reality creates little harm. It makes me very uncomfortable. It makes me very uncomfortable that the "wonks" don't seem troubled by this. I suppose the point is that the prestige of such people is enhanced by their proximity and reach into the highest echelons of the continuously expanding power of the state and its bureaucracies.Originally Posted by Old Eagle
On the other hand, I did quite enjoy the article in the Sunday Post Outlook section that argued for a shift to laws that are self-destructing.
I think the stables need to be mucked out, too much has been accumulating for too long, and we take too many things for granted. So, the law that was written for Ellsberg, because of the material he passed along that eventually came to be known as the Pentagon Papers -- and these really were valuable historical materials, they are wildly fascinating, a truly insightful view into the processes at the topmost levels -- does not seem to fit the "Lite" version that Manning has created.
Jill
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