Thomas Drake, NSA whistleblower on charges of espionage: Dissent has become mark of a traitor 1 of 2

DemocracyNow.org -
On May 18, Democracy Now! aired an excerpt of a recent speech given by Thomas Drake, a National Security Agency whistleblower who faces 35 years in prison on espionage charges for allegedly leaking information to the press about the NSA's overspending and failure to properly maintain its large trove of domestic spy data. He was honored with the 2011 Ridenhour Prize for Truth-Telling. Drake's comments were broadcast during the Democracy Now! interview with Jesselyn Radack, the homeland security director of the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leading whistleblower organization. This video was originally posted by The Nation Institute.

Watch Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeySXTaZLOA

Radack was on Democracy Now! to talk about the case of Thomas Drake and to address the Obama administration's treatment of whistleblowers. Democracy Now! felt his speech was so important that we wanted to repost it in its entirety.

"Espionage is the last thing my whistleblowing and First Amendment activities and actions were all about," Drake said in his speech at the award ceremony hosted by the National Press Club April 13. "This has become the specter of a truly Orwellian world where whistleblowing has become espionage."

According to The New Yorker, the Obama administration has used the Espionage Act of 1917 to press criminal charges in five alleged instances of national security leaks—more such prosecutions than have occurred in all previous administrations combined.

"Dissent has become the mark of a traitor," Drake says. "Truth is equivalent to treason. And speaking truth to power makes one an enemy of the state, and yet who is really the enemy here? Speaking up at all against the abuses, malfeasances, illegalities committed by the government invites being an equivalent of a political prisoner or worse, placing a criminal indictment on my head."

Click here to watch the Democracy interview with Jesselyn Radack: http://www.democracynow.org/2011/5/18/inside_obamas_orwellian_world_where_whi...

Click here for more information about Thomas Drake's case and his award: http://www.ridenhour.org/

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Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• thomas drake
• tom drake
• nsa
• national security agency
• whistleblower
• Ridenhour Prize. espionage
• democracy now
• new yorker
• jane mayer

[9ner]

This is a depressing happening in America. There are so many like this man who come out and profess the truth, but time and time again they are silenced. Bradley Earl Ayers, a confirmed CIA agent, has relevantly illustrated this consistent occurrence, stating that, "Lives [of whistle blowers] are destroyed in one way or another in the pursuit of truth -- by false accusation". Fight on, brother.

[simichbrau]

Indeed. What he is describing if fascism. Raising national security to the level of a state religion.

Didn't we fight the Nazis to end just this sort of barbaric "government"?

President Obama: it's time to put and end to the secrecy as well as the harassment of those brave individuals who come forth with the courage to expose this chicanery against our own good citizens as well as the citizens of the world.

[JDCAEN]

Mr Drake is a very honest and heroic individual. If i had the authority i would make him the director of NSA. I believe with this man at the helm, our freedoms and safety would be well guarded. Well done Mr Drake and thankyou for your service to this country.

[DgurlSunshine]

SUPPORTING THE CONTINUED poisoning your food, soil, water & air!!!!! THE 1% TREASON OF AMERICA....

[DgurlSunshine]

MAY THEY ALL STAND UP! OCCUPY!

[DowJones16WB]

Thomas Drake is a hero chalk one up for the good guys and girls.

[wolfdaddy205]

,,so it'$ okay to break laws and commit treason if the "white house" says so?

God save u.s...

=/

[AfricanDiasporaWar]

The fact that the Obama administration allowed the prosecution is an unbelieveable travesty.  What happened to the "open government" he promised us. I am saddened and disgusted!

[steveahmann]

well said Mr. Drake

[ydabom]

I agree with most of the sentiments here, and I am wondering, how are we to support this man?

Shouldn't we show up at his trial on June the 13th? With signs and things? Is there anything being organized? Please reply to this message if this is so!

[ella5024]

Are they torturing him with ELF waves? Do they have a signal on his body? They are doing that to a lot of people. They can see through your eyes! They can entrain a signal onto your EEG/EMF signature, from a distance! Read about Targeted Individuals!