Old-Thinker News | March 6, 2012

By Daniel Taylor

The sudden and unexpected death of Andrew Breitbart has sent ripples throughout the media world. It also highlights an era of paranoia in the Obama administration and various government agencies.

In the July-August edition of the Smithsonian magazine, an article titled “Leaks and the Law” discusses the crackdown of the Obama administration on government employees that threaten to disclose “sensitive information.” Despite the Obama campaign rhetoric praising whistleblowers as “patriots,” the administration has undertaken an ironfisted campaign against them.

In 2010, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper announced that there would be no more “blabbing secrets” to the media. He added that government employees should be “seen not heard.”

In 2009 a reported enemies list drawn up by the Obama administration was released by the Globe. As Aaron Dykes reports, several of the individuals named have indeed been subject to dirty tricks and various scandals. The outspoken individuals who would most likely be “blabbing secrets” handed to them by whistle blowers are the very ones who have been targeted.

Threats emanating from the federal government over leaked information appear to have done little to stop leaks from happening. In fact the opposite effect appears to be taking place. Under the Obama administration there have been record leaks coming from wikileaks. Alternative media outlets like Infowars.com have broken many key stories due to tips received from government employees.