Misc. Current Events: Prisons and Property Tax
On the one hand... on the other:
EU's anti-terror chief: no proof of CIA prisons; and yet, C.I.A. employee fired for alleged leak.
I'm not at all surprised that the firing was announced on a Friday afternoon. The hope, eternally springing, is that the news cycle will have chewed through the announcement a few times during the weekend, when nobody is paying attention, and that perhaps a bigger or newer story will break before Monday, pushing the embarassing disclosure into old news, and therefore oblivion.
When the administration is proud of something it's done, there's a speech, a live press conference carried on the radio and CNN, lots of press releases. When they're nominating, covering up, or whitewashing something they'd rather no attention be paid to, naturally it's kicked out the door as quietly as possible.
As to the merits of the firing of the anonymous employee: it is, of course, often grounds for losing one's job to disclose information of importance to national security. Or at least losing security clearances, etc. In fact, if done to harm national security interests, or at least with reckless disregard therefor, it's arguably treasonous. Contrariwise, disclosure of important information whose secrecy harms national security interests presents a strong defense. It's not treasonous not to disclose that the U.S. is doing something illegal, immoral, and/or contrary to our own stated position. But there is a much better argument for the disclosure. See, e.g., the Pentagon Papers. Whether the fired agent might have a valid claim based in the First Amendment is beyond my expertise, but doubtful. The courts often refuse to hear such cases, even with secrecy and filings under seal. See Tenet v. Doe, 3/2/2005.
And in other amusing news, art imitates life: Property Tax Dispute Threatens Band of Polygamists. In Big Love, aired on HBO, Bill Paxton's character Bill Henrickson, a closeted polygynist (okay, a polygamist-in-this-case-meaning-a-man-with-three-wives) in a feud over tribute/tithing/a loan/shakedowns with his father-in-law, the Prophet Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton), contacts Utah's Attorney General's Polygamy Czar and warns Roman that he'll tip off the Czar regarding an investigation of shady real estate deals involving unsuspecting senior citizens.
Query whether the NYT would be so quick to cover the investigation - or at least run it so prominently - if "Big Love" had not roused so much interest in polygamy in recent weeks. Maybe the media refers back to art, imitating life....
EU's anti-terror chief: no proof of CIA prisons; and yet, C.I.A. employee fired for alleged leak.
I'm not at all surprised that the firing was announced on a Friday afternoon. The hope, eternally springing, is that the news cycle will have chewed through the announcement a few times during the weekend, when nobody is paying attention, and that perhaps a bigger or newer story will break before Monday, pushing the embarassing disclosure into old news, and therefore oblivion.
When the administration is proud of something it's done, there's a speech, a live press conference carried on the radio and CNN, lots of press releases. When they're nominating, covering up, or whitewashing something they'd rather no attention be paid to, naturally it's kicked out the door as quietly as possible.
As to the merits of the firing of the anonymous employee: it is, of course, often grounds for losing one's job to disclose information of importance to national security. Or at least losing security clearances, etc. In fact, if done to harm national security interests, or at least with reckless disregard therefor, it's arguably treasonous. Contrariwise, disclosure of important information whose secrecy harms national security interests presents a strong defense. It's not treasonous not to disclose that the U.S. is doing something illegal, immoral, and/or contrary to our own stated position. But there is a much better argument for the disclosure. See, e.g., the Pentagon Papers. Whether the fired agent might have a valid claim based in the First Amendment is beyond my expertise, but doubtful. The courts often refuse to hear such cases, even with secrecy and filings under seal. See Tenet v. Doe, 3/2/2005.
And in other amusing news, art imitates life: Property Tax Dispute Threatens Band of Polygamists. In Big Love, aired on HBO, Bill Paxton's character Bill Henrickson, a closeted polygynist (okay, a polygamist-in-this-case-meaning-a-man-with-three-wives) in a feud over tribute/tithing/a loan/shakedowns with his father-in-law, the Prophet Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton), contacts Utah's Attorney General's Polygamy Czar and warns Roman that he'll tip off the Czar regarding an investigation of shady real estate deals involving unsuspecting senior citizens.
Query whether the NYT would be so quick to cover the investigation - or at least run it so prominently - if "Big Love" had not roused so much interest in polygamy in recent weeks. Maybe the media refers back to art, imitating life....
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- Scandals! We got scandals.
- Misc. Current Events: Prisons and Property Tax