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Originally Posted by MuadDib
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americ....ap/index.html
Disregarding whether or not the people turned back were actually terrorist or not, doesn't it strike anyone else as wrong that supposed "journalists" think its okay for them to go hop through government websites looking for unsecured information that is likely sensitive and then proceed post it on the internet or through some other media outlet?
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I don't think so at ALL. Not even for top secret labeled information.
In fact the supreme court ruled back in Nixon's days (the pentagon papers) that just because the government classifies something as top secret (or whatever) that doesn't mean a damn thing. If a journalist wants to distribute it...it is entirely his perogative. Assuming the government is unable to prove a crime was committed in obtaining them. (obviuously a rather dubious assumption, since these days they are required to prove nothing, and can obtain a conviction for every single person on the planet for something, anytime it wants).
I have no problem with that.
I have HUGE problem with any governments fixation on secrecy upon the alter of national security. HUGE. Especially, as in the pentagon papers case, this fixation is so blantantly and mailciously, abused.
-bear