War on Whistleblowers

Filmmaker Robert Greenwald's timely documentary looks at the experiences of four American whistleblowers whose involvement with U.S. government programs led them to reveal disturbing facts through the press. Greenwald's first subject, Franz Gayl, was an advisor at the Pentagon at the start of the Iraq War when he tried to draw attention to the inadequacy of Humvees that were easily blown apart by roadside bombs. Thomas Drake, a senior executive at the National Security Agency, was responsible, post-9/11, for creating surveillance programs to root out terrorists, but he objected to warrantless wiretapping of Americans and took his case to reporters. Similar tales from the Department of Justice and government contractor Deepwater Horizon are presented here, with the common denominator being a subsequent overreach by officials—who have even invoked the 1917 Espionage Act in prosecuting those whom they deemed offenders (despite a lack of actual espionage). Greenwald speaks to a number of esteemed journalists (including the New York Times' Bill Keller and David Carr, and investigative reporter Seymour Hersh) who discuss how Barack Obama promised transparency during his administration, but has actually gone after more whistleblowers than any U.S. president in history. Greenwald concludes that America has become a “secrecy state,” with citizens deliberately kept in the dark about national policy issues that affect their lives. DVD extras include audio commentary by Greenwald and extended interviews. Compelling, provocative, and ultimately disturbing, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)