Does Secrecy Make Us Safer?

When NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked details of massive government surveillance programs in 2013, he ignited a raging debate over digital privacy and security. That debate came to a head this year, when Apple refused an FBI court order to access the iPhone of alleged San Bernardino Terrorist Syed Farook. Meanwhile, journalists and activists are under increasing attack from foreign agents. To find out the government's real capabilities, and whether any of us can truly protect our sensitive information, VICE founder Shane Smith heads to Moscow to meet the man who started the conversation, Edward Snowden.  Watch the episode.

Described by WIRED as “the most wanted man in the world,” Edward Snowden is being sought for leaking top-secret documents that unveiled widespread surveillance programs overseen by the federal government. He currently is hiding out in an undisclosed community in Russia, where he says he goes mostly unrecognized.

1) Is Edward Snowden a 'traitor & a coward' or a 'patriotic hero?  You decide.

2) What does Tulsi Gabbard, our new Director of National Intelligence, think?

3) Should we have secrets from our Government? Explain.

4) Should our Government have secrets from us? Explain.

5) Where does our right to 'privacy' end and the Government's right to 'know' begin? 

6) Who plays Snowden in the Hollywood movie?  Watch the Trailer.

7) Do you agree or disagree with this decision?  Is it biased?

8) If you were directing the movie who would you choose?  Why?


Watch an Oscar nominated documentary about Snowden .

Watch the pivotal moments in 'Citizen Four' and learn how they came to life on the screen.

Should Edward Snowden be 'pardoned?'

What has happened to Edward Snowden in the decade since his exile?

Existential Angst: Pentagon Papers

 

Daniel Ellsberg, the military analyst whose release of the so-called Pentagon Papers in 1971 blew the whistle on American decision-making during the Vietnam War, has died aged 92. Ellsberg was employed as an analyst at the RAND Corporation when he made the decision to leak over 7,000 documents covering US policy in Vietnam to papers including The New York Times and The Washington Post. The revelations contained within what became known as the Pentagon Papers showed how successive inhabitants of the Oval Office had deceived the public on the war's progress and the prospects of American victory. The government of President Richard M Nixon charged Ellsberg with federal crimes including theft, conspiracy, and espionage on the basis that his leaking of information compromised national security.

Video Clip #1

1) Who had commissioned the study of American entry into the Vietnam War? Why was the study commissioned?

2) Why did Daniel Ellsberg copy the report? Why did journalist Neil Sheehan feel it was necessary to publish the study?

3) What do you think is the more important issue, that government documents were leaked or that the US government hadn’t been totally honest in its assessment of the Vietnam War?

4) What was President Nixon’s original thought about the publication of the study? Why did he eventually change his mind?

Video Clip #2

5) Why do you think Nixon was so vigorous about trying to stop publication of the Pentagon Papers? In your view, is this a violation of the newspapers’ First Amendment freedom? Why or why not?

6) Why do you think the Nixon administration planned to go to such extremes to discredit Ellsberg (breaking into his psychiatrist’s office, leaking personal information about him)? 

7) Could there have been a justifiable reason for Nixon’s conduct in this matter? What would it be?

8) Were Ellsberg or Nixon justified in their behavior, or did they both cross the line of responsible behavior by government officials? Explain why you think the way you do.

Superbowl Commercials

At more than $8 million for a 30 second spot, Superbowl commercials are 8x more expensive than what it cost to broadcast the original game in 1967. 

1) Why are companies willing to spend so much?

2) What techniques do advertisers use to get what they want?

3) What commercial did you think was the best?  Worst? Why?

What In the World?

In more than half the world’s countries, banning, confiscation and censorship of publications are everyday occurrences. Even today, nearly two billion men and women live under governments which restrict their right to know the truth. More than 1 billion of those people live in China.

How does Chinese censorship work?

Freedom of the Press

A press that is free to investigate and criticize the government is absolutely essential in a nation that practices self-government and is therefore dependent on an educated and enlightened citizenry.

Who said this?      Why is The Press Important?

 

On the other hand, newspapers too often take advantage of their freedom and publish lies and scurrilous gossip that could only deceive and mislead the people. Jefferson himself suffered greatly under the latter kind of press during his presidency. But he was a great believer in the ultimate triumph of truth in the free marketplace of ideas, and looked to that for his final vindication.

1) How is our Freedom of Press essential to our Democracy?

2) What does the 1st amendment say about Freeodom of Press?

3) In what ways is our Freedom of Press unique?

4) In what ways has the Press been limited throughout our History?

5) What were the 'Pentagon Papers' and how did they challenge the 1st Amendment?

In the Beginning...

...there were no journalists. But in every place written language emerges, you can find publicists.

The ancient Maya civilization of Central America left behind a riddle: an intricate and mysterious hieroglyphic script carved on stone monuments and painted on pottery and bark books. Because the invading Spanish suppressed nearly all knowledge of how the script worked, unlocking its meaning posed one of archaeology's fiercest challenges. Until now.

Decoding the Maya Glyphs

Write your name in Maya Glyphs.

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

This expression has been attributed to everyone from Voltaire to Uncle Ben in the Spider-Man comic book; but what does it mean?  

The phrase “Great powers bring great responsibilities” is said by Peter’s foster father and uncle, “Uncle Ben”, in the form of advice or warning. Ignoring what would be the last words he would hear from his uncle, Peter decides to employ his new superpowers to win money in a wrestling tournament. He wins the fight, but ends up being deceived by the event's promoter. When a thief steals the promoter’s money, Peter takes revenge by omission: he chooses to let the thief escape. He later learns that his uncle had been shot to death. He starts looking for the killer. When he finally finds him, the hero-in-the-making finds out that it was the same thief that he had let go. The fact naturally awakens a heavy sense of guilt and an acute sense of responsibility and heroism.  It is later repeated by Aunt Mae in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

What is the true origin of the saying?

What power does the media have?

What responsibility do we have to check it?

Lesson: Creating Healthy News Habits