In a world of slanted journalism, hackers and leakers of vital information are providing a new and desperately needed return to real journalism. Recent examples of courage and risk in pursuit of full disclosure which counters media distortions of fact must be followed. Hackers and leakers are providing the public service mandate once enveloped within the vaunted parchment of the First Amendment- an obligation far too long forgotten.
America is the origin of media lies and a willfully ignorant public that believes them. Strangely, most US citizens wallow only in the proffered world of gray journalism- one that wraps the truth and the mind of the reader, instead, in the flag of nationalist colors. Thus stubbornly adhering only to their predisposed personal opinion, one belies demonstrative evidence to the contrary, this malady is shown, at least, in the irrational national adulation for two very flawed current presidential candidates. This opinion ignores an obviously controlled media that is promoting one candidate (using lies) while viciously attacking the other (using lies). This past month, repeatedly hackers and leakers across the globe have smashed America’s mindless and too regularly used false talisman: America is “exceptional” and therefore US democracy is functioning normally.
The remaining free world should be holding up many hackers as strong examples of moral, social, and geopolitical outrage, as once they did the forgotten journalists of a similar dedication. In a modern world dominated by a media establishment that universally propagates a false set of mistruths to their fawning audience, Americans happily exist in this realm of deliberately obfuscated gray. The willfully ignorant wrap themselves in this insular, flag-draped shelter of their singular and fraudulently produced opinion, hence it takes a cold, hard slap across the face, in repetition, before Americans suddenly emerge from the hard chrysalis of media control. This journalistic malignancy grows by the lies it tells or, more often, the truth deliberately edited out. In an apathetic and disaffected society, rarely does an American step outside their field of gray and investigate, via the very few but easily found news services that regularly fill in this gap, the complete story. Today’s hackers and leakers aspire to the correct news reporting tenants; those of Mencken, Murrow, Cronkite, Halberstam, Greene, Thompson, Thomas… This last month, thanks to a plethora of hacks and leaks, has been an epiphany for many Americans and a vindication for good journalists too easily minimized regardless of their careful presentation of fact. Like the bloody photographic reality of an Israeli murdered Palestinian child or video horror of dismembered US Afghan drone victims, this month’s hacks and leaks have torn to shreds volumes of previously authored gray media scat. A partial review of this month’s myth-busting by Hactivists is thus in order.
George Soros has been confirmed as a major player in the Ukrainian/ Maidan Square coup after new leaks revealed his direct involvement. Documents have surfaced which demonstrate the immense power and control Soros had over Ukraine’s government in the immediate aftermath of the illegal overthrow of the Maidan government. This confirms what journalists have been reporting for more than two years, and solidifies Soros’ position as a public enemy of the world.
Billionaire philanthropist George Soros has been making waves in the political arena. His Open Society Foundations have been funding the legal fees of the Open Society Justice Initiative, which has a stated goal of increasing the U.S. electorate by at least 10 million voters by 2018. Recent documents released by DC Leaks have shed light on his activities.
Soros’ influence has also been felt in the realm of internet access. Thanks to the Obama administration’s allegiance to Soros, on October 1, 2016 internet control will pass from the federal US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to the private Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This move raises questions about how much control Soros will have over the information accessible to Americans. If his plans come to fruition, the answer may be a concerning amount.
George Soros and his Open Society Foundations have been making headlines this month due to their continued efforts to purchase American democracy for themselves. This involves actively funding the election campaigns of state and federal judges, thus introducing a new definition of Soros-brand “justice” into the already corrupt US judicial system.
As the truth behind Soros’ plans is revealed, it is time for the nation to direct its anger and hatred toward the right target. If Soros is to be held accountable for his actions, it will be due to the hard work of a select few reporters who have been committed to uncovering the truth.
Recent evidence has cast a shadow of doubt on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Julian Assange, a prominent critic of the establishment, has claimed that the recent leaks are only a “teaser” and that further incriminating information is set to be released in batches in the near future. This has led many to question whether they can trust the Democratic candidate come November 8th. With the mounting criminal allegations against her, it is unclear how the voters will respond when they go to the polls. It remains to be seen what effect these revelations will have on the election.
President Obama’s foreign policy has been met with limited success, despite his eight years in office. Previous reports have suggested that the President lacked the necessary political clout to push his agenda forward, resorting to bribery instead. Recent leaks have further exposed the President’s actions, with allegations that he sent $400 million in cash to Iran as a ransom for hostages. This has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of Obama’s presidency.
In a dramatic turn of events, the shadowy hacker group “The Shadow Brokers” have released legitimate hacking tools from the National Security Agency’s (NSA) special-ops entity, the “Equation Group.” The incident has sparked debate over whether the incident was a hack or a leak by a new NSA whistleblower. Nevertheless, the breach of the NSA’s elite IT operations is a clear demonstration of the vulnerability of the agency’s cyber security and a warning of potential future threats.
The work of hackers and leakers must be recognized for what it is: Journalism. These anonymous figures are akin to the hard-nosed reporters of old, fighting against the spread of misinformation and manipulation of public opinion. They show a commitment to the truth in a world of half-truths, a dedication to a higher moral standard, and a willingness to take risks to their personal and family freedoms in pursuit of these goals. In the current war against media lies, these cyber heroes are playing a vital role. They should be acknowledged for their commitment to reporting the truth.
This month, the moral implications of cybercrime were brought to the fore by the hackers behind the Ashley Madison data leak. In July 2015, a group known as The Impact Team breached the security of the Ashley Madison website, a platform designed to facilitate extramarital affairs. The hackers copied the personal data of the website’s users and threatened to release their names and information unless the website was shut down. The incident has since sparked a heated debate over the ethical implications of cybercrime and the security of personal data.
The Impact Team made headlines on 18 and 20 August when they leaked more than 25 gigabytes of Ashley Madison data, exposing the identities of the website’s once-anonymous members. These members had been engaging in adultery, hiding their sins from their spouses and themselves. The Impact Team’s actions brought their crimes to light, prompting a moral reckoning from the rest of the world. In the wake of this scandal, many have praised the Impact Team for their efforts in re-establishing a higher standard for fidelity.
Today marks a significant moment in the ongoing fight against ignorance, as Marcel Lazar Lehel, better known as Guccifer, was sentenced to fifty-four months in prison for leaking documents that exposed the truth about Hillary Clinton’s national security crimes. Guccifer, a forty-four-year-old former taxi driver and paint salesman who was arrested in Romania and extradited to the US in 2014, joins a long list of world journalist heroes such as Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, Mordechai Vanunu, W. Mark Felt, and Daniel Ellsberg who have put truth ahead of their own personal freedom. This is yet another reminder of the immense sacrifices made by those who strive to bring the truth to the public.
On June 18, 2013, journalist Michael Hastings’ life was cut short when his Mercedes C 250 ES accelerated to a speed of over 135 MPH on a quiet Hancock Park/ Los Angeles street, before exploding in flames and crashing into a palm tree. Two days after the crash, the Los Angeles Police Department declared that there were no signs of foul play.
Hastings had been investigating US General, David Petraeus, who had allegedly provided top-secret military intelligence to his news reporter and personal biographer mistress, Paula Broadwell. It is believed that the key information had been leaked to Hastings by Jill Kelly, whom he was due to meet the day after the crash.
Tragically, Hastings’ untimely death meant that the full story was never told. On April 23, 2015, Petraeus pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified materials. He was given a two-year probationary period and a fine of $100,000. The tragedy of Hastings’ death serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting the truth.
Last month, an unknown individual attempted to scale the walls of the Ecuadorian embassy, raising concerns of an assassination attempt on Julian Assange. Emergency calls to the local police station, which was located only a few blocks away, went unanswered for two hours.
Today’s hackers and leakers are often not rewarded for their work, as their primary goal is not financial gain, but rather the successful publication of their stories. This was evident with the launch of “The Intercept,” a news outlet created by Glenn Greenwald that relies on information from underground sources. Greenwald was privileged to receive one of the few complete copies of the 2013 Snowden revelations, which he used to launch the website, as well as attract a large readership. It is unknown if Greenwald has shared the financial benefits of this success with Snowden, but he has received a book deal, a book tour, and an invitation to the Oscars.
For many journalists, the pursuit of monetary gain often leads to a difficult decision between fading away or selling out. However, those motivated by personal dedication, such as Edward Snowden, face a more controlling obstacle in getting their work to the public. Cyber-journalists have come to the same realization as their contemporaries: that all information is subject to the discretion of editors. Whether it be mainstream or alternative media, editors are the ultimate gatekeepers of online information. This was made evident when Snowden entrusted the largest NSA document dump in history to four editors: Greenwald, Alan Rusbridger, Wolfgang Buchner, and Frederick J. Ryan Jr. of The Intercept, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, and The Washington Post, respectively.
The Snowden leaks revealed that the NSA was intercepting and storing all phone calls and metadata from five US-allied countries under the program MYSTIC. When the Intercept, led by Glenn Greenwald, released the names of only four of the five countries, they refused to disclose the fifth. This story gained traction worldwide, but the four editors of the documents refused to reveal the fifth country. Fortunately, Julian Assange and WikiLeaks had a fifth copy of the documents, which they used to hold the four editors accountable. After a week of excuses, WikiLeaks revealed that the fifth country was Afghanistan. This was a powerful answer to the world, showing the commitment of real journalists to the truth.
Deliberately failing to reveal key facts to readers is a form of journalistic treason, undermining trust in the media. This insidious evil seeks to shroud the world in ignorance, but journalists are fighting back. Hackers and leakers have taken up arms, driven by a deep-seated passion to take action against the tide of disinformation. In the face of this onslaught, a fire is smoldering, waiting to be ignited by those who are willing to fight for the truth.
Hackers, take heed. You have joined a battle that few understand, fewer still embrace with commitment, and almost none approach with fervor and conviction. We will not yield to a standard that falls short of our expectations. Brothers, the challenge is now yours. The time is now.
