Watch War on Whistleblowers: Free Press and the National Security State

War on Whistleblowers: Free Press and the National Security State is a 2013 documentary film that explores the importance of whistleblowers in maintaining transparency and accountability in the United States government. The film features interviews with several prominent whistleblowers, including Daniel Ellsberg, Franz Gayl, and Seymour Hersh, as well as journalists and legal experts. The film begins with the story of Daniel Ellsberg, who famously leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971, revealing the true extent of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Ellsberg's decision to leak the documents was driven by his belief in the importance of holding the government accountable for its actions. The film argues that whistleblowers like Ellsberg are vital to the functioning of a democratic society, as they bring to light information that is crucial for citizens to make informed decisions. The film then moves on to other whistleblowers, including Franz Gayl, a civilian employee of the U.S. Marine Corps who revealed that the military was delaying the delivery of mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gayl's revelations led to the faster deployment of the vehicles and likely saved countless lives. The film also features interviews with Thomas Drake, a former National Security Agency (NSA) official who exposed a program that he believed violated Americans' constitutional rights, and John Kiriakou, a former CIA officer who revealed that the agency was using torture as an interrogation technique. Both of these whistleblowers faced retaliation from the government, with Drake being prosecuted under the Espionage Act and Kiriakou being sentenced to prison. Throughout the film, the whistleblowers discuss the moral and ethical dilemmas they faced in deciding to leak information, as well as the personal and professional consequences they faced as a result of their actions. They also highlight the importance of a free press in holding the government accountable, and express concern about the current state of press freedom in the U.S. The film also includes interviews with journalists who have reported on government secrets, including Glenn Greenwald and Michael Isikoff, as well as legal experts who discuss the legal challenges faced by whistleblowers and journalists. The film argues that the government's crackdown on whistleblowers is not only a threat to individual rights, but also to the functioning of democracy itself. Overall, War on Whistleblowers: Free Press and the National Security State is a powerful and thought-provoking documentary that raises important questions about the role of whistleblowers in society and the importance of government transparency. Through interviews with whistleblowers, journalists, and legal experts, the film offers a compelling argument for the need to protect individuals who expose government secrets.