On the Espionage Act: misssylviadrake

On the Espionage Act

This was an act passed in 1916 to stifle dissent against World War One. It was first used most famously against Eugene V Debs; it was under this act the Rosenbergs were killed. Wikipedia explains the act's original context, purpose and history very well: note that it was this act under which Daniel Ellsberg was accused:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espionage_Act_of_1917

Obama revived the act and used it against John Kiriakou for exposing the US gov't torture program:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/06/obama-abuse-espionage-act-mccarthyism

James Risen in the New York Times gave the recent history:

https://tinyurl.com/y23n3dfe

And now it is being used to indict Julian Assange, says Martha Gessen in the New Yorker:

https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/charging-julian-assange-under-the-espionage-act-is-an-attack-on-the-first-amendment

The Guardian explains that the Trump administration has crossed another line in indicting a journalist:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/may/23/julian-assange-indicted-what-charges-mean-for-free-speech

And finally for those who like a YouTube here is Scahill from the Intercept:

Miss Drake

On the Espionage Act