cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12326730

System Update is a LIVE prime-time news show hosted by award-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald.

Glenn Edward Greenwald is an American journalist, author, and former lawyer. In 1996, Greenwald founded a law firm concentrating on First Amendment litigation. He began blogging on national security issues in October 2005, when he was becoming increasingly concerned with what he viewed as attacks on civil liberties by the George W.

Short Summary

  1. The speaker discusses Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, who revolutionized journalism by publishing large-scale leaks exposing government corruption and war crimes.
  2. The Obama Administration, led by Hillary Clinton, attempted to prosecute Assange for his releases but ultimately decided against it to avoid implicating mainstream media outlets like The New York Times and The Guardian.
  3. The Trump Administration, particularly through Mike Pompeo, actively sought to destroy WikiLeaks and Assange, resulting in Assange’s indictment under the Espionage Act.
  4. Despite objections from civil liberties and press freedom groups, the Biden Administration has continued the prosecution, with Assange remaining imprisoned in the UK while fighting extradition to the US.
  5. Assange faces charges under the Espionage Act of 1917, raising concerns for press freedom.
  6. The video transcript discusses Assange’s legal battle to avoid extradition to the United States, highlighting the significance of his case in relation to WikiLeaks’ work and the US government’s response.
  7. The importance of how society treats its dissidents as a measure of freedom is emphasized, using examples of Alexei Navalny in Russia and Julian Assange.
  8. The speaker argues that Assange’s actions as a journalist should be protected under the First Amendment and criticizes the dangers of the US government’s indictment of Assange, setting a precedent for criminalizing journalistic work.
  9. The importance of encryption for protecting sources and the dangers of prosecuting journalists under the Espionage Act, using Assange’s case as an example, are highlighted.
  10. The speaker criticizes Western media for not standing up against government repression of journalists and contrasts their reactions to incidents in Russia versus those in their own countries, emphasizing the need to protect press freedom and understand the underlying reasons for such actions to prevent manipulation and justify immoral acts.