"1984" in 2008

Now that everyone is so outraged at the Charlie Hebdo massacre -- as well they should -- and calls are made to defend civilization as we know it, we should not forget certain things that have happened or are still going on that deserve our attention. For example, how the U.S. and the U.K. have spied on, precisely, that press they now defend so vigorously. As far back as 2008, we now find out that the so-called American and British intelligence services collected e-mails to and from journalists and their news organizations, as well as those of U.N. officials and just simple folks, many of which had no value whatsoever. It was an exercise in fascism, pure and simple.

Think about that the next time you hear leaders of both countries beat their breast about freedom of the press and human rights.

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