Stratford Picturehouse, with Barry. Unusually we are on time.
I wondered what happened to the whistle blowers after the film ended.
Daniel Ellsberg, the main source, worked on a top-secret report ordered by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara entitled U.S. Decision-making in Vietnam, 1945-1968 – pre Nixons involvement in Vietham. Better known as “The Pentagon Papers”. Ellsberg called them “evidence of a quarter century of aggression, broken treaties, deceptions, stolen elections, lies and murder.” Post the double exposure, June 1968, Nixon and Kissinger embarked on a fanatical campaign to discredit him, employing “the Plumbers” to wire tap etc.
Today Elsberg is an active and outspoken supporter of Assange’s whistleblowing. Ellsberg also remains fiercely proud of his decision to leak the Pentagon Papers, which he says not only deligitimized the Vietnam War, but also helped usher in a new era of skepticism about war and government in general.
Pentagon Papers—which covered only the period up to 1968 and therefore did not implicate the Nixon administration.
Discussing The Post with Barry in the pub afterwards.
‘It’s like Newham Council not thinking straight and removing the parking spaces opposit so we wouldn’t have had tail backs all the way to Illford.
‘Hmm, not quite in the same category as Vietnam and thousands dieing.’ I suggest .
While waiting for the bus, with a load of other people, Barry says
Look bus due – must be a Jew bus. You know the chap who came in today? I was convinced he was a yid, but then he said he was a catholic. He had the right nose though. Everyone was turning round. Barry had no idea.
Kalikellett 