Fire General Clapper

A New Commentary Each Wednesday April 2, 2014

FIRE GENERAL CLAPPER

It appears that some people are indispensable. After General James R. Clapper, Director of the National Intelligence Agency admitted that he lied in sworn testimony to the Senate select committee on Intelligence, he is still holding his position. Specifically, (I looked it up from several sources) he originally testified that the National Security Agency does "not wittingly" collect and store data on American People's communications.

No one, neither in the on the select committee thought to ask Clapper if the NSA "unwittingly" tapped our phone lines and E-Mail.

It was all just data, don't you see. Just keep sending E-Mails to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (there is a readily available website), asking how to reach a KGB Agent in America, and see what happens.

Say what you will about Wiki-leaker Edward Snowden - and I've many critical things to say about the detrimental way in which he handled the dissemination of secret documents he swore to protect, but he proved General Clapper to be a prevaricator who knew that he was being disingenuous. Isn't it better to use veiled language and weasel words than to call a person a liar, even after he admits that's what he is.

When he lied under oath to the Senate, he lied to the American People.

Instead of calling for his immediate firing, the head of the Senate committee with supposed oversight over Intelligence, Senator Dianne Feinstein, said that Clapper gave the "least untruthful" answers to the committee. So now we have a scale of untruthfulness. This must range from "A teenie little miss-statement, to what Mark Twain called a "Damned Lie."

Now, we have the president shilly-shallying about the disclosure by saying, among other things that Clapper "should have been more careful about how he responded."

I agree. If ever you and I ever testify in court, we had better tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Either that, or we can just do away with courts and legislative committees. We can get ourselves a Dictator and use the "hot iron on my tongue" method to determine truthfulness. If I scream, burn me at the stake.

There are those who say: "In this dangerous period, it is necessary at times to do away with many of the rights and protections of the Constitution." It will only hurt for a little while, then when the danger is past, we can perhaps go back to telling the truth and regain the trust of the people. That is a slippery slope that has always led to Fascism, if not every form of abuse to a democracy. Reference: Nixon's Watergate coverup.

Bottom line: Fire Clapper and then indict him for perjury.

Phil Richardson, Observer and Storyteller.

Phil's current post can be read at: http://www.imrightagain.com

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