PUBLIC FORUM 9.05.13 - The U.S. is poised for combat in Syria, and it’s one reason why whistleblowers matter.

Without whistleblowers, the mainline media is more transfixed than ever with telling the official story. And at a time like this, the official story is all about spinning for war on Syria.

Every president who wants to launch another war can’t abide whistleblowers. They might interfere with the distortions and outright lies of war propaganda, which requires that truth be held in preventative detention.

Before the end of August, media adrenaline was at fever pitch as news reports cited high-level sources explaining when the U.S. missile attacks on Syria were likely to begin, how long they might last, what their goals would be. But what about other (potential) sources who have documents and other information that contradict the official story?

When independent journalist I.F. Stone said “All governments lie and nothing they say should be believed,” he was warning against the automatic acceptance of any government claim. That warning becomes most crucial when a launch of war is imminent.

WE’RE NOW LIVING IN A NOTABLY – AND TRAGICALLY – FEARFUL ERA.

There has been a pernicious method to the madness of the Obama administration’s double-barreled assault on whistleblowers and journalism. Committed to a state of ongoing war, Obama has overseen more prosecutions of whistleblowers than all other presidents combined – while also subjecting journalists to ramped-up surveillance and threats, whether grabbing the call records of The Associated Press or pushing to imprison New York Times reporter James Risen for not revealing a source.

The vengeful treatment of Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning, the effort to grab Edward Snowden and less-publicized prosecutions such as the vendetta against NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake are part of a government strategy that aims to shut down unauthorized pipelines of information to journalists. When secret information is blocked, what’s left is the official story, pulling out all the stops for war.

There are no “good old days” to point to, no eras when an abundance of whistleblowers and gutsy reporters thoroughly alerted the public and subdued the power of Washington’s war-makers. But we’re now living in a notably – and tragically – fearful era. Potential whistleblowers have more reason to be frightened than ever, and mainline journalists rarely seem willing to challenge the addiction to war.

Every time a president has decided to go to war against yet another country, the momentum has been unstoppable. The key problems, as usual, revolve around undue deference to authority – obedience in the interests of expediency – resulting in huge loss of lives and a tremendous waste of resources that should be going to sustain human life.

As a practical matter, real journalism can’t function without whistleblowers. Democracy can’t function without real journalism. In the long run, the struggles for peace and democracy are one and the same.

NORMAN SOLOMON is the author of the new book War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.