The year 2011 marked a critical confluence of militarism and revolution, not only in places like Libya and Egypt, but also here at home, where massive demonstrations in cities and towns throughout the country were met with a well-oiled law enforcement machine deployed in camouflage and Kevlar, lobbing tear gas grenades and packing rifles with rubber bullets.

Kelley B. Vlahos writes,

Kelley B. Vlahos pleads "Don't Be a Tool This Christmas."

No one seems to notice the perverse contradiction of being told on Nov. 24 that we are a nation of exhausted refugees from the financial collapse — maxed out and hunkered down — and then two days later, congratulated for being a nation of savvy shoppers, with relentless holiday-themed music and Santa’s elves as our coaches and avatars.

Kelley Vlahos is continuing her coverage of State Department Officer Peter Van Buren.

Foreign Service officer Peter Van Buren has been officially sanctioned today. Depending how one looks at it, he could be the first State Department WikiLeaks casualty, or the first who’s been punished for criticizing the agency’s performance in the war. Or both. 

In U.S. Envoy Puts Match to Bridges with Iraq Tell-All , Steven Lee Myers quotes from Kelley B. Vlahos' article on foreign service officer Peter Van Buren. 

Kelley B. Vlahos  certianly isn't. The second of her series on Foreign Service officer Peter Van Buren will raise eye brows.

LOLA's Kelley B. Vlahos is following the story of "Peter Van Buren,  a 23-year foreign service officer with the U.S Department of State, may be the only department personnel to be fired over the WikiLeaks’ scandal.

I'm optimistic.  Wikileaks is still going strong, Julian Assange is out of government custody, the United Nations is now set to investigate the conditions of alleged whistle blower, Bradley Manning, and a large swell of support from across the political spectrum is emerging in favor of the right to record one's interactions with public officials, especially the police. Even more surprisingly Representative Ron Paul is going to chair the House Sub-Committee on Domestic Monetary Policy.  What is the common theme of all these events? None other but a rational distrust of government secrecy.

Skepticism towards state power grows and then wanes.  Moments like Watergate deeply impact how a generation views the political landscape.  Where citizens might have originally trusted the institutions and most of the people involved they began to think of them more as corrupt bums.  With more leaks and secrets coming out everyday and more people recording their interactions with the arbiters of state power those in power will either have to behave themselves better or crack down with an iron fist, and I like to think it'd be the former option.

It is currently mainstream to care about the conditions Bradley Manning is kept in in his Quantico, Virginia cell.  Many people are disgusted by the fact that he is locked in his cell for 23 hours a day during which he can't exercise and is firmly regimented with his time... the man is not allowed to take a nap!  He must say "yes" every five minutes to guards who do not respond, and if he sleeps and the guards are not able to see him they will wake him.  When he is let out of his cage for his one hour per day to exercise it is only to walk around another room.  No calisthenics are permitted!