5 ms·

Many, but not all, of the emails about to be released would have been subject to: 1) subpoena 2) FOIA request So Americans (either government officials or pr

by trendia 10y ago

Many, but not all, of the emails about to be released would have been subject to: 1) subpoena 2) FOIA request So Americans (either government officials or private citizens) should have had access to them anyway. Public servants in the US make a deal: if they want control or influence over the legislative process, then they have to be willing to release their emails. Of course -- I dislike releasing emails for purely partisan purposes or releasing emails that don't expose any wrongdoing. But, if we do not have some sort of punishment for people who refuse to respond to subpoenas or FOIA requests, then we open the door for these rules to be ignored.

tunap 10y ago
And additionally severe punishments for those who knowingly circumvent said checks & balances. GW had his private email server, just like HRC.
unethical_ban 10y ago
Is the Democratic National Committee held to FOIA requests? It is a private organization.
- trendia 10y ago
  DNC is not subject to FOIA, but it makes you wonder whether they should be. They are intricately linked to the government, have immense influence over the policies of their Congresspeople, and get to pick 1 of the 2 candidates who will likely become President.
- eli_gottlieb 10y ago
  When you have an oligopoly on government, you shouldn't be counted as private anymore. Either the major political parties become publicly-owned, democratically accountable organizations, or we need to switch to proportional representation. Or both.
  - maxerickson 10y ago
    When you force them to record their in person meetings, they will just have extra in person meetings that they don't record. I don't see where else the line of thinking that we deserve to have access to their email ends up, and it's pretty easy to argue that Podesta picking the brains of people he knows is not actually official party business.
    - makomk 10y ago
      Remember, one of the end goals of Wikileaks is to force secretive groups into using more inefficient communcations methods that put them at an organisational disadvantage to more open, honest ones: “The more secretive or unjust an organization is, the more leaks induce fear and paranoia in its leadership and planning coterie. This must result in minimization of efficient internal communications mechanisms (an increase in cognitive ‘secrecy tax’) and consequent system-wide cognitive decline resulting in decreased ability to hold onto power as the environment demands adaptation.”
    - eli_gottlieb 10y ago
      Or we could just repeal all the various laws advantaging the Republican and Democratic Parties over third-parties, open up local, state, and federal elections to real competition, and then let the surviving parties function as private organizations that nobody is forced to vote for. My objection is that when I walk into the voting booth this November, I will be forced to vote for a Democrat. I mean this literally: most offices on my ballot will not be contested, not even by a Republican. The most competitive races will have a Republican versus a Democrat, but most actual races will just have a Democrat. The actual decision-making for most officials who run my life was decided in the Democratic Primaries. I voted in those too, but most of those weren't contested either. This happens because if you're a Republican or Democrat, your party declares your candidacy and boom, you're on the ballot. If you're not, you need a signature drive to run for town dog-catcher. I'm just saying that I want more than one choice for every election up and down the ballot, and I want the available choices determined by public support for the movement, party, or candidate, rather than by legal privileging of particular private organizations.
- jsprogrammer 10y ago
  DNC is held to the standards its members enforce.
caseysoftware 10y ago
Unfortunately, we have government officials who make a point of deleting emails, destroying hard drives, and stuffing classified files into their socks (no joke)[1] to destroy/remove records. Until government opens up and sheds the secrecy and outright deception, I have no pity or concern for them. 1: http://mentalfloss.com/article/21100/6-people-who-stole-national-archives-besides-nicolas-cage http://mentalfloss.com/article/21100/6-people-who-stole-nati...
tptacek 10y ago
Which emails would those be, that are or are about to be released, that would be subject to FOIA? Please be specific.

by trendia 10y ago

tunap 10y ago

And additionally severe punishments for those who knowingly circumvent said checks & balances. GW had his private email server, just like HRC.

unethical_ban 10y ago

Is the Democratic National Committee held to FOIA requests? It is a private organization.

trendia 10y ago
DNC is not subject to FOIA, but it makes you wonder whether they should be. They are intricately linked to the government, have immense influence over the policies of their Congresspeople, and get to pick 1 of the 2 candidates who will likely become President.
eli_gottlieb 10y ago
When you have an oligopoly on government, you shouldn't be counted as private anymore. Either the major political parties become publicly-owned, democratically accountable organizations, or we need to switch to proportional representation. Or both.
- maxerickson 10y ago
  When you force them to record their in person meetings, they will just have extra in person meetings that they don't record. I don't see where else the line of thinking that we deserve to have access to their email ends up, and it's pretty easy to argue that Podesta picking the brains of people he knows is not actually official party business.
  - makomk 10y ago
    Remember, one of the end goals of Wikileaks is to force secretive groups into using more inefficient communcations methods that put them at an organisational disadvantage to more open, honest ones: “The more secretive or unjust an organization is, the more leaks induce fear and paranoia in its leadership and planning coterie. This must result in minimization of efficient internal communications mechanisms (an increase in cognitive ‘secrecy tax’) and consequent system-wide cognitive decline resulting in decreased ability to hold onto power as the environment demands adaptation.”
  - eli_gottlieb 10y ago
    Or we could just repeal all the various laws advantaging the Republican and Democratic Parties over third-parties, open up local, state, and federal elections to real competition, and then let the surviving parties function as private organizations that nobody is forced to vote for. My objection is that when I walk into the voting booth this November, I will be forced to vote for a Democrat. I mean this literally: most offices on my ballot will not be contested, not even by a Republican. The most competitive races will have a Republican versus a Democrat, but most actual races will just have a Democrat. The actual decision-making for most officials who run my life was decided in the Democratic Primaries. I voted in those too, but most of those weren't contested either. This happens because if you're a Republican or Democrat, your party declares your candidacy and boom, you're on the ballot. If you're not, you need a signature drive to run for town dog-catcher. I'm just saying that I want more than one choice for every election up and down the ballot, and I want the available choices determined by public support for the movement, party, or candidate, rather than by legal privileging of particular private organizations.
jsprogrammer 10y ago
DNC is held to the standards its members enforce.

caseysoftware 10y ago

Unfortunately, we have government officials who make a point of deleting emails, destroying hard drives, and stuffing classified files into their socks (no joke)[1] to destroy/remove records. Until government opens up and sheds the secrecy and outright deception, I have no pity or concern for them. 1: http://mentalfloss.com/article/21100/6-people-who-stole-national-archives-besides-nicolas-cage http://mentalfloss.com/article/21100/6-people-who-stole-nati...

tptacek 10y ago

Which emails would those be, that are or are about to be released, that would be subject to FOIA? Please be specific.