RISK: A Film by Laura Poitras

[Steve Kinney]

On 05/29/2017 06:41 PM, grarpamp wrote:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=021PuzHG_YA
> https://www.youtube.com/results?q=risk+poitras&sp=CAI%=
> infohash: 4D0FA67D82682390D7920E1930B02CB45B3CAB96

My take-away from having just watched the film:

In Risk, Poitras burns Jacob Applebaum by presenting accusations against
him with no mention of the content or context of those accusations.  Nor
is there any mention of dissenting voices from within the TOR Project
itself regarding the libelous JakeGate narrative, or the toxic TOR
Project workplace environment.  In the wake of the organized online
assault against Applebaum led by fellow employees, the TOR Project has
replaced its board of directors and moved offices across the country in
an apparent effort to clean house.

In the film, Poitras states that she has personal knowledge confirming
that Applebaum is a Bad Person, with no mention of specific incidents or
sources:  She essentially says that she has heard gossip.  Apparently
that's all the proof a fearless crusading journalist needs.  Maybe she
has a problem with the Feminist Thing, Male Pigs etc.; I also noted that
the film makes no mention of the alleged victim of Julian Assange who
has very publicly stated that he did not assault her in any way.

In the film, Poitras fully endorses and actively propagandizes the
Russian Hacking narrative.  She could not have produced a more
persuasive Public Information announcement if it had been written and
directed by whatever compartments at CIA and DOJ are responsible to sell
it to the public.

The very newsworthy and /anomalous/ $20k reward offered by Assange for
information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever shot Seth
Rich in the back is not mentioned in the film.  In this film Poitras
does not question the identity of the DNC leaker; the Director of the
FBI have spoken and that's good enough for her, rebel outsider that she
is.

In Risk, The Intercept and its star attractions maintain their brand
consistency, pretending to advocate for transparency with regard to
crimes in high places.  This image is somewhat at odds with the fact
that they actually "intercept" leaked data before it reaches the public
and put it under lock and key:  Only a small fraction of the documents
they have been handed have ever been published.

Poitras is anything but a disinterested third party with regard to
reporting on Wikileaks:  They are her business rivals.  Greewald & Co.
are being paid /very/ well to reduce the impact of leaked US/NATO/FVEYE
and related documents on the organizations whose criminal actions they
expose.  They publish only enough bits and pieces to establish public
credibility as fearless crusading journalists, and promote NeoLiberal
propaganda narratives to a faithful U.S. audience of self-identifying
Progressive Liberals.

Sam Esmail, creator of Mr. Robot, is listed as an executive producer in
the closing credits of Risk.  Small world innit?  I would love to have
been a fly on the wall...

:o)








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