The NYT, Freedom of the Press, Treason and Bad Business

The New York Times decision to reveal a program used by the Treasury Department and CIA to monitor the financial transactions of terrorists to "follow the money" is a hot topic this morning. Especially in light of Executive Editor Bill Keller's pseudo apology.

Intapundit thinks that the NYT does not understand basic US history:

A deeper error is Keller's characterization of freedom of the press as an institutional privilege, an error that is a manifestation of the hubris that has marked the NYT of late. Keller writes: "It's an unusual and powerful thing, this freedom that our founders gave to the press. . . . The power that has been given us is not something to be taken lightly."

The founders gave freedom of the press to the people, they didn't give freedom to the press. Keller positions himself as some sort of Constitutional High Priest, when in fact the "freedom of the press" the Framers described was also called "freedom in the use of the press." It's the freedom to publish, a freedom that belongs to everyone in equal portions, not a special privilege for the media industry.

I agree and I'd add that Keller's phrase about "the people who invented this country" is proof that Keller does not understand our basic history and does not even appreciate the power of using the approriate word. This country was not "invented" and anyone who would use that word to descibe how the US came to be is no wordsmith in the least.

Congressman Peter King calls what the NYT did treason and calls for those responsible to face charges. King says the NYT is "more concerned about a left-wing elitist agenda than it is about the security of the American people." Or about running a successful business I would add.

Take a look at the stock price of the New York Times over the past five years and you see a stock whose value had dropped in half over that period.

The old phrase "crime does not pay" could be updated to "Bush Derangement Syndrome does not pay." Maybe the Treasury Department and the CIA could come up with a new program where terrorists are convinced to divert their funds into NYT stock. That way the terrorists would be out of cash in no time.