December 27, 2014
CIA Torture Reports
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/07/369262235/congress-clashes-over-release-of-cia-torture-report

We've talked a bit about this in class but I would like to offer my view on the subject. A few weeks ago the senate, particularly Dianne Feinstein, released a report of the CIA using advanced interrogation methods, torture, on over a hundred prisoners. Different methods included water boarding, sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation, confinement, and others. Different government leaders fought against release of the report arguing that we've had this discussion and put an end to the torture, that this will endanger our troops around the world because this will only aggravates terrorists, and even that the methods worked. If you want to see some entertaining arguments for that side watch the fox news people talk about it and how "awesome" America is. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw70wFszZDQ Dianne Feinstein along with others wanted this released because the public needs to know about what their government has done. Not to mention the violation of international treaties and laws that we signed about the illegality of torture. Many people have spoken up about it but there is a general attitude of putting this away by many politicians and CIA officials
What has been going on at the CIA prisons where these tortures have been taking place is highly illegal and should not be the way our nation is represented. In my opinion these tortures should have, first of all, never taken place but the report of these should have been released a while back. America is awesome but we have made several mistakes and as painful and embarrassing as they may be we have to accept them and take responsibility so we can be the better nation that we desire to be.

December 18, 2014
Sony Hacked By North Korea
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/12/17/north-korea-sony-hack/20558135/

This isn't the only article about the hack but this one is a pretty good summary of what has happened so far. If you are interested in more or other details just Google "Sony Hack" and sit back and enjoy.

Sony was set to release the film "The Interview" on Christmas but has canceled the release due to terrorist type threats and also their company's database was hacked and had over 100 terabytes of data stolen with much of that content being leaked. US officials have linked this hack to North Korea and blame them for the cyber-attack. "The Interview" is a movie about American talk show hosts who score a interview with the leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un and are asked by the CIA when they interview Kim Jong Un if they will assassinate him. North Korea was appalled at the spectacle of a movie like that being released so they hacked the Sony database stealing private information like people's personal information, emails, social security number, and scripts of movies Sony yet plans to release and leaked a good chunk. They also issued threats to Sony saying that if they go ahead with the release of this movie. So Sony almost being held hostage gave into the demands of the terrorists.

There are many angles to look at this with many issues at hand with even more reactions and actions that could've, should've, would've been different. But to keep the content more concentrated and restricted to context that this is for a AP Government class I'll keep my comments more directed towards that. While I do not support exactly what's in the movie I do respect the right that Sony holds under the constitution that they are allowed to say it and release it. Like what Voltaire said "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." North Korea obviously has more restrictions and different laws concerning freedom of speech but however, Sony is not in North Korea or any part of their jurisdiction and should not have to suffer something this serious which is projected going to lose Sony of a half a billion dollars. There is an extreme invasion of freedom of speech and also privacy and it should not be ignored by anyone especially our government. With our own government's faults too in the past, it it not one's country responsibility or does it retain any kind of right to command or force another country to act, believe, or behave in a certain manner. Yes, what Sony did was extremely unethical and disturbing but if North Korea released a movie about assassinating Obama tomorrow it would freak me out and I would never support or watch it but I would not complain about their right to do so.