Muckraker Report: Daniel Ellsberg

By Alex Maile DANIEL ELLSBERG Ellsberg is best known for his involvement in ending the Vietnam War. His achievements do not stop their though. As a child he was considered a genius, and mastered the piano. He attended Harvard University, where he earned his Ph.D. in Economics with his landmark thesis Risk, Ambiguity, and Decision. After Harvard, he joined the Marines where he gained the ranks of rifle platoon leader, operations officer, and rifle company commander. Once his tour of duty in the marines was finished, he decided to take a job in government, and that is where the real story begins. Starting out as a strategic analyst at the Rand Corp, he quickly worked his way up through the ranks until he was put on the top secret McNamara study which was later nicknamed the Pentagon Papers. These papers were a study of the USs decision-making in Vietnam. The papers revealed that the government had been lying about their early involvement in the war, and also about how much the war was costing us, in cash and also in blood. These papers, and the actions that Ellsberg took to reveal them to the public, were instrumental in bringing and end to the Vietnam War. THE PENTAGON The Pentagon is our nations military headquarters. They are charged with protecting our country and the lives of everyone who resides there. While they usually do an outstanding job, their actions during the Vietnam War has caused many to distrust the government. During the war our government was under a lot of scrutiny. Not wanting to look foolish, Nixon authorized the pentagon to start changing its information on the war to make it look as if we were doing good and winning. This plan ultimately back fired when Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers, and many government officials lost their jobs. VIETNAM The Vietnam War is one of the most embarrassing events in U.S. History. It was a war we shouldnt have even entered, and easily won when we did. We were sending men to their deaths everyday for what seemed like a very small gain. Many Americans did not support this war and for good reason. Something needed to be done to end the war, and Daniel Ellsberg stepped up to the plate. THE END OF THE WAR Ellsberg did not support the war. He felt like many Americans that it was a waste of resources and lives and that there was no real gain even if we won. Once Ellsberg saw the Pentagon Papers, and realized the lie that our government was telling, he decided to

take action. He released the papers hoping to bring an end to the war and to expose the lies that our government was telling us. IMPACT ON THE TARGETS Ellsberg accomplished his goals of ending the war. Once the American people heard about the lies the government had been telling, it was all but over. The Pentagon lost the trust and respect of the very people it was created to protect. OTHERS WHO WERE IMPACTED The Pentagon Papers release stirred up the wrath of a lot of top U.S. officials, including President Nixon. There attempts to discredit Ellsberg caused many of them to lose their jobs, and also helped to get Nixon impeached. COUNTER ATTACKS In an attempt to dig up some dirt on Ellsberg, President Nixon authorized a breakin at Ellsbergs Psychiatrists office. This, and Nixons later involvement in Watergate, led to his impeachment. Ellsberg was also threatened with up to 115 years of jail time, but he stood strong in the face of his opposition and did the right thing. CONSEQUENCES Ellsberg did not suffer any real consequences except for the loss of his job and a few friends. He would have done some hard time had it not been for the government tampering with evidence in his case. If they had not been caught, Ellsberg could have spent up to 115 years in prison. MASS MEDIA QUOTATIONS Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers to the top news papers in the U.S. Many viewed him as a hero because he brought an end to the war. He got such great support because of the nations general feelings towards the war. People wanted an end to the war and he gave it to them. Needless to say, the media was kind to him. FINAL IMPACT In the end, Ellsbergs actions brought an end to a terrible war, and taught a nation to not trust its government so blindly. Other than that, he didnt really do much.