--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is beyond dispute that President Obama…" description: "\"It is beyond dispute that President Obama and his aides have an extreme, even unprecedented obsession with concealing embarrassing information, control..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/glenn-greenwald-1215_anyone_it-is-beyond-dispute-that-president-obam_1411558.jpg" --- # It is beyond dispute that President Obama and his aides… ![“It is beyond dispute that President Obama and his aides have an extreme, even unprecedented obsession with concealing embarrassing information, controlling the flow of information, and punishing anyone who stands in the way. But, at least theoretically speaking, it is the job of journalists to…” quote by Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/glenn-greenwald-1215_anyone_it-is-beyond-dispute-that-president-obam_1411558.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/glenn-greenwald-1215_anyone_it-is-beyond-dispute-that-president-obam_1411558.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/glenn-greenwald-1215_anyone_it-is-beyond-dispute-that-president-obam_1411558.jpg) > “It is beyond dispute that President Obama and his aides have an extreme, even unprecedented obsession with concealing embarrassing information, controlling the flow of information, and punishing anyone who stands in the way. But, at least theoretically speaking, it is the job of journalists to impede that effort, not to serve and enable it.” [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote criticizes a perceived secretive media by the Obama administration and asserts journalists should challenge, not aid, such secrecy. **In simple terms:** Journalists should expose, not hide, government secrecy. Key Takeaway Hold power accountable. Themes politics media transparency Mood critical defiant Type political opinion When to use this quote - investigative reporting - whistleblowing - public policy debates Key Concepts government secrecy journalistic duty Questions to Reflect On - How can journalists balance security and transparency? - What mechanisms ensure accountability? A Different Perspective Such secrecy may be justified for national security; ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Flow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flow/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Journalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalists/) [Obsession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsession/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Theoretically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theoretically/) ## Related quotes > [“Time magazine’s Jay Carney and Richard Stengel are now in government while Obama aides David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs are commentators on MSNBC.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/time-magazine-s-jay-carney-and-richard-stengel-are-now-in-government/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [I theoretically love you all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/i-theoretically-love-you-all/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Everything that people lob at you who don't know you, it all hurts. When you're doing something as simple as making music, which really,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/everything-that-people-lob-at-you-who-don-t-know-you-it-all-hurts/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [I think it's almost definite that the game is a draw theoretically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-fischer/i-think-it-s-almost-definite-that-the-game-is-a-draw-theoretically/) [Bobby Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-fischer/) > [The thing I love about political interviews is, if you're really prepared, you can make great headway because these are the people for whom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/the-thing-i-love-about-political-interviews-is-if-you-re-really/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) > [If one introduces the concept of energy of an earthquake then that is a theoretically derived quantity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-francis-richter/if-one-introduces-the-concept-of-energy-of-an-earthquake-then-that-is/) [Charles Francis Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-francis-richter/) > [Everything that you could think about in life, or experience, or be interested in, theoretically should be expressed or dealt with in cinema. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/everything-that-you-could-think-about-in-life-or-experience-or-be/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [Whenever anyone says, 'theoretically', they really mean, 'not really'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whenever-anyone-says-theoretically-they-really-mean-not-really/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done. One could write a history of science in reverse by assembling the solemn pronouncements of highest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/everything-is-theoretically-impossible-until-it-is-done-one-could/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Should we have a leader or should we think for ourselves? Obviously the latter in principle. But-sometimes there lies a gulf between what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/should-we-have-a-leader-or-should-we-think-for-ourselves-obviously/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [I don't really know how music and comedy are similar. I try never to dissect it theoretically or academically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-andre/i-don-t-really-know-how-music-and-comedy-are-similar-i-try-never-to/) [Eric Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-andre/) > [Theoretically, I grant you, there is no possibility of error in necessary reasoning. But to speak thus "theoretically," is to uselanguage in a Pickwickian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/theoretically-i-grant-you-there-is-no-possibility-of-error-in/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [The writer, in order to proceed, is theoretically trying to predict where his complex skein of language and image has left his reader, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/the-writer-in-order-to-proceed-is-theoretically-trying-to-predict/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“What is ‘common sense’? (It is that which is) Everywhere applicable, theoretically as well as practically!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/what-is-common-sense-it-is-that-which-is-everywhere-applicable/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [It is theoretically possible to warp spacetime itself, so you're not actually moving faster than the speed of light, but it's actually space that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/it-is-theoretically-possible-to-warp-spacetime-itself-so-you-re-not/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) ## More by Glenn Greenwald > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“The evidence shows that assurances that surveillance is only targeted at those who “have done something wrong” should provide little comfort, since a state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-evidence-shows-that-assurances-that-surveillance-is-only-targeted/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It's hardly news that the Obama administration is intensely and, in many respects, unprecedentedly hostile toward the news-gathering process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-hardly-news-that-the-obama-administration-is-intensely-and-in/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/only-in-america-can-a-renowned-and-devoted-terrorism-supporter-like/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Above even our physical well-being, a central value is keeping the state out of the private realm—our “persons, houses, papers, and effects,” as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/above-even-our-physical-well-being-a-central-value-is-keeping-the/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“That capability at any time could be turned around on the American people and no American would have any privacy left, such is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/that-capability-at-any-time-could-be-turned-around-on-the-american/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Converting the Internet into a system of surveillance thus guts it of its core potential. 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We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-desire-for-privacy-is-shared-by-us-all-as-an-essential-not/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [I don't have a 'side'—I'm responsible for what I say and nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/i-don-t-have-a-side-i-m-responsible-for-what-i-say-and-nothing-else/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Encryption matters, and it is not just for spies and philanderers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/encryption-matters-and-it-is-not-just-for-spies-and-philanderers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Among other devices, the agency intercepts and tampers with routers and servers manufactured by Cisco to direct large amounts of Internet traffic back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/among-other-devices-the-agency-intercepts-and-tampers-with-routers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“NSA has increasingly made use of a secret technology that enables it to enter and alter data in computers even if they are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/nsa-has-increasingly-made-use-of-a-secret-technology-that-enables-it/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [A key purpose of journalism is to provide an adversarial check on those who wield the greatest power by shining a light on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/a-key-purpose-of-journalism-is-to-provide-an-adversarial-check-on/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“We all instinctively understand that the private realm is where we can act, think, speak, write, experiment, and choose how to be, away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/we-all-instinctively-understand-that-the-private-realm-is-where-we/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Explore all 270 Glenn Greenwald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## More Anyone quotes > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. 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