First Amendment
On August 13, while I was flying to New Orleans for a book talk, Donald Trump’s lawyer attempted to threaten Simon & Shuster into ceasing publication of a book that criticizes the president. Simon & Shuster stood its ground, replying that it “will not be silenced by legal threats grounded in vague allusions.” Earlier this year, Trump’s lawyer had attempted to similarly suppress publication of a different book only to stimulate accelerated release and runaway sales. The Authors Guild joined the National Coalition Against Censorship’s statement opposing this second presidential attempt to contravene the First Amendment. As he had in the previous incident, Guild President James Gleick wrote, “This isn’t a country where we quash books that the leader finds unpleasant. That’s what tyrants do.” As a member of the Guild and an American, I support Gleick’s statement. The full statement by Authors Guild may be found at: https://www.authorsguild.org/industry-advocacy/authors-guild-statement-on-trumps-letter-to-simon-schuster/
Philip Padgett examines history by applying skills developed during 40 years of national security and preparedness research and analysis in the military, government, and the private sector. As Deputy Intelligence Adviser at the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, he supported from Washington teams negotiating five international treaties and agreements. Read more >>