Speaker: Author Michael Ellsberg, son of famed Pentagon Papers whistleblower and anti-war activist Daniel Ellsberg
Join us for a conversation with author Michael Ellsberg, son of famed Pentagon Papers whistleblower and anti-war activist Daniel Ellsberg, about Truth and Consequence, a collection of his father's previously unpublished writings he co-edited with Daniel's longtime assistant, Jan R. Thomas. A blend of personal memoir with decades of political and ethical reflection, the book offers a window into the whistleblower's courageous life, work, and most deeply held beliefs. It explores Daniel's evolution from nuclear war planner to whistleblower and activist, and his uncompromising view that the deliberate targeting of civilians—including through nuclear threats—is terrorism, a standard that casts a harsh light on current U.S. leadership and its contempt for international law.
When Daniel Ellsberg passed away in 2023 at the age of ninety-two, his lifelong commitment to nuclear disarmament and truth-telling at the highest levels of government enshrined him as one of the most courageous patriots America has ever seen. From his role in leaking the Pentagon Papers in 1971, for which he was charged with multiple felonies under the Espionage Act, to his anti-war activism and writings in the decades that followed, his effects on American nuclear policy, peacemaking efforts, and information politics cannot be overstated.
The principles Daniel stood on remain more urgent than ever, as catastrophic wars break out and political unrest throws into question the authority of democracy and governments across the world. Truth and Consequence captures his lifelong preoccupations with the problem of evil, the massacre of civilians, the threat of nuclear annihilation, the dangers of unquestioned obedience, and the necessity to cultivate empathy for those whom we have been taught to see as enemies.
