When Daniel Ellsburg leaked the Pentagon Papers to the media, it set off a firestorm, turning public opinion even further against the Vietnam War and led to President Nixon's creation of the Plumbers, which in turn led to the Watergate Scandal and finally Nixon's resignation from office.
Now, here's a thought…
In July 1946 Ellsburg was involved in a car crash after his father fell asleep at the wheel; Daniel was badly injured, his mother and sister were killed.
What if Daniel Ellsburg died in that crash too?
Or, moving a little further along in time - During his time in Vietnam doing research for the Pentagon (1965-67), Ellsburg was out one day with a group of American soldiers when they were fired on by Viet Cong guerrillas.
What if he was shot and killed?
In either case, the Pentagon Papers would probably have remained secret (unless somebody else at the Rand Corp. with access to the war study decided to leak it to the press themselves).
How would this have affected history? Would Nixon have never created the Plumbers? Would there never have been a burglary at the DNC headquarters at the Watergate? Would Nixon have served out his second term and never been disgraced and forced to resign? And would the great distrust of the US government by the American people not have been as nearly as bad?
Now, here's a thought…
In July 1946 Ellsburg was involved in a car crash after his father fell asleep at the wheel; Daniel was badly injured, his mother and sister were killed.
What if Daniel Ellsburg died in that crash too?
Or, moving a little further along in time - During his time in Vietnam doing research for the Pentagon (1965-67), Ellsburg was out one day with a group of American soldiers when they were fired on by Viet Cong guerrillas.
What if he was shot and killed?
In either case, the Pentagon Papers would probably have remained secret (unless somebody else at the Rand Corp. with access to the war study decided to leak it to the press themselves).
How would this have affected history? Would Nixon have never created the Plumbers? Would there never have been a burglary at the DNC headquarters at the Watergate? Would Nixon have served out his second term and never been disgraced and forced to resign? And would the great distrust of the US government by the American people not have been as nearly as bad?