Daniel Ellsberg, the man who altered the history of the Vietnam War with the release of the Pentagon Papers was on hand for a screening of the condensed version of the award-winning documentary, The Most Dangerous Man in America, Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers and for a lively Q&A for The Common Good.  Also with us, the film’s producers, Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith for our discussion as a continuation of our Advocates and Activists Series.

The film is a riveting look at a defining moment in American history when, Daniel Ellsberg, then a RAND Corporation employee and a Pentagon analyst, made the decision at great risk to his own life and liberty to release the classified report exposing details of U.S. involvement in Vietnam to the New York Times and other newspapers.  The Pentagon Papers revealed that the government had knowledge, early on, that the war would not likely be won, and that continuing the war would lead to many more casualties than was admitted publicly.  The film dramatically portrays the importance of courage and commitment of just one individual for survival of our democracy.

“Riveting! A straight-ahead, enthralling story of moral courage. This story changed the world.”    New York Magazine 

“Detailed, clearly told, persuasive.”   The New York Times