How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people?
– Lennon/McCartney

This is the first in a series of profiles and interviews Antiwar.com is conducting this summer with activists who have made it their life’s work to challenge the mighty bulwarks of the U.S. national security state.

Information activist Julian Assange shocked his fans and gave more grist to his haters last week by announcing he would flee Swedish extradition orders to seek asylum from the South American nation of Ecuador.

The year 2011 marked a critical confluence of militarism and revolution, not only in places like Libya and Egypt, but also here at home, where massive demonstrations in cities and towns throughout the country were met with a well-oiled law enforcement machine deployed in camouflage and Kevlar, lobbing tear gas grenades and packing rifles with rubber bullets.

Kelley B. Vlahos writes,

Kelley B. Vlahos pleads "Don't Be a Tool This Christmas."

No one seems to notice the perverse contradiction of being told on Nov. 24 that we are a nation of exhausted refugees from the financial collapse — maxed out and hunkered down — and then two days later, congratulated for being a nation of savvy shoppers, with relentless holiday-themed music and Santa’s elves as our coaches and avatars.

Kelley Vlahos is continuing her coverage of State Department Officer Peter Van Buren.

Foreign Service officer Peter Van Buren has been officially sanctioned today. Depending how one looks at it, he could be the first State Department WikiLeaks casualty, or the first who’s been punished for criticizing the agency’s performance in the war. Or both. 

In U.S. Envoy Puts Match to Bridges with Iraq Tell-All , Steven Lee Myers quotes from Kelley B. Vlahos' article on foreign service officer Peter Van Buren. 

Kelley B. Vlahos  certianly isn't. The second of her series on Foreign Service officer Peter Van Buren will raise eye brows.

LOLA's Kelley B. Vlahos is following the story of "Peter Van Buren,  a 23-year foreign service officer with the U.S Department of State, may be the only department personnel to be fired over the WikiLeaks’ scandal.