Daniel Ellsberg's RAND Corporation Role and Pentagon Papers Impact Highlighted in 1976 Discussion
A recently unearthed 1976 conversation between psychologist Rollo May and Daniel Ellsberg, author of the Pentagon Papers, sheds light on Ellsberg's background and the context of his actions. Ellsberg, a former Marine and Harvard-trained economist, worked as a strategic analyst at the RAND Corporation. In this role, he was involved in shaping nuclear war planning and American policy in Vietnam. He gained significant prominence in 1971 when he provided the classified history of American involvement in the Vietnam War, known as the Pentagon Papers, to the press. This act led to charges that carried a potential sentence of 115 years, though the case was ultimately dismissed in 1973 due to government misconduct. The discussion between May and Ellsberg, recorded shortly after the Vietnam War concluded, focused on themes of good and evil.
