Love the leak, hate the leaker. If he had stayed in the USA and suffered the consequences, like Manning has done, he would be a hero. Since he is retreating to totalitarian regimes in his efforts to escape punishment for his premeditated actions, I have much less sympathy for him than I did in the first few days.The US gov’t, using tools developed under Bush and expanded upon under Obama has angered the world with its all encompassing information gathering and we cannot be certain that even the administration and/or the congressional committees assigned with oversight are aware of how the info is being accessed. The ‘court’ granting access seems too small and secretive to properly supervise and protect from abuse.Is Mr. Snowden a hero? The jury is still out on that question, however, the circumstantial evidence would indicate he had an agenda and the nations to whom he has retreated and is seeking asylum are not known for making heroic efforts on behalf of freedom or civil rights. And we still don’t know what information is on his laptop.Respectfully,C.
Snowden is a Hero – If he hadn’t leaked this information we wouldn’t have known that our own government was encroaching on our civil liberties.
Now that he has made the public aware there is outcry (Not enough) for the government to explain it’s illegal actions.
The Real Zeros in this story are the Judges in the Kangaroo court that allowed this to continue. They claim they were trying to protect Americans but what they really did was take money to look the other way while our civil liberties were destroyed.
I, for one, Do Not Agree that our Safety is so important that it is OK for the government to intrude on our privacy. If you want that kind of country – go live in China or Russia and let those of us who value our liberty and freedom to live our lives unfettered by the irrational fears of our neighbors.
“Those who would give up a little freedom for a little security deserve neither freedom nor security” – Benjamin Franklin.
@denis1112 – Give the guy some credit. He made Americans aware of a National Disgrace. Do you honestly think he could hope to get a fair trial. If the Government got ahold of him he would have been shipped off to the American Gulag (Guantanamo) and never heard from again.
Even as the trials are going on in Guantanamo the government has admitted to secretly recording defense attorneys and their clients.
The game is rigged. The government is no longer of the people for the people and by the people. It is government elites trying to look out for each other and their cushy 9 – 5 jobs.
It IS very interesting where a guy complaining about intrusive government surveillance turns for asylum. Of course when it comes to our incarcerated spies, they were working for Israel who then sold our military secrets to China. One must ask, where is conscience? Daniel Ellsberg and Bradley Manning may have been wrong, but they weren’t doing it for self-promotion.
Dtroutma almost 11 years ago
Total jerk at a minimum. Ah, the advantages of contracting!
chazandru almost 11 years ago
Love the leak, hate the leaker. If he had stayed in the USA and suffered the consequences, like Manning has done, he would be a hero. Since he is retreating to totalitarian regimes in his efforts to escape punishment for his premeditated actions, I have much less sympathy for him than I did in the first few days.The US gov’t, using tools developed under Bush and expanded upon under Obama has angered the world with its all encompassing information gathering and we cannot be certain that even the administration and/or the congressional committees assigned with oversight are aware of how the info is being accessed. The ‘court’ granting access seems too small and secretive to properly supervise and protect from abuse.Is Mr. Snowden a hero? The jury is still out on that question, however, the circumstantial evidence would indicate he had an agenda and the nations to whom he has retreated and is seeking asylum are not known for making heroic efforts on behalf of freedom or civil rights. And we still don’t know what information is on his laptop.Respectfully,C.
ossiningaling almost 11 years ago
He’ll rue the day he put on a cape at an airport.
Mephistopheles almost 11 years ago
Snowden is a Hero – If he hadn’t leaked this information we wouldn’t have known that our own government was encroaching on our civil liberties.
Now that he has made the public aware there is outcry (Not enough) for the government to explain it’s illegal actions.
The Real Zeros in this story are the Judges in the Kangaroo court that allowed this to continue. They claim they were trying to protect Americans but what they really did was take money to look the other way while our civil liberties were destroyed.
I, for one, Do Not Agree that our Safety is so important that it is OK for the government to intrude on our privacy. If you want that kind of country – go live in China or Russia and let those of us who value our liberty and freedom to live our lives unfettered by the irrational fears of our neighbors.
“Those who would give up a little freedom for a little security deserve neither freedom nor security” – Benjamin Franklin.
larryrhoades almost 11 years ago
A cute cartoon and a witty comment on the times.
Snowden is a traitor; where is Jack Ruby when we need him?
Mephistopheles almost 11 years ago
@denis1112 – Give the guy some credit. He made Americans aware of a National Disgrace. Do you honestly think he could hope to get a fair trial. If the Government got ahold of him he would have been shipped off to the American Gulag (Guantanamo) and never heard from again.
Even as the trials are going on in Guantanamo the government has admitted to secretly recording defense attorneys and their clients.
The game is rigged. The government is no longer of the people for the people and by the people. It is government elites trying to look out for each other and their cushy 9 – 5 jobs.
Dtroutma almost 11 years ago
It IS very interesting where a guy complaining about intrusive government surveillance turns for asylum. Of course when it comes to our incarcerated spies, they were working for Israel who then sold our military secrets to China. One must ask, where is conscience? Daniel Ellsberg and Bradley Manning may have been wrong, but they weren’t doing it for self-promotion.
mikecronis almost 11 years ago
Hero? Arguable, making dealings with the mob-boss-president Putin. Hm.