Administration pressures Hong Kong over Snowden- Update- He/Russia pulls a fast one

[Gunslinger08]

As a former military man with top secret clearance, I signed a piece of paper, as a condition of employment, promising to keep the info I had access to secret. This was very serious business. Snowdon was bound by the same rules and unless Snowdon found out about ILLEGAL activities, he had no business revealing secret US information. He is now on the run in countries who are enemies of the US and who would do anything to hurt the US, one way or the other.
So if Snowdon is capable of disclosing more secret information, he should be a target. National security depends on it.

Any questions?

Just because something is legal doesn't make it right. There is a higher code than US law to live your life by.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Bump for update

 

[IGBT]

Snowden didn't go to the american media due to the fact cnn / msnbc / nbc and all the other alphabet news org's are the obama centric cheer leaders and willing accomplices in nearly anything the obama regime wants. They couldn't be trusted.

 

[JEDIYoda]

He could literally walk into the hands of the enemy.

Umm actually no that will not happen....Snowden has people who wikileaks hired to escort him in the event our guberment tries to do something stupid!!

 

[waggy]

Snowden didn't go to the american media due to the fact cnn / msnbc / nbc and all the other alphabet news org's are the obama centric cheer leaders and willing accomplices in nearly anything the obama regime wants. They couldn't be trusted.

and if he went to fox he would be dismissed.

 

[Nintendesert]

It doesn't help when the administration also is tapping the phones of the press looking for leaks.

 

[Dari]

Run Snowden run. You're a good man and Obama is an asshole.

 

[Lithium381]

As a former military man with top secret clearance, I signed a piece of paper, as a condition of employment, promising to keep the info I had access to secret. This was very serious business. Snowdon was bound by the same rules and unless Snowdon found out about ILLEGAL activities, he had no business revealing secret US information. He is now on the run in countries who are enemies of the US and who would do anything to hurt the US, one way or the other.
So if Snowdon is capable of disclosing more secret information, he should be a target. National security depends on it.

Any questions?

is that similar to your president and other elected officials, when taking the job swore the oath of office to protect and uphold the constitution? it was very serious business to uphold the law of the land.

any questions?

 

[werepossum]

I thought this was amusing:

That is indeed a clever and very telling juxtaposition.

I'm hesitant to brand guys like this full on traitors myself. Apparently he made a point of not releasing info that could compromise assets or get people killed (although no real way for us to corroborate that) and hasn't run the predictable routine of a "traitor" on the run. He's still using his own name, staying in the public view, and isn't trading state secrets for "asylum." I do kinda wish he'd keep his revelations centered on domestic abuses, blabbing about what we do to China and others isn't helping his descent into the hole.

I still feel conflicted about where I stand to some degree regarding Snowden, and while I won't call him a hero either it's clear to me he's no Rob Hanssen.

Well said.

Just because something is legal doesn't make it right. There is a higher code than US law to live your life by.

Thank you. Although there is still an argument as to where the lines should be drawn, where one must reject law in favor of a higher code and where one should not seize the right to be the sole arbiter of that conflict. It's very difficult for those of us on the outside to make a judgement as to where this case falls, in the gray between these lines or outside one or the other, but as Kage points out Snowden is certainly not a Manning or a Hanssen.

 

[Dari]

That is indeed a clever and very telling juxtaposition.


Well said.


Thank you. Although there is still an argument as to where the lines should be drawn, where one must reject law in favor of a higher code and where one should not seize the right to be the sole arbiter of that conflict. It's very difficult for those of us on the outside to make a judgement as to where this case falls, in the gray between these lines or outside one or the other, but as Kage points out Snowden is certainly not a Manning or a Hanssen.

Actually, it should not be difficult for any civilian to judge where the case falls. Clapper clearly lied to Congress when he was before them a couple of months ago. Also, based on my own experience, those on the inside regularly lie all the time to visiting/inquisitive politicians/journalists/civilians. Now that at least one bureaucrat has been caught lying, what will happen to him and these programs? If the answer is nothing then we deserve everything we get.

As someone very smart once said, countries have the governments they deserve.

 

[amish]

If EO 12333 prohibits targeted assassinations why is everyone calling for this person to be offed? I don't see his link to a terrorist organization.

 

[Vic Vega]

Run Snowden run. You're a good man and Obama is an asshole.

I finally agree with you on something.

We need more people like Snowden.

 

[Kadarin]

If EO 12333 prohibits targeted assassinations why is everyone calling for this person to be offed? I don't see his link to a terrorist organization.

This is where people start redefining "terrorist" as "political enemy" to suit their purposes.

 

[BoberFett]

As a former military man with top secret clearance, I signed a piece of paper, as a condition of employment, promising to keep the info I had access to secret. This was very serious business. Snowdon was bound by the same rules and unless Snowdon found out about ILLEGAL activities, he had no business revealing secret US information. He is now on the run in countries who are enemies of the US and who would do anything to hurt the US, one way or the other.
So if Snowdon is capable of disclosing more secret information, he should be a target. National security depends on it.

Any questions?

Screw that, I'm former military too. I guess my opinion that Snowden did what was right cancels out your opinion.

Fuck those traitors to the ideals of this country that have infested Washington DC. I hope more and more people start airing this shitty government's dirty laundry. The scumbags we call "leaders" and "representatives" deserve to burn.

 

[nf4m]

As a former military man

your entire post history is nonstop government apologist rhetoric.

enough of the lies and bullshit.

 

[BoberFett]

My point is that no President could or would simply let Snowden get away with the serious crimes he has committed against the United States. The very idea of that is just absurd.

Why? The President (current and past) lets people get away with serious crime against the US all the time. Is it just because Snowden is a peon and not one of the rich and powerful?

Did Snowden torture anyone? Order drone killings? Drag us into a war?

No?

His crime is no more heinous than anything that any president has done.

 

[werepossum]

Actually, it should not be difficult for any civilian to judge where the case falls. Clapper clearly lied to Congress when he was before them a couple of months ago. Also, based on my own experience, those on the inside regularly lie all the time to visiting/inquisitive politicians/journalists/civilians. Now that at least one bureaucrat has been caught lying, what will happen to him and these programs? If the answer is nothing then we deserve everything we get.

As someone very smart once said, countries have the governments they deserve.

I don't think it's quite that simple. Consider Snowden's case. He has information that he considers to be unconstitutional behavior by the President and the executive branch, behavior which he well knows is mostly endorsed by Congress and the opposition party as well. Clearly he needs to come forward, right? But it's hardly that simple. First, he's hardly a Constitutional scholar; he has a layman's understanding of the Constitution, but any of us can simply be wrong. Yet when he violates his oath, there will be consequences, some expected and some that come as a surprise. Other people are going to suffer, including people he's never even thought about. He cannot perfectly predict the results of his actions, nor stop them once he begins. Anyone who thinks such decisions are black and white is not correctly thinking about them.

But I do agree with you that democratic countries have the governments they deserve, if not always the governments they want or need.

 

[shady28]

As a former military man with top secret clearance, I signed a piece of paper, as a condition of employment, promising to keep the info I had access to secret. This was very serious business. Snowdon was bound by the same rules and unless Snowdon found out about ILLEGAL activities, he had no business revealing secret US information. He is now on the run in countries who are enemies of the US and who would do anything to hurt the US, one way or the other.
So if Snowdon is capable of disclosing more secret information, he should be a target. National security depends on it.

Any questions?

As a former military man myself, I recall swearing an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies - foreign and domestic.

So I had top secret clearance too, but it was about things like the frequency a turbine generator ran at in a submarine and similar technical things. It was not about hiding murder or illegal activities on US soil.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, that is the real treason going on here.

Or do you really think that it is legal to wiretap every single US citizen in the country all at one time, simply because the technology is available?

Have you researched the law on this, including the Patriot Act and the FISA courts, or are you just a blindly obedient and loyal dog?

 

[Darwin333]

He intended to fly to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela.

The US should consider him an enemy of the state and send hitmen after him.

One thing for sure, he is a wanted man and he is going to be exiled until the US get's him, one way or the other.

Yeah!! Fuck all that due process and constitution stuff!!!! Hell this entire ordeal is over the .gov completely ignoring an entire amendment so whats one or two more right?

 

[brandonb]

Citizens > Government.

It happens every time in a revolution. The citizens bitch-slap the government. Our government is going beyond its bounds. Citizens need to keep it in check. Snowden did his part. Even though he has a bulls-eye on his back currently. But the citizens need to support Snowden. He should be regarded as a hero, and he will be, in time. The government needs to watch itself or there could be an American Spring coming in the near future.

 

[Darwin333]

As a former military man with top secret clearance, I signed a piece of paper, as a condition of employment, promising to keep the info I had access to secret. This was very serious business. Snowdon was bound by the same rules and unless Snowdon found out about ILLEGAL activities, he had no business revealing secret US information. He is now on the run in countries who are enemies of the US and who would do anything to hurt the US, one way or the other.
So if Snowdon is capable of disclosing more secret information, he should be a target. National security depends on it.

Any questions?

Yes I do have a question.

Since it was and is illegal per the very clear wording of the 4th amendment you then agree that he should have divulged the information?

And even more important than whatever document you may or may not have signed, do you recall what your oath was when you entered the military? Which is more important, that oath or a document you sign later on?