Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations | World news | guardian.co.uk
The 29-year-old source behind the biggest intelligence leak in the NSA's history explains his motives, his uncertain future and why he never intended on hiding in the shadows
What a brave, smart, strong, principled man! Hooray for this much needed hero who did the right thing. This matter needs to get burst wide open and stay on the front burner for forever... All of our rights and freedoms depend on it...not to mention is safety. His biggest fear, "that nothing will change." A good man who DIDN'T stand by and do nothing. Tyranny be damned!
I assume he gave up his American citizenship before he did this. Also, I'm wondering if his action will spread onto others...exposing the truth behind this tyranny?
did they write that about the AG Holder? hmmm?
This interview should be leading off every newscast across the country tonight and be the front page headline in all of the newspapers.
His story reminded my about the 'Falcon and the Snowman' story as to the motives involved.
What is ironic is that the whistle-blower program was initiated by the government to stop waste, and fraud. Now it is used to prosecute the very heroes they once wanted to step forward.
A: "I think the sense of outrage that has been expressed is justified. It has given me hope that, no matter what happens to me, the outcome will be positive for America. I do not expect to see home again, though that is what I want."
I believe this will only result in real change if someone files a lawsuit against the U.S. Federal Government, arguing that the USA PATRIOT Act - the legal basis for PRISM - is unconstitutional. I think such a lawsuit has an excellent chance of being eventually heard by the Supremes... And would have a chance of succeeding.
Otherwise... I'm extremely cynical regarding the average American's (a) attention span, and (b) civil lethargy/ apathy. Congress typically only acts if their phone lines/ fax machines get clogged up with angry banter from a critical mass of their own constituents. I doubt that will happen in this case.
4 weeks from now... It will be "business as usual". Watch.
BTW... Notice how this web site, post-login, is unencrypted (doesn't use HTTPS://)? NSA is likely reading this page right now. Talk about profiling possible "terrorists"/ "criminals". *chuckles to self*
And do you really think encryption will keep the NSA away? I doubt it very much (see Facebook). Then again, I doubt if anyone who uses this site has anything to hide as such. To the best of my knowledge this is not a terror network plotting to destroy the lives of millions, we're people who like to think, & who would rather be productive - which can only enhance life, unlike the morons currently running the planet.
Remember: one person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter.
Context is everything. Just ask Siri.
This started in the Bush Administration - not the Obama one. Obama inherited this. That said... Obama initial public reaction to press questions will, I think, be eventually viewed by history/ posterity as one of the greatest PR blunders by a sitting Head of State. He could have handed that one far better than he did... Despite the fact that he was telling the absolute truth (at least in the fact that PRISM is legal under current law).
As for the tech companies... As a class... Let's face it - they were forced to comply. They had no choice. All of this negative publicity they're receiving... As predictable as it all is... Is unwarranted. Most of them did not hand over such data, unsolicited; they simply did they only thing they could so, under present law, when they received such a request - they complied with the law.
The only parties presently still in power that one can clearly blame for this is Congress. USA PATRIOT could not have become prevailing law without their votes (those that voted for it, anyway - and most who voted for it then are still sitting in those seats they voted from).
Congress is a Parliament of Whores. (P.J. O'Rourke) Replace them all with those who respect freedom and privacy... File the appropriate lawsuits in federal court... And the ship would right itself, I think.
I won't hold My breath.
Know what's the scary thing? What real dotgov shenanigans is this whole Snowden media snowstorm covering up? Anything like this is almost guaranteed to be a coverup for something else...
Roswell: A spoof of space aliens crash landing in a flying saucer by members of a local paper desperate to sell advertising space. There were photos of papier mache models of bugeyed hominids.