Treason or Whistle Blower?

[Wry Catcher]

Yes, straw man argument.....Which you just did again....You excel at them almost as well as you project your borderline sociopathic proclivities onto anyone and everyone with the temerity to have a differing viewpoint.

It was kind of amusing at first, but it's now just plain old pathetic.

Thanks for sharing Portland; confirming that you're an asshole is always appreciated though never necessary.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Gee Portland, I understand how a concrete 'thinker' would post such a silly comment. Consider, if you can, that perfection does not exist in the real world. We don't know how many times the vigilance was successful, only that it failed in Boston.

Would you prefer no efforts be made by the Federal Government to protect the citizens of our country? I have no doubt any government can go too far, and it seems the NSA has overstepped. I believe there should be checks and balances, I simply draw the line when the checks are so far out of balance they create a huge hole in the defense of our county.

Is there any end to your foolishness; Libertarianism has no place in the real world.

Nice straw man argument, Danny Vermin.

If this is what your "real world" looks like, I'll take my chances with libertarian "foolishness".

"Straw Man", really? There is nothing phony about my equating Libertarianism - as you and most of your colleagues posit on this forum - as a ridiculous ideology. Governance requires give and take, compromise and pragmatic hard decisions. You guys seem no different than the Utopian Socialists, and your ideology will meet the same fate.

Comparing libertarians to the utopian socialists is a straw-man, and would be tantamount to us comparing you to the Nazis or Soviets.

 

[Wry Catcher]

So, what do you prefer, body scans and strip searches on every trip on all means of public transportation or life as a game of Russian Roulette?

That's a false dilemma. In any case, we're talking about a broad, secret, suveillance regime, not airport security.

The security is not restricted to airports, as I'm sure you know. Sporting events, Concerts, Public Buildings, Private Office Building, etc. The terrorists have won, we are a nation living in fear. But I digress. The problem under 'debate' on this thread is ages old: Security v. Freedom. These terms are not mutually exclusive in real life, and we must decide where on the continuum to land.

It appears to me that those on the right were not outraged where the Government landed until recently, when the entire issue of Security v. Freedom became politicized. The Authoritarian Right (AR) is now all up in arms over the intrusion of Government, yet a short time ago it supported a Constitutional Amendment to restrict marriage to one man and one women. The AR was aghast over voter fraud (VF) - there was very little evidence of VF being widespread - when Obama was elected in 2008 and hoped to restrict, and did in fact restrict - the ability of African Americans in Democratic Districts to vote, as well as students and other likely voters who support the Democratic Party and The President.

IMO the outrage is mostly faux and mostly partisan; normal Americans are concerned, but realize government has a duty to protect, and elected officials a duty to apply the checks and balances ingeniously created by authors of the Constitution. Something they are now doing, sadly a result of a criminal act which seems to have seriously harmed our national security. There are lessons to be learned for sure, but treasonous acts should never be lauded as heroic.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Based on the latest I've read I finally voted yes. The kid is a slim ball treasonous prick. His motives at this point have become self serving and are making America look very bad.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Based on the latest I've read I finally voted yes. The kid is a slim ball treasonous prick. His motives at this point have become self serving and are making America look very bad.

America looks fine. The U.S. government looks bad because of all the horrible things that they're doing.

 

[Katzndogz]

After 35 years as a lawyer, the corruption of the judicial system that I experienced is the reason I won't serve on a jury.

If Snowden recognizes that the judicial system in the US is utterly corrupt from his vantage point, he is extremely perceptive.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Based on the latest I've read I finally voted yes. The kid is a slim ball treasonous prick. His motives at this point have become self serving and are making America look very bad.

America looks fine. The U.S. government looks bad because of all the horrible things that they're doing.

Agreed but that does not excuse his actions.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Based on the latest I've read I finally voted yes. The kid is a slim ball treasonous prick. His motives at this point have become self serving and are making America look very bad.

America looks fine. The U.S. government looks bad because of all the horrible things that they're doing.

Agreed but that does not excuse his actions.

Exposing crimes is a good thing.

 

[Dot Com]

After 35 years as a lawyer, the corruption of the judicial system that I experienced is the reason I won't serve on a jury.

If Snowden recognizes that the judicial system in the US is utterly corrupt from his vantage point, he is extremely perceptive.

so you let your law license expire? 35 years too? I KNEW you were old based on your bitterness on display here daily

As to the OP, Snowden merely uncovered a huge politician/contractor scheme to fleece the taxpayer under their "black" (secret) budget for the *cough* "intelligence" industrial complex.

 

[Katzndogz]

After 35 years as a lawyer, the corruption of the judicial system that I experienced is the reason I won't serve on a jury.

If Snowden recognizes that the judicial system in the US is utterly corrupt from his vantage point, he is extremely perceptive.

so you let your law license expire? 35 years too? I KNEW you were old based on your bitterness on display here daily

I'm not bitter, I just despise what obama and the democrats have done to this country and it looks like brave young men like Edward Snowden can expose that criminal conduct to the world.

 

[Dot Com]

After 35 years as a lawyer, the corruption of the judicial system that I experienced is the reason I won't serve on a jury.

If Snowden recognizes that the judicial system in the US is utterly corrupt from his vantage point, he is extremely perceptive.

so you let your law license expire? 35 years too? I KNEW you were old based on your bitterness on display here daily

I'm not bitter, I just despise what obama and the democrats have done to this country and it looks like brave young men like Edward Snowden can expose that criminal conduct to the world.

you're bitter, not just because of recent election results (IOW- you, like most Repubs, think the President can only be a Repub contrary to Repub track records in that office ), but you also exhibit no sense of humor that I've ever seen.

To the OP, Snowdon should be given a hero's welcome w/ a parade BUT Barack can't allow that because Repubs would claim he's soft on crime. Repubs

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

America looks fine. The U.S. government looks bad because of all the horrible things that they're doing.

Agreed but that does not excuse his actions.

Exposing crimes is a good thing.

Exposing crime does not require one to flee his homeland.

 

[IlarMeilyr]

America looks fine. The U.S. government looks bad because of all the horrible things that they're doing.

Agreed but that does not excuse his actions.

Exposing crimes is a good thing.

Committing a crime is not a good thing.

 

[numan]

Based on the latest I've read I finally voted yes....His motives at this point...are making America look very bad.

So -- you're angry because he is telling the truth?

.

 

[Contumacious]

Agreed but that does not excuse his actions.

Exposing crimes is a good thing.

Committing a crime is not a good thing.

I fully concur. Reason Mr Snowden should be considered a real patriot . It takes guts and conviction to show government criminality

.

 

[IlarMeilyr]

Exposing crimes is a good thing.

Committing a crime is not a good thing.

I fully concur. Reason Mr Snowden should be considered a real patriot . It takes guts and conviction to show government criminality

.

Maybe the government did commit some criminality. I certainly wouldn't put that kind of thing past Obama.

But, the criminality at issue is Snowden's.

It doesn't take guts to commit a felony and then run away.

He should come back and face the music.

He won't though, at least not of his own volition.


,

 

[IlarMeilyr]

Based on the latest I've read I finally voted yes....His motives at this point...are making America look very bad.

So -- you're angry because he is telling the truth?

.

You are stupid by choice?

,

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Agreed but that does not excuse his actions.

Exposing crimes is a good thing.

Exposing crime does not require one to flee his homeland.

So why do so many people go into witness protection programs? That's essentially what this is, minus the identity change. He's gone into hiding so that the people he has exposed can't go after him for doing so.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Agreed but that does not excuse his actions.

Exposing crimes is a good thing.

Committing a crime is not a good thing.

When the law you're breaking is bad then committing a crime is a great thing.

 

[Wake]

Absolutely not. He shouldn't be charged, and we should be grateful that he revealed to us that our government has been spying on and lying to us. He's a patriot.