Less Than $2.1k To Go!!
Just A Reminder
Please Don't Forget
To Donate To FR
This Quarter
Sponsoring FReepers are contributing
$10 Each time a New Monthly Donor signs up!
Get more bang for your FR buck!
Click Here To Sign Up Now!
Posted on 11/27/2013 10:24:35 AM PST by kobald
This week in Washington, Senator Marco Rubio accused a fellow American of treason. Edward Snowden drew the Republican's ire by informing hundreds of millions of innocent people that the NSA is spying on them...
Anyone familiar with the Snowden story will understand why Rubio's comments are misleading. Americans are concerned about their civil liberties because of the accurate information the former Booz Allen Hamilton contractor leaked. He isn't responsible for any conspiracy theories, except in the sense that a conspiracy is "an agreement to perform together an illegal, wrongful, or subversive act," and he exposed NSA and GCHQ cooperation on such acts. Finally, Snowden didn't exactly choose Vladimir Putin's Russia. His plan was to pass through en route to a different country, but while he was there, the Obama Administration yanked his passport. As a result of that brilliant strategy, they stranded a man with lots of secrets in Russia rather than, say, Ecuador...
Senators Ron Wyden and Mark Udall, who are much, much better informed about NSA surveillance, insist that "we have yet to see any evidence that the bulk phone records collection program has provided any otherwise unobtainable intelligence," and believe much of what the NSA does is not necessary to protect our security.
One can agree or disagree with Snowden's actions. But it is mighty strange to label as a traitor someone who acted to inform his countrymen and protect their liberties.
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
Where have you heard that? Peter King???
He did NO SUCH THING!!!
I love these people who are in a tizzy because he “defected” to our “enemy” Russia. What is this, 1951?
Eventually, enough Snowdens will make us all realize that the enemy isn’t in Moscow, or Tehran, or Beijing. Our enemy is in DC. But, it’s already too late.
Go Snowden! I would trust him & his motives far more than the RAT bastard 0dumb0sh_t or demoRATs or GOP-e that are betraying & destroying our country every day. May they roast for eternity in Hell!
I don’t recall him calling out Clinton or 0 for treason.
I find it laughable that when the government does something that they don’t want us to know about, that we should know about, and gets caught out by somebody informing us, they immediately use the “T” word. Traitor to whom? The American people or the government? I certainly don’t consider him a traitor to the people, funny how the government does...it’s as though they think they’re above us and get to decide on what our rights are.
...oh, wait!
For the life of me, I can't understand such a statement.
Snowden revealed to us that the government is spying on us more than anyone had any idea of. Every day, every minute, in our personal correspondence, our business transactions, and our phone calls. What ever could you be thinking?
Another thing to consider, is that anyone who believes both China and Russia don't have copies of the entire trove of data is living in a dream world. the only ones who don't know exactly what is in those files is us, the American people.
re: “ Where have you heard that? Peter King??? He did NO SUCH THING!!!”
I don’t know who Peter King is. No need to yell. Read the rest of my original post. IF he did these things. I don’t know that for sure - are you so sure that he didn’t?
You see, this is my quandary. I hate what the NSA has done. I applaud Snowden revealing that aspect, but just how far did he go in revealing our legitimate covert operations. Do you know for sure that he did not compromise that? I haven’t seen the files he revealed. I’m only echoing what I hear others say whom I trust (including my own father - an Air Force vet, who has had some contact, and apparently still does, with those in the know regarding our covert network - and I mean legitimate operations against foreign enemies, not American citizens.
Thanks for the civil reply. I hope I wasn’t rude. Greenwald (yeah, I know he’s not a conservative, but I respect him) has claimed over & over that nothing like that was compromised.
I think we’re on the same page. It’s horrible what’s happened to our nation.
I’ll take Snowden over Mario any day.
Time for the socialist to register as a democrap!
It's not that Jane or John were any different than any other twelve year old, it's just how comfortable you feel watching them masturbate all those years ago, on youtube the night before you vote for them. This is a fundamental loss for freedom.
Even more when you consider the technology might ever be taken away from our government, but would still exist for those who might also do evil with what they can collect and store for future use.
More than on my nerves. He is becoming a STRONG IRRITATION.
Snowden exposed the corruption of our government and its intrusion into our privacy and our very freedom of thought and expression. Even a few Demoncrat US Senators get it. Wake up Marco Rubio!!!
Be cautious in publishing blasphemy. All freedoms are derived from our Lord Jesus Christ and He is to be trusted.
“I’m thinking Snowden just didn’t want to die.”
Can’t blame him; being six feet under doesn’t hold much appeal to me either.
Rube is nothing more than a puppet. If his masters tell him to support amnesty, he will. If his masters tell him to support tyrannical government, he will.
Correct and I know of another of Cuban/Canadian descent that doesn’t pass muster either.
No western guy who ever defected to Moscow....has ever been considered a hero. I think that fact kind says everything.
If he’d defected to Canada or Tonga....maybe we’d all feel different. Maybe if he’d ever finished anything he started (high school, the Army, his CIA tour, university, etc)...we might feel different. Ed is mostly a guy who steps into something, then stumbles his way out....which leads you to wonder how he can survive in Moscow for the coming years.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.