Edward Snowden is Not a Traitor
By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
Today, I called Edward Snowden a traitor for releasing information about the U.S. “Black Budget.” That was a mistake. The NSA has overstepped its bounds, and what it has done and is doing is, without a doubt, unconstitutional. Snowden is a whistleblower and a hero for revealing this massive spy program. The “Black Budget” is taxpayer money used for spying and intelligence. We should all know what Uncle Sam is spending our tax dollars on. So, I have no problem telling Americans of the more than $50 billion spy budget. My only point should have been that sometimes you can go too far, and you can hurt the country and put our agents and assets at risk. That said, Snowden is not a traitor.
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About the Author
Greg Hunter
Greg is the producer and creator of USAWatchdog.com. The site’s slogan is “analyzing the news to give you a clear picture of what’s really going on.” The site will keep an eye on the government, your financial interests and cut through the media spin. USAWatchdog.com is neither Democrat nor Republican, Liberal or Conservative. Before creating and producing the site, Greg spent nearly 9 years as a network and investigative correspondent. He worked for ABC News and Good Morning America for nearly 6 years. Most recently, Greg worked for CNN for shows such as Paula Zahn Now, American Morning and various CNN business shows.
Greg,
We are in cold war with the Russians and chinese, throw in the mix the Germans siding with the Russians.
If also you factor in the currency war that is going on and that it is related to what the NSA is doing you have to reach the conclusion that leaking those sensitive information compromise the national security.
Thank you Mohammad and Omartin for weighing in here.
Greg
Ridiculous claim. If we are in a Cold war its of the US govts making. We meddle where we should not contually, commit crimes in the name of ‘National security’, such as supporting Saudis that supported Rebels that provided the Sarin gas in Syria, in order to get the country to war, then call traitor or disloyal those who stand against that war.
Im grateful for Snowdens courage.
Fred,
Sarin gas stockpile is from the Russians that your Snowden is sitting in their lap now, you can read my post to archivesDave down for an answer
Greg,
Please understand that desperate people do desperate things. Snowden is a whistleblower and only human. Think of what brave men like Gen. George Washington would do if he learned that his follow Colonial leaders were doing the same-type of covert, illegal spying activities on the common colonists that the current US Junta is doing to us Americans. Keep up the good fight Greg.
Omartin and Mohammad,
If President Washington could take charge today,
the first thing he’d do is to clean house at the NSA, FBI
CIA and have the current (and past) administrations PROSECUTED!
Snowden and Assange would be highly honored.
Next, he’d enforce our laws against lobbying and ask all of us to throw out ALL the politicians who’ve received ANY money or gratuities from all the lobbyists, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
He would initiate a constitutional amendment reversing the Citizens’ United decision declaring corporations as people & allowing foreign corporations to contribute unlimited funding to our political campaigns, thus restoring a fundamental sector of our sovereignty.
Next, he’d WITHDRAW OUR TROOPS, eliminate the Federal Reserve and return our financial system to GOVERNMENT CONTROL & sound currency.
He would recognize that our Republic is no longer a republic but
a fascist oligarchy run by the Global Corporate Elitists hell bent
on some type of a global government system.
He would also know these same ELITISTS have conveniently utilized
Communism, Naziism, Socialism, and now Islam as BOOGIE MEN to
advance their treasonous cause.
Please reference Bill Still’s noted youtube documentary, ‘Secret of
Oz’.
Most of what you have said, actually all of what you have said sounds good, BUT…and always there is a but:
We are really in currency war and Jim Reckards talked about it extensively and his latest book puts the facts in front of the readers and explains exactly what is going on from this angle. Its also indicated in many references that the activity that Snowden exposed was mainly financial spying, that does not mean it is right but it goes in the core of currency war.
Where is Snowden now?
RUSSIA.
Why do you think Putin gave him Immunity?
I have a suggestion.
IT IS G20 meeting that is supposed to throw the dollar off its status of the world reserve currency, he is embarrassing the president of the super power.
And do you know what will happen if that plan goes on by the Chinese and the Russians (and am afraid idiots like Snowden will give them the tools to succeed)?
I think you know the answer to the question so i do not have to answer it.
What at stake now is the Dollar and the whole United States of America, and Snowden and a like are opening their mouth at the worst timing any idiot can choose.
Am sorry for being blunt but am a father , a husband and responsible for my family, your points are very valid no doubt, it was the same points that drove the “ARAB SPRING” and the middle east to the $**t hole.
I am terrified those times from what is coming, i have never been so afraid in my whole life like I am now. I have seen masses of people played by the banksters that supported both sides of the conflict where both sides lost and the banksters won.
You can talk as much as you want about freedom and liberty and constitutions, i can assure you the banksters are going to play you the same way they are playing the government, PLEASE DO NOT FALL IN THE TRAP THE MIDDLE EAST FELL IN.
I lost my mother home there in Syria, i love United States it is my only home left now and i do not want to lose it too.
I have been following you now for over a year and have come to respect you as maybe the top journalist covering the news and the world events. I was shocked when last Friday you called Snowden a “traitor”. I am glad you have rescinded this. You put your opinions out there and that takes courage when dealing with complex issues.
Cheers to you Greg. You are a “stand-up” guy.
Thankyou very much for your clarification and being straitup with the issue..take care Greg
You are the second reporter this week I’ve heard apologise for a story. Mistakes happen. Coming forth and admitting an error shows your humananity and your committment to the truth.
Keep up the good work!
Thank you Rod for your support.
Greg
Greg I fail to understand why Snowden was even an issue. Whether he spilled the beans or not about the NSA does not change the fact that the NSA is spying on every American and that we have drones overhead. And according to my sources (which I won’t reveal) it is even much worse than he reported. He’s just the errand boy. It doesn’t change what’s going on. Do you really think foreign governments didn’t know about the program? Only Americans are dumb enough to think their government wouldn’t spy on them. Heck back in the late 60’s my parents phone was tapped because my cousin was in the Secret Service. Granted it wasn’t to this degree, but it happened. The more socialist we become, the bigger the program will get. Totalitarian regimes are paranoid by nature. That’s just the way it is. If Snowden wouldn’t have opened his mouth, someone else would have. And they would have tried to shut his mouth too.
That’s a good point Jerry.
Greg
I was glad to see your clarification. As has been stated, you are a stand-up guy. Well done.
Thank you for your support Richard.
Greg
ahhhh greg
No problemo
I did dissagree but waited to comment to see what others said,
I gave u the slack u needed
Everyone has a. Fo-pau
As usual finger on the pulse@usawatchdog
Alols
Thank you Allen.
Greg
I second what Allen said. I disagreed, but I support you Greg. You are just as entitled to your right of free speech as anyone else. As friends, we don’t have to agree on everything. For shame to the people that were ready to give up on you.
Outstanding!!! Greg,you are a “real” man. Thanks for the honesty.
Greg. No pody,s nurfect. Good to see you can handle your human error’s.
How encouraging. It’s so rare to hear anyone say, I’m sorry; it was my mistake; or I was wrong. All those statements are forms of taking responsibility for your own actions. I hope you know how much you are appreciated.
Ragna,
It’s never easy to admit to a mistake but the faster you do it the better it is. What is going on in the world today is unprecedented in world history and it is not black and white. Thank you for your comment and support.
Greg
Greg, i am sure my opinion wont make or break you, but i must say, your assumptions on Snowden not being as angelic and heroic as many seem to make him to be i feel as if was quite accurate.
Yes, he did “spark a debate” in regards to how the internet is being controlled by the powers that be, however, the releasing of sensitive intelligence that risks the lives of people is way out of hand….
People (although definitely not all people) who dedicate their lives to serving United States (or any other government) by occupations such as spies, generals, soldiers, etc at one point in their lives have an epiphany and decide that serving the nation they stand upon and where their families and loved ones rest is their true calling.
For Snowden to essentially put these people in harms way is a “rat/snitch” move.
Yes, the situation in America is dire in terms of everything, but i don’t think the resolution involves punishing the pawns who receive orders from the top of the power pyramid.
Albert tesla,
Thank you for adding to the conversation here. Your voice, and many others, help us all find our way in a dark complicated world.
Greg
It takes a lot of courage to apologise – thank you.
I agree that releasing information that can get innocent people killed is just not on, but we are talking about a Government that shamelessly murders its own people (9/11) for self enrichment. A great pity that most Americans just don’t care about what their government is up to.
Take care Greg
Frisco Vigario,
Thank you for comment.
Greg
“put our agents at risk”…
Our agents themselves choose to risk their lives when they sign on to blindly follow the malevolent policies of the USG…
8Ball,
Our agents are American and this is why I find this not to be a black and white issue. I am not worried about the government, I am worried about the country. Meaning, the people, our culture and our way of life. Our agents, soldiers and police are part of the country and not just part of the government. As I said, Snowden is not a traitor, but I worry about hurting the “country” and good people trying to do the right thing. How far is too far? That is the question I constantly am trying to navigate. Thank you for your comment and perspective.
Greg
Congratulation, you proved yourself for NOT being a hypocrite.
Oracle 911,
Thank you for your comment and support. I am always trying to get it right.
Greg
From time to time I might disagree with you…but I fully respect and appreciate your work and where your coming from.
I look forward to your reports and commentary.
Thanks Greg.
Louis
Louis,
Civilized disagreement is the lifeblood of progress and enlightenment.
Greg
Greg, I didn’t know about the inital comment you apologized about, but non the less finding out about that from the apology still gets me where I need to go. Thank you for the apology. I never considered Manning, Assange, or Snowden anything buy heroes given that they’ve put themselves in great danger over a principle. The US gov’t as it operates today is nothin’ more than an empire, and an evil one at that, a world wide bully and a crony kleptocracy. For that, and whatever else could be found out and verified that abuses others all over the globe, they should be called out on it an severly punished. These heroes deserve our admiration and respect, not vilification. You earned not just my respect for being a thinking and feeling being, but many many others who are fed up with the government that sits in D.C. and the whores who populate it.
Thank you Tony for adding your thoughts on this.
Greg
I agree w/tony
Hey, Greg, you’re back in my good graces! LOL I saw red regarding your comment yesterday especially since the long history of the U.S. shows it’s been the biggest bully on the block! (Economic Hit Man by John Perkins, et al) But thanks to that expose’ in the Washington Post, I now have solid proof of this government’s massive misallocation of funds and have directed my anger to the right target.
Joni
Joni,
There are no black and white issues just shades of gray when it come comes to our world today. Thank you for your continued support.
Greg
I remember reading Orwell’s 1984 back in the 1970s for the first time. I thought it described a situation similar to what was present in ths Soviet Union or East Germany. Those were countries where you could be stopped by the police at any time and had to be suspicious of your neighbors spying on you. How glad I was that I lived in the United States. Now we have stop-and-frisk and the NSA data collection programs, and the only Big Brother that occupies the thoughts of the majority of the populace is the “reality” tv show.
How refreshing! Honesty! Thank you!
Greg: we all have to get used to living in a police state; just a fact of life. We also have to understand that US hegemony and the USD are soon to be consigned to the dust bin of history. The farce that is the Syrian situation, when the facts are finally revealed, will show how low we have fallen to maintain the corrupt House of Saud, the Petro dollar and the world’s reserve currency.
It took a lot of guts to say what Greg just said. My respect for him is elevated once again. Touchdown Greg——————
Thank you Bob, Diane Carol Mark and Robert for your comments and support.
Greg
Greg,
Thank you for your subtle listening skills … hearing your conscience as well as our telepathic communications to you 🙂
I downloaded the documents, FY 2013 Congressional Budget Justification attached to the Wired article. A budget report leak shouldn’t be life-threatening. You mentioned feeling concerned about some of our citizens’ safety from various “leaks”. But, we’ve been cautioned to “follow the money”. So the budget report ought to be in the public eye anyway … it’s our money the gov’t is spending! They are not a self-generating organization (other than fraudulently printing money).
Thanks,
🙂 Diane
Greg,
Thanks for the addendum to your weekly wrap-up. I don’t know if Snowden is a traitor or not; quite honestly I waiver back and forth on the issue. After all, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. But what I don know is that you are a stand up guy who holds himself accountable for the words he speaks and the words he prints. I have so much respect for that.
So many in the media will say or print anything for the shock value and fifteen minutes of fame. Thank you for not being that guy. Thank you for measuring your words, your humility of spirit and your tenacity for the truth.
Highest regards,
Robert
I would suggest everyone who wants a good picture of the Syria mess go to the Mint Press, and read about the Syria gassing.
http://www.mintpressnews.com/
Greg, I must applaud and congratulate you for standing straight on this. Most reporters ego would get in the way.
eppoh,
Thank you for your comment and support.
Greg
Greg…… Glad you cleared up the Snowden matter. He was no more a traitor than Karen Hudes.
Actually her information was more shocking than his. They are both brave whistle blowers.
We have a right to know where our money is going.
Greg,
Let me preface this by saying I appreciate what you do here on usawatchdog. By in large I agree with you. However, as it relates to Eric Snowden I have to disagree with your assessment. You said – “My only point should have been that sometimes you can go too far….” Really? You can’t mean that can you? When it comes to protecting individual liberty you can never go “too far”. “Americans who work for these spy agencies could be at risk”. I couldn’t care less about those Americans who work for spy agencies. By virtue of the fact that they work for the military industrial complex they forfeit any right to my sympathy. They are part of the problem, not a part of the solution. Government doesn’t have any right to secrets. Government has no rights at all. Only individuals have rights. Government should certainly have no more rights than I as an individual have. This thought process is precisely why America has failed. As George Washington said – “Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.”
Government should be barely tolerated and a minimum influence on our lives. Instead, Americans have allowed government to grow unchecked until today it is an absolute beast. To suggest that those that work for spy agencies deserve anything other than scorn is ridiculous. These people practice their craft by doing everything that most moral people find abhorrent: guile, deceit, coercion, brute force. Regardless of your religious beliefs, and I happen to be Christian, these actions cannot be tolerated. You can’t give the government the power to do good without also giving it the power to do bad – in fact, to do anything it wants. More times than not government does whatever it wants and does so at the expense of individual liberty. Take a look at that good ‘ol constitution Greg. 95% of the words in the document are allocated to what government can do and only 5% are devoted to the rights of the individual. That’s it, 5%. And those are framed with all kinds of words that render them open to interpretation. If the document that ostensibly guides the rest of law in this country gives government 95% of the power then what kind of chance do you and I have?
Personally, I would not characterize Eric Snowden as a hero. He did what any morally sound person would do. That’s it, nothing more. If I had the opportunity to ask him a question I’d ask him why the heck was he working for the NSA / Booz Allen in the first place.
David,
Point taken. That said, when I say “hurt the country” I mean hurt regular every people not the government. We live in a complicated world. Many other countries have spies and intelligence agencies. It is naïve to think otherwise. Some of these nations want to do the country harm. We do not live in a black and white world. I, like others, have trouble from time to time navigating the historic events unfolding before our eyes. I always pray I say the right words and do the right stories. Thank you for adding your voice and perspective here.
Greg
Great post David.
Greg, I appreciate you very much. You do an excellent job.
Thank you Thalpy.
Greg
It’s refreshing to hear someone admit that their original opinion may have been wrong or at least not 100% correct. Things aren’t black or white, simple, most times we need to be flexible. Imagine if Obama had just said, ‘last year when I drew a red line for Assad’s chemical weapons, I was mistaken…and now I’ve reconsidered’…the world would be better off. Just a few words, ah but a lot of character.
alyce,
Thank you for your kind words and for weighing in here.
Greg
Thnx Greg,
I too waited to weigh in.
Kudos to you my friend
for your honesty,
thoroughness & humility!
archivesDave,
It’s messy to take a pie in the face, but sometimes it must be done.
Greg
Greg,
I’m deeply disappointed that you called Edward Snowden a traitor, even for an instant and even by “mistake”. Mainly because it proves that deep down inside you are NOT as vehemently opposed to the U.S. government’s CRIMES as you pretend to be. Otherwise you would have
N E V E R even THOUGHT of muttering that word.
Kudos for trying to take it back. Unfortunately, it’s too late and I no longer trust you.
Good bye. I will no longer follow USAWatchdog.
Sorry Dan,
Maybe you can find a perfect person somewhere else. Thank you for supporting the site for all the time that you did. Someone once said, “A wise man seldom changes his mind, a fool never does.”
Greg
Greg,
It’s NOT about finding the “perfect person”. It’s about finding someone who is CONSISTENT in his/her CONVICTIONS.
We live in a nation that has legalized WAR CRIMES, LEGALIZED FINANCIAL FRAUD, LEGALIZED TORTURE, LEGALIZED CORPORATE BRIBERY, LEGALIZED MURDER, LEGALIZED KIDNAPPING, LEGALIZED EAVESDROPPING ON INNOCENT CITIZENS, LEGALIZED FOOD POISONING, and that forces its citizens to buy its over-priced, state-sponsored healthcare and pay for bailing-out insolvent private corporations. You know all this as well as I do, which is why I come to your excellent blog.
But the Freudian slip of calling Snowden a “traitor” shows to me that deep-down inside maybe you’re NOT really as convinced about all the aforementioned facts regarding what the USSA has become as it might seem.
It’s undeniably ADMIRABLE that you retracted your faux pas of calling Snowden a traitor, a statement which after all seemed to belie & contradict the same mission statement of USAWatchdog, to wit: REPORTING THE TRUTH and DEFENDING THE CONSTITUTION. You know, the gullible brainless masses would probably just as easily label YOU yourself a “traitor” as well for boldly reporting on reality the way that you do. Which is of course why I’m NOT going to stop visiting your blog. So many years of getting it RIGHT won’t be washed away by ONE blooper.
Albeit a MAJOR one, IMHO.
Dan,
I should have given the comment more reflection and scrutiny before I posted it. Everything is a lesson learned and I learned one here. Here’s what I wrote “DeeDee” another visitor to the site . This might further explain why it is sometimes hard to get it right on this issue:
“You are wanting the world to be black or white and it simply is not. You said, “Either a whistle blower is a good thing or a bad thing.” This depends on the information released. The amount of money spent on spying is and should be released. Taxpayers have a right to know. Unconstitutional acts exposed is another thing that should be exposed. What we know about our enemies and what they know about us does not fall into the realm of either a taxpayers right to know or unconstitutional acts perpetrated on U.S. citizens. This is where the issue turns gray. Should the country be exposed? (I am not talking about the government I am considering only ordinary citizens.) Should our assets in the field be killed because of total transparency? My point is there should be some limits if we are talking about true national security. I should not have called Snowden a traitor and I admitted my mistake in a very public way.”
I am not trying to make excuses. I always try to be fair and give the best analysis possible. Thank you for your continued support.
Greg
Dear Greg, How refreshing to hear a man stand corrected! Thank you for that. I thank you for responding to my comment and I can see your concern for the american people in the field. I tried very hard to search for the Washington Post article and could not find it anywhere on the web. I wanted to understand your point of view better. I am afraid it has been removed. I would love a link to it if you can find one. Armstrong Economics posted this yesterday :FREEDOM of the PRESS is the cornerstone to LIBERTY, which cannot exist without it. What the NSA has done is to undermine everything so many generations have fought and died for to establish a free society. As Franklin says, those that advocate giving up our fundamental liberty to gain security as promised by Obama, deserve neither liberty nor safety. Will society ever learn? It does not seem likely. Whenever a newspaper or organization refuses to print the truth, it betrays the people and everything that made us a free society. They are the ultimate traitors – not Snowden, Manning, or Wiki Leaks. Armstrong Economics Blog Thank you again! I feel a lot better following your blog knowing you were not viewing it black and white!
deedee,
I worked for ABC and CNN in New York and without a doubt the mainstream media lies by omission everyday. Right now the MSM will not even bring up the fact that both Russia and China think the chemical attack in Syria on August 21st was done by the rebels. That is a very big charge to ignore. Now Secretary of State John Kerry says there is proof of Sarin gas. I am sure there is but the real question is who really used it? The only person who brought up the rebels using the gas on themselves to draw in the U.S. wad Sean Hannity. I am not really a big fan of any of the MSM and FOX omits too, but credit where credit is due. Obama is going to have a very rough time getting this through Congress. Getting Democrats to vote for this war is going to be a very tough sell. Thank you for your continued support of the site and adding your voice to the conversation.
Greg
Bye dan. See u. Don’t sneak back
Smell you later allen.
Dan,
WTF? Dude, take your meds already!
Good for you Greg. You have more courage than most in the media who would not dare stick their necks out for the truth. Fact is, Snowden had weighed going to Pentagon Internal Affairs with this, but knew the odds of it backfiring on him as a whistle blower were high. He knew the mixed results for previous whistle blowers. That’s why he left and put the info in the public domain. If we had a system to protect whistle blowers, he would have had more confidence to come forward privately but that’s not the case.
Wayne Olson,
Good point. Thank you for making it here.
Greg
When the Assad regime falls, what FORCE will fill that vacancy?
At what price, sacrifice?
From day one, never thought Snowden was a traitor as much as Cheny has been and always will be.
Snowden saw the evil and wanted and did expose it. Cheny on the other hand never let the other hand know what it was doing. He, Cheny, is the real traitor to real democracy.
Depends on what he gave chinese and Russians. He paid for asylum with secerts. While he is not a trator for what we know so far, i would bet he is for what he divulged to get asylum. And I do appreciate that he let the world (and let me know ) we are being watched. Not sure we will ever know
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Greg,
The Acid Test of character and integrity: an apology. You’ve gained a passing grade. And I dare say – some vindication for taking a hard stand, when necessary. True teaching is by example. One might say – the portfolio of your credentials are growing. Kudos.
Manny thanks Charles H.
Gregg, dont be so hard on yourself.
Snowden is a traitor and a hero,
its perspective …. 😉 which
is the kind of thing that happens in corrupt societies,
our money is corrupt (paper), the courts are corrupt (fiat),
the politicians are corrupt (pandering), the nanny-granny state is corrupt (moral hazzard), the markets are corrupt (manipulation), as corruption permeate our society.
I hope that helped. So cheer up.
DMR,
Thank you man!
Greg
i’m 100% behind you. i understood from the video. this is the information age. a lot to decipher today. but i can also see where somebody can go to far, in which i even was starting to question. but is this what we need to wake people up to whats really going on? shock, but it could hurt us too. i mean not everybody is tuning in on greg hunter to get the real news to maybe to tell us whats really going on. you do a hell of a job bringing the news that you are not going to hear on t.v. thanks again. you have my100% backing
Bob,
I 100% appreciate your backing and comment!
Greg
Good on you Greg for your clarification/backdown. Looking at Snowden, his body language and what he says, I believe him to be truly sincere and idealistic. Also a very brave young man. I somehow don’t get the same good vibes about Julian Assange, who strikes me as narcissitic, self opinionated and just wanting to strike against the whole system.
I really enjoy your site Greg and you come across as a really humane and thoughtful person. If only President Johnson would have changed his mind and withdrawn the troops from Vietnam after he realized it had all been a mistake. The same for George Bush. I hope President Obama has the courage to reverse his stance about a Syrian strike. Pride goeth before a fall……
Margaret from Tasmania, Australia
MargfromTassie,
Isn’t “pride” one of the deadly sins. Make no mistake we are playing around at the edge of starting World War III. Nothing in Panama, Grenada or even Libya could have set of a world war. If you believe in the Bible (and I do), Syria, Israel and Jordan is where the valley of Armageddon sits. This is where the line has been drawn. The “red line” President Obama talked about will be painted in blood. Thank you for your kind words and support.
Greg
Dear Greg,
Thank you for posting this. I was trying to think of a response to your post. I am just tired of all the secrets, secrets, secrets.
I decided to let someone else do my talking. Here is Thomas Drake at the National Press Club, in case you missed it.
http://jessescrossroadscafe.blogspot.com/2013/08/thomas-drake-on-government-overreach.html
tsuki
tsuki,
Thank you for the comment and the link.
Greg
http://rt.com/news/snowden-prize-whistleblower-germany-255/
Snowden got this whistleblower award in Germany . I saw no coverage in mainstream American press.
oldnurse,
The MSM lies by omission. Thank you for your comment.
Greg
Truth is rarely ever popular.
hahahahahahahaha……I think the real traitor is Greg H. Either that, or he had a temporary bout of insanity.
Edward Snowden is a HERO !!!!!!!!
Greg, did you catch what Frank Church said in 1975?
“[America’s intelligence gathering] capability at any time could be turned around on the American people and no American would have any privacy left. Such is the capability to monitor everything: telephone conversations, telegrams, it doesn’t matter. There would be no place to hide.
If this government ever became a tyrant, if a dictator ever took charge in this country, the technological capacity that the intelligence community has given the government could enable it to impose total tyranny, and there would be no way to fight back because the most careful effort to combine together in resistance to the government, no matter how privately it was done, is within the reach of the government to know. Such is the capability of this technology.
I don’t want to see this country ever go across the bridge. I know the capacity that is there to make tyranny total in America, and we must see to it that [the NSA] and all agencies that possess this technology operate within the law and under proper supervision so that we never cross over that abyss. That is the abyss from which there is no return.”
Greg, in regard to your comment on the recap of the week. It seems to me Snowden is in a moral dilemma. If he keeps quite and does not let it all out (to protect agents/spies in sensitive areas of the world) there might not be enough shock value with the public to get them to demand reform. Wasn’t it Greenwald that said Snowden has information that would shake the world in regard to the NSA and America? At this point it seems we are heading for the abyss or are already there. Where is the bombshell information that will wake up the American people and make them demand reform? I haven’t seen it yet.
You are doing a great job.
Now they are saying Snowden was manipulated by the Russian FSB
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/did-wikileaks-sell-snowden-russians-190031664.html
“In April 2012, the government-funded Russian TV station RT gave Assange his own talk show.
How Snowden landed in Moscow
Foust states that “the chain of events leading up to Snowden’s flight, and his decision in Hong Kong to flee to Russia, of all places, strongly suggest that Russian intel has co-opted him to a remarkable degree.””
Greg, I cannot tell you how shocked I was when you called Snowden a “traitor” and how relieved I was when you retracted that accusation. Thank you for having the courage to admit a mistake.
Forgive my impertinence, but at some stage or another most journalists fall into the trap of injecting themselves and their opinions into the story. The great ones just do their homework, ask critical questions and then listen to the response. The opinion you receive will be largely predetermined by the person you choose to interview and you should leave it at that. Leave the rest to the listeners.
Fraser,
Right at the top of every page I openly state my slogan: ““Analyzing the news to give you a clear picture of what’s really going on.” Please don’t expect me not to inject my opinion. Thank you for your comment.
Greg
Greg,
It’s rare and refreshing to see a journalist publically revise their thinking. I have just hit the donations button for the first time, and look forward to doing so again. However I feel that everyone needs take a big step back on the Edward Snowden issue, pro or con.
Our domestic military and intelligence services need to be held accountable for the psychological morale of their soldiers and operatives. This accountability extends all the way to the President If we see whistle blowers engaging in risky behavior by way of leaks or outright defections, could it be because they are being subjected to unreasonable turmoil due to clear violations by commanders of their sworn oaths?
I feel that candidates and concerned journalists should be less concerned with the individual whistle blowers and much more concerned about the breakdown of morale in our defense arm. Exclusive focus on Manning or Snowden is encouraged by culpable leaders who seek to deflect blame and promote gridlock.
Ken
Ken,
Thank you for your comment.
Greg
Great post.