Posted on 12/02/2020 9:35:39 AM PST by Kaslin
The same actors who assure us Edward Snowden is a super-secret Russian and Chinese spy later told us that President Trump colluded with the Russians to win the 2016 election.
President Trump should issue a full pardon to Edward Snowden, the American whistleblower who tops the enemies list of the unaccountable anti-American actors in the U.S. intelligence community, otherwise known as the Deep State.
In a series of monumental leaks, Snowden exposed that the Obama administration had been using the supposed authority of the post-9/11 Patriot Act to continue and advance a massive, indiscriminate, unconstitutional data collection program that swept up the communications of millions and millions of Americans and foreigners abroad, using U.S. and global telecommunications infrastructure.
Prior to Snowden’s disclosures, top officials in the U.S. intelligence community, such as former National Security Agency Director Keith Alexander and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, explicitly lied to Congress about the existence of these programs. Americans had no idea that their phone conversations, text messages, emails, and other forms of communications were being swept up by their own government and stored indefinitely.
According to reports, the intel chiefs’ series of lies, and the growing sophistication of the data collection program, motivated Snowden to steal classified evidence of the program and flee the United States so he could give the information to reporters.
“We are building the greatest weapon for oppression in the history of man, yet its directors exempt themselves from accountability,” Snowden wrote in an impassioned email to journalist Laura Poitras. “NSA director Keith Alexander lied to congress, which I can prove.”
Snowden’s detractors—which, before the Trump presidency, included yours truly—make the case that Snowden could have used legal whistleblower protections to disclose the information internally about the data collection programs. Unfortunately, after witnessing the actions of hostile actors in our unaccountable intelligence community over the last four years, I don’t think there’s any way Snowden would have been able to expose the program through a system that relies on our bureaucracy and congressional oversight for protections.
As we’ve seen, only whistleblowers of a certain political persuasion, such as Alexander Vindman, seem to be provided protections. Others, such as Adam Lovinger, are simply thrown to the wolves and never heard from again. Members of Congress have expressed concern about reports of retaliation against whistleblowers.
It’s important to remember that at the time of Snowden’s escape, both parties in Congress were overwhelmingly in favor of the post 9/11 “national security” apparatus surveiling Americans. U.S. intelligence agencies and contractors operated with virtually zero real oversight. The idea that Snowden would have been offered protections from the powers that make up the D.C. security state uniparty coalition is a laughable notion.
Yes, Snowden is far from perfect. He’s a human being. Like all of us, he’s a complicated figure. Snowden’s history reveals a civil libertarian-minded, somewhat anti-social outcast who struggled to fit in. He has his struggles and personality flaws, but also redeeming qualities and some impressive accomplishments. Most importantly, his mixed resume is free of any criminal foreign associations. Unlike, say, famous traitors like Robert Hanssen or Ana Montes, any talk of foreign involvement in his past is completely unsubstantiated.
What Snowden did was both just and necessary. It’s easy for us to review his plan of action and nitpick at how he went about things. There is no perfectly clean way to expose enormously important secrets to the American people.
Snowden claims he took the precautions necessary to not allow for his information to fall into the hands of adversaries, such as the Chinese and Russian intelligence agencies. Can we be certain that is the case? Not at all. Do we have conclusive evidence that Snowden’s cache of information made its way to our enemies? No, we don’t.
After Snowden’s initial leaks hit the press, we were lied to again. The U.S. government claimed it was only sweeping up metadata that did not look at the content of communications but only basic information about the parties involved in conversations and the duration of the exchange of information. This turned out to be another falsehood.
Through its surveillance programs, the government had access to not only the metadata, but the content of emails, the entirety of phone conversations, Google search history, and a variety of other intrusive data collection measures. The system Snowden exposed was capable of tracking virtually everything individuals were doing online or through telecoms networks. No warrant required.
Shortly after Snowden went to Hong Kong, the U.S. government charged Snowden under the Espionage Act, which is for Americans suspected of betraying their country to advance the interests of a foreign power. By labeling Snowden a foreign spy, the government was seeking to delegitimize his authenticity as a whistleblower.
Snowden detractors claim his arrival in Russia is evidence that he was seeking to betray our nation. This could not be further from the truth. When Snowden arrived in Moscow, the U.S. government revoked his passport, leaving him in international limbo.
WikiLeaks, which had arranged for his escape from Hong Kong, had planned on bringing Snowden elsewhere. Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has publicly stated that he intended to bring Snowden to Venezuela, Ecuador, Iceland, Nicaragua, or another handful of nations, prior to the U.S. government eliminating his passport.
Unfortunately, Snowden had very few transit options that did not involve being forcibly extradited back home. Moreover, given his Espionage Act charge, Snowden and his legal team have decided he should remain in Russia, as he has more than enough reason to believe he would not be given a fair trial upon his return to the United States. A presidential pardon would certainly change that calculation.
Prior to the Trump presidency, I was willing and naive enough to give the government the benefit of the doubt that they had information to back up such enormous claims against Snowden. However, after witnessing what elements of our intelligence agencies have attempted to do to the likes of President Trump, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, and a variety of other “enemies” of the deep state, I will no longer allow “trust us, he’s guilty” to justify government action ever again.
To date, no evidence has ever surfaced proving that Snowden worked with a foreign power to commit espionage against the United States. It has been more than seven years since Snowden was charged with committing espionage, and the government has never delivered the goods on the charges against him.
If the government had information that Snowden intended on betraying his country, they would have revealed it by now. The same actors who assure us Snowden is a super-secret Russian and Chinese spy later told us that President Trump and Flynn colluded with the Russians to win the 2016 election.
Snowden humiliated the deep state, and the deep state responded by playing dirty in baselessly labeling him a traitor to America. Snowden is no traitor. He’s an American hero who risked everything to disclose ongoing, illegal surveillance on U.S. citizens. Snowden deserves a pardon.
He should also Pardon Obama just for giggles
Agree, pardon Snowdon.
I’m inclined to agree. I was conflicted on Snowden initially, but it seems like enemy of our enemy is our friend in this case, and our alphabet agencies have effectively gone rogue and need to get taken down a level. Pardon Assange too.
Both Snowden and Assange
I am in the other camp. Snowden is a traitor who stole classified information and disclosed it publicly. I don’t forgive that, but then I am old and still believe in our country.
Yes! Pardon Snowden and Asssange. Yesterday. It would be great to hear Assange come clean about where he got the emails. He probably will never tell, but maybe a deal could be arranged...
Assange’s crime involved an army intel analyst who was pardoned by Obama. I didn’t agree with that pardon, but it doesn’t make sense that Assange is still pursued while his accomplice has been freed.
The analyst was a US citizen beside violating his security clearance. Assange is not a US citizen.
The left wants him jailed because he exposed the Clinton gang. That, for me, warrants a medal.
What about film maker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, director of the movie “The Innocence of Muslims”?
His home was raided in the middle of the night by Special Forces. He was led from his home with face hidden under bandage wrappings back in 2013.
He was forced to go into hiding after being blamed by Hilary as ‘the cause’ of the Bengazi Raid.
Does he need some sort of Pardon?
As for Snowden, I don’t see him as a hero. But again, it doesn’t make sense for him to be prosecuted while Brennan and Clapper roam free.
Pardon him. And jail Brennan.
Eric Snowden has two uninterrupted interviews FREE to view on Joe Rogan’s podcast. I have watched them more than once and I highly reccomend them to you fellow freepers (they are on youtube right now and will soon just be available on Spotify as Rogan has scored a BIG deal with them. Initially when this broke in 2013 I was conflicted but as time went on and I heard his version it was obvious that he could have ridden out his life grabbing a check from NSA or CIA for life....he chose to exspose the illegality that was initiated by Dick Cheney lawyer David Atkinson.....what he showed was eventually ruled illegal....yet he is a fugitive....I agree a Pardon is in line.
You can pardon snowden all day long, he would never be able to step food back in the U.S. (or friendly nation) without regretting it.
foot*
(must be hungry)
Yeah, but the classified information he disclosed was that our government is illegally spying on all of us. When the government uses classifying documents as a why to hide its misdeeds then it loses all presumption of legitimacy. Pardon him, he is a patriot.
Yeah, the Rogan interviews of Snowden are must viewing. It gives you a glimpse of just how deep the rabbit hole goes.
How did Snowden clear customs/immigration in Hong Kong AFTER the public release?
Why wouldn’t he FIRST travel to final destination prior to public release?
If wanted by the US govt would he be cleared to travel?
Who provided support to escape?
He would not have been able to get out of Hong Kong if CIA wanted him caught. He was an Obama tool all along.
What appeared in the MSN about what Eddie SnowJob’s betrayal had been in public domain for decades. That so man were unaware of what public data NSA collected is on them. There were at least two books and countless lectures.
The author does not believe he could have taken the Crown Jewels of NSA is based on his assumptions. He did, and what’s more he did it at the behest of his Chinese handlers - where he fled before moving on to Russia.
He was well paid for his theft of NSA’s Methods and Means of data collection - collection that keep this country and the world safe. As a bonus Eddie also got Project names, objectives, goals, and personnel files of foreign operatives, most of whom were rounded up and shot.
The German character that wrote this puff piece has the aim of glorifying not just Eddie, but to encourage others to follow in his footsteps.
After due consideration Eddie is in the same class as Aldrich Ames, Robert Hansen, the Rosenbergs, and little Missy Reality Winner. On further reflection Eddie should receive a full pardon of lead.
I believe in our country too... we all do. Take one look at the people Clinton and Obama pardoned... Hell, Obama’s campaign started in Bill Ayer’s dining room...
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