Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

If you were Ed Snowden, what would you do?
New York Young Republican Club Blog ^ | April 20, 2014 | NYYRC

Posted on 04/21/2014 9:21:52 AM PDT by Randall_S

Imagine you were in the position of Snowden. As a contractor to the National Security Agency, you knew that your government was monitoring what seemed to be an indefensible amount of electronic communication, from emails, to phone calls, between ordinary Americans. What would you do? Perhaps you would:

Resign in protest? Go to the Press with declassified information? Point the Press in the right direction, to ask the right questions? Go public? Other whistleblowers in modern American history, such as Daniel Ellsberg, are today hailed as heroes. Help to start a national conversation about fundamental privacy rights, and the Constitutional provisions of the Fourth Amendment?

Maybe you’d do some or all of the above, among others thing. But would you ever consider fleeing to Russia via Hong Kong after leaking a tremendous amount of sensitive classified information to newspapers around the world? Most people consider such a course of action to be plainly treasonous.

(Excerpt) Read more at nyyrc.com ...


TOPICS: Government
KEYWORDS: criminalconspiracy; espionage; mole; nsa; putin; russia; secretagent; snowden
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-55 next last
To: Randall_S

Simple. IF I actually had legitimate access to this information (and not just decided to go rummaging around where I wasn’t supposed to be) AND IF I felt that the threat to the citizen was sufficiently great I would have called Victoria Toensing and Joe De Genova


21 posted on 04/21/2014 9:50:32 AM PDT by Nifster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GeronL

That’s the other one.


22 posted on 04/21/2014 9:53:11 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: fieldmarshaldj

lol


23 posted on 04/21/2014 9:54:39 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA

You are so wrong wrong wrong. Call Joe De Genova and Victoria Toensing.... that’s what smart folks do.

Snowden is an outright commie. His entire ploy was to do damage.


24 posted on 04/21/2014 9:54:52 AM PDT by Nifster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Leaning Right

Or you can do what Snowden did....do as much damage as possible and then run to both communist China and red Russia....classic


25 posted on 04/21/2014 9:56:32 AM PDT by Nifster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Randall_S

Manning is a traitor and Snowden is a traitor


26 posted on 04/21/2014 9:59:09 AM PDT by RaceBannon (Lk 16:31 And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the prophets neither will theybe persuaded)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Leaning Right

Yes it is pretty pathetic WE have a Press that is such a joke!!!! He did
go to the press out if the country press of course!!!! WE are constantly
saying to each other here why are WE getting so much of our hard news
from the UK!!!! Sheryl Attkinson said PLAIN AND SIMPLE her managers
have no balls to stand up to the administration shaking in their boots over
threats to their FCC licenses!!!!


27 posted on 04/21/2014 10:00:03 AM PDT by Kit cat (OBummer must go)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Randall_S

If the choice is flee of hope the SWAT team doesn’t kill you during your arrest and it’s not a kangaroo trial the right answer is ALWAYS flee. There’s nothing treasonous about trying to survive exposing your government’s wrong doing.


28 posted on 04/21/2014 10:03:14 AM PDT by discostu (Seriously, do we no longer do "phrasing"?!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA

These “alternatives” are designed to dissuade future whistle-blowers from doing anything effective.


29 posted on 04/21/2014 10:16:43 AM PDT by Flame Retardant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: GeronL

Who knew Bradley Manning was so driven to become the future winner of the Tanya Harding lookalike contest ?


30 posted on 04/21/2014 10:19:49 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: fieldmarshaldj

LOL!


31 posted on 04/21/2014 10:21:15 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: DManA

Everyone else who knew what Snowden knew but didn’t come forward is a traitor.


32 posted on 04/21/2014 10:26:59 AM PDT by freedomfiter2 (Brutal acts of commission and yawning acts of omission both strengthen the hand of the devil.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: DoodleDawg
One released information to the enemy, which put Americans and their allies in grave danger. The other alerted Americans and the rest of the world of warrant-less spying on everyone (enemies, allies and citizens alike). After the Berlin wall came down, most right-thinking people were aghast at the records the STASI kept, and their methods for collecting that information. The NSA puts the STASI, and similar bureaus in other totalitarian regimes, to shame. As recently as 15 years ago, almost no Americans would have tolerated what the NSA has been blithely doing, with no meaningful oversight.
33 posted on 04/21/2014 10:46:14 AM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Randall_S
I'd Release everything that showed the Fedgov violated the Constitution but nothing else.

Such an act might be considered treason but being Tom Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams and George Washington were all considered guilty of treason for what they did back then I would wear that badge with honor.

34 posted on 04/21/2014 10:56:02 AM PDT by Mad Dawgg (If you're going to deny my 1st Amendment rights then I must proceed to the 2nd one...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nifster
Or you can do what Snowden did....do as much damage as possible and then run to both communist China and red Russia....classic

I don't think it was Snowden's goal at all to do damage, even though that occurred. I think Snowden considers himself a patriot. And to some extent, he is.

Beyond that, you do have a point. Of all his options to out the NSA, Snowden picked the least courageous one.

35 posted on 04/21/2014 10:59:35 AM PDT by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA
The other alerted Americans and the rest of the world of warrant-less spying on everyone (enemies, allies and citizens alike).

And also gave information to China and Russia which placed our national security in danger. One does not forgive the other. Not in my book.

36 posted on 04/21/2014 11:00:59 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA
Once he decided to blow the whistle, he had no choice but to leave the U.S. sphere of influence.

But there is a mean between staying here and taking everything with him to Russia. For example, he could have gone to India, where the extradition treaty specifically states that an offense which is political is not covered by the treaty.

37 posted on 04/21/2014 11:02:18 AM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: chajin
Do you really think that the terms of an extradition treaty would protect anyone the U.S. wanted, anywhere within its sphere of influence?
38 posted on 04/21/2014 11:05:57 AM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: Randall_S
Move to France.
Fake my death.
Get facial surgery.
Move to Switzerland.
39 posted on 04/21/2014 11:11:41 AM PDT by Falcon4.0
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nifster

Where else on the planet could he go and not be executed by drone withing a few hours or abducted and hauled off to some off the books dungeon and tortured? The total abandonment of the rule of law for the past 13 years has consequences.


40 posted on 04/21/2014 11:15:50 AM PDT by Orangedog (An optimist is someone who tells you to 'cheer up' when things are going his way)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-55 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson