Edward Snowden
Posted on 06/09/2013 11:41:17 AM PDT by sunmars
The individual responsible for one of the most significant leaks in US political history is Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of the defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. Snowden has been working at the National Security Agency for the last four years as an employee of various outside contractors, including Booz Allen and Dell.
The Guardian, after several days of interviews, is revealing his identity at his request. From the moment he decided to disclose numerous top-secret documents to the public, he was determined not to opt for the protection of anonymity. "I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong," he said.
Snowden will go down in history as one of America's most consequential whistleblowers, alongside Daniel Ellsberg and Bradley Manning. He is responsible for handing over material from one of the world's most secretive organisations – the NSA.
In a note accompanying the first set of documents he provided, he wrote: "I understand that I will be made to suffer for my actions," but "I will be satisfied if the federation of secret law, unequal pardon and irresistible executive powers that rule the world that I love are revealed even for an instant."
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
So what? Most everyone sometime in their lives and made wrong choices and/or been flim-flammed by smooth talkers (think Bill Clinton). His choice of vote has NO bearing on his now forthcoming.
He took a huge risk, and now even huger risk in letting his ID be known. The intimidation practiced by this regime is absolutely disgusting. Ironically, the folks who will go after Snowden idolize Manning and, especially, Ellsberg.
Could be. But I doubt it.
OTOH, this guy worked and I assume voted in Hawaii. I don't think Ron Paul was on the ballot. I found this with a quick Google search:
"Hawaii voters unsatisfied with either the Democratic Party ticket (Barack Obama and Joe Biden) or the Republican Party ticket (Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan) have a third and fourth option, however.
The Libertarian Party is fielding Gary Johnson and running mate James Gray while the Green Party has Jill Stein and running mate Cheri Honkala.
I'm betting he voted Green Party.
It says in 2008. Wasn’t Ron Paul on the 2008 ballot?
http://www.ronpaul.com/2008-11-05/ron-pauls-election-results/
If it weren’t for the British press the NSA-Big Brother scandal would not be known. US media is no better than Pravda.
Don’t care. By his ACTIONS the man has demonstrated he is an honest to God patriot, able to recognize the ubiquitous evil descending on us.
I've worked with a large group of Booz Allen consultants in the past and know that they are all not only very smart folks, but well-educated. This guy is no Bradly Manning, for sure.
There are some startling revelations in this interview... especially the part about the NSA focusing on foreign terrorists until recent years, and now the lens is focuses on ordinary Americans.
This guy is going to be Obama's #1 enemy... I feel for him. But, I also know that he's 20 times smarter than Obama... and I'm willing to bet he has a ton of "insurance" in his possession... things are going to get real interesting, real fast.
From the Guardian interview:
"A lot of people in 2008 voted for Obama. I did not vote for him. I voted for a third party. But I believed in Obama's promises. I was going to disclose it [but waited because of his election]. He continued with the policies of his predecessor."
I think it does. It is a rare thing to see the members of the Free Republic supporting the liberal point of view. And this guy is most certainly a liberal. For sure he is expressing what is normally considered a far left viewpoint on national security.
That doesn't mean he (and the Freepers) are wrong on this issue but you have to admit it is highly unusual.
Now if it turns out that he really a wild eyed Libertarian (like me) then I will eat my words. But I don't expect that. In any case it is an interesting turn of events.
What is his liberal viewpoint on national security? He seems more like a Pollyanna.
Oops. I missed that. And in 2008 he might not have been in Hawaii. I still think he's a lib.
Edward Snowden
I understand. But see my Post #69 for my argument that it does make a difference.
Mark these words on this date: This administration is now a lame duck just 6 months into its newly re-elected control. They over-reached and I'm very glad. When the uber-socialist Maxine Waters starts complaining about her guy along with other democrat representatives, and media types like Juan Williams and Bob Beckel and others are fed up with Obambi's intrusion in our lives, the end is near.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Obambicare go down in the next couple years when it starts killing people. Canada and England are starting to learn from what I've read lately.
As much as we conservatives have been fighting against socialism for so many years/decades, Obambi may turn out to be a blessing for pushing too hard and too fast.
If the Repubs (even RINOs) have just one cojone each to run ads that stipulate all these scandals, they will take the Senate and increase the House in the mid-terms. Obambi will be just a figurehead and then we could rebuild our Constitutional Republic, even with all the "gimmes" out there.
Well yes. But the far left liberal viewpoint on National Security is that we really don't need much of it. The Far Left doesn't like the CIA, the NSA, DOD, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force or the Marines. They like the IRS, the EPA, Medicare, Social Security, Obamacare ...
Yes, some of it read that way. I’m not sure, I just can’t imagine anybody going for the Green party..hahahah
I am going to go with lib leaning Ron Paul supporter.
The ChiComs reportedly call Obama “Monkey Man”.
As in Traitor.
This guy may defect to the ChiComs.
And even then it was a citizen going out for a smoke that found him.
The article points out that this fellow is a high-school dropout.
To have risen so high and so fast in the intelligence field without any degrees just means he is so smart they could let him get away... some people are just so smart the normal rules don't apply to them.
He sounds like foaming at the mouth Paulistinian. That could be problematic for Rand.
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