Guy gave up a $200K/yr. job, his family, girl friend, freedom, and everything else to out a despot corrupt gone amok government. Yeah, he is a hero in my book.
How do you even begin to confront this level of stupidity and arrogance? These programs are wrapped in deep layers of secrecy. There is no effective oversight by entities with track records of usurping power. The DOJ is corrupt. The US media is complicit. Who the heck else can turn on the lights so the taxpayers can see the roaches scurry?
As a taxpayer I sure the heck do not appreciate paying for my government to violate the U.S. Constitution at every step.
As a Verizon shareholder I also do not appreciate Verizon being forced to waste resources to provide this information to an overreaching (Constitution violating) government.
This was the trajectory of what happens to a “whistleblower” when he (or she) comes up against the Current Regime. In-your-face, smash-mouth, brass knuckled, sucker-punch, no holds barred, a coup has happened in the territory once known as “the United States of America”. The enemies of the Current Occupant now squatting in the White Hut are hounded and cornered, in the sights of a Predator drone wherever they may flee, or subject to arrest and detention by other regimes elsewhere in the world.
If you are going to take a shot at the king, by all means, do not miss. Vengeance is never a pretty thing, and is not subject to the rules of common decency.
Galen appears to agree with Warren Burger, a dissenter in NYT vs. US:
“the imperative of a free and unfettered press comes into collision with another imperative, the effective functioning of a complex modern government”
You know, Warren Burger, that great champion of the Constitution and individual liberty. (/sarc)
He’s right; it’s not some NSA programmer’s job to watchdog unconstitutional activities at our spy agencies. That is a job for our elected representatives. The question is when our elected representatives completely fail are we supposed to just submit gracefully to tyranny?
21 See how the faithful city
has become a prostitute!
She once was full of justice;
righteousness used to dwell in her—
but now murderers!
22 Your silver has become dross,
your choice wine is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,
partners with thieves;
they all love bribes
and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
the widow’s case does not come before them.
Isaiah 1
Uh...is it me, or is there nothing wrong with either of those two examples? A manager at Starbucks SHOULD put a stop to special favors for customers by employees. And it is a GOOD thing to report the hiring of illegal aliens to ICE.
This is a rediculously short sighted, and dangerous attitude, Rich. One which I fundamentally disagree with.
Our people serving in such posituion take an oath, first and foremost, to "protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic, and to bear TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAME."
So, Rich, we actually do hire them to watch out for the constitution.
And thank God we do.
Otherwise you end up with mindless robots who end up giving their allegaince to the leader, and not to the underlying principles. We are dangerously close to that stage now, and attitudes like this almost ensure that we will go over that cliff.
As I see it, as to upholding the oath and ensuring that he did not do things contrary to the constitution, that is precisely what this individual did, he kept his oath to the Constitution and disopbeyed orders he felt violated that oath and told us all about it.
Therefore, in my estimation, it is the people asking him to break THAT OATH who are the traitors. Who are fundamentally violating very specific and clear provisions and amendments to the Constitution because it they think they are smarter and have a higher morality than the people whom they serve.
Kudos to this man for having the strength to stand up to the criminal kabal that has infected our government. God bless and protect him for so doing...and may tens of thousands more stand up and do the same.
Rich Galen ; what ever happened to the constitution ??"The right of the people to be secure
in their persons, houses, papers,
and effects, against unreasonable searches
and seizures, shall not be
violated, and no Warrants shall issue,
but upon probable cause,
supported by Oath or affirmation,
and particularly describing the place
to be searched, and the persons
or things to be seized."
Absolutely stunning comment.
Everyone has the inalienable right to decide for themselves what should be legal and what is ethical.
If they are wrong, then they should suffer the consequences.
If they are right, then they should be thanked for blowing the whistle.
So then the question really is, is the NSA doing something unconstitutional? If it is, then it's Snowden's and everybodies moral responsibility to blow the whistle.
Spooked Rich Galen.
I completely, 100% disagree. The man is a hero. How on Earth can a Conservative support a Police State and this kind of State intrusion into our lives?
I hope he releases more. It is time to expose the incredible damage to America caused by the Patriot Act.
But, I thought dissent was patriotic!
Didn’t the “Lion of the Senate” Ed Kennedy go to Moscow and collaborate with the Russians in an attempt to defeat President Regan’s policies?
Weren’t we told by the smartest woman in the Senate and ex-Secretary of State at opposition to president’s Bush’s policies the highest form of patriotism?
So, why isn’t the personal defense of our Constitution given the same praise? I am quite certain that he knew the fall out of his actions when he opened the can of worms up. While I am not willing, yet, to start founding father comparisons, I think it will end up there because this administration depends on secrecy to rule.
The establishment types are hysterical. Good.
Also supports homosexual quote marriage
monda chupador
Snowden is a hero. He has given up his life to ensure the fascists do not go unchecked. If the GOP had the guts to do the same we wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with.
This entire snooping program has DONE NOTHING to make us safer. It has not stopped terror attacks here or anywhere in the world. It has, however, allowed obama to build a database of political dissidents, including those of you here on this site.
There’s no comparison between Manning and Snowden. Manning released diplotic and military classified information because he didn’t like the adminstration’s policies. Snowden blew the whistle on the emergence of a police state. When the government knows everything about everybody, they can find a way to make a criminal out of anyone they don’t like.
As an obvious extension of Rich’s “logic” we should seek out all whistleblowers and immediately crucify them.
I haven’t heard anything new except an acronym from this guy, PRISM. What new information did this guy release. Did he release any data at all? We knew they were tracking phone calls. Phone company has kept records like this for years. We knew they watched e-mails. The goverment claims they were only tracking calls being made to and from foreign countries. Did he give us any information that they were doing anything else?
“The CIA is spying on people because that’s what we pay them to do.”
Not within CONUS. Title 50 specifically prohibits spying on “US Persons” except in VERY limited circumstances, or within the United States.