Posted on 06/10/2013 8:05:42 PM PDT by chessplayer
Daniel Ellsberg, whose leak of the so-called Pentagon Papers to The New York Times in 1971 exposed the secret history of the war in Vietnam, thinks Edward Snowden's leak of the National Security Agency's surveillance programs was more important than his.
"In my estimation, there has not been in American history a more important leak than Edward Snowden's release of NSA material, and that definitely includes the Pentagon Papers 40 years ago," Ellsberg wrote in an op-ed published by the Guardian on Monday. "Snowden's whistleblowing gives us the possibility to roll back a key part of what has amounted to an 'executive coup' against the U.S. constitution."
Ellsberg added on CNN Sunday night that it cant be overestimated to this democracy. It gives us a chance, I think, from drawing back from the total surveillance state that we could say were in process of becoming, Im afraid we have become.
Government claims it has a court warrant under Fisa but that unconstitutionally sweeping warrant is from a secret court, shielded from effective oversight, almost totally deferential to executive requests. As Russell Tice, a former National Security Agency analyst, put it: "It is a kangaroo court with a rubber stamp."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Ellsberg is right.
YUP!
I wish I could make up my mind if this guy is a hero or a traitor. Need help with this one,
If only we had an uncorrupted Congress, who cared more for the Constitution than for their own power base and bank accounts.
If only . . . .
no help here, either you think he is a hero or you are accused of being blind.
He betrayed his government. The fact that I can't say with certainty that he betrayed his country shows just how much trouble we are in as a country.
THIS is the Maryland ballerina who moved to Hawaii for him. You'll think I made this up, I believe:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mbvd/this-might-be-the-girlfriend-edward-snowden-left-behind
Snowden's GF
What did we learn that most people already believed to be true? We all knew foreign phone call and internet was monitored and many suspected that calls with in the US were also. What was the new info?
She is literally a ballerina.
Tory or Patriot. Your call.
If you joined my army, and I ordered you to transport in the middle of the night a railyard full of shivering people off to a concentration camp WOULD YOU DO IT...?
Your ability to question ANY order is mind-blowing.
There is something WRONG with you.
Since there is no Congressional oversight or a legitimate US news media Mr Snowden had no other avenues . The NSA and CIA are doing there best to spin this guy as a traitor.
Ellsburg hasn’t got a clue.
Consider this: he took an oath to defend the Constitution.
Now ask yourself, did he do so, or not?
Closest thing we got to the Chicoms in America are the Maryland Democrats ~
Me too. It seems to me that for him to be called a hero, two conditions must be met.
One, it must really in the public's interest to know the information released. Not just for curiosity's sake, but for freedom's sake.
Two, the information released must not put lives at risk, or put essential programs in jeopardy.
I believe the first condition has been met. And from what I've read so far (which isn't all that much), Snowden was careful to meet condition Two.
So if I had to vote now, I'd vote hero.
I'm also influenced by the fact that Glenn Beck calls him a hero, and Karl Rove calls him a traitor.
Both your post and #7 show exactly why I can’t decide. If an American soldier or a civilian American gets killed because of his leak then I am not sure he is a hero. The fact that he exposed another assault on the Constitution and our freedom could be a positive.
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