Posted on 06/05/2015 6:45:19 AM PDT by Michael van der Galien
The famous (and in some circles infamous) former CIA infrastructure analyst Edward Snowden has written an op-ed for the New York Times about what he calls “a post-terror generation” that’s ”finally standing up for the right to privacy.”
Snowden first explains that when he sounded the alarm about the NSA’s ridiculously broad spying program he was persecuted and deemed a traitor (which is why he had to flee to Russia). In the years since, though, a lot has changed:
"Two years on, the difference is profound. In a single month, the N.S.A.’s invasive call-tracking program was declared unlawful by the courts and disowned by Congress. After a White House-appointed oversight board investigation found that this program had not stopped a single terrorist attack, even the president who once defended its propriety and criticized its disclosure has now ordered it terminated.
"This is the power of an informed public."
He continues:
"Ending the mass surveillance of private phone calls under the Patriot Act is a historic victory for the rights of every citizen, but it is only the latest product of a change in global awareness. Since 2013, institutions across Europe have ruled similar laws and operations illegal and imposed new restrictions on future activities."
The reason that Congress turned against the original Patriot Act is, of course, the fact that the public demanded new rules. American voters would never have done so if they hadn’t known about it – which is why the entire world should be grateful to Snowden for what he has done.
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
Funny, I didn’t realize we were in a “post terror” period. Maybe ISIS didn’t get the memo.
I don’t believe they really have ended anything, they may say that they have stopped but often it means I have stopped doing it this way.
For example I understand that when a gun is purchased there is a background check here that is destroyed after the check takes place, but it does not say that electronic copies of the check or the fact that the check happened is destroyed.
Sad how little trust is there.
And every Leftist I overhear (because I don’t talk directly to Leftists) sneers the same response: “If you’re not guilty of something, why worry about it?”
Leftist?
The “if you’re not doing anything wrong, why don’t you want anyone to know?” meme was very common among Republicans -and just about every adult I ever heard mention the subject of privacy-as a youngster.
What's becoming evident in recent years is that none of them are "our guys."
Only after they stand-up for their right to Netflix and unlimited bandwidth...
Yeah, that’s the go-to excuse from the Republican statist caucus.
Post terror? Whadda maroon!
Snowden serves as house-pimp to Putin and totalitarianism.
Why dear child Snowden don't you ever write an op-ed on the spying of Russia on the U. S.?
Why don't you ever mention in your degenerate and putrid utterances that most of the information you stole was critical defense information of the U.S. and our allies worldwide, such as the electronic monitoring of Russia from the outside, and had nothing to do with U. S. citizens?
Snowden’s manifest glee over what is occurring to the national security of the U. S. only reveals how much that security has now been compromised.
Snowden makes the WWII propagandists Tokyo Rose, of Imperial Japan, and Lord Ha-Ha, of Nazi Germany, seem small stuff.
He is a testimony to the naivete of much of the free world today.
There’s been no terror in the world for 25 years?
He needs to stop reading the Obama State Department’s memos as fact.
some hold that my posts are a tgerror...of typoes...maybe thats it??
I am not certain what the comparative numbers are but Im guessing that there’s been Far More Terrorism..by mooselims in the last twenty five years than at any time since the middle ages...
Obama’s State Department...what a HIDEOUS thought!!
“Funny, I didn’t realize we were in a “post terror” period.”
Yes, its over...we’ve moved on.
http://therightscoop.com/it-was-silly-to-be-afraid-of-al-qaeda-says-amanda-marcotte/
“Why doesn’t our dea Snowden ever write an op-ed for the NYT on the spying on, intimidation of, and often slaying of Russians who happen to be so brave as to oppose Putin and his government of thugs”
Actually he did take a shot at Putin recently. And you comparing him to tokyo rose only reveals your unfounded disdain for an american who sacrificed it all so that you and I could have some of our privacy restored.
If your employer was doing something illegal there would be nothing but praise if you turn whistleblower. Surprise surprise. The whole program was illegal.
““Why doesn’t our dea Snowden ever write an op-ed for the NYT on the spying on, intimidation of, and often slaying of Russians who happen to be so brave as to oppose Putin and his government of thugs””
Because he’s a slimy little worthless POS, with an over blown sense of his self worth.
I would like to know why he is still amongst the living.
A hero to any american who cherishes the constitution, and values their freedom and privacy.
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