"If you support Snowden, you'll regret it!"

[Enrique]

A slimy but effective threat. Really nasty if you think about it. None of us knows anything about Snowden, and now there are all these insinuations out there about him, for example that he's a spy for China. It could turn out to be true for all that any of us knows.

Any smear COULD be true. You can see how a coordinated smear campaign could isolate the target, because people are AFRAID of standing up for someone and then that person turns out to be a bad guy.

The people making the insinuations are anonymous, so they have zero consequences if it turns out to be false. The only restraint on their behavior is their own sense of decency, and a few here have shown they have none of this. The fact that they are doing it in Obama's name reflects terribly on Obama, even though he has nothing to do with it. I can't help but think, "what is it about Obama that inspires this sort of sliminess?"

Another possible restraint is a rule that DU decides to enact, putting a limit on smear campaigns somehow.

[geek tragedy]

1. Bob Woodward, is that you?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/02/28/bob-woodward-white-house-threatened-me/

[Cha]

7. "Woodward: White House said I would ‘regret’ it if I pursued the story"

Longtime Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward is taking on the White House, saying in multiple interviews that the administration essentially threatened him to try to get him not to write a story.

Wah wah wah

[caseymoz]

37. The guy got Nixon to resign.

Last edited Wed Jun 12, 2013, 11:09 PM - Edit history (1)

You call yourself a Democrat?

I guess you think Daniel Ellsberg should be tried, again.

Because you've made Obama above reproach, I guess you must smash every other icon. None of them have credibility just because they say something bad about him.

Really, if you want to know, it's childish. Adults debating the course of a nation can't afford to be like that.

[Catherina]

2. I just toss them all on ignore. They're drivel isn't worth the time it takes to read it n/t

[madokie]

9. +1

what you said

[backscatter712]

12. Be loud and public about it.

The Klingon discommendation ceremony is perfect for this sort of thing.

The McCarthyists are without honor.

[Fuddnik]

34. Especially when they repeat everything you said, first.

[grasswire]

3. I thought McCarthyism was gone.

This is a stunning day on DU``

[LWolf]

4. Classic distraction.

Focus on the personality, not the issue.

[blkmusclmachine]

11. +1

Yep, typical apologist/cheerleader/Sock Puppet behavior.

[Cha]

5. Snowden is Smearing himself.. he doesn't need any help.

[backscatter712]

14. A McCarthyist here in the thread. Skinner needs to fumigate this place. n/t

[Cha]

17. Your post isn't clear enough.. who are you smearing?

[geek tragedy]

28. I love it when so-called progressives drop the facade and engage

in good old fashioned dehumanizing hate speech.

[Fuddnik]

31. Oh good god. Look at some of your own posts!

You guys are even attacking Alan Grayson for standing up for the Constitution and our privacy rights.

[geek tragedy]

36. I didn't attack Grayson. I agree with him on this issue. nt

[MNBrewer]

21. Your sig line is precious...

I hope this surveillance state you're so proud of Obama's having extended even over what Bush put in place doesn't catch YOU in its web after Obama is out of office .... because some day you will wake up and Barack Obama WON'T be President.

[woo me with science]

6. Beautifully said.

The spying program has illustrated why Americans can't trust our government. But the quality of the propaganda assault that has followed - the vicious and ludicrous smears, the absurd deflections and misdirections, and the craven, threatening attempts to chill response by the American public - is driving home even beyond the existence of the program how deeply untrustworthy and dangerous the corporate authoritarians who have hijacked our government really are.

[blkmusclmachine]

13. +1

[Swede Atlanta]

24. Bingo......

The sheep have lined up to serve their corporate masters......

The American people have stopped thinking for themselves because as long as they can get 2 Egg McMuffins for $3.00, watch American Idol, buy a cheap lawn chair from China at WalMart, grill some brats and swill down some water-beer, they are happy.

As a nation we insult our founding fathers. They were men (and women who were unfortunately not really recorded in history) who considered these kinds of matters very seriously and they ACTED. They went to the pier in Boston and dumped the tea. They fought at Lexington and Valley Forge. They worked through these issues at Philadelphia. They were learned men and men of integrity.

I look out across the American landscape and see few. There are some but not many. We have indeed declined and will do so unless something changes.

[RobertEarl]

27. Damn right, Swede

What we on the Left have to do is prove to everyone that we don't blindly support our president just because he is a Democrat.

Libertarians will be looking to see if we stand for the constitution, openness, and transparency, or to see if we are we just partisan hacks.

This is our moment to shine and be a great example of Patriots who put Liberty first.

We must hold Obama's feet to the fire and give him the opportunity to show he is for the People and will act for the People.

We cannot fail this simple task. One nation, Undivided, with Liberty and Justice for All. It is up to us to save our country. Make Jefferson proud.

[bbgrunt]

25. +2

[Fuddnik]

32. It reminds me of China's Cultural Revolution under Mao.

"Let the wildflowers grow".

[hlthe2b]

8. When I see such a concerted campaign, I assume there is real desperation behind it and determine to

remain neutral until further facts emerge.

I refuse to be manipulated.

[grasswire]

20. Nietzsche:

Beware those in whom the urge to punish is strong.

[xchrom]

10. Reminds me of the vicious white ladies in The Help.

Must destroy anything that might threaten convention and conformity.

[Skidmore]

15. What the heck are you talking about?

Is it just possible that what he is saying about himself and that is reported in the news is fact? I have seen nothing here beyond people discussing what they have read in the news. There is an article in which he says he has given information to the Chinese government.

[Cha]

18. Can"t have any facts about Snowden.. that amount to "smear" tactics.

[MNBrewer]

22. After all, "he's a bad neighbor"

[Smarmie Doofus]

16. I'd regret it lots MORE if I didn't support him

Based on what's known so far, of course.

[truedelphi]

19. What I wanna know is where does the damn money come from?

For all the buildings, building complexes, computers, serves, computer experts, employees etc.

I thought we were BROKE!

Apparently we may be too broke to have bridges we can safely and confidently drive our cars on, (a fact that that inspires terror in me!,) but we don't lack the money to become another East Germany!

And I have no idea of how much of this surveillance machinery, both hard and "soft" machinery is involved with our local police. I just met a new neighbor - the guy claims to be from the Ukraine. He barely speaks English. And here he is in Lake County, Calif., which has a 15% rate of unemployment, but the Ukrainian has scored a job with the local police department! Is our police department thinking that with some BIG THINGS coming our way, it might be easier to have Eastern Europeans arresting us, rather than trying to get locals to arrest other locals?

[nineteen50]

23. There is no cost too high

in furthering and protecting the interest of the 1%.

[cantbeserious]

26. Think Of Him What You Will - He Did Us All A Favor

eom

[emulatorloo]

29. Please support your claim that DU'ers are making that threat.

I have seen posters say that "Snowden Supporters" will find their rush to lionize Snowden embarrassing.

However that is nothing like what you are claiming.

[Kablooie]

30. I approve of open discussions about what should and shouldn't be private but...

I am on the fence about Snowden.

The fact he opened up the discussion can be positive but like the OP said, we don't know his motives.
They may be as pure as he says and he may be correct.
His motives may be pure but he may have misinterpreted his information and is making a mistake which will damage US security.
Or he could have personal, malevolent motives that we don't know about and anyone would abhor.

I don't think one has to immediately form an opinion about him, particularly based on the sketchy info that is available so far.

[thucythucy]

33. Excellent post.

And it's odd and past ironic that people who deplore "smears" and "McCarthyism" are also accusing unnamed DUers of being shills for the NSA, of being sock-puppets, etc. etc. All that sounds a bit like smears and McCarthyism to me.

All this will sort itself out in time. Until then, perhaps it would be best if people refrained from name calling and personal attacks on fellow DUers?

[thucythucy]

35. Please link to a post or OP that contains those exact words.

Putting those words in a quote strongly implies that someone on DU has made this threat. If so, I think it would be useful to see who it is.

[UTUSN]

38. Who made the threat? & we know lots about him. Why didn't he exhaust the Chain of Command, and then

make a plea deal, and then pay the (relatively small) price, and then resume a free life with the ballerina? And why does he keep saying it's not about him but keep plowing out interviews?

I'm all for whistleblowing and whistleblowers, just need to know if the one in front of me really IS one.

[truedelphi]

39. I watched a tiny smidge of Piers (CIA) Morgan

Last night. he had on some "psychiatrist," possibly one of those that signed of on our torture procedures at Git Mo or Abu Gharib sating that Snowden and Manning both have "immature personality syndrome."

Apparently they simply want to have lots of attention, be heroes, and would do any dastardly ting that they need to do to get attention.

I can't explain that away in terms of Bradley Manning. He had a boring, routine and low level job, and was paid the salary most grunts are paid. And he had no idea that he would be sent off to prison and need to maintain his sanity and composure for so many years, while facing steep charges.

But Snowden already knew what they did to Manning. You can say what you want about Snowden, but he is not stupid, and since he had been contemplating doing this since the time of Obama's first election, he surely had been following Manning's situation. Also, he was in an enviable, almost movie star style life - working for the "spy business," making $ 200K a year, living in Hawaii, and having a gorgeous woman as his companion.

Why would he give that up, mature or immature personality? Unless he really was trying to serve humanity's needs?