The Awakening of a Conscience - William Blum on Edward Snowden and US Surveillance

[Catherina]

The Anti-Empire Report #118

By William Blum – Published June 26th, 2013

Edward Snowden

In the course of his professional life in the world of national security Edward Snowden must have gone through numerous probing interviews, lie detector examinations, and exceedingly detailed background checks, as well as filling out endless forms carefully designed to catch any kind of falsehood or inconsistency. The Washington Post (June 10) reported that “several officials said the CIA will now undoubtedly begin reviewing the process by which Snowden may have been hired, seeking to determine whether there were any missed signs that he might one day betray national secrets.”

Yes, there was a sign they missed – Edward Snowden had something inside him shaped like a conscience, just waiting for a cause.

It was the same with me. I went to work at the State Department, planning to become a Foreign Service Officer, with the best – the most patriotic – of intentions, going to do my best to slay the beast of the International Communist Conspiracy. But then the horror, on a daily basis, of what the United States was doing to the people of Vietnam was brought home to me in every form of media; it was making me sick at heart. My conscience had found its cause, and nothing that I could have been asked in a pre-employment interview would have alerted my interrogators of the possible danger I posed because I didn’t know of the danger myself. No questioning of my friends and relatives could have turned up the slightest hint of the radical anti-war activist I was to become. My friends and relatives were to be as surprised as I was to be. There was simply no way for the State Department security office to know that I should not be hired and given a Secret Clearance. (1)

So what is a poor National Security State to do? Well, they might consider behaving themselves. Stop doing all the terrible things that grieve people like me and Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning and so many others. Stop the bombings, the invasions, the endless wars, the torture, the sanctions, the overthrows, the support of dictatorships, the unmitigated support of Israel; stop all the things that make the United States so hated, that create all the anti-American terrorists, that compel the National Security State – in pure self defense – to spy on the entire world.

...

The United States has been trying to persuade European Union countries as well to allow it “back-door” access to encryption programs, claiming that this was to serve the needs of law-enforcement agencies. However, a report released by the European Parliament in May 1999 asserted that Washington’s plans for controlling encryption software in Europe had nothing to do with law enforcement and everything to do with US industrial espionage. The NSA has also dispatched FBI agents on break-in missions to snatch code books from foreign facilities in the United States, and CIA officers to recruit foreign communications clerks abroad and buy their code secrets, according to veteran intelligence officials.

...

http://williamblum.org/aer/read/118

The whole article is interesting.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Excellent article. Thanks for posting Catherina.

[snagglepuss]

2. .

[sibelian]

3. Thank you Catherina

for all your work on this subject.

s

[Thinkingabout]

4. It does not matter what opinion one has about issues of how NSA is doing their processes is not a

sensible reason for thief from the NSA and revealing information when an employee is under a Code of Ethics which can result in charges of espionage. Snowden stole files in which he was not authorized, making him a thief, turned information over to foreign media sources or anyone. What he "revealed" was already revealed, if there are those who did not know this information was being collected then shame on them for not staying informed. I do hope the vetting of future employees needing security clearance will dig deeper into their background and positions in certain groups will result in those being turned away for failing the background checks. We need to look deeper into these groups whose is to destroy our great nation and the fullest extent of punishment given to them. They are not patriots but criminals.

[marions ghost]

6. IF "What he "revealed" was already revealed"

then why is he a criminal and why does anybody care about this?

[KittyWampus]

11. if what he revealed was from documents belonging to someone else it doesn't matter...

it really is that simple.

[marions ghost]

12. No it's not simple...tho some will try to make it so

--but it isn't at all. Try to imagine a situation where you saw wrongdoing as an insider. Try to imagine how it feels to be participating in the huge lie that this is. To trample the public trust. To engage in improper secret intelligence gathering that goes against the constitution. Try to live with yourself.

To reveal what has not, but ought to be revealed (in the opinions of many) is a complex situation. I would say that what the NSA is doing to me without my permission is theft, for example. So it's all in how you look at it. You can find a lot of rationales for improper surveillance in history, more low-tech, but existing. And the same mentality is always there to keep covering it up. This is nothing new but the scope of it certainly is.

Guess you don't believe in whistle-blowing but sometimes it's the only way the truth gets out.

[Thinkingabout]

30. In the follow up information given by Snowden this is nit about whistleblowing, never was.

Did you only learn of phone call records being collected when Diarrhea Snowden had Greenwald publish the information?

[frylock]

43. are you in junior high?

diarrhea? really?!

[marions ghost]

49. No I knew they were going to get access to them

thru the telecoms. And it smelled bad to me then, because I knew it was unrestricted meta data collection. I suspected but of course had no proof of the extent of the surveillance on American citizens and on other countries. Now we do know. And it is much better for more people to know of this egregious infringement of our basic rights.

So I thought it was bad, but it's extra bad. Worse than I imagined. Am I surprised? Not after the Reign of Booshcheney and the Patriot Act, the media corruption, government secrecy around so many things. Not surprised, just glad it's exposed for people to be able to make up their own minds, which is what you do in a "free" nation. One of the things that bothers me most is how the trusting people of this country have been treated like children who don't need to know what their own government is doing in their name. Like children who are supposed to just put up and shut up & go back to sleep while the Corporatocracy decides. Get used to your electronic prison.

Sometimes diarrhea makes you feel better. Cleaned out. Instead of your stomach just churning because there's something really foul in there...

At least we can now roll it into a big dung ball and try to push it uphill...

[Katashi_itto]

79. Freepers often do the same thing, use little labels to belittle the people they hate/disagree with.

..."Diarrhea" Snowden

[Comrade Grumpy]

16. You would like it to be that simple. Too bad.

Anything to divert attention from the real issue: the US government's ever more Orwellian surveillance apparatus.

[Thinkingabout]

34. Comrade huh, well if you use services such as phones, internet and similar services there will be

Surveillance, take your choice, use and be recorded, don't and stay private.

[frylock]

45. yeah! go live in a fucking cave or deal with it!!1

[sibelian]

29. ....no, I'm afraid it isn't.

If the State does not provide sanctioned methods whereby the populace can remain informed enough to consider its actions and respond appropriately, the populace may find mechanisms whereby such information can be found and then judgement of the State's actions results.

It is the State that has been brought under discussion.

What matters is the result. Spying is a means to an end. Whistleblowing is an end in itself.

How the populace responds is now in the hands of the populace. That matters.

[Thinkingabout]

27. You don't need this explained do you? I have known for a few years the phone call records was

Being collected so when Snowden thought it was necessary to reveal to the public so they would know it was already known. He was not authorized to steal files from the NSA and when you take into your possession without authorization from the proper sources' then it makes you a thief. When you are employed with a code of ethics and notified passing of information gathered from your employer it is an act of espionage. He delivered this information to a foreign source and now he has been charged with espionage. I hope this information has been delivered so you can understand.

[sibelian]

31. "He delivered this information to a foreign source"

Who?

[Thinkingabout]

35. Dig, read inform yourself, might help you.

[sibelian]

40. No, you can tell me.

[Thinkingabout]

48. Ask Diarrhea Snowden, maybe he can find it in his conscience to tell you.

[Democracyinkind]

52. "I am talking out of my ass"

That, or you are referring to his interview with the chinese newspaper. I don't think what he shared with them was that spectacular. Sure, it is a move that I can't condone, don't understand, and think of as strategically stupid. But it's not all that damaging, IMO.

[sibelian]

66. So, in fact, you're making it up.

Are we all very clear on this, now?

[Thinkingabout]

69. I see, if you get the information from Diarrhea Snowden it is probably nit true, never thought of

That before.

[sibelian]

70. To whom has Snowden passed information?

Once more, please. I didn't hear it the first time.

[Thinkingabout]

71. It wasn't me, let's see, did he tell Glenn Greenwald or did Geenwald make it verything up, oh, BTW

Greenwald works for a foreign newspaper.

[think]

76. Could your vocabulary be expanded beyond the word diarrhea?

Seriously. An occasional insult to make a point is fine but a broken record is just fucking annoying.

[marions ghost]

32. Read my post #12 above

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3104041

That's my statement to all of you. NNTR.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. If nothing else you found your grove and can't leave it

[neohippie]

13. how can one assume his intent

Your post assumes Snowden's intentions and those of many others are to destroy our great country, one that was born out of principals and ideals, yet, does our country still resemble those ideals?

Perhaps Snowden's intentions were to create a debate and in that process preserve our nation and those ideals, just something I was thinking about...

Think about the image that America has created for itself all over the world, the land of the free the home of the brave, a shining beacon of light in a world filled with darkness and tyranny, a land where we value debate, and transparency, due process, our not only our constitutional rights, but human rights.

Now look at our land, one with secret courts, torture, secret prisons, where we disappear our enemies and hold them endlessly without charges or hope for fair trials, is that the land that you as a patriot are worried about preserving?

[Maedhros]

25. In large part, even his intent is irrelevant.

He exposed a frightening government program directed against its own citizens. Regardless of Snowden's motives for doing so, the program must be challenged and eliminated.

It's what we do now that matters, not what Snowden has done.

[Thinkingabout]

56. Don't complain to me, the boy has diarrhea of the mouth, he said he intended to be hired

To collect more information.

[neohippie]

78. I think you are reading into his comments what you want to believe

just as I will read into them what I believe, we see what we look for because of our subjective points of view. If his intention was to be a spy and turn over secrets to a foreign government, then he could have gone about this completely differently.

If he was collecting information to backup his whistle blowing efforts that would support the claim that he intends to shed light on an issue that can help to launch it into a debate without it being easily dismissed, this is very different from stealing information to sell it for profit or for an espionage motive, and then disappear, he took the more difficult path, to expose the ugliness and is now bearing the weight of his choice.

I see that as being brave enough to stand up for what he believes in, isn't that what democracy is all about, people's voices being heard and issues being discussed, government in the sunshine, transparency, the government of the people by the people and for the people, do you think that the majority of people want the government to subvert the constitution and lie to them about it?

I just don't believe that his intentions are to destroy our country as you claim

[1monster]

38. So, the NSA should only hire people who lack integrity and have no sense of right and wrong?

[ChaoticTrilby]

50. +1 Maybe they ought to list that as a job requirement.

But oh, that would require a smidge of honesty. Can't have that now, can we?

[Thinkingabout]

58. They hired one who lacked integrity and his name is Edward Snowden.

[sabrina 1]

46. 'A code of ethics'

What could your government do that would cause you to feel your own code of ethics is being violated by their behavior? What line would they have to cross to cause your conscience to kick in and make it impossible for you to support them anymore?

We do have a guide, thankfully, so we don't have to do all the thinking for ourselves. So, I'm wondering what is YOUR limit as far as remaining loyal to your government?

My line was crossed when our government went to war in Iraq and lied to the people to try to get their support for that crime. It was further crossed when even after the lies were exposed beyond a doubt, our government chose to do nothing about it. There were earlier uneasy feelings of course, like the 200 Election, but I still had hope that we could restore faith in our system.

[Thinkingabout]

59. Have you ever been employed where they had a Code of Ethics?

[sabrina 1]

62. Yes, and had they ever violated their own code of ethics I would have quit. I'm not sure I would

have had the courage to do more than that, which is why I admire those who do, but I know, since I did it, no amount of money to remain in an environment where the people have no respect for ethics, would be a temptation for me.

It's funny, isn't it? We are taught to admire the people who see something wrong going on and do not remain silent about it. But when it happens in real life, well, look what happens.

And you, have you ever worked for an employer with a code of ethics? Ever see that code violated and if so, what did YOU do about it?

[Thinkingabout]

63. I think you don't understand what a Code of Ethics involves, it is a code for you the employee

Not to give company secrets out and information you have access to is not to be shared with others. Would you be happy a bank employee put your financial information on the internet? Now I an see why some have posted some things. Do you want your phone call records put on the internet?

[marions ghost]

82. Your definition of Code of Ethics

is all from the business perspective, and zero from the employee perspective. So many people in America work for companies they really have no respect for. And that really hurts if you see the government trampling the constitution.

I don't think your def of ethics really works. It's one-sided authoritarian ethics.

[HardTimes99]

60. No offense, but did you read the article Catherina posted? Your post seems

non-responsive to it.

Blum is talking about how all the vetting in the world won't do a bit of good if what one learns after taking a position awakens one's conscience.

Yes, there was a sign they missed – Edward Snowden had something inside him shaped like a conscience, just waiting for a cause.

With all due respect, your stream-of-consciousness material above does not respond to Blum's point.

[Thinkingabout]

65. He now claims he intentionally took the job to get more information, where was his conscience then.

If his conscience awoke after he went to work for the NSA it must have died a sudden death when his diarrhea of the mouth awoke. It was never going to be his conscience and those cheering him on to be their patsy needs to understand we are learning more all the time.

[HardTimes99]

73. Without rehashing every detail of L'affaire Snowden, I think we can both agree that

he held several intelligence-related positions prior to taking the position at Booz Allen Hamilton. If his conscience works like that of other normal humans, it probably started as a minor burr in his side, a minor annoyance that he could swat away by diddling his I-toys, self-medicating with various potions and herbs, or drowning himself in his work. But try as he might, that little burr remained untreated and soon turned into a festering wound.

That's how it worked with Daniel Ellsberg 50 years ago.

[Thinkingabout]

77. He is a patsy of liBertarian leaning who did not have the conscience to keep the Code of Ethics he

Which he was employed, he is a scumbag, liar and thief, conscience has not entered on his conduct.

[HardTimes99]

80. At least now you're responding to the article that Catherina posted, so there's

that. I think she, Blum and I all disagree with you about Snowden's conscience (or lack thereof). But disagreement is the heart and soul of civic discourse.

[rhett o rick]

75. It's time to choose sides. We need you on the side of freedom and liberty. But now you sound

like you prefer the 1% authoritarian babble. It takes no brains to mimic the Corp-Media. "Snowden bad, NSA secret spying good." Snowden dumped tea in the bay and broke the law.

Please reconsider.

[think4yourself]

5. Great article!

Thanks for sharing this.

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. This is a World awakening

not because the US has too much control over the internet. This addresses all governments' control on global consciousness which couldn't have been awaken without the net..That's a scary thing for those in power, an informed populous
able to verify, converse, discuss, organize outside of the normal governmental, corporate and media control



The World sees the ! percent getting richer and they are paying for it with austerity


The Bank bailout was world wide given by governments on the back of the those that didn't cause it...

Banks threaten governments... if you don't give us money to bail us out
your government will fail......insanity... but that's a simple truth.

The internet is now their enemy which must be controlled, regulated and monitored for your own good.

Its like the Basal ganglia
or the reptile brain trying to be in control... ruling by fear and lower orders of consciousness


Scientist speculate that the web is become self aware and conscious

[siligut]

15. Yes and in totalitarian societies, we have already seen overt signs of Internet control nt

[Ichingcarpenter]

20. totalitarian societies is a not what the term use to mean

I think that term is blurred these days and only could be used in north korea.

There is an illusion of freedom that is being herald in many systems of government.

[siligut]

26. Yes, thought controlled slaves that believe they are free and happy is the goal

Thus altering the content of the Internet and the freedom to provide and access that content is one step toward that goal. Do you have a better term?

[Ichingcarpenter]

42. Well cognitive dissonance manipulated in an new way

is part of the equation that is being used to hinder awaking consciousness.to reduce dissonance by altering existing cognitions, adding new ones to create a consistent belief system, or alternatively by reducing the importance of any one of the dissonant elements.

Well, I just smoked a pipe full so I need to rest and think about what the fuck I just wrote.

So no.... I don't have a new term that breaks any new paradigms that I know.

[siligut]

54. A pipe full and a mouthful

Yes, reducing cognitive dissonance is certainly important to prevent extinction of programmed behavior/thought.

Enjoy your break

[Maedhros]

28. Sheldon Wolin has written about this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism

The powers that be learned a lot from the mistakes of previous regimes.

[Hydra]

9. Marking for later reading

But this is both funny and sad that people don't seem to recognize that some things are simply *wrong.* It's not a matter of opinion, and they can't be forced to accept the unacceptable and just keep doing their job and following orders.

[sibelian]

33. I think a great deal of the problem is the scale of it.

Who can look at it without balking?

[Hydra]

41. Cognative dissonance

The people who go into service believing we're a good country inevitably have a problem when they find out what we do behind the curtain.

In short, unless they didn't believe the propaganda and went into it anyway...there's GOING to be an issue at some point.

[KittyWampus]

10. LOL! The article leaps from the ASSUMPTION Snowden must have been vetted properly>>>

yet points out that no one knows if he were.

It's more likely he was not vetted and many of the safeguards in the system failed.

And any article that starts with his conscience is embarrassing considering he's leaking sensitive info to Russia/China and plans on leaking more to other countries.

[Comrade Grumpy]

17. Do you know that Snowden is leaking sensitive info to Russia or China?

If so, how? Maybe I missed something.

[sabrina 1]

47. And that alone should scare anyone who trusts our rights and security with people who outsource

the vetting of those entrusted with it. You are not helping convince anyone that we should 'just trust' our government. Clearly something has gone terribly wrong and the fact that we knew some of it before only makes it all the more shameful that not only was nothing done to stop it, the perpetrators were protected and rewarded.

[FairWinds]

14. Blum's Books are excellent . .

I used to use them in my classes. They were part of my own "conscience-izing" - (to coin a term, which actually already exists in Spanish.)

In many ways Blum's work goes even farther than Chomsky's - incredible detail, fully sourced.

Snowdon & Bradley are heroes, as are many others who took their oath SERIOUSLY - which is to the Constitution, including the fourth amendment.

AMENDMENT IV
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.

I'm not sure about civilian contractors, but the military oath means that they are OBLIGATED to expose government action contrary to the constitution.

[Comrade Grumpy]

18. Bill is an old friend of mine, and a true stalwart.

[Luminous Animal]

19. Absolutely love it. Everyone should read the whole thing.

[DallasNE]

21. What's The Point

It is fairly obvious by now that corners were cut at CIA. The question is why. Snowden's resume' was incredibly thin to be considered for a position at CIA so the question goes back to why Snowden was even considered for a job. We know that Snowden has said his sole purpose of seeking employment at Booz Allen was to gain access to data for the purpose of leaking. What was his purpose for seeking work at CIA. Was that just a first step in the process. He just doesn't look like a fit anywhere along the process. Was he already radicalized when applying at CIA? And why was Booz Allen so accommodating to Snowden's snooping around. Where was there internal security that he had access to data not with his domain -- he was an IT guy with access to internal operations. Why. He had no need to know about this. Who gave him his access to the internal operations or did he give it to himself because of his particular IT job -- security administration. Why would Booz Allen not require two people for security administration to protect against just what happened. And why are people not following up on what transpired at Booz Allen as they have major internal problems to address given what has transpired. How many other moles are operating at places like Booz Allen.

[sibelian]

39. "How many other moles are operating at places like Booz Allen?"

This is a question that has not yet been asked. Thank you.

I think we can assume any number, really. The next questions would be "for whom do they work?" and then "how do we find out who they are" and "how much damage has been done" and "was it a good idea to structure that intelligence service like that in the first place" and "What do we do about gathering all this information if it's just going to directly to people not allied with our interests and are we simply serving as a surrogate intelligence service for (hopefully) disinterested third parties?"

[sabrina 1]

55. I think it's reasonable to assume that Booz Allen's only interest is in making a profit.

Once we privatized the country's Security, what did anyone expect? Herioic CEOs who would sacrifice profit for their countries? How many of these Security Corporations are even American, or hire American workers? They have no obligation to do anything other than make a profit. How often have we been told this?

The current Director of Intelligence is a former CEO of Booz Allen. Would anyone NOT consider the possibility of a huge conflict of interest there?

Wrt to Booz Allen's hiring practices, if he had expertise for the job they were offering, do you really think they cared about anything else? If it would facilitate their main goal, why would they need to dig deeper into his background?

As for the CIA, who knows? But isn't time to reassess the stupidity of Congress handing over its obligations to defend and protect the US Constitution, to private Corporations whose CEOs end up in Government positions and who they then use as 'advisers' who tell them what is needed, mostly money, for our security?

I am glad they were so sloppy, if that is what happened, and I hope there are more Snowdens waiting in the wings to expose the whole, sorry farce known as the great WOT. What a lucrative scam it has been and the only thing they are worried about as far as leaks, is that little by little the scam is being revealed. It never was about 'terror', that was merely the hook to unleash billions of tax dollars straight into the coffers of Private Corporations.

[DallasNE]

64. The Inbreeding Is Clearly A Major Problem

And another example of under regulated capitalism run amok. There is a real possibility that Booz Allen conducted Snowden's original background check when he applied at CIA. What audit procedures are in place to assure Booz Allen is not cutting corners to boost their profits. It's not unheard of. How did Snowden walk out the door at Booz Allen with a computer hard drive or whatever he stored this on. That represents another breech of security at Booz Allen.

Now I think whistleblowers are important so the exposure of the extent of these data gathering operation is to be applauded. But Snowden went well beyond being a mere whistleblower making one wonder where his loyalties' lie. The extensive pre-planning, including his travel, show clearly that he was a planted mole. Is this an Assange arranged operation or was it cooked up by China with help from Russia with Assange drawn in later. Regardless, international operations are involved and that is extremely troubling and makes this an espionage case rather than a whistleblower case.

[WillyT]

22. HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!!

[JDPriestly]

23. I suspect someone of doing what is described in this paragraph

right here on DU.

I have two particular DUers in mind, but since this Snowden thing, several others have become rather suspect in my mind. No harm is done, but it kind of a waste of money and time on the part of our government which, we are told, is so impoverished it has to cut food stamps and Social Security benefits.

Here are the paragraphs I am talking about:

Under CIA manipulation, direction and, usually, their payroll, were past and present presidents of Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, and Costa Rica, “our minister of labor”, “our vice-president”, “my police”, journalists, labor leaders, student leaders, diplomats, and many others. If the Agency wished to disseminate anti-communist propaganda, cause dissension in leftist ranks, or have Communist embassy personnel expelled, it need only prepare some phoney documents, present them to the appropriate government ministers and journalists, and – presto! – instant scandal.

Agee’s goal in naming all these individuals, quite simply, was to make it as difficult as he could for the CIA to continue doing its dirty work.

A common Agency tactic was writing editorials and phoney news stories to be knowingly published by Latin American media with no indication of the CIA authorship or CIA payment to the media. The propaganda value of such a “news” item might be multiplied by being picked up by other CIA stations in Latin America who would disseminate it through a CIA-owned news agency or a CIA-owned radio station. Some of these stories made their way back to the United States to be read or heard by unknowing North Americans.

Wooing the working class came in for special treatment. Labor organizations by the dozen, sometimes hardly more than names on stationery, were created, altered, combined, liquidated, and new ones created again, in an almost frenzied attempt to find the right combination to compete with existing left-oriented unions and take national leadership away from them.

http://williamblum.org/aer/read/118

This article, if true, confirms my belief that this surveillance state -- or at least the hope to establish it -- started shortly after WWII.

So much for freedom. This definitely changes my mind about being willing to restrict the Second Amendment much. Why should we voluntarily give up any of our rights regardless of the cost.

The Blum article is almost too much to stomach. Especially the parts about industrial espionage. Our companies complain so much about it -- but some of them are doing it. How two-faced can you get.

Wow! I think that America's reputation just took a big blow and rightfully so. This makes me very, very sad, but it explains some strange encounters I have had in my life.

[Progressive dog]

81. "Wooing the working class " nt

[gholtron]

24. I disagree with this Op

Snowden aka traitor took the job with the intention of stealing classified information.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/06/24/edward-snowden-nsa-leaker-russia-cuba-flight-asylum-ecuador/2451403/

He didn't prove that the NSA was listening in or collecting phone calls or emails. He didn't point out any laws that were broken. The NSA was collecting meta data which is NOT covered by the 4th ammendment.

http://ablogonpolitics.blogspot.com/2013/06/metadata-and-4th-amendment.html

If he wanted to do something about stopping this, then there were much better ways to do this without stealing classified documents and taking them to a foreign country.

[sibelian]

36. "If he wanted to do something about stopping this..."

Your final paragraph is only meaningful if you have some notion of what the "something" was that he intended. It's already been stated elsewhere that colleagues of his, admiring him, failed to achieve anything at all by following official channels.

[gholtron]

53. And exactly how is his actons working out for him now?

For starters, he could have gone to Senator Rand Paul, after all It is proven that he contributed to his campaign, with detailed information on how the government broke the law. There is no excuse for stealing classified documents and then taking them to a foreign country.

[sibelian]

68. It's not a matter of "excuses".

If the State doesn't provide it's citizens with functioning legitimate channels whereby the State's wrongdoing can be openly discussed, the only remaining channels are, obviously, not supportable by the State, i.e., illegal. that's it. There isn't anything else. Striking wounded attitudes and demanding "excuses" simply reveals you for a wincing, flinching supporter of State-sanctioned abuse of power.

How you think this conspiciously apparent fact is concealable would be beyond me were your addled wits not sadly typical of folks hereabouts these days.

[frylock]

51. you don't even know the definition of treason..

and we're supposed to take your opinion seriously?

[snot]

37. K&R'd & bookmarked – great article!

[Octafish]

44. William Blum is tops.

It's not a matter of black and white and all the shades of gray. It's good vs. evil:

America's Deadliest Export: Democracy

http://williamblum.org/books/americas-deadliest-export

[Progressive dog]

57. A low level employee of the State Dept. until 1967

according to Wikipedia. [link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blum|
Now an expert on the NSA and Snowden's psychology.
Famous for his support of democracy. “America’s Deadliest Export: Democracy” by William Blum (Zed Books, London/New York, 2013.)

[woo me with science]

61. Huge, huge K&R.

Thank you, Catherina.

[scarletwoman]

67. William Blum is one of my heroes!

I urge everyone to familiarize themselves with his writings. Here's a good site where you can find excerpts of his books, Killing Hope, U.S. Military and CIA Interventions since World War II and Rogue State, A Guide to the World's Only Superpower: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/KillingHope_page.html and http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/Rogue_State_Blum.html .

sw

[indepat]

72. But big brother has made it clear that those who oppose:

the bombings, the invasions, the endless wars, the torture, the sanctions, the overthrows, the support of dictatorships, and the unmitigated support of Israel are anti-American and that dissent of big brother's actions might subject the citizen to criminal sanctions when exercising constitutionally-protected speech and assembly.

[Th1onein]

74. "The whole article is interesting." It is, indeed. Thank you for posting, Catherina.

[felix_numinous]

83. " What is a security state to do?....

....Stop the bombings, the invasions, the endless wars, the torture, the sanctions, the overthrows, the support of dictatorships, the unmitigated support of Israel, stop all the things that make the US so hated, that create all the anti- American terrorists, that compel the National Security State, in our self defense, to spy on the entire world."

I agree 100% with this -- this is what has to stop-- it is the bottom line IF we are CAPABLE of enough maturity to face it!!

The cats are out of the bag- ok the whistleblower is either evil or not--- the question to be asked now is-- is everyone A-OK with agencies that operate with NO OVERSIGHT and UNLIMITED FUNDS?
P
These guys are on their own now, I can let that go. Because the planet is fast heating up, our infrastructure is being neglected, social programs are being sacrificed, so this war machine can go full steam ahead-- I'm not OK with it!!

If the NSA and all the other geeks with shiny toys want to play in their labs that's fine-- but how about focusing on sustainability and other peaceful endeavors for a change. Hey there's an idea.

Added: Some classification is needed, and those who are honest that protect and serve are to be admired and appreciated. But evil corporations who steal money, ignore human rights, wantonly destroy ecosystems should be the ones spied upon. Instead of being the only ones being protected and served.