General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: If it's not about Snowden, then why are there so many breathless posts about his asylum status? [View all]longship
(40,416 posts)One cannot separate them no matter what.
Much of what he has leaked isn't exactly new. We've known about much of it back during Bush II as was posted here on DU at the time. We railed about it then just as we're railing about it now.
Didn't like it then. Don't like it now.
But Snowden has pulled some real boners. And Greenwald is playing the Prima Donna with Assange competing.
One cannot extricate this affair from the people surrounding it, no matter what one wants. People are flapping their gums about Snowden, Greenwald, and Assange because the issue is all about those people.
The issues aren't new. It's only the narrative and the framing that has changed.
That's why DU is boiling over, not because the NSA dares to spy, but that it dares do so under a Democratic President. People feel betrayed. But many of us could have pointed out that the Patriot Act was renewed and signed into law by PBO well before Snowden made his Hong Kong run.
Why did DUers withhold their collective outrage until now? (Honestly , some did not.)
Lots of questions remain unanswered. I have made no public judgements here other than facts as presented. I reserve my position on Snowden, although I find him to be a troubling person. Some of this just doesn't make any sense. I am increasingly becoming aware that I may have to become used to not knowing what's what.
Regardless, I will remain tuned in because it's compelling real life drama. Who needs fiction?