General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Edward Snowden is a self-regarding idealist whose warnings of tyranny ring hollow [View all]karynnj
(59,466 posts)1) What the NSA is doing and whether Congressional oversight has been adequate. Here, I am far more impressed with people like Senator Ron Wyden, who has carefully looked at the legislation and has led on amendments to rein it in. The last time it was renewed, it was more constrained than the 2007 bill that passed and very controversially retroactively protected the government and private companies that started surveillance with no legal backing. Wyden and others have spoken of wanting more restrictions - I think it would be far more useful for the left to back Wyden in this effort rather than Snowden.
2) Snowden himself is an issue. He made himself an issue when he loaded 4 laptops with classified information - leaked some to Greenwald and others - then fled to China with his laptops. He and Greenwald have alluded to having information on his computers that could harm the US. How do you justify that he took this information on laptops out of the country?
- If his issue was to get the discussion on the NSA going he could have JUST released information on that. If, as many argue, it is understandable that he did not want to face charges and maybe spend a long time in prison, then why not release what he wanted and flee (possibly before Greenwald actually released stuff) - WITH NO SECRET FILES. Had he done that, there would be far fewer people here saying he was a traitor or arguing that he was harming the United States.
- Now before you quote Snowden saying no one could break the encryption, I can tell you that he is delusional. Given enough time, experts in other countries can break the code.