The most important issue that nobody ever mentions about either Snowden or Manning

[BlueStreak]

Last edited Wed Aug 21, 2013, 09:43 PM - Edit history (1)

How the hell does a new-hire for a contractor (Snowden) or a low ranking military employee (Manning) have access to what the frothing-at-the-mouth authoritarians claim to be such huge national secrets?

(Personally, I'm not sure these are such big secrets. Snowden's most impactful release was a PowerPoint training course that simply introduced some of the illegal tools the NSA has. And Manning's releases were mostly just catty comments that diplomats whispered behind each others backs. But the authoritarians claim these are huge state secrets, so there you go.)

When can we expect to see somebody prosecuted for making all this top secret data available apparently to thousands of people that shouldn't have had it?

[snappyturtle]

1. Maybe it's a good thing they did have access. Their higher

ups certainly didn't have the courage to whistleblow.

[Luminous Animal]

2. Snowden worked for the NSA for 4 years. Purportedly for the CIA prior to that...

And one of Manning's superior officer said that Manning was the go to guy for analysis. Apparently, he excelled at his job.

[GP6971]

4. Both chain of commands of the individuals

are responsible. The rock hard, indisputable truth of the security world is "need to know". There was a massive failure, especially in Manning's chain of command. Those are the ones that should be prosecuted.

[limpyhobbler]

3. Also how can we reduce the amount of stuff the government marks secret.

They shouldn't be allowed to classify things just because they find it embarrassing.

[truedelphi]

7. But don't you get it? That the very nature of the game

is to keep everything secret.

Including the programs that the "Needed Surveillance" is concerned with. We the People are not to know what the programs are, or how much they cost, or how often the inner circle of top level politicians is cashing in on this shit.

Of course, one good indicator of how expensive these programs are will become apparent when the Feinstein-Blum couple buys up another 16 million dollar mansion or two.

[leveymg]

5. Very good question there, Mr. Moose.

There is nothing that I've seen so far that's even remotely harmful to the actual US national security.

Just f-cking embarrassing for those who run the system, and those contractors who have profited, for the utter banality of it all.

[truedelphi]

8. And of course, back when it was announced that lives had been lost

Due to Dick Cheney disclosing Valerie Plame's status as CIA operative - well, no one in our government even thought it worth bringing Cheney under indictment!

[leveymg]

9. Indictments are for the Little People. The real joke is that Cheney wanted to give Iran an

incentive to really expand its nuclear program, as it wasn't moving nearly fast enough to meet Dick's Energy Task Force timetables for REDUCING the amount of oil being pumped onto the world market. The problem with Ms. Plame and the others at the CIA CounterProliferation Division (CPD) -- and why they had to be destroyed -- was that they were doing too good a job at containing and subtle stalling of Iran's program without provoking a big fuss.

Wars in Iraq and Iran have never been about nukes, and conflict in the region have always been about sustaining a floor for Saudi oil prices. Who do you think BushCo and Cheney actually work for, anyway?

[tk2kewl]

6. psyops