‘Snowden’s life is still in danger,’ Russia says

[bemildred]

Source: WaPo

MOSCOW — Russia will likely approve NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden’s application to continue his asylum in the next few days, a Russian migration official said Friday.

“I do not see any problem in extending the temporary political asylum,” Vladimir Volokh, head of a key advisory council to Russia’s federal migration service, told Russian news service Interfax. “Circumstances have not changed. Snowden’s life is still in danger; therefore the Federal Migration Service has every basis to prolong his status.”

Snowden’s Russian attorney, Anatoly Kucherena, told reporters on Wednesday that Snowden had formally applied to stay in Russia past the expiration of his current temporary asylum on July 31.

Russian authorities awarded him that status last summer, after Snowden became stranded in a Moscow airport en route from Hong Kong to Cuba. U.S. authorities had revoked his passport after Snowden, a former NSA contractor, revealed himself as the source of massive leaks detailing the inner workings of U.S. intelligence services, first published in The Washington Post and The Guardian.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russian-official-says-extension-of-snowdens-asylum-likely-soon/2014/07/11/1d2d15ac-08dd-11e4-a0dd-f2b22a257353_story.html

[RufusTFirefly]

1. Whaaa? How could Snowden's life be in danger??

We're still a great country, but I'm afraid we're unable to acknowledge that there have been times when we've definitely been the bad guy.



Sergeant Prendergast: Let's meet a couple of police officers. They are all good guys.
Bill Foster: I'm the bad guy?
Sergeant Prendergast: Yeah.
Bill Foster: How did that happen?

[geek tragedy]

2. well, so is anyone who speaks out against Putin in Russia, so he's in a real bind nt

[riderinthestorm]

3. Yup. US spies are on record as wanting to kill him.

http://www.businessinsider.com/us-spies-talk-about-killing-snowden-2014-1

[1StrongBlackMan]

5. And, snowden is on record wanting to ...

have people ... that did exactly what he did ... "shot in the balls."

Pick your source: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=snowden+cut++their+balls+off

[George II]

7. Well, in that case Snowden's pretty safe....

....considering his gutless behavior over the last year or so, he's proven he has no balls to shoot.

[LiberalLovinLug]

18. LOL

Yeah, it takes no courage whatsoever to risk his life, liberty and freedom for exposing corruption and deception at the highest levels of power. All during an administration that is setting records for prosecuting whistleblowers.

[George II]

21. Funny how he wound up in Russia, of all places!

[LiberalLovinLug]

39. Like that was his first choice

[George II]

88. It's where he is.

[wildbilln864]

83. you should do research before making idiotic assertions...

he was trapped in Russia by the US! Russia was not his final destination.

[George II]

89. He wasn't kidnapped and forced onto a plane destined for Moscow.

[wildbilln864]

96. no one said he was but...

he was planning to go on from Russia just like he did go on from China. But the US gubment revoked his passport so he was stuck in Russia. Could have just as easily been stuck in China or the next country after Russia but they chose to revoke his passport while he was temporarily in Russia. But you knew that already right!?

[George II]

97. All we really know is that he went from China to Moscow and his passport was revoked...

...we know very little else, except what he says.

Among the countries that has either been mentioned or speculated that would be his ultimate destination were Ecuador and Brazil.

The fact is, and I've pointed this out clearly, if his intention was to ultimately go to South America, he could have taken a direct, non-stop flight from Honolulu to any country in South America.

But, he chose to first travel to China (hmmmm) and then Russia (hmmmm) and on to South America (a total of roughly 17,000 miles) instead of flying a mere 6,000-7,000 miles non-stop to South America.

Besides, he now has a Russian passport (hmmmm) so why doesn't he now go to either Brazil or Ecuador? His revoked United States passport apparently is no longer an obstacle.

[wildbilln864]

98. we know he had his entire trip booked

and Russia was not his final destination til he was forced to stay there!

[George II]

99. You keep ignoring the obvious, no matter which South American country was going to be...

...his final destination.

What's the logic of going in the opposite direction from South America in order to get there?

Let me do this "graphically" as best I can....


South America ------ Moscow ------ Hong Kong ----- Honolulu ------- South America

If you were a "principled man" travelling from Honolulu to South America, with no "ulterior motive", which way would you go?

[NanceGreggs]

126. A sudden urge ...

... to build up his cache of Frequent Flyer Miles?

[msanthrope]

100. You do know that he does not need a US passport to travel from Russia, right?

Further....it's pretty hysterical that you've given the opinion of a bail jumper as a legal authority.

[wildbilln864]

104. you do know...

that he needed to travel to a country that doesn't have an extradition treaty with the US, right?

[msanthrope]

105. Nonsense....nothing in the world prevents Russia from issuing travel documents for Snowden. nt

[wildbilln864]

106. but where would he have gone?

remember them forcing a plane down because they suspected he was on board!

[msanthrope]

107. Anywhere that he would have been accepted. Emo Morales's plane was not

forced down....rather, the pilots requested a landing due to instrument failure. True, the plane was searched for Snowden, but what of it? At that point, an extant warrant existed.

You know what? If the US had such a hand in where Snowden ended up, why did we pick Russia? No Snowden supporter has ever been able to answer that. Why did we pick Russia?

[wildbilln864]

108. right! as if...

any plane wouldn't also have been forced down and boarded if they suspected he was on it.

[msanthrope]

109. Ok...so you've conceded two main points here:

1) That Russia could have issued travel documents.

2) That the US did not choose to have Snowden in Russia.....he chose it.

Further...your claim that a passenger plane would be forced down is without evidence.

[George II]

111. Hong Kong has an extradition treaty with the US. He went there first!

[wildbilln864]

114. they weren't trying to apprehend him at that time!

possibly they wanted him to remain in Russia for what ever reasons.

[George II]

118. WHY did he go to Russia in the first place? Any theories?

No one has yet to be able to explain why he flew 3/4 of the way around the world in order to get somewhere that was only 1/4 away.

[wildbilln864]

125. theories? perhaps...

he wanted to see the world? China, Russia, who knows.
Perhaps it was a required stop on the way to his final destination.
What is your theory?

[George II]

127. A "required stop" on his way to his final destination?

Didn't you say earlier that he already had his trip booked before he left Honolulu. If you know that, you should know his "final destination". What might that have been?

I have a theory which is pretty evident.

[Thinkingabout]

31. Since he does not fit the description of a whistleblower then he will not be prosecuted as a

Whistleblower. He is charged with theft and espionage, sort of like a spy Putin said he is. Let Putin keep him, he needs a patsy to ask questions in his news conferences.

[bobduca]

63. Your screen name implies thinking

can you link to a post where you have demonstrated this?

[Thinkingabout]

77. Now this is the simplest search and I am providing you a link I thought everyone knows by now.

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

Read the entire information, the answers are there.

[George II]

90. Why does it have to spiral down into insults?

[Bragi]

110. Quite so!

I remain befuddled as to why ES draws such animosity here. It makes no sense that progressives would fail to see the importance if what he's done, and the courage it takes to do what he did.

[George II]

112. It does not take courage to travel to a foreign country and THEN expose government secrets...

...that he agreed to NOT expose.

Even so, if his aim was to expose the NSA "spying on American citizens", then why did he also expose US spying on other countries?

[LiberalLovinLug]

17. So no one ever is allowed to change their mind?

Last edited Fri Jul 11, 2014, 03:48 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance

"Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world," he says. "I realized that I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good."

Its called maturing, being better informed.

[1StrongBlackMan]

20. Yeah, okay. eom.

[riderinthestorm]

26. Ikr? Dems forgive Obama when he "evolves" on issues like gay marriage

But a young man in his early twenties evolving on important issues?

Nope. No such slack for HIM! His positions are FIXED forever without any leeway to change.



I've always thought that comment only underscores how bad the NSA malfeasance must be since its demonstrably proven to have turned Snowden around 180 degrees.

[Igel]

27. Unlike those he helped.

Who don't mind doing a lot of harm to a lot of people, as long as they get some good out of it.

It's not a sign of maturation. It's a since of extreme immaturity. Life has a lot of gray areas. For Snowden, life is black or white. The side he was one for money turned out not to be pure, virtuous, all good. Therefore it was all-evil and corrupt and must be fought.

The merit of other sides don't matter. He's fighting for his self-worth, and he must be pure--having been deceived, the enemy must be destroyed to save its soul. And salve his conscience. Even if it means taking the side of the devil.

Oddly, though, he assumed that there would be no consequences. Failing to make logical predictions about likely outcomes is also not a sign of maturity. Being willing to take responsibility for your actions is not a sign of maturity. If you set yourself up as an enemy, then don't be surprised when you're treated as an enemy.

The only "maturity" here is recognizing that the US isn't perfect. But critical thinking doesn't evaluate things on an immature, simplistic "you're with me or you're my enemy" metric and looking at the outcomes of the flaws that you find.

There we have a bit of a problem.

[LiberalLovinLug]

40. Those he helped..

..were overwhelmingly you and me and everyone else who values personal freedom and privacy. Who else do you mean? Glenn Greenwald? He's a journalist, its his job. And yes..gasp..he makes money doing his profession.

You accuse ES of looking at the world in black and white? That's rich. And who is this "devil" he is taking sides with? His "side" is exposing abuse of power.


"Oddly, though, he assumed that there would be no consequences...."

Really?...where did you get that? Seems like he was fully prepared and knew there would be consequences:

In a note accompanying the first set of documents he provided, he wrote: "I understand that I will be made to suffer for my actions," but "I will be satisfied if the federation of secret law, unequal pardon and irresistible executive powers that rule the world that I love are revealed even for an instant."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance


Where did ES ever say or imply anything like "you're with me or you're my enemy"? He simply exposed the truth, forcing Clapper to admit he lied to Congress when he said there was no mass spying program on American citizens and started a conversation. Its one thing to just throw your hands up and say "the US isn't perfect". Its quite another to provide proof of State malfeasance and force a conversation that the power elites would rather keep hidden.

[randome]

78. From 'shot in the balls' to cries of 'Freedom!'

That's akin to Ted Cruz suddenly declaring he is a Progressive. Would you believe that if it happened? Neither would I. No one does a 180 like that unless there is something wrong with them or they have other motives.

The fact is this is the 2nd year of Snowden's road show. He isn't going anywhere.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]

[riderinthestorm]

102. Obama was against gay marriage in his August 2008 interview with Rick Warren

Completely against it.

I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian…it is also a sacred union. God’s in the mix.

By the time of his 2012 inauguration he was absolutely for marriage equality. It took him four years to make a complete 180 change in his position on the issue.

Yet Snowden observing the NSA surveillance up close and personal, is not allowed the same flexibility to similarly change his mind? And weirdly enough, it ALSO only took Snowden four years to change his mind... Hmmm.

And really? You dare to compare him to Ted fucking Cruz??

You all have really jumped the shark now.

[George II]

113. Mixing two different thoughts based on one's personal belief vs. one's obligation as President...

...of ALL the people.

I personally am not in favor of abortion (in the sense that if my wife were to get pregnant, even if we didn't want a child, we wouldn't abort the fetus) On the other hand, I don't believe in prohibiting others from using their moral belief regarding abortion.

[riderinthestorm]

117. Your answer isn't even coherent.

You're saying Obama's still a homophobe?

[George II]

120. Huh?

That's like me asking you, "are you still beating your wife?"

[riderinthestorm]

121. Double huh.

I'm not sure you even know what you're trying to articulate so I'll let you have the last word.

[riderinthestorm]

22. That comment only serves to underscore how deeply wrong the NSA's actions are

that they turned Snowden around 180 degrees.

Once he understood the magnitude of NSA malfeasance, he went from "shoot them in the balls" to putting his own life on the line to expose it.

[1StrongBlackMan]

23. Yeah, Okay ...

He did put his life on the line ... the flight to Russia could have crashed.

[George II]

124. And exposed himself to the horror of possibly developing an allergic reaction to caviar!

[Enthusiast]

58. +1 an entire shit load.

[Blue_Tires]

10. That buzzfeed piece was suspect at best...

Anon quotes, and no context whatsoever of the interview conversation leading up to them...

I can get anybody to say anything in an interview if I set up the line of questioning properly...

[1StrongBlackMan]

13. More likely ...

I can get just about any quote I want if I ask the question in a bar!

[24601]

53. Anyone can want/wish in one hand and spit in the other and see which one fills up first. Wanting

doesn't come even close to intent.

If wanting equated a threat, most posters here could be arrested for wants about Cheney.

[blackspade]

4. Well this continues his usfulness as a propoganda tool....

Last edited Fri Jul 11, 2014, 03:28 PM - Edit history (1)

By both the US and Russian governments.

He would not generate nearly the animus in Bolivia as he does in Moscow.

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. Good Observation. (eom)

[Demeter]

9. The animus is within the agitated, diseased minds

that cannot see the error of their ways, and are mad at Snowden for giving unimpeachable proof.

[1StrongBlackMan]

24. LOL, "animus is within the agitated, diseased minds" ...

Really?

[Maedhros]

29. They're not diseased, just gullible and afraid.

They buy the propaganda that the NSA "Keeps Us Safe" from the "Terrorists" who "Hate Us For Our Freedom" hook, line and sinker.

Thus, when someone exposes the NSA for the corrupt, inept and dangerous monstrosity that it is, they react as they are dutifully trained to: by attacking the messenger in order to defend their protectors.

[reddread]

30. Inane Clown Posse

[grasswire]

45. I think it's simpler than that

There's money in defending the NSA. None in defending Snowden/the Constitution.

[Maedhros]

46. Given the horrendously poor reasoning skills they display, you may be right. [n/t]

[Aerows]

48. Considering what I've seen

I'd agree.

[Blue_Tires]

11. He could, you know...LEAVE if he wanted to...

He already has a Russian passport, iirc...

And if nothing else, all this time there has been nothing preventing him from walking down the street a few blocks to the foreign embassy of his choice and checking in ala Assange..

[blackspade]

16. Not really.

But you already knew that.

[Blue_Tires]

19. You're telling me the u.s. can

Magically prevent him from flying direct to south america on a Russian airliner using a Russian passport?

At least say what many people refuse to acknolwdge, which is that he's far too useful for the Russians to simply let go for the foreseeable future...At least that explanation is plausible...

[1StrongBlackMan]

25. Shhh ...

[blackspade]

36. No magic to it.

Do you not remember the last time he was rumored to be on a plane?
It was forced to land in Austria and boarded.

Beyond the propaganda, how is he useful to the Russians?
Is there something specific that you are considering?

[Aerows]

37. Little hint about Geography

You see, planes can only go so much distance before they have to refuel. If they must avoid the airspace of certain countries, they must extend their mileage. That creates snares that if they accidentally enter the wrong airspace, as has already happened with a President of a Sovereign nation's plane, or are forced to land, then that person is endangered.

I know this has already been explained numerous times, but I figured, what they hey. I'll try again.

[George II]

44. So, if he set out from Hawaii, why did he first go to China and then Moscow?

Hawaii to Brazil is a mere 7,000 miles. Hawaii to Hong Kong, although only about 6,000 miles, is the WRONG WAY to South America!

Even then, Hong Kong to South America is about 11,000 miles but Hong Kong to Moscow to Brazil is about 12,000, ignoring "air space" issues.

Surely there is some mysterious reason why he eschewed the relatively short flight from Hawaii to Brazil?

[Aerows]

47. I think you need a globe, sir

There is no short flight that he could take that would not involve crossing US-extradition airspace - Including Brazil. Brazil is NOT Bolivia.

[George II]

50. Perhaps YOU need a globe, and an OAG?

I was just throwing out "Brazil" as a typical South American destination. Where he really wanted to go was Ecuador.

Ecuador is on the WEST coast of South America and United Airlines runs non-stops between Honolulu and Quito.

Going to a country that does not have an extradition treaty with the US was obviously not his concern - Hong Kong has one. In fact, EVERY country in South America has one, too.

[Aerows]

51. Again, I suggest you use a globe

and cut out the silliness. Also, you could google "extradition treaty".

[George II]

52. Globe? Sillines?

I did google "extradition treaty", here's the result:

The following is a list of United States extradition treaties:

Albania
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Congo
Costa Rica
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea, South
Latvia
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malawi
Malaysia
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Monaco
Nauru
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Nigeria
Norway
Pakistan
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
San Marino
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovenia
Slovak Republic
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Tanzania
Thailand
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
Tuvalu
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Venezuela
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe

[Aerows]

55. Nice try

pulling up the names of recognized countries and omitting the ones you thought had extradition treaties with the US.

You failed. Cuba. LOL. I can cut and paste for days, but it doesn't make sense without context, which, you failed at.

[George II]

66. Try this link, right from the US Government. Fail? Nah, you're just not willing to accept reality.

http://www.state.gov/s/l/treaty/faqs/70138.htm

[Aerows]

79. I'm not willing to accept "reality"

that's rich LOL

[George II]

82. A listing of countries with which the US has extradition treaties, compiled by the Department...

...of State isn't good enough for you.

I can see we're not getting anywhere here. Enjoy your fantasy world.

[treestar]

68. Does he have a Russian passport?

I doubt they would give that to anyone who is not a citizen.

There are UN based travel documents for refugees but Eddie likely doesn't qualify for one.

[Sunlei]

85. Usefulness of all those files he took. Even if snowden dies tomorrow those files will live forever.

Who knows how many people/countries have access to the information in those thousands of files by now.

[Blue_Tires]

8. Of course it is...

And I have NO doubt that Russian authorities have made it clear to Snowden that Moscow is the ONLY place for him to be if he values his "safety"...

[Aerows]

38. Please view my geography notes above. n/t

[Blue_Tires]

91. Since Snowden constantly reminds us how much of a super-spy genius he is

I'd have thought he would have had multiple escape routes and contingency plans in place once he went public in Honk Kong...

I'd have thought he would have known what would happen once he had his friendly little chat with intelligence officials in China, at the Russian embassy, hopped that flight to Moscow, and how that would affect his credibility...

I'd have thought a super-spy genius would have tried to avoid ending up there at all possible cost...

And finally, I'd have thought a super-spy genius would have kept his profile low and LONG since plotted an exit out of Russia through legitimate or less-than-legitimate methods...

But one year in he's still there living the high life, and he doesn't seem to be leaving anytime soon...So what conclusion am I to make about him?

(FWIW, I knew long ago his "super-spy genius" talk is all ego-stroking bullshit and spin because he and his circle needed to counter all the "useful idiot" accusations and the unspeakable conclusion where those questions eventually lead...)

[Aerows]

92. Whatever conclusion

You have already come to.

[Blue_Tires]

94. I've been begging....Desperate for someone to prove me wrong

so I can get these nagging questions out of my head and become a true believer in honest faith...

Care to help me out here?

[Aerows]

95. No

If you don't know by now, nothing I say will convince you of anything.

Have a nice day.

[elias49]

12. What the..?

One of the favorite complaints from the NSA apologists on these boards is that Snowden ran into the open arms of the Russians, absolutely determined to rat out the United States! "He's a damned "comrade". (sic)
I guess the Washington Post didn't get that memo:

"...after Snowden became stranded in a Moscow airport en route from Hong Kong to Cuba. U.S. authorities had revoked his passport..."

Well I guess everybody has to start over. Please proceed.

[alcibiades_mystery]

14. ROFL

His life "in danger." !!! Oh, hahahaha.

What nonsense will they come up with next?

[1StrongBlackMan]

28. I knew a pimp, once ...

that kept his "ladies" in line, by constantly telling them how dangerous it was out there without him.

Just saying.

[former9thward]

56. Snowden would be suicided within two weeks of returning to the U.S.

Of course, maybe in the world you live in, such things never happen.

[1StrongBlackMan]

61. You watch too much TV/Infowars ...

If the U.S. Government wanted snowden dead, he would be dead by now.

[former9thward]

65. And if he winds up dead

you will blame it on Putin. Its nice to have things both ways...

[1StrongBlackMan]

67. No ...

I wouldn't blame anyone.

I really suspect that the only folks that give a sh!t about snowden are GG and DU.

[former9thward]

70. Well NSA/CIA big shots seem to be quite bothered by him.

Unless everything they say on TV and in front of Congress is a lie and fake concern.

[1StrongBlackMan]

72. Really ...

When was the last time you heard some NSA/CIA big shots say anything about snowden ... except in response to a media question ... and what did they say?

[treestar]

76. And of course they are all black-hatted baddies

Not people trying to do their jobs, that wouldn't make a good movie.

[treestar]

75. That would depend on the facts though

You'll be twisting them every which way to blame it on the US no matter what they facts are.

[treestar]

74. They happen more in the movies

than in real life. There is no way Eddie would be killed at this point. It would give his fans too much fuel.

[bobduca]

62. just saying that snowden is like a violent pimp

Just sayin something stupid, more like.

[1StrongBlackMan]

64. No ...

I'm saying that RUSSIA is like a violent pimp.

[treestar]

69. They've spun this entire novel out of it

Like still asserting the US put down that plane of the Bolivian President.

Finding some rogue who said they'd like to kill Eddie and using that to claim the US is after him.

It's like they are writing an action movie script.

The US is also persecuting Julian and would kill him.

It's a big CT theory.

[alcibiades_mystery]

73. It's amusing, at least

[Hissyspit]

86. The decision to divert the plane has been pretty much confirmed:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-officials-scrambling-to-nab-snowden-hoped-he-would-take-a-wrong-step-he-didnt/2014/06/14/057a1ed2-f1ae-11e3-bf76-447a5df6411f_story.html

A number US politicians have called for Snowden to be tried as a traitor and killed:

http://jonathanturley.org/2013/12/18/ex-cia-director-calls-for-snowden-to-be-hanged-by-his-neck-until-he-is-dead/

[treestar]

87. That plane has a million explanations

That article confirms no such thing. And he would not be hanged. The maximum penalty for the statutes he was charged under is 10 years.

[nolabels]

15. The most dangerous thing to empires, truth-tellers

No doubt he probably would have one of so called accidents, par for course

[MannyGoldstein]

32. Given that we forced down the plane of a head of state

in an attempt to get Snowden, it seems reasonable to believe that he's in extrajudicial peril.

[frylock]

33. oh now, Emmanuel, that was merely a simple misunderstanding..

we've all seen the maps that explain what happened.

[Aerows]

35. Here's the proof!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023164458

[Aerows]

34. Far too many people forget that the term "conspiracy theorist"

was invented by the government to discredit anyone who questions a government policy or action.

[RufusTFirefly]

42. I'd edit your statement slightly...

Change "forget" to "conveniently forget."

[cprise]

57. It does convenienty lump people with rational suspicions in with

all manner of irrational crazies. It creates a sort of Ad-hominem By Association.

[RufusTFirefly]

71. Totally agree! That's exactly what it does!

I have legitimate questions about key events surrounding the acquisition and maintenance of power and influence in this country, therefore it logically follows that I must buy into some crackpot theory about the moon landing.

Of course, it doesn't logically follow and they know it.

I opposed the illegal invasion of Iraq, therefore I must have been a Saddam apologist.
I disagree with many of the President's policies, therefore I must be on Karl Rove's personal payroll.
I believe that drone strikes on civilians are illegal and inhumane, therefore I must be Rand Paul's biggest supporter.
I oppose Hillary Clinton's unapologetic hawkish neo-liberalism, therefore I am obviously a misogynist.
I am alarmed by widespread, unchecked, fundamentally un-Constitutional surveillance of innocent people by the NSA, therefore I must be Putin's best pal.

Etc, etc.

[Aerows]

80. Exactly

It's obvious once you see their pattern. I just wonder why they do it.

[Skittles]

116. thank you

they know, but they stick with anything that fits nicely with their heads in the sand

[Enthusiast]

59. +1 an entire shit load.

[navarth]

41. I hope Snowden will be ok. I don't understand the hatred of him. nt

[w4rma]

43. Some folks are more comfortable following orders than the law. (nt)

[navarth]

49. I guess.

It's just weird. I don't know these people well enough to say they're paid shills or DLC sheep dogs trying to keep everybody in line...it just strikes me as weird. Some of the behavior here...I don't know what to make of it.

[Enthusiast]

60. Me too.

[deurbano]

81. I know... the vehemence, like it's personal.

[reddread]

123. good observation, a reasonable explanation

few others seem to fit.

[840high]

54. True.

[George II]

128. In Snowden's case, he did neither.

[Sunlei]

84. Maybe Putin will find him a nice job, he can become a citizen, start a family.

I don't think any other country wants him either.

[TBF]

103. It's not that they don't "want" him -

it's that they don't want the wrath of the US government raining down on them. You heard Corea's words "it was a mistake" ... I'm sure those were also the exact words Biden used in their conversation.

Snowden's only 31 - if I were him I'd sit tight awhile.

[itsrobert]

93. Shameful how he let's Putin use him for his propaganda

And GG uses Snowden for a book deals and his own website. (money maker)

[Peregrine]

101. Good (nt)

.

[Cha]

115. Who's going to kill Eddie? Putin if he leaves Russia?.. put up or shut up.. Propaganda Bullshit

machine.

[bemildred]

119. Brilliant argument, thanks for sharing. nt

[Cha]

122. So you have nothing. Got it.