The Last Word - New Edward Snowden video released

[Galraedia]

[snappyturtle]

1. Another attack the messenger piece. This video gives credence to

my decision to quit listening to M$M. They are essentially calling Snowden a liar about his intentions for joining the army. I know of a young man who also signed up well after Mission Accomplished was announced by bush. So what? They say this points to his lack of judgement.

Good effort on O'Donnel's and Wolff's part to imply that it is the lack of judgement that carried over to the whistleblowing.....without actually stating that...cowards.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

2. No, the implication is that Snowden was fine with Conservative spying.

[snappyturtle]

3. What video did you watch? nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

4. Did you watch to the end?

[snappyturtle]

5. Yes, I did. I'm curious as to how you came to your conclusion. nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. He went from attacking leakers to becoming one....

His shift was not unique either. All over the Conservative media the very people who claimed even TALKING about the intelligence gathering methods was treason to a general freakout that a Democrat inherited all of the powers they argued for.

Bottom line, his mindset changed because he was told to change it, and he obeyed.

He's not unique. I have met tons of Conservatives that can't think for themselves. They can hold opinions that are 180 degrees from what they held a few DAYS before if they think it'll score them a "win" in their own heads.

[snappyturtle]

9. I certainly didn't get that from the video but agree Snowden changed his tune....

he grew. He's very young. I think differently today than I did 15 years ago and I'm 65. I hear sincerity in his voice when talking of his 'discoveries' in the NSA. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

12. According to Al Franken it's no big deal....

This may be a case of projecting hopes and fears again.

[OilemFirchen]

13. And DOWN goes Richard Wolfe.

Will the Puritanoids have any media compatriots when this is all said and done?

I hear that Rand Paul's buddy Jack Hunter is available. Or is already making the rounds with Randy?

[JDPriestly]

7. I am very grateful for the information that Snowden has given us, but I

hear something in his voice that sounds familiar. It something you hear in the voices and language of "true believers" maybe people who have been converted to their current belief or opinion. The language seems to some extent to come from a place of memorization or of the desire to conform.

That does not change the value of his actions or what he has done.

But he is still very young, and, judging form his voice, and you may dismiss my very subjective opinion and i won't mind at all (it's just my opinion based on my hearing), but I think he is very easily influenced and not firm in his mind.

He is fearful and rather immature.

I appreciate what he has done in coming forward. A more mature person might not have found the courage to do it.

And it is quite understandable that he is afraid. Any thinking person in his position would be.

But I think that the judgments some have of him may be their reaction to what I consciously hear in his voice.

As for his enthusiasm for the war so long after its failure and wrongness was obvious to so many.

I met people in 2007 who were still firm believers in that war, people who were persuaded even in 2007 that Iraq had WMDs and that our government had found them. These were not uneducated or stupid people, but people educated enough to be employed in a professional field.

So, the idea that Snowden would not have joined the military after Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech was obviously disproved does not surprise me at all.

It merely affirms my belief based on his voice that Snowden is rather impressionable. Formal education in which we come in contact with different ideas expressed in different ways by different people, oddly enough, while indoctrinating us makes us more skeptical. Education places in our minds a reservoir of varying approaches and ideas and permits us to think critically. Snowden did not benefit from that kind of formal education.

[suzanner]

8. Agreed, I think you are spot on.

Whatever idea Snowden was acting on and for whatever reason, he knows he cannot get a fair hearing in the US. I don't see the mystery MS M tries to make of it. "What has he exposed specifically that is illegal and/or unconstitutional?" is the question. What specifically merits the charges?

[JDPriestly]

11. First, there are the secret courts and secret decisions under FISA.

If they are just with regard to specific warrants obtained upon a showing of probably cause, that is one thing. But if they are, as it appears from the statements of three or four witnesses, also sweeping court orders that permits the government or government contractors on behalf of the government to sweep up and collect all of our electronic communications, I believe it is unconstitutional.

Why? We have the right to enjoy a free press. Inherent in the right of the press is our right to information of all kinds without interference from the government.

The communications the government is collecting include those of, for example, journalists. This simple fact could and very likely does prevent journalists from obtaining information from sources on, for example, government corruption, or the very nature of excesses of the surveillance program. That is because if the government can get the names of the sources, whistleblowers or third parties who provide information on government corruption to journalists, it could punish the sources or discourage the journalists from obtaining that information through various means. That would be a serious blow to our right to a free press.

Further, if a sitting president through his NSA can get information about the communications of an opponent during or before a campaign, the sitting president would have a tremendous advantage in the election.

In addition, the executive branch could easily monitor the communications of members of the other branches of government, vet them before appointing them or watch them after appointing them.

Thus, this program means that our claim to be a democracy is or easily may be just one big joke.

This violates the Constitution further in that the extreme amount of power this vests in the executive branch and the NSA which is not even specifically provided for in the Constitution completely throws our separation of powers out of balance.

These are just a few examples of situations that happen frequently and that make this surveillance unconstitutional. It also chills our right to free speech and to freedom of assembly and petition. Review of cases in which litigants allege that the government has placed them under surveillance in violation of the Fourth Amendment or other similar claims cannot get court review because the government claims that these cases involve national security. Horrors!

It is a vicious circle with the executive branch claiming the right to violate the Constitution again and again.

[snappyturtle]

10. I just answered above and have hit some of the same points! #9m Thank you for

some confirmation of my beliefs....I totally agree!