General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIf Snowden had been Russian or Chinese . . .
. . . and it had been the Russian or Chinese government, respectively, whose conduct he had exposed. pols of both parties would be falling all over themselves to grant him permanent asylum. And we would be collectively congratulating ourselves for standing up for "human rights." Tells you something.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)since they really don't pretend to be anything else.
There's a reason there's no whistleblowing in those countries. Either you keep your mouth shut or you arrange to defect somewhere else.
Response to geek tragedy (Reply #1)
cthulu2016 This message was self-deleted by its author.
Gregorian
(23,867 posts)I have to remember that kind of logic. It's used in engineering, and it worked here.
frylock
(34,825 posts)markpkessinger
(8,381 posts)Igel
(35,197 posts)You'd need permission to leave China--just hopping on a plane is hard to do.
Moreover, their background checks are more thorough, they more quickly report suspicious intelligence workers, they ensure a higher degree of ethnic and national loyalty, and, finally, the Snowden daddy would suddenly find himself in a fair amount of distress if he were a Russian or Chinese citizen living in his home country.
Zey have vays of makink you loyal.
China, especially. Russia, not so much these days.
usGovOwesUs3Trillion
(2,022 posts)the hypocrisy knows no bounds with the partisan totalitarians.
But it is always good to call them out on it, so they don't inadvertently fool someone.
Cha
(295,926 posts)"These nations, including Russia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Ecuador have my gratitude and respect for being the first to stand against human rights violations." "bad USA "
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/24/russia-worst-human-rights-climate-post-soviet-era
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/12/world/europe/russian-court-convicts-a-kremlin-critic-posthumously.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Oh yeah, it goes on and on..
"Russian Mayor, an Opposition Figure, Is Arrested"
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/world/europe/russian-mayor-an-opposition-figure-is-arrested.html?_r=0
Russian police detain dozens after clashes during gay rights march
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/29/russian-police-gay-rights
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/18/1224634/-Ironies-Abound-Snowden-Russia-Human-Rights
markpkessinger
(8,381 posts)jmowreader
(50,453 posts)If Snowden had been Russian or Chinese and did these things to his government, he would have magically appeared in a courtroom for a huge show trial, soon after which his demise for reasons of ill health (lead poisoning) would have been reported.
Cha
(295,926 posts)markpkessinger
(8,381 posts). . . How much intellectual yoga does it require for one's brain to assume that pretzel shape? Just wondering ....
jmowreader
(50,453 posts)Russian and Chinese security services have a long and proud history of convincing you to return by grabbing you off the street, giving you an injection of "bliss" and loading you on an airplane going to the motherland.
usGovOwesUs3Trillion
(2,022 posts)Edward Snowden is a modern day Paul Revere with a thumb drive full of news that Tyranny is coming!
Edward Snowden's Dad Calls Him 'Modern Day Paul Revere'
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/edward-snowdens-dad-calls-modern-day-paul-revere/story?id=19554337
Hmmm... who knew how influential a DU meme could be
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)We wouldn't be talking about him. He'd be disappeared in the bowels of some dungeon for a loooooooooooooong time before ever appearing before a court for charges.
It hurts when your own country is like that, doesn't it? It's better to always have foreign countries to project it on.
Which one has the highest proportion of the population in prison, by the way?
markpkessinger
(8,381 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)They demand the release of their own spies but say about Snowden, "Hey, there's nothing we can do! {wink}"
Politicians are politicians on either side of the ocean.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]
Response to markpkessinger (Original post)
randome This message was self-deleted by its author.