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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAfter reading the talking points again, I've changed my mind on spying and Snowden.
Last edited Sun Dec 7, 2014, 03:45 PM - Edit history (1)
My eyes have been opened on the subject of spying by the repeated accusations of being a libertarian (the fact that I have always found their views on corporate rights and lack of social conscience repellant, is irrelevant) and the typhoon of talking points that are thrown at anyone who breaches the subject. All I can say is, thank you for your relentless assault on those who remained true to passé ideals. It really is the moral duty of a good person to destroy the messenger...Who knew? And here is a partial list of those conscience breaking, character crushing talking points:
The program has been compromised...Everyone already knew...The leakers are traitors... It's all legal...No one expects privacy nowadays...We're at war...I trust our president...We're only spying on the terrorists...The critics hate our president...Paulbot!
Lets look into the Nixonian and Bushie catalogs - The program has been compromised...Everyone already knew...The leakers are traitors...It's all legal...We're at war...I trust our president...We're only spying on the terrorists...The critics hate our president...Communist!
99Forever
(14,524 posts)A peek at the man behind the curtain and the depths they will go to hide what they are actually doing is quite sobering, isn't it?
20score
(4,769 posts)K&R!
Good stuff!
20score
(4,769 posts)Kidding, thanks!
marym625
(17,997 posts)pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)Mojorabbit
(16,020 posts)pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)why that particular talking point is supposed to be an insult.
Good for you.
20score
(4,769 posts)So true - I'm going to my grave with my convictions
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)And when HRC is president the critics will also be misogynists, and probably rape apologists - maybe even rapists themselves!
zeemike
(18,998 posts)It will be our fault...because we were purists.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)Zorra
(27,670 posts)SaveOurDemocracy
(4,400 posts)In exchange for leaving your principles at the door, we have a free gift for you.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)20score
(4,769 posts)pasto76
(1,589 posts)1 he would have revealed all he had
2 he would have stayed and faced any consequences
Holding things back put him in the fame-seeking category. If his revelations were so absolutely necessary and -vital- to democracy he wouldnt have held anything back. But he did. Fail on altruism
he also would have stayed. Hard to be an icon or effective player when you are in exile.
Dont be fooled into thinking that hailing snowden as a hero is dependent on your views of spying, which your post pretty much says.
yes, everybody already suspected what he revealed. Yes it is inappropriate. But yes he is also a criminal.
RufusTFirefly
(8,812 posts)20score
(4,769 posts)my post.
(I really know where you're coming from, and could dissect this line for line, but is there any point?)
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)That talking point, thanks for proving the point of the OP btw, is intended to pretend that Whistle Blowers have any rights here in the US and/or protections.
The truth is, and I believe a majority of people know this, Whistle Blowers will NOT be heard at all if they 'go through the channels'.
Eg, Drake and Binney. We hardly heard OF them let alone the devastating information they wanted the public to know.
See what Drake has to say about 'going through the normal channels. Sorry but your opinion V the EXPERIENCES of actual Patriotic Whistle Blowers (and airc, ironically, back when Drake and Binney tried to get information on the NSA spying to the people, DEMS THOUGHT THEY WERE HEROES NOT CRIMINALS) isn't very important.
So Snowden learned from all those other Whistle Blowers that in order to get that information to the people who were entitled to it, he had to remain out of the hands of the US Government, see Chelsea Manning also.
Good for him for being smart enough to do it in a way that was guaranteed to prevent them from silencing him.
Manning should have done the same thing and most Whistle Blowers from now on will most likely do so also.
Those nasty 'fame-seekers' willing to give up their lives just to be 'famous'l.
I have to say that particular talking point (who thinks this stuffs up btw) was the most ridiculous of all.
A whistle-blower that understood (to a degree) the consequences of playing with fire!
He clearly understood that he had 2 options:
1. Go to jail do not pass go.
2. Grab any get out of jail card that was offered.
He has big huge brass balls and ratting on government little by little ensures at least some take notice as had he just dumped a huge mess on the floor it would have been over and done with rapidly .. just like journalists that offer info over a period of time to keep the reader interested.
Kudos to Snowden as in the same position I doubt I would have taken that plunge and ended my life living.
Vattel
(9,289 posts)We heard that stupidity from John Kerry, Melissa Harris-Perry and many others. As if Snowden was morally required to risk decades in prison for having done the right thing. Another dumb talking point that we got from both Obama and Hillary Clinton is that Obama had already called for a national discussion on NSA surveillance prior to Snowden's revelations. The only problem with that one is that he hadn't called for any such national discussion.
randome
(34,845 posts)[hr][font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]
treestar
(82,383 posts)remaining true to your ideals.
The argument is over the ideals. You are simply stating that you are better and more idealistic and more pure than people who think Eddie should have followed the law. You're the one judging us as well.
GummyBearz
(2,931 posts)I can think of a few other people who should have followed the law. And one huge agency that should have followed the ultimate law of the land (that constitution thingy).
Snowden is like the random citizen who is technically guilty of assault for subduing an armed bank robber. The random citizen didnt hurt anyone but the robber, so the robber turns around and sues the random citizen for injury incurred during the failed robbery.
I trust you can figure out who the armed robber is in this analogy.
20score
(4,769 posts)OilemFirchen
(7,143 posts)could you please cite one of your relevant posts prior to this epiphany?
Thanks.
20score
(4,769 posts)Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)woo me with science
(32,139 posts)Last edited Mon Dec 8, 2014, 02:42 PM - Edit history (1)
to illustrate your list!
Excellent post.