Hypocrisy 101: US Backs Free Speech for Dissidents Abroad, Except Snowden

[Purveyor]

In his latest report Kaye highlighted the harsh treatment of whistleblowers in the US and urged officials to stop demonizing them; as such people are a crucial element of a healthy democracy.

Radio Sputnik discussed the issue with the former FBI special agent who jointly held the TIME magazine’s “Person of the Year” award in 2002 — Coleen Rowley.

“Edward Snowden recently said that if you are going to be a whistleblower who just merely wants to tell the public about any illegal action that your government is committing then you have to practically understand that you will become a martyr.”

Rowley further said that in his case he had to flee to another country to seek asylum because if “you stay in the US then more likely than not you will end up in prison. The person loses his job and in some cases his family. It is a steep cost for all whistleblowers.”

She further said that recently she heard that the UN Rapporteur said that there is a double standard at play because many western based organizations do very much insist upon freedom of speech for foreign dissidents but when it is a US dissident, such as Edward Snowden, they go silent.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20151026/1029119970/us-snowden-whistleblower-interview-fbi-agent.html#ixzz3phivWaKa

[cprise]

1. Its worse than that - What the US calls "protesters"

in non-aligned countries are called "terrorists" at home.

Of course, the US supports the right of foreign people to "protest" their (non-aligned) governments using incendiary devices and other lethal force. Such protests are not "mobs" or "riots" unless every participant is trying to kill someone.

[Blue_Tires]

2. On the flipside

Moscow LURVES them some Snowden, but ruthlessly crushes dissent among their own citizenry...