Edward Snowden NSA whistleblower

[Babe Ruth]

No, I don't.

But what "authority figures" do you believe in, if I might ask.

I believe in those with a track record for truthful statements, though there are not too many of them, I admit. And even then I judge every claim they make.

For example, Dennis Kucinich or Russ Feingold or Ron Paul. That does not mean I agree with every philosophy they might espouse, but I give considerable weight to their statements, all things considered.

I believe Lawrence Wilkerson, former aide to Colin Powell. I do NOT believe Powell himself, for his track record is clearly one of deception.

There are a handful of elected officials who seem fairly trustworthy, but it's a small number.

[pallidin]

I wonder if anyone here would fall under this:

Source... https://en.wikipedia.../wiki/Anarchism

Anarchism is often defined as a political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, or harmful.^[1][2] However, others argue that while anti-statism is central, it is inadequate to define anarchism solely on this basis.^[3] Therefore, they argue instead that anarchism entails opposing authority or hierarchical organization in the conduct of human relations, including, but not limited to, the state system.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]} Proponents of anarchism, known as "anarchists", advocate stateless societies based on non-hierarchical free associations.^{[5][11][12][13][14]}

Edited June 17, 2013 by pallidin

[questionmark]

I wonder if anyone here would fall under this:

Source... https://en.wikipedia.../wiki/Anarchism

Anarchism is often defined as a political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, or harmful.^[1][2] However, others argue that while anti-statism is central, it is inadequate to define anarchism solely on this basis.^[3] Therefore, they argue instead that anarchism entails opposing authority or hierarchical organization in the conduct of human relations, including, but not limited to, the state system.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]} Proponents of anarchism, known as "anarchists", advocate stateless societies based on non-hierarchical free associations.^{[5][11][12][13][14]}

Many do, but they don't know it, in fact, this would be the first time they saw the definition in a context other than terrorism.

[Kowalski]

I wonder if anyone here would fall under this:

Source... https://en.wikipedia.../wiki/Anarchism

Anarchism is often defined as a political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, or harmful.^[1][2] However, others argue that while anti-statism is central, it is inadequate to define anarchism solely on this basis.^[3] Therefore, they argue instead that anarchism entails opposing authority or hierarchical organization in the conduct of human relations, including, but not limited to, the state system.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]} Proponents of anarchism, known as "anarchists", advocate stateless societies based on non-hierarchical free associations.^{[5][11][12][13][14]}

Wow. So, if you believe in having a smaller, more limited government, like our Founding Fathers set up, then your an anarchist?? What are you smoking?

No one is talking about anarchy. Government's derive their power from the consent of the governed, not by the threat of force!

I believe in having a republic type of government, what this country was founded on. Not anarchy.

[questionmark]

Wow. So, if you believe in having a smaller, more limited government, like our Founding Fathers set up, then your an anarchist?? What are you smoking?

No one is talking about anarchy. Government's derive their power from the consent of the governed, not by the threat of force!

I believe in having a republic type of government, what this country was founded on. Not anarchy.

A week after the smaller government is in place it will be the same howling by the loosing party as we have now, where a smaller government will be demanded. Small governments only work there where people behave like grown ups, not there where people behave like spoiled children.

[Clarakore]

I wonder if anyone here would fall under this:

Source... https://en.wikipedia.../wiki/Anarchism

—snip

It is doubful but a few might fall under the minarchist label...

Minarchism (also known as minimal statism) is a libertarian capitalist political philosophy. It is variously defined by sources. In the strictest sense, it holds that states ought to exist (as opposed to anarchy), that their only legitimate function is the protection of individuals from aggression, theft, breach of contract, and fraud, and that the only legitimate governmental institutions are the military, police, and courts. In the broadest sense, it also includes fire departments, prisons, the executive, and legislatures as legitimate government functions. Such states are generally called night-watchman states.

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

Edited June 17, 2013 by The world needs you

[pallidin]

Wow. So, if you believe in having a smaller, more limited government, like our Founding Fathers set up, then your an anarchist?? What are you smoking?

No one is talking about anarchy. Government's derive their power from the consent of the governed, not by the threat of force!

I believe in having a republic type of government, what this country was founded on. Not anarchy.

Snowden had no consent from "the governed" at all, and on top of that, he ran.

He did this completely on his own, so it's very obvious that he neither believes in a democratic or republic type of government.

He just believes in himself.

Again, what a coward and dipweed.

Edited June 17, 2013 by pallidin

[Clarakore]

The Koch brothers on the other hand probably believe in Anarcho-capitalism.

Anarcho-capitalism is a libertarian political philosophy that advocates anarchy in the sense of the elimination of the state in favor of individual sovereignty in a free market. In an anarcho-capitalist society, law enforcement, courts, and all other security services would be provided by privately funded competitors rather than through taxation, and money would be privately and competitively provided in an open market. Therefore, personal and economic activities under anarcho-capitalism would be regulated by privately run law rather than through politics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarcho-capitalism

[Kowalski]

Snowden had no consent from "the governed" at all, and on top of that, he ran.

He did this completely on his own, so it's very obvious that he neither believes in a democratic or republic type of government.

He just believes in himself.

Again, what a coward and dipweed.

Look what their doing to Manning. So of course he's gonna run! They will lock up this guy in Gitmo, in solitary confinement, for the rest of his natural life. What's happening to Manning, is exactly why he should be in China.

[pallidin]

Fictitious from Snowden:

"Oh, the US threw me a ball. I threw it back and hit them, than as a coward I ran away before they could throw it back"

THAT is the mentality of a 4-year old.

Edited June 17, 2013 by pallidin

[questionmark]

Look what their doing to Manning. So of course he's gonna run! They will lock up this guy in Gitmo, in solitary confinement, for the rest of his natural life. What's happening to Manning, is exactly why he should be in China.

Manning is the reason why many will not just blow the whistle but load themselves with something they can sell on the run.

It was certainly not a good service to the country to make such a public case out of it. A quiet article 15 and 2 years of Leavenworth would have done it too.

[pallidin]

Look what their doing to Manning. So of course he's gonna run! They will lock up this guy in Gitmo, in solitary confinement, for the rest of his natural life. What's happening to Manning, is exactly why he should be in China.

Snowden can't be in Gitmo(he is not an "enemy combatant"), rather Federal prison where he belongs.

[Clarakore]

Snowden did a Q&A in an online chat hosted by The Guardian. The transcript has not been fully released in one source but the AP offers us the following

• Snowden won't voluntarily return to America and blames it on our government, "destroying any possibility of a fair trial."
  

The U.S. government is not going to be able to cover this up by jailing or murdering me," he said. He added the government "immediately and predictably destroyed any possibility of a fair trial at home,

[link]

• Snowden believes he can do more "good" outside of prison than in it...
  

"It would be foolish to volunteer yourself to" possible arrest and criminal charges "if you can do more good outside of prison than in it," he said.

[link]

• Snowden believes the "highest honor" is being called a traitor by Cheney & Co. Remember when he said the best thing about being an American is eating a Krispy Kreme donut after having relations?
  

"Being called a traitor by Dick Cheney is the highest honor you can give an American, and the more panicked talk we hear from people like him, Feinstein ... the better off we all are."

[link]

• Snowden denies being a Chinese spy in quite fanciful terms.
  

"Ask yourself: if I were a Chinese spy, why wouldn't I have flown directly into Beijing? I could be living in a palace petting a phoenix by now."

[link]

• Snowden also claims he has had no contact whatsoever with the Chinese government, which presumably includes even recently...
  

"I have had no contact with the Chinese government."

[link]

• While unrelated to the interview, Manning is currently being tried at Fort Mead where NSA is currently headquartered at according to the AP.
  

Manning is currently on trial at Fort Meade — the same Army base where the NSA is headquartered — on charges of aiding the enemy for releasing documents to Wikileaks.

[link] Edited June 17, 2013 by The world needs you

[pallidin]

Get real, Kowalski. The only thing China will do, besides "petting" him to give-up any more U.S. secrets(if he even has any), is to use him as a political "bargaining chip"

China hates traitors more than the U.S. They would not trust Snowden around a game console.

In all respects, Snowden is functionally "history"

Edited June 17, 2013 by pallidin

[pallidin]

Yeah, a "no fair trial" defense from someone that globally admits action does not, in any way, prevent trial, else every criminal would do that.

The more Snowden talks, the more he chops his own head-off, but he is so apparently immature as to not understand that.

Edited June 17, 2013 by pallidin

[Clarakore]

Get real, Kowalski. The only thing China will do, besides "petting" him to give-up any more U.S. secrets(if he even has any), is to use him as a political "bargaining chip"

China hates traitors more than the U.S. They would not trust Snowden around a game console.

In all respects, Snowden is functionally "history"

While Snowden is a real American zero where no'ing is half the battle (versus knowing) we might have to hear about him for a while. Not only is he the new Jodi Arias who will receive plenty of press coverage, especially when we get our man in our courts, there also are more leaks he will spring during the interim.

Sadly some would rather he escape justice and stay on the run. The only thing that will stop him from visiting an American courtroom is if he first meets a Chinese torture cell.

Got to agree that he is history and has lost all credibility where it matters: the court of sensible public opinion.

Edited June 17, 2013 by The world needs you

[Kowalski]

You know, now I'm starting to think, why in world should Snowden have done this...Why risk your life, on telling the public they are being spyed on by the government, when the sheep don't even care?

He obviously wasted his life for no reason. If you people don't care that everything you do is being recorded and monitered by our government there really is no hope for you. We are doomed as a country, if people really think like this. You want to live in a police state? What is wrong with you?

Don't you even care what type of country you will be bringing your children up in? Are you really that dense? I'm sorry, but I can't comprehend ya'lls thinking at all.

I honestly can't believe, someone has risked everything, to tell the public the truth about the type of c**** that our government is doing, and you guys are like "Oh Well..." That is sad.....

[pallidin]

The best thing for Snowden, if I were him, would be to return to the United States with legal counsel.

He is thus at least somewhat protected, and can make his case in U.S. Federal court.

Where he is at now is a total "no-win" situation for him. Trust me, China hates traitors from anywhere. They will just "play" with him.

[pallidin]

You know, now I'm starting to think, why in world should Snowden have done this...Why risk your life, on telling the public they are being spyed on by the government, when the sheep don't even care?

He obviously wasted his life for no reason. If you people don't care that everything you do is being recorded and monitered by our government there really is no hope for you. We are doomed as a country, if people really think like this. You want to live in a police state? What is wrong with you?

Don't you even care what type of country you will be bringing your children up in? Are you really that dense? I'm sorry, but I can't comprehend ya'lls thinking at all.

I honestly can't believe, someone has risked everything, to tell the public the truth about the type of c**** that our government is doing, and you guys are like "Oh Well..." That is sad.....

You really go for the "spin" !!!!!

In any event, no, most of us are not paranoid, and actually respect at least having a government.

You do vote, I hope?

Edited June 17, 2013 by pallidin

[pallidin]

Hey, this is a funny story...

In my younger years I was at a bar, quite drunk, and spouting-out some weird political stuff.

Well, what I did not know was that there was a biker sitting to my right. Minding his own business.

He said to me, and I'll never forget, "I bet you don't vote" He was right.

No violence, no nothing, but from that point-on I decided to actually vote and have done so since that day.

[Clarakore]

Snowden claimed he voted for a third-party candidate in the 2008 election. Wonder who it was. Ron Paul was not an official third-party candidate in 2008.

[Kowalski]

Voted for Ron Paul in the last two elections.

Don't like what I say? Kiss my rear. Here's a hint: I don't care what you think!

[pallidin]

Voted for Ron Paul in the last two elections.

Don't like what I say? Kiss my rear. Here's a hint: I don't care what you think!

Calm down, girlfriend. As long as you vote(or have voted) I DO care what you say.

Your opinion is extremely valued, and I'm not pumping smoke.

For myself, I may not agree, and you may not agree on my opinions, but, we can talk.

All is good.

[pallidin]

And don't call me "girlfriend"

Edited June 17, 2013 by pallidin

[Kowalski]

Calm down, girlfriend. As long as you vote(or have voted) I DO care what you say.

Your opinion is extremely valued, and I'm not pumping smoke.

For myself, I may not agree, and you may not agree on my opinions, but, we can talk.

All is good.

That's cool. Not mad at all. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on things. If I never argued with somebody, Life would be completely boring, that's for sure...