Snowden: Vanguard of an American insurgency?

[99th_Monkey]

Snowden: Vanguard of an American insurgency?
By Rick Staggenborg, MD * OpEdNews * 8/2/2013

You would think that everything that could be said had been in the hundreds (thousands?) of blogs about Snowden and the NSA gas been said. However, I have not seen anyone who thinks that he is anything but a hero, an opportunist or a spy with an agenda. To me, the last comes closest to the truth. The difference between my theory and others I have read is that his agenda may not be the Machiavellian plot these conspiracy theorists assume it to be. Instead, it could be the best reason to hope that the firestorm Snowden ignited will actually shake things up in a way that no other whistleblower has.

Look at the facts: He was with the CIA much longer than with the NSA. He clearly went into the job as an NSA consultant with a plan to acquire as much critical data as he could, and he managed to collect an amazing amount of key information in a short time. To many (myself included), it seems clear that he is still working for the CIA, but what does that mean? The theories I have seen all assume that he is either working for a foreign power such as Israel, engaged in interagency rivalry to embarrass the NSA, working for Israel to embarrass the US government, or even representing the interests of remnants of the Third Reich or Soviet Empire. At one point, a blogger suggested confidently that Snowden had been given the assignment of frightening Americans with the idea that "the government will get you" if you dare to tell the truth, as if they hadn't already made the point with the witch hunt against whistleblowers that began during the Bush administration and that has mushroomed under Obama.

I think we can rule out the last one. Snowden has made a mockery of the US ability to capture one lone leaker despite extraordinary efforts. How did he do it? Did I mention he has friends in the CIA? It is important to recognize that the CIA as a whole does not work for the President to the extent that he challenges the corporate interest. If it did, Kennedy would have USSR and Cuba and we might not be facing the prospect of living through the creation of what could become a permanent fascist New World Order. However, those who pull the strings in the White House by virtue of their control of intelligence agencies and the military do not control every individual in either. If that were true, we would never have heard of Bradley Manning, Coleen Rowley, Sibel Edmonds, John Kiriakou and all the other whistleblowers who have risked their careers and even their lives to alert us to the dangers we face.

For each one of these brave men and women, there must be many others in the military and intelligence agencies who understand as they do that there is a difference between loyalty to the government and loyalty to the nation. Those who do surely recognize that blind obedience to the corrupt and out-of-control US government amounts to treason. How many are just waiting for a chance to make a difference, unwilling to sacrifice themselves until they believe they can? Perhaps there are cells within the CIA and other intelligence agencies of patriots who told Snowden what information to take, what to do with it and how to evade capture. If so, that is the best possible news that those of us struggling to expose what is going on behind our backs in an increasingly secretive government, one that is openly curtailing our civil liberties while conducting wars and proxy wars against nations that do not submit to domination by the international corporations that dictate US foreign policy.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Snowden-Vanguard-of-an-Am-by-Rick-Staggenborg--130802-558.html

[Cleita]

1. Frankly, I never thought I would live to see the day when Americans had to

flee to Russia in order to be free from injustice and persecution. It used to be the other way around. I'm really astonished.

[treestar]

7. What is unjust about facing those charges?

He did the acts, didn't he? Why is it so wrong for him to be prosecuted for them?

Russia doesn't have to afford him a fair trial for anything - they are using him but when they get sick of him they can do whatever their law allows. There is no fleeing to Russia from injustice and persecution.

I cannot believe how utterly illogical his fan club has become. It's starting to be a parody.

[KoKo]

2. Thanks for the post...I hope so:

For each one of these brave men and women, there must be many others in the military and intelligence agencies who understand as they do that there is a difference between loyalty to the government and loyalty to the nation. Those who do surely recognize that blind obedience to the corrupt and out-of-control US government amounts to treason. How many are just waiting for a chance to make a difference, unwilling to sacrifice themselves until they believe they can?

[mick063]

3. Count me in as a person that does not disregard Snowden titled threads offhand.

and I'm glad I clicked on this one.

It provides a thought provoking twist but seems far fetched.

Why would the CIA offer a hand in all of this?

Perhaps elements within the CIA that fear a coup is imminent?

Perhaps jealousy within the CIA that roles have been relinquished to other departments?

Perhaps, as the article suggests, that the executive branch is detached from the CIA and that the NSA will prove the CIA obsolete?

Perhaps genuine patriots within the CIA that wish to expose constitutional infringement as patriots that swear oath to the constitution?

I find all of them difficult to believe, but I would not discount any of them if more facts came to light.

No doubt that secrecy creates much intrigue and speculation.

[99th_Monkey]

9. I tend to agree that Snowden working for CIA is unlikely. ~nt

[struggle4progress]

4. It's happened before: Philip Agee went to Cuba

It seems clear to me that the Chinese were suspicious of Snowden, and I suppose Snowden could be a CIA operative, fighting a turf war between NSA and CIA -- but that seems unlikely, since one of his first moves was to start a diplomatic spat between the US and Switzerland by claiming the CIA had encouraged a Swiss banker to drive drunk

[PowerToThePeople]

5. Maybe it's because I just finished watching 1984

But, everything is appearing as propaganda the push the State's end game besides what I experience first hand. So what purpose do the Snowden/Manning/Wikileaks stories serve the state?

[treestar]

6. Snowden fandom getting way out of hand at this point

No one will lead an American insurgency from a foreign country.

[kelliekat44]

8. I have always felt that the "shadow government" (CIA_MILITARY) have many ops within the Gov't

The President...any President has little control over them...in fact it is likely the other way around. They take their clue about what they can get away with against a President by the way their linchpins in Congress treat the President. In this respect, Obama is much more like Kennedy in that he is hated by them as much as, if not more than, Kennedy was. The shadow can easily play on the bigotry, ignorance of the masses and the control of the media and pit groups who may be natural allies against each other. The SHADOW protects the drug industries (legal and non-legal), the media, and military cells. The lack of respect that our GOP Congress demonstrates against this President has given the SHADOW a lot room to operate, Snowden is doing a good job for them. The danger I see is that the open conversation some allege is the positive outcome of what Snowden gives a really good cover to fascists SHADOW to do whatever they want as all attention is now turned to stopping the government for collecting any information on US citizens...or even US inhabitants. The banks and other parts of the financial sector will be able to run amuck as focus is now on the evil government.