Edward Snowden is a patriot

[dkf]

Does Barack Obama think we’re stupid?

That’s the only conclusion possible after watching Friday’s bravura performance, in which the president announced a set of proposals meant to bring more transparency to the NSA — and claimed he would have done it anyway, even if Edward Snowden, had never decided to leak thousands of highly sensitive documents to the Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald.

But even as he grudgingly admitted that the timing, at least, of his suggestions was a consequence of Snowden’s actions, the president declared, “I don’t think Mr. Snowden was a patriot.” When you look at what has changed over the last two months, though, it’s hard not to wonder, “What could be more patriotic than what Snowden did?”

---
But Risen made another, less publicized appearance this week at the annual National Press Club awards dinner. What he said there is even more poignant. “I don’t think there’s any personality that’s more American than a whistleblower,” he said. “The entire personality and DNA of America [is made up] of people who wanted to have their own kind of government and be free of oppression. And I think that is the heart of what a whistleblower is. It’s somebody who believes civil liberties or freedom or corruption are important issues that they need to talk about and their right as an American is to talk about it with the press.”

If Congress passes meaningful NSA reform, Edward Snowden may go down in history as the most influential whistleblower in American history. What could be more patriotic than that?

Trevor Timm is executive director of Freedom of the Press Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and defending public-interest, transparency journalism.



Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/edward-snowden-is-a-patriot-95421.html#ixzz2bdAvfMcl

[ProSense]

1. President Obama: Mr. Snowden has been charged with three felonies.

President Obama: Mr. Snowden has been charged with three felonies.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023436454

"Edward Snowden broke the law by releasing classified information. This isn't under debate"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023439290

Freedom of the Press Foundation
Board of Directors
Glenn Greenwald
https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/about/staff

LOL!

[OnyxCollie]

3. Charging whistleblowers with felonies,

but looking forward past torture, illegal wars, domestic spying, mortgage fraud, etc.

What a swell guy.

[ProSense]

4. Charging leakers who stole classified information with felonies.

Who knew?

[OnyxCollie]

6. But Bush et al gets a free pass.

And the Carlyle Group nets $2 billion from the PNAC-led Booz Allen Hamilton, courtesy of the Obama administration.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. And what about the war criminals?

Should they be brought to trial?

[Recursion]

8. If a case can be made

That's the step DU seems to skip

[MannyGoldstein]

9. Is torture a war crime? nt

[Recursion]

10. Often

But the US DoJ doesn't claim jurisdiction over war crimes in general.

[MannyGoldstein]

13. Our country is legally obligated to prosecute war crimes:

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2009/05/18/war-crimes-must-be-prosecuted-at-home-or-abroad

So... I ask you and Prosense: should the White House prosecute war criminals?

[ProSense]

12. Are you suggesting that all prosecutions be suspended until then? n/t

[MannyGoldstein]

14. Should the White House prosecute war crimes? nt

[MannyGoldstein]

15. Still waiting for an answer...

Really, not so difficult. It's basic US law, AFAIK. And I know that you're very, very concerned that our laws be enforced.

[ProSense]

16. Sure. Are you suggesting that all prosecutions be suspended until then? n/t

[MannyGoldstein]

17. Where did I suggest that?

That would be silly.

So why are you posting constantly about the need to enforce the law against Snowden, but not the need to enforce it against Bush et al?

[ProSense]

18. Good, so it's OK to charge leakers who stole classified information with felonies? n/t

[MannyGoldstein]

19. Yes, when we end torture and restore due process.

So speaking of torture.. You are with me in demanding that Eric Holder investigate Bush et al for war crimes?

[OnyxCollie]

21. Yes.

However, you've got some fucked up priorities if you think stealing classified information is more important to prosecute than torture and an illegal war.

That's pretty sick, ProSense.

[Swagman]

28. the whole concept of the law is that it be impartial

but when mass murderers who invade and kill tens of thousands of innocent souls escape justice but people agitate for the prosecution of a minor cog it's basically all over.

But you go on screaming for Snowden's head.

It's good to know who the enemy is.

[ProSense]

20. Here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023443201#post19

I knew that's what you were leading up to.

[JDPriestly]

25. Why not? First we should prosecute the war criminals. Then we should prosecute the

bankers who committed fraud and then way down after we prosecute quite a number of people who have been given Get Out of Jail for nothing cards by the Obama administration, we can begin to think about what to do with whistleblowers.

[Chaco Dundee]

34. nobody should have to ask

Yes

[dkf]

5. Yes I know you scoff at the constitution and our rights.

Worse, you find violations funny and entertaining. At least I credit Obama with knowing how much he has screwed up even as he refuses to back down. I shake my head.

[msongs]

11. good thing snowden hasnt murdered anybody using drones, those sound like felonies too nt

[avaistheone1]

33. k&r

[Recursion]

2. He may or may not be, but that's hardly important

Either he's right or wrong about the NSA ignoring its legal restrictions. His motives are both opaque and uninteresting, at least to me.

[L0oniX]

22. You did this just to piss off prosense ...dincha.

[dkf]

23. Bwahahaha.

[NuclearDem]

24. Oh, that explains why I can't see 20 of the 23 posts in this thread...

[ProSense]

30. No, this is not about Snowden!!!!

He's a "hero"

I mean, he's "hero"

Did I mention that he's a "hero"?

[AppleBottom]

26. HERO AND PATRIOT.

[MyNameGoesHere]

27. Eric Snowden is a mistake

I won't put the patriot tag on him even though what he did was brave. However it should never have been him that "blew the whistle". The man that should have been the patriot, should have been the hero, should have made a difference chickened out. He crawled under the scrutiny of the war pigs and bowed to their wills. He should have been a hero but he chose to be one of them.
When we needed our hero he became one of them. Not only should he be our President, but he should be our hero as well. When we needed a patriot he became one of them. He has no right to speak of patriots, freedom, or Heroism, in these things he is a failure.

[CakeGrrl]

29. Patriots don't hide out in Russia. -nt

[Chaco Dundee]

32. none

Have you been to Russia? You must not have met a patriot.

[Mojorabbit]

38. Is that in some rule book somewhere? Who knew? nt

[Chaco Dundee]

31. whow

Somebody actually found the way to describe what patriotism is and had the nuts to put it in words.I will always remember.

[millennialmax]

35. For which country?

[Mojorabbit]

39. Welcome to DU. Glad to see you have made yourself right at home! nt

[RedCappedBandit]

37. The authoritarian sheep at DU are so pathetically transparent

I can't help but laugh my ass off at how much this place has changed since we had a bush in office.