Obama: Snowden is not a traitor...he is a whistleblower.

[Foxfyre]

I believe the federal indictment against Snowden for espionage stands. What Obama did say back in August I think is that before Snowden leaked the classified documents, he--Obama--had already ordered a review of NSA surveillance policies and had implemented policies encouraging whistle blowers to come forward. He--Obama--said that Snowden should have utililized those policies instead of leaking the stuff through unauthorized channels.

I don't believe he has ever said that Snowden is a valid whisleblower.

 

[Plasmaball]

He would be either assassinated or in a secret prison. Maybe Guantanamo. Under Obama's orders.

Obama made it very clear he did not like Snowden. Obama lied about the NSA, if it were not for Snowden you would still believe Obama was better than Bush.

i honestly dont blame Obama or Bush. From what i've heard, they are basically sat down and told. This is what we need, you will do it or face another 9-11.
The Agencies basically own the white house in that sense.

Maybe so... But Bush and Obama make their choices just like you, me or even Snowden. In this case Snowden made the tough choice that you and I will prolly never face, while Obama and Bush make the sell out choice. Oddly Obama and Bush ran on being the better person and failed while Snowden was just some guy in a unique situation. The country voted for Obama and Bush based on them claiming they would make the right choice and do the tough things other Presidents wouldn't... Yet they have failed.

So I hold them accountable, that's all. It's not as if Obama or Bush didn't know the choice was going to be there once they got into office, it was literally the base for their campaign.

again Obama ran on something before he got into office. It doesnt matter who gets into office next, it will be the same deal

 

[Vox]

This is what I don't understand. Those who oppose what Snowden did seem to oppose it on the fact that he didn't stick around to be locked up for life. They seem to agree with his reasoning, but wanted him to be some sort of martyr. It's completely illogical. We aren't a culture that reveres martyrs the way others do. Him being locked up for life would have done as much good as the random suicide bomber. None!

what i dont understand is the fact they seem more pissed off he did this than the actual fact of what the NSA is doing.

A lot of the same people were cheering Bradley Manning for something similar. At the same time those on the right were calling Manning a traitor. It's called hypocrisy. It wasn't right when Bush was in office, and it isn't right now.

Because Manning is a traitor. and his motive is a selfish revenge of an "offended" special needs person.
His treason is a treason because it actually caused the physical harm to our troops and he revealed the secrets in a bulk, without any differentiation between the files.

Unlike Snowden who revealed the violation of the Constitution by our Government against us, the people.
it is our government which is a traitor, not Snowden.

 

[Iceman]

Snowden is a low life, belly crawling, slime sucking, shit eating treasonous coward.

Snowden betrayed his country and is a coward who does not the courage of his so-called "Convictions". Snowden is such a hero for free speech that he, unlike Ellsberg, ran as fast as his traitorous feet could go.

IF Snowden is such a damn hero, he would stand up and face up. He has done neither.

Snowden is coward.

A yellow belly coward.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

You XXXXXXX

 

[Iceman]

Snowden is a criminal. Period

The NSA are the only criminals here buddy.

 

[Avorysuds]

I believe the federal indictment against Snowden for espionage stands. What Obama did say back in August I think is that before Snowden leaked the classified documents, he--Obama--had already ordered a review of NSA surveillance policies and had implemented policies encouraging whistle blowers to come forward. He--Obama--said that Snowden should have utililized those policies instead of leaking the stuff through unauthorized channels.

I don't believe he has ever said that Snowden is a valid whisleblower.

And when the information was leaked, Obama knowingly lied about courts restraining the NSA. Under Obama the NSA spies on everyone, far more than it did (if id did) under Bush.

I invoke Bush here because some asshole will claim "it was always going on, why do you care now!!!" The fact is Obama knew about it and lied, openly... over and over... Would you want to be a whistle-blower against someone like Obama, who openly assassinates US citizens and lies/divides us at every single opportunity possible?

Obama has done the polar opposite of near every single promise he made to help get himself elected. I wouldn't trust that lack of credibility to keep me safe and alive with the information Snowden had, considering is ultimately falls in Obama's lap.

Obama is everything Democrats claimed Bush WOULD be. Remember the claims that Bush would abuse power, that he would instate marshal law and keep himself in power? That whole description used to attack Bush is what Obama has almost fully become in just 5 years in office.

And no, I don't think Obama will try to remain in power, but he has expanded every single one of the worst Bush era polices in ways that make them hyper dangerous.

 

[Avorysuds]

i honestly dont blame Obama or Bush. From what i've heard, they are basically sat down and told. This is what we need, you will do it or face another 9-11.
The Agencies basically own the white house in that sense.

Maybe so... But Bush and Obama make their choices just like you, me or even Snowden. In this case Snowden made the tough choice that you and I will prolly never face, while Obama and Bush make the sell out choice. Oddly Obama and Bush ran on being the better person and failed while Snowden was just some guy in a unique situation. The country voted for Obama and Bush based on them claiming they would make the right choice and do the tough things other Presidents wouldn't... Yet they have failed.

So I hold them accountable, that's all. It's not as if Obama or Bush didn't know the choice was going to be there once they got into office, it was literally the base for their campaign.

again Obama ran on something before he got into office. It doesnt matter who gets into office next, it will be the same deal

I don't agree. I feel you need to judge a person on tehir actions, not what you think their actions will be. Bush and Obama as well as all Presidents before them can be judged, not future Presidents that of who we don't even know who they will be.

 

[Plasmaball]

Maybe so... But Bush and Obama make their choices just like you, me or even Snowden. In this case Snowden made the tough choice that you and I will prolly never face, while Obama and Bush make the sell out choice. Oddly Obama and Bush ran on being the better person and failed while Snowden was just some guy in a unique situation. The country voted for Obama and Bush based on them claiming they would make the right choice and do the tough things other Presidents wouldn't... Yet they have failed.

So I hold them accountable, that's all. It's not as if Obama or Bush didn't know the choice was going to be there once they got into office, it was literally the base for their campaign.

again Obama ran on something before he got into office. It doesnt matter who gets into office next, it will be the same deal

I don't agree. I feel you need to judge a person on tehir actions, not what you think their actions will be. Bush and Obama as well as all Presidents before them can be judged, not future Presidents that of who we don't even know who they will be.

well i base my opinion on the fact that once in office they will be sat down and told what will happen.

 

[JWBooth]

Snowden is a criminal. Period

NSA and the government it represents are bigger criminals.

 

[MACAULAY]

I have always felt that Snowden is a hero.

A hero is someone who puts himself in harm's way for others in a worthy cause.

He certainly has endangered himself, and he did it for the American people.

The only question is whether it was for a worthy cause...that is, did he do more good than harm?

The people charged with keeping us safe from Lunatic Muslims see great harm while the people who value their liberty see great benefit.

The sides are as set as they are in the Abortion harangue.

But, for me---I'd pardon him and give him a parade.

Who wants a Lois Lerner snooping your e-mails for political purposes.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Snowden is a criminal. Period

The NSA are the only criminals here buddy.

Additional unconstitutional actions perhaps but it does not mitigate anything Snowden did. It's not okay to violate laws just because someone else does it.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

No one but Snowden knows his motives. Personally if I were to believe he did it for the "American people" I would have expected his leaks to be released to an American outlet NOT a fucking foreign government.

 

[Sallow]

If Snowden had stayed in the U.S. to allegedly 'face the music'.

He would have been convicted and then disappeared into a 'super max' prison....... never to be seen or heard from again. ...

You mean like Manning?

Yeah.

And they could be bunkies.

Except that I think that would be just fine.

 

[Sallow]

Snowden is a criminal. Period

NSA and the government it represents are bigger criminals.

No they aren't.

Where were you folks on "enhanced interrogation", the Patriot Act, and a whole load of crap "the left" was protesting back in the early 2000s.

Oh yeah.

You guys were saying "If ya ain't doing anything wrong, ya ain't got anything to worry about.."

Riiight.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Snowden is a criminal. Period

NSA and the government it represents are bigger criminals.

No they aren't.

Where were you folks on "enhanced interrogation", the Patriot Act, and a whole load of crap "the left" was protesting back in the early 2000s.

Oh yeah.

You guys were saying "If ya ain't doing anything wrong, ya ain't got anything to worry about.."

Riiight.

I have to admit, I'm guilty as charged. I was naive enough to fall for it. Probably still would be if not for your Ron Paul loving nemesis. He drilled me over and over about how it was bad and I finnaly couldn't rebut him.
I don't blame Obama but hold him equally accountable. Not sure what Bush's motive was but given what we went through under him I'm not surprised others were dupped like me.

Waterboarding terrorists still doesn't bother me though.

 

[dblack]

Snowden is a criminal. Period

NSA and the government it represents are bigger criminals.

No they aren't.

Where were you folks on "enhanced interrogation", the Patriot Act, and a whole load of crap "the left" was protesting back in the early 2000s.

Oh yeah.

You guys were saying "If ya ain't doing anything wrong, ya ain't got anything to worry about.."

Riiight.

No. I wasn't. I was raising hell.

 

[Sallow]

NSA and the government it represents are bigger criminals.

No they aren't.

Where were you folks on "enhanced interrogation", the Patriot Act, and a whole load of crap "the left" was protesting back in the early 2000s.

Oh yeah.

You guys were saying "If ya ain't doing anything wrong, ya ain't got anything to worry about.."

Riiight.

I have to admit, I'm guilty as charged. I was naive enough to fall for it. Probably still would be if not for your Ron Paul loving nemesis. He drilled me over and over about how it was bad and I finnaly couldn't rebut him.
I don't blame Obama but hold him equally accountable. Not sure what Bush's motive was but given what we went through under him I'm not surprised others were dupped like me.

This is how you fight terrorism on the cheap. Just collect lots of shit and see what pops out. You don't need to have agents on the ground, possibly getting caught, making vids with Al Qaeda holding knives to their necks.

Waterboarding terrorists still doesn't bother me though.

It's a slippery slope..pal..

 

[Sallow]

NSA and the government it represents are bigger criminals.

No they aren't.

Where were you folks on "enhanced interrogation", the Patriot Act, and a whole load of crap "the left" was protesting back in the early 2000s.

Oh yeah.

You guys were saying "If ya ain't doing anything wrong, ya ain't got anything to worry about.."

Riiight.

No. I wasn't. I was raising hell.

That was not directed at you.

 

[Wake]

Snowden, in my view, is a hero. He exposed to all of America that our very own leaders were lying to us while violating the Constitution. Being a conservative, I really wish some conservatives, especially the Tea Partiers, would do as they preach and support Snowden for protecting our rights.

 

[Sallow]

And conservative vote to repeal the patriot act?

Hmm..

Still zero?