Live data from Hacker News

America’s Open Wound

edwardsnowden.substack.com

41–50 of 349 posts

Re: America’s Open Wound

#41
post #4

We have known for many years the CIA is awful. Get rid of it. We can achieve national security goals via alternate means. It's probably going to get me banned, but we know they interfere in foreign elections. Why is it such a long shot to believe they don't interfere locally?

> Why is it such a long shot to believe they don't interfere locally? Because this goes strongly against the culture of the organization? People are funny. They may be willing to bend any law and/or see themselves as above the law in some aspects (see i.e. the Iran/contra affair), yet will honor-bind themselves to other ways. Because at the end of the day they want to be the heros, the good guys. And the C.I.A. is an…

These people are A-OK with murdering American children, but you somehow believe they draw a moral line at interfering locally? Get the fuck outta here.

There's absolutely no reason to believe the CIA is above meddling domestically.

Re: America’s Open Wound

#42
post #28
post #2

Did any American read this without alarm? If so, why not?

Well I think this article does a good job of saying CIA has done some crazy stuff. But then it goes from there to -> so let's get rid of it, which to me seems like potentially a much scarier proposition. It's not clear to me exactly how real the threat of foreign countries trying to tamper with our elections is, but if this is what the CIA does, I think it's probably naive to think no other nation would try things li…

We are not walking away from omelas I guess.

Re: America’s Open Wound

#44
post #13

I have to ask, because I know that Biden was said to give a speech with bad optics but I never looked it up seriously - is that photo doctored?^W^W^W I just googled it myself. Whoever is doing his PR needs to be sacked for leaving him open to a photo like that.

Yeah the real photo with the full background is much more mundane but this is how politics will always be.

Re: America’s Open Wound

#45
post #36
post #13

I have to ask, because I know that Biden was said to give a speech with bad optics but I never looked it up seriously - is that photo doctored?^W^W^W I just googled it myself. Whoever is doing his PR needs to be sacked for leaving him open to a photo like that.

Apparently it was supposed to be the white and red stripes of the US flag, and Biden just so happened to stand in front of the red part. That's probably the real explanation, but why are there marines standing behind him in frame like that? Why did he have both of his clenched fists raised? Why did his Twitter account (his office's account really, probably run by a staffer) just tweet the single word "democracy" (not…

The "democracy" tweet was just following a Twitter trend that started with Amtrak: https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/one-wor...

Re: America’s Open Wound

#46
post #22

A bit hypocritical of Snowden to criticize the USA while holed up in Russia. But maybe I'm a bit partial considering the USSR destroyed every semblance of culture and national identity in my home country, causing generations of corruption and trauma, and ultimately emboldening my family to move to the States--abandoning lifelong friends and family--where a much better life was possible. But please, keep lecturing us…

Where else do you think he’ll be safe from US vengeance?

Re: America’s Open Wound

#47
post #22

A bit hypocritical of Snowden to criticize the USA while holed up in Russia. But maybe I'm a bit partial considering the USSR destroyed every semblance of culture and national identity in my home country, causing generations of corruption and trauma, and ultimately emboldening my family to move to the States--abandoning lifelong friends and family--where a much better life was possible. But please, keep lecturing us…

Taking Russian sins out on a man stuck there because he's wanted is an odd take.

Re: America’s Open Wound

#48
post #36
post #13

I have to ask, because I know that Biden was said to give a speech with bad optics but I never looked it up seriously - is that photo doctored?^W^W^W I just googled it myself. Whoever is doing his PR needs to be sacked for leaving him open to a photo like that.

Apparently it was supposed to be the white and red stripes of the US flag, and Biden just so happened to stand in front of the red part. That's probably the real explanation, but why are there marines standing behind him in frame like that? Why did he have both of his clenched fists raised? Why did his Twitter account (his office's account really, probably run by a staffer) just tweet the single word "democracy" (not…

The democracy tweet was just a trend. All the blue check accounts were posting one word about them, like the Oreos account posting cookies, or the NBA account posting just basketball.

Re: America’s Open Wound

#49
post #17

It's a shame he addresses none of the points of the speech he premises the article on. He could be an important voice right now speaking out against tyranny and fascism.

This guy only pops up when Putin needs to dust him off for some anti-American propaganda. The chances of Snowden speaking out against tyranny are zero.

Re: America’s Open Wound

#50
post #22

A bit hypocritical of Snowden to criticize the USA while holed up in Russia. But maybe I'm a bit partial considering the USSR destroyed every semblance of culture and national identity in my home country, causing generations of corruption and trauma, and ultimately emboldening my family to move to the States--abandoning lifelong friends and family--where a much better life was possible. But please, keep lecturing us…

> A bit hypocritical of Snowden to criticize the USA while holed up in Russia.

Seeing how Julian Assange has been treated I think Snowden is acting wisely and I’m not going to hold it against him.

Post reply on HN