I believe this Snowden case is orchestrated by the NSA itself. It might be to show its power and to intimidate opponents. Just a display of what we did and what we are able to do. Standard Sun Tzu tactics. It is dumb to think that there is not a single CIA agent to take him out inside of Moscow or anywhere else in the world.
Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission’s accomplished
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Re: Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission’s accomplished
#92Re: Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission’s accomplished
#93I wish Snowden would roll up his sleeves and start working on the same problem in Russia, where he now lives, and in China, where he stayed briefly on his way to Russia. His mission has hardly begun.
How? Just apply to one of their secret agencies and promise he will never ever leak anything? He doesn't have superpowers.
Even when it comes to the NSA, let's make the most of what Snowden did do -- he might be the last whistleblower we've seen in a while, seeing how the NSA said they would seek to replace as human system administrators with automation where possible.
Re: Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission’s accomplished
#94Earlier quoted context omitted.
The government could have used Special Administrative Measures (SAMs) to keep the Snowden documents out of the papers in the USA, sending the Secret Service round to collect any 'inappropriate' documents. With a 'D-Notice' to effect the same in the UK and coupled with the usual soft measures - threaten to take away press passes from journalists (and their papers) - the whole lot could have been kept out of the papers…
The only reference I see to "Special Administrative Measures" involves communication with prisoners: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_administrative_measure Even articles in publications like "Reporters' Committee for the Freedom of the Press" refer to this phrase as a thing for prisoners: http://www.rcfp.org/browse-media-law-resources/news-media-la... So it's unclear what you're talking about.
Much in the way that the NSA can bend the law to collect everything, the government can bend the law to use SAMs for whatever they want. You could say that any of the NSA revelations could affect some on-going case that has yet to be brought to court in Guantanamo, e.g. knowledge that a given prisoner's communications being intercepted could prejudice the case. The details of exactly how that might work out could be kept secret under terms of the SAM.
Re: Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission’s accomplished
#95But what has really changed? The NSA is under pressure from the public, less so from the intelligence and defense communities. If anything Snowden has caused those areas of government to close ranks even tighter. There's nothing a leader wants more than a highly visible enemy to unite his or her people. There are orders of magnitude more people who hate General Alexander now than there were two years ago. But his own…
It'll take about 5 years I'm guessing. My experience is that's how long it takes for the general population to get the information filtered through to them and realize what it means. (And have that translate to pressure on politicians.)
Re: Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission’s accomplished
#96You have to admire his willingness to risk everything to give the people a chance to change this broken system.
He is right though the system is broken it gives too much power with too little oversight.
Re: Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission’s accomplished
#97The Washington Post sat on the Collateral Murder video. [1,2] The New York Times sat on the warrantless wiretapping scandal at the request of the White House. [3] CBS sat on the Abu Ghraib torture scandal at the request of the Pentagon. [4] What is the Washington Post not telling us? [1] https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/15617022129 [2] http://www.cjr.org/the_kicker/wapo_denies_allegation_it_sat.... [3] http://fai…
Your point is generally valid, if a bit tinfoiled, but their hand was particularly forced this time by Snowden. If you'll recall the recent history, Snowden was spooked by his interaction with Gellman -- particularly regarding publishing timeline -- and went to Greenwald instead [1]. There's some debate about the exact sequence of events, but regardless, Greenwald put the story out first, and the Post had no choice b…
A reminder: pre-Snowden, suspicions of dragnet spying on Americans would also have been described as "a bit tinfoiled".
Re: Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission’s accomplished
#98But what has really changed? The NSA is under pressure from the public, less so from the intelligence and defense communities. If anything Snowden has caused those areas of government to close ranks even tighter. There's nothing a leader wants more than a highly visible enemy to unite his or her people. There are orders of magnitude more people who hate General Alexander now than there were two years ago. But his own…
There have actually been positive developments recently. Last week a federal judge found that the NSA's phone surveillance program violated the Fourth Amendment. Also last week the Obama administration issued a report that was more critical of the NSA than anyone expected and recommended ending direct government oversight of surveillance data. And there will be more revelations fueling public outrage (Greenwald has said that the worst is yet to come). So nothing conclusive but momentum is on the side of some kind of major change.
Re: Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission’s accomplished
#99Jesus Christ some of the comments on that article. I wonder if there was some way to analyse what percentage of it is astro-turfing and what percentage is real red-blooded Americans just brainwashed into thinking government knows best. Americans you are lost. It's been nice knowing you.
> Americans you are lost. It's been nice knowing you. I think this sentiment has been expressed since the 1800s. Same criticism applied to Rome... and all human civilization, really. We are a lost species, it would seem.
Yes, we are. Especially if we want to spin it that way. So much unjust suffering and non-optimal solutions.
Then again from Darwinian view point we have been quite succesful...
Re: Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission’s accomplished
#100It's a good moment to think again about the words uttered by, at that moment, vice president Cheney on September 16, 2001:
(at that time published on whitehouse.gov)
http://web.archive.org/web/20011116191708/http://www.whiteho...
"We also have to work, though, sort of the dark side, if you will. We've got to spend time in the shadows in the intelligence world. A lot of what needs to be done here will have to be done quietly, without any discussion, using sources and methods that are available to our intelligence agencies, if we're going to be successful."
And, for the opposing view, also to think about the 2006 speech of then senator Obama:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfX7RI7DGI8
"No President is above the law. I am voting against Mr. Hayden in the hope that he will be more humble before the great weight of responsibility that he has not only to protect our lives but to protect our democracy.
Americans fought a Revolution in part over the right to be free from unreasonable searches -- to ensure that our Government could not come knocking in the middle of the night for no reason. We need to find a way forward to make sure we can stop terrorists while protecting the privacy and liberty of innocent Americans. We have to find a way to give the President the power he needs to protect us, while making sure he does not abuse that power. It is possible to do that. We have done it before. We could do it again."
And as Snowden mentions, the oath the President makes is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office_of_the_President...
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
The Constitution.
It's the end of 2013.