Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance

Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance. Hero or traitor? There’s no doubt in our minds that Obama will view him as the latter and go after him with a vengeance. Going public has probably prevented him from being “dissappeared.”

CO2Insanity: Tired of the CO2 BS and all the other BS in the US and the world.

View Comments (60)

  • He has disappeared. So: He is either working for someone or someone has him and he is essentially being tortured or being treated like a king for information. We will see.

    My Mom told me that he saw the reporter that this guy spoke to and that the reporter said that he didn't care about Snowden nor the USA and has OTHER information that will be putting out there perhaps things that have nothing to do with this NSA situation. If that is true that does put a negative look on Snowden.

    All in all there is more to this story. So I can understand people being cautious, but so far as I mentioned it is important for the US citizens to KNOW and then to decide by majority rule if we are willing to give up these rights and liberties or not.

    • I sincerely doubt that just taking off to Hong Kong and hiding is good enough to protect someone from our Federal Government.

        • I don't think there's any place on the planet, other than Islamic countries, where a person can hide from the federal government, if they want you. And if it came to living in an Islamic country, I'd just give myself up and let them kill me.

          • Yes rendition is possible, he himself said it. It seems that he did let go of other information, so it is coming to the forefront that he is not all that we thought he was, which wouldn't surprise me because he is a liberal. We will see where he ends up. Sure, living in an Islamic country is just an awful choice no matter how "progressive" it is.

  • They better get the kid back here before the Chicoms pry his head open with a can opener. No tellin what other information is in his melon. Unless, of course, this whole thing is an elaborate 'Trojan Horse' to screw over the Chinese the same way we did the Soviets back in the '80s.

  • Just found out the guy lived in my neighborhood. I passed by his house every day. The girlfriend put their house on the market last week.

    • Hmmmm... the GF put the house on the market last week? Then, logically she must have known what was going on. I thought from the Guardian interview that Snowden was suggesting that she did not know. Maybe he was just trying to protect her. God, I hope that he didn't tell her anything more than was absolutely necessary. And, I hope she has a damned good lawyer!

      Edit: yeah the Guardian article says "As he packed his bags, he told his girlfriend that he had to be away for a few weeks, though he said he was vague about the reason."

      • NSA police and other law enforcement have been interviewing her since the story broke (they probably figured out it was him before he announced his ID). Now she's stuck with the $555,000 mortgage and only half the income. And she probably wants to get away from it. I mean, the authorities probably seized a lot of stuff from their house. I wouldn't want to come home to those memories.

        • I had heard that the authorities were questioning her, but because he was not at work - not because they suspected him of being the leaker. I don't remember where I heard that. I am on information overload, LOL.

          I am actually believing this guy. I don't believe he is a spy for China. I think he absolutely believes in what he is doing. And, all of the interviews I have heard with people who know are saying basically "well, yeah, we COULD do that, but we are not supposed to".

          This guy - former NSA official, says that the technology was used to "clean up the loose ends of the Boston Bombing". http://video.foxnews.com/v/2439200738001/former-nsa-official-sheds-light-on-phone-record-grabs/?intcmp=obnetwork Ummmmm... we wiretap almost everyone in the nation so we can clean up AFTER a terrorist attack? Even if it had been used to prevent the bombing, I would wonder if it was worth it. And THAT itself is a big issue. We have this technology. The Boston brother was on the radar. He was using the things that we are monitoring. So why was HE not monitored?

          So, basically, we are at the mercy of our government. If they are honorable and trustworthy, and they don't use this ability for evil, then great. But what about now? When we have an admin that has already PROVEN that they use agencies to harm people who they perceive as "enemies"? Can we put the toothpaste back in the tube?

          (If you can't tell, I am extremely agitated and concerned about this. If I sound rude or go off track, please forgive me!)

          • I don't think he was a spy, either. I also am agitated by this whole thing and am pissed at the NSA. I just don't like how he left even his girlfriend with the consequences of his actions as he fled. He lied to people he worked with/for, and now they are more than likely in a precarious position.

          • If the people he worked with were also violating the 4th amendment, I don't care WHAT kind of position he left them in.

          • Found out he didn't own the house like he implied. He and GF rented. Landlord decided to put it on the market a month ago, and they moved out then. Bright new for sale sign up this afternoon. Bad timing for the poor landlord. Good luck selling it now that the address has been published by the media.

          • You never know - it could go either way. There are weirdos out there that will pay a premium for someone "famous"'s house. Even like mass murderer's houses. ;)

          • I totally agree with you there! I live near Meade, and I actually have a few friends who work there. In fact, NSA tried to recruit my daughter after college (her field is artificial intelligence), but she decided to go for a PhD instead.

            On the other hand, if Snowden is legit, then this information NEEDED to be out there. We NEED to know what our government is not only capable of, but what they are doing.

            My hubby says that when we watched a show a few years back about NSA and what they are capable of that I said something like "I don't like it, but so long as it's only being used to protect us, I guess I am OK with it." But we now know FOR CERTAIN that this current admin is capable of using, and HAS used, the resources it has available to punish it's perceived "enemies". And that to them, an "enemy" is anyone who challenges or disagrees with them.

            It's like saying that a hen-house needs to be guarded. When your faithful well-trained German Shepherd is watching it, it's OK. But when a new guard comes along, and it's a fox, it's no longer safe to be a chicken. We are ALL chickens at the moment.

          • Perhaps he thought it would be better for his girlfriend to be alive and questioned, than to be collateral damage when they came for him.

            Just a thought.

            Hey govt. types that are reading this: Just a few words to make sure this is brought to your attention.

            T.E.A. PARTY PATRIOTS RULE.
            OBUMMER SUCKS
            SMALLER GOVERNMENT
            and please let me know any other "trigger words" that trip any alarms and direct you to my posts, thus wasting precious man hours reading my drivel rather than snooping on REAL FRIGGEN TERRORISTS.

  • My only hope is more members of unconstitutional spy ring come forward and point the blame where it firmly belongs, right at 1600 Pennsylvania Blvd.

    • man, if you dont realize this sort of thing is "bigger" than the presidency by now...

      • And because Quagmire obiviously knew about it, as did the Shrub, and did nothing, or most likley endorsed the whole scheme, (remember most of the spying was done under his watch) it's time for him to put an end to this.

  • Mr. Snowden, you are a hero. You have blown the whistle in the most courageous act of patriotism I have ever seen. I am in awe of your bravery. You have done your country a great service and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    • Just remember - the enemy of my enemy is not always my friend. There is a possibility that Snowden has another motive. What he DID was heroic and maybe has saved our country, and I will say that I support him in absence of a reason not to, but keep Reagan's philosophy in mind: "trust but verify".

      By the way guys - the Obama character assassination machine has already begun. This man will be reported as having killed his own grandma and eaten little children's hearts by tomorrow. Watch for it!

      • It is true. He COULD be working for the Chinese or another crazy ass government that wants to destabilize ours by having citizens be mad at their leaders. However people need to understand that we are Americans and we are not them: violent and ignorant at the drop of a hat no matter how many times they call us that. We are not the French (thank God and Jesus). So if they planned to have us drag people out of their homes or the Houses (White House, House of Representatives...) and do something stupid with them they have it all wrong. Now this is just a theory. We will have to wait and see.

        • If it's causing any Obama supporters to become FORMER Obama supporters, I'm all for it, regardless of his motives. This administration MUST FAIL.

      • Someone's already saying he's a member of MoveOn.org. Looks like the faux posters are already out this morning. By tomorrow he'll probably be a member of all kinds of weird organizations.

        • I don't care. He could be a devil-worshipping commie skin-head. He got this information out there and got the government to admit that it's true. That's good enough for me. (With the caveat that I am worried that this may be "organized chaos" as I have mentioned in a few other posts).

  • People - This guy was part of a movement that WE need to get on board with. There are huge rallies planned for July 4th. Tweet it. Email it. Tell everyone about it. I know it's on Reddit, but hopefully they will have a website. We need to take ACTION. Not just on message boards, but IN YOUR FACE action. Please! http://www.reddit.com/r/restorethefourth/

    • I'm taking my wife and daughter to DC during the first week of July. If there is a protest on the mall over this stuff, my 11 yo will get a civics lesson. We're staying directly across the street from the Washington Monument. Right where the action will be.

      • Sidekick a good location no doubt to see civics in action. Take the metro to the Arlington Cemetery and let her see the changing of the Guard. Go early, stay late.

  • Benghazi, the Blind Sheikh, and Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood president
    When it comes to the 9/11/12 Benghazi attacks, there is one name that just keeps popping up – Sheikh Abdel Rahman (“the Blind Sheikh”). This is the guy who was the mastermind behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. As we’ve pointed out, the Blind Sheikh was very close with Hassan al-Turabi, the man who founded the Islamic Da’wa Organization (IDO), for which Malik Obama works as Executive Secretary.
    With that as a backdrop, we seem to have a confluence of developments relative to matters relating to Benghazi, the Blind Sheikh, and al-Qaeda.

    1). http://shoebat.com/2013/06/09/new-developments-with-benghazi-the-blind-sheikh-and-egypts-muslim-brotherhood-president/

    2). http://shoebat.com/2013/06/09/lois-lerner-not-the-only-name-on-malik-obamas-tax-exempt-status-approval-letter/

  • He worked for my husband's company here in Hawaii and lived in the same zip code as us!

    But he must be a friend of creepy-crawly, because he is a Ron Paul supporter. The more I find out about him, the more he reminds me of creepers. This guy seems like an absolute idiot.

      • I TD you because Strina is not a troll and as far as I know she is not an Obama lover. What she said was her opinion based on her experience and it was funny because creepy is a fool and deserves derision. It does seem to me that the guy is not perfect and perhaps his motivations weren't as white as snow, but he is right that in this one case (and it should be case by case not a sweeping thing like Manning did) the American public DOES deserve to know if we are okay with this sh*t.

      • The jury is still out for me. He claims to have accesses to things no contractor would be allowed to have access to. Then he runs to CHINA (because Hong Kong is China. The Chinese Govt is cracking down more and more each day. One country Two Systems is BS!) for its freedom of speech! I'm not saying he wasn't brave for leaking the info, or that the info isn't deserving of leakage), but I work with too many of these assholes. I don't trust his judgement on what would or wouldn't cost lives. He's 29, he's worked for NSA as a LOW-LEVEL contractor ($200k/yr is bullshit) for only 4 years. what does he really know about anything? I work for the very site he was at before he fled for 14 years! Granted, I never ran into him. But he was only here for a few months.

        • It is good to have personal insight into a person that the rest of us obviously don't have. Perhaps he is not pure, but in this one case he was right to make a judgement call and state that the people need to know if they are okay with being spied on, or with the possibility that their information can be used against them or to intimidate them just like the IRS have been doing. It is part of the issues at hand so on that I will have to congratulate him on that.

        • I hear you hun! But the fact is, he has managed to put Obama in the hot seat. They were forced to confess to this giant privacy-eating machine, very likely because they don't know what information he has - or they DO know what he has. EVEN after the big internet companies were denying everything!

          One way or another Snowden has cracked open the horrific invasion of our rights and privacy, and I am thankful to that. he may not be a hero or a saint, but I can't help but think he has done something good here!

          • Right, Snowden initiated exposure others will keep looking. We will see the true potential of the Internet if all this brings the administration down.

      • Strina is definitely not a troll. And, honestly, in many ways, Snowden does sound like a libertarian douche. Not to say that libertarians are all douches, but we all know douche-y ones. But you are also correct. No matter what his motives, he has done a heroic thing, and in despite his possible douchey-ness, I support him, and thank hm!

        (HEY! I said DOUCHE 4 times in this post! A record, I think!)

  • Hero. Without a doubt. I would like to see him come back to the US. It might be hard for a few days. But he could be the springboard to save our country. God bless him!

    • He'd have to be stupid, insane, or both to step foot in this country again - not without anything short of a revolution. He would be disappeared faster than you could say rumplestiltsken. You do something of this magnitude and expose something like this and you basically forego your citizenship in the eyes of the government. (well, like that matters any longer, if they really want to off you. I dont think he'll be safe anywhere really.)

      and that's why Fenster's post above is absolutely stupid, big lack of geopolitcal awareness...if you dont know then dont open your mouth, lest everyone else be made aware also.

Related Post
  1. DALLAS POLICE SHOOTING: ‘ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE ASSAULT VEHICLE AND TROOP TRANSPORT’
  2. Kim Jong-un was a child prodigy
  3. Top GOP Leader Promises Total Amnesty In 2015