The New Republic Takes a Close Look at the Anarchist Agenda of Snowden, Greenwald and Assange

Would you feel differently if you knew what they really thought?
US News • Views: 21,411

Sean Wilentz has an excellent piece at the New Republic today, delving into the backgrounds of Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, Julian Assange: What They Believe.

We live in the age of the leaker. Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, and Julian Assange are celebrated as heroes on op-ed pages and across glossy magazine spreads.

By exposing the secrets of the government, they claim to have revealed its systematic disregard for individual freedom and privacy. Theirs are not the politics of left against right, or liberals against conservatives, or Democrats against Republicans, but of the individual against the state. To oppose them is to side with power against liberty, surveillance against freedom, tyrannical secrecy against democratic openness.

What’s astonishing about their ascent to heroism is the breadth of their support. The embrace of the antiwar left and the libertarian right was to be expected. But effusions of praise for the leakers can also be found throughout the liberal establishment. The New York Times, which has come to rely on the leakers as prize sources, is now crusading on Snowden’s behalf. Its editorial page has celebrated him for having “done his country a great service” and supports clemency for the crimes he has committed. A stellar array of liberal intellectuals and pundits, from David Bromwich and Robert Kuttner to Richard Cohen and Ezra Klein, have hailed Snowden, as have elected officials, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Ron Wyden. To criticize the leakers, as the legal journalist Jeffrey Toobin and a few other writers have done, is to invite moral condemnation. Even mild objections to their methods are dismissed as damning proof of either corruption—“principle-free, hackish, and opportunistic,” in Greenwald’s words—or outright complicity with Big Brother.

So far, the adulatory treatment the leakers have received closely mirrors their own self-presentation. But important caches of evidence have gone largely unexamined by the media. Documents are, of course, the leakers’ stock-in-trade—and they have produced quite a few documents of their own. The Internet houses a variety of their writings for message boards, blogs, and magazines. Much of this writing was produced before the leakers entertained the possibility of a global audience. They are documents in which one can glimpse their deepest beliefs and true motives. What they reveal is at odds with the flattering coverage the leakers have received, and goes beyond personal eccentricities or dubious activities in the service of noble goals. They reveal an agenda that even the leakers’ most dedicated admirers should question.

You should read the whole thing, because Sean Wilentz does a great job of exposing the bizarre and destructive nihilism at the heart of the entire Snowden endeavor.

Meanwhile, the Mighty Greenwald has been obsessively ranting and spewing insults about this article on Twitter all morning — I count at least 19 tweets from him so far. For example:

Jump to bottom

135 comments
1 Political Atheist  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:03:32pm

Loyal only unto themselves.

2 Charles Johnson  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:05:14pm

Meanwhile, the Mighty Greenwald has been obsessively ranting and spewing insults about this article on Twitter all morning — I count at least 19 tweets from him so far. For example:

3 bratwurst  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:08:09pm

re: #2 Charles Johnson

Meanwhile, the Mighty Greenwald has been obsessively ranting and spewing insults about this article on Twitter all morning — I count at least 19 tweets from him so far. For example:

[Embedded content]

Wow, he is totally dismissing a critic of his…this is an historic first! ///

4 Targetpractice  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:09:01pm

re: #3 bratwurst

Wow, he is totally dismissing a critic of his…this is an historic first! ///

And doing so in a rather specific fashion. Only thing missing is him deeming the New Republic “irrelevant.”

5 Ryan King  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:11:03pm

Awaiting Greenwald’s condemnation of Putin.

6 thedopefishlives  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:11:06pm

re: #4 Targetpractice

And doing so in a rather specific fashion. Only thing missing is him deeming the New Republic “irrelevant.”

Just like all of his own critics do to him. OHH BURN!

7 Randall Gross  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:11:59pm

Hey! Hands off GG’s socky soliloquies!

8 Charles Johnson  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:14:04pm
9 Targetpractice  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:15:21pm

re: #8 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Vlad’s ever so dreamy. He’s a “leader,” don’t you know?

///

10 Political Atheist  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:17:57pm

Heartless SOB. From the article-

Later in the same session, Snowden wrote that the elderly “wouldn’t be fucking helpless if you weren’t sending them fucking checks to sit on their ass and lay in hospitals all day.

11 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:18:33pm

From the article:

Reading Snowden’s selection of writings on Ars Technica, it’s hard to see evidence of a savvy—or even consistent—mind at work. Snowden doesn’t seem like a man prepared to become a global spokesman against government surveillance. And the posts certainly don’t indicate a man with a master plan.

No shit. He’s a stooge for Wikileaks and Greenwald and their agenda, just like Manning was.

A real whistleblower doesn’t steal millions of files, flee the country, and threaten to dump them all indiscriminately unless he gets his way. Those are the actions of an extortionist. A real whistleblower would’ve approached a sympathetic congressman or lawmaker and stayed on American soil to fight against what he saw as abuses.

Snowden is a felon and a coward and a dudebro stooge.

12 Charles Johnson  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:19:23pm
13 thedopefishlives  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:20:45pm

re: #12 Charles Johnson

Show me one - just one - instance of any of these programs “breaking [our] own laws.” I freaking DARE you, dudebros.

14 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:22:06pm

re: #13 thedopefishlives

Show me one - just one - instance of any of these programs “breaking [our] own laws.” I freaking DARE you, dudebros.

Glenn Greenwald says the US broke laws and he’s a lawyer. QED.

15 wrenchwench  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:23:32pm

re: #11 Lidane

Band name alert:

The Dudebro Stooges

16 BooksAndChocolate  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:24:17pm

Thanks for linking to this. I had forgotten to remember to check after dealing with victim-blaming dudebros elsewhere. Appreciate the post and all that you and the other writers do!

17 thedopefishlives  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:24:24pm

re: #14 Lidane

Glenn Greenwald says the US broke laws and he’s a lawyer. QED.

If Glenn Greenwald said the sky is blue, I’d have to step outside just to check and make sure. Just sayin’.

18 Killgore Trout  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:24:45pm

Congressional Leaders Suggest Earlier Snowden Link to Russia

he heads of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees suggested on Sunday that Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor, may have been working for Russian spy services while he was employed at an agency facility in Hawaii last year and before he disclosed hundreds of thousands of classified government documents.

The lawmakers, Representative Mike Rogers, Republican of Michigan, and Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, offered no specific evidence that Mr. Snowden cooperated with Moscow.

19 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:27:40pm

re: #17 thedopefishlives

If Glenn Greenwald said the sky is blue, I’d have to step outside just to check and make sure. Just sayin’.

That’s because you’re not a dudebro. Y U doubt teh GG?

/////////

20 Targetpractice  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:27:52pm

re: #18 Killgore Trout

Congressional Leaders Suggest Earlier Snowden Link to Russia

Something I’ve been saying for awhile now. This has all the smell of international espionage. Wouldn’t surprise me that Snowden was on the FSB payroll long before he joined Booz-Allen.

21 thedopefishlives  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:28:17pm

re: #19 Lidane

That’s because you’re not a dudebro. Y U doubt teh GG?

/////////

ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOWALD.

22 thedopefishlives  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:29:30pm

re: #20 Targetpractice

Something I’ve been saying for awhile now. This has all the smell of international espionage. Wouldn’t surprise me that Snowden was on the FSB payroll long before he joined Booz-Allen.

Had a dudebro on another forum that absolutely went unhinged when I suggested this idea (which has been brought up at LGF before, and there appears to be a fair amount of circumstantial evidence to support it). I actually wound up quitting the thread rather than suffering through the outrageous outrage.

23 Backwoods_Sleuth  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:30:26pm

O/T, but I’m thinking of buying an inexpensive tablet (I’ll purchase through Amazon Prime via LGF associates).
It doesn’t need to do anything fancy. Doesn’t need cell phone access (because we don’t have that here in the backwoods), just wifi (I have a router).
Mostly, just be able to check weather or LGF in the middle of the night without turning on the real computers, or maybe read a book borrowed from the library via overdrive.com (I have an ancient Sony ereader for books, but a lighted screen would be nice instead of the clip-on flashlight I currently use). Don’t need streaming video because it will always be buffering anyway.

(ETA: also needs a camera for Skyping)

I am soooo confuzed by everything that is available and have no idea what to look for (or to look out for)…

O_o

24 Targetpractice  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:32:28pm

re: #22 thedopefishlives

Had a dudebro on another forum that absolutely went unhinged when I suggested this idea (which has been brought up at LGF before, and there appears to be a fair amount of circumstantial evidence to support it). I actually wound up quitting the thread rather than suffering through the outrageous outrage.

No surprise. Finding out that Snowden was a spy would quickly overshadow all the “good” he’s done, to the point that there would be no question of him being granted immunity. Plus if dubbed a spy, then Russia would be under greater pressure to fork him over.

25 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:35:30pm

re: #23 Backwoods_Sleuth

I’m leaning heavily towards getting a Kindle Fire HDX. It just seems like the best fit for me.

26 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:35:34pm

re: #16 BooksAndChocolate

Thanks for linking to this. I had forgotten to remember to check after dealing with victim-blaming dudebros elsewhere. Appreciate the post and all that you and the other writers do!

Welcome hatchling.

27 thedopefishlives  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:35:39pm

Where’s Gus? I could use a Photoshop of Glenn Greenwald as the Hypnotoad. Perhaps I’ll use it as my new avatar.

28 Killgore Trout  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:36:11pm

re: #20 Targetpractice

Something I’ve been saying for awhile now. This has all the smell of international espionage. Wouldn’t surprise me that Snowden was on the FSB payroll long before he joined Booz-Allen.

I guess it’s certainly a possibility but I’ll wait to see what kind of evidence they offer. it could also be a misinformation campaign to take the wind out of the sails of his fan club.

29 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:40:26pm

If you understand the libertarian mind—the me, me, me rants that Ayn Rand put together in her writings—it’s easy to understand how types like Snowden, Greenwald, etc. can defend and justify their actions and beliefs. Their childish, selfish thinking has no room for consequences.

The individual and what the individual wants, no matter whether good or bad, are the only worthy subjects of political belief to them. That is what justifies theft or any other criminal activities that one or more persons commit, and the belief that criminal activities deserve no punishment if, in the mind of the criminal, also, that the crime committed, in his judgment, and his judgment alone, is good for society.

There is no room in the libertarian’s childish philosophy for any collection of individuals to arrive at a consensus through the political processes of their own state to make the laws that they wish to live under because to them, there is actually no “society”, just the individual. So, in essence, a libertarian can justify committing a crime because no one is supposed to judge him.

And just think—all those supposedly educated individuals who have bought into the Greensnow story and scenario are under the thrall of a thief, a common criminal, not their own set of ethics, but Snowden’s, because Snowden didn’t want to work within legal parameters. And Snowden and his cohorts love the attention they have ginned up..

30 Backwoods_Sleuth  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:40:34pm

re: #25 Lidane

I’m leaning heavily towards getting a Kindle Fire HDX. It just seems like the best fit for me.

Hubs has the KindleFire HD 8.9. I’m just looking for a cheaper thing. Checking out a Dragon Touch 9” Google Android right now…

31 Backwoods_Sleuth  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:42:48pm

re: #26 Pie-onist Overlord

VB, saw this on one of my other blog visits this morning and thought you might enjoy it..I certainly did.

Tchaikovsky Flashwaltz at Hadassah Hospital

Youtube Video

32 Dark_Falcon  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:42:55pm

re: #4 Targetpractice

And doing so in a rather specific fashion. Only thing missing is him deeming the New Republic “irrelevant.”

He did say that using different words. But overall his tweets just show him at orange:

Youtube Video

33 chadu  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:48:44pm

re: #29 Justanotherhuman

Well said.

34 Dark_Falcon  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:52:07pm

re: #22 thedopefishlives

Had a dudebro on another forum that absolutely went unhinged when I suggested this idea (which has been brought up at LGF before, and there appears to be a fair amount of circumstantial evidence to support it). I actually wound up quitting the thread rather than suffering through the outrageous outrage.

Don’t suffer through it, enjoy it. You’re not going to win someone like that over, so don’t try. Instead focus on the people you can win over and relish the outrage of the dudebro.

35 Charles Johnson  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:55:09pm
36 thedopefishlives  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 12:55:59pm

re: #34 Dark_Falcon

Don’t suffer through it, enjoy it. You’re not going to win someone like that over, so don’t try. Instead focus on the people you can win over and relish the outrage of the dudebro.

The majority of the denizens of this particular forum are dudebros or otherwise paranoid about teh ebil NSA, so I just figure it’s better for me to sit back with my popcorn and laugh rather than diving into the middle of it and getting my blood pressure up.

37 wrenchwench  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:00:39pm

re: #35 Charles Johnson


I think he means ‘concerned’, but he’s a busy man, can’t be expected to proof read, or fact check, or edit … it’s not like he’s a professional writer or something.

38 philosophus invidius  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:02:26pm

I wonder of Snowden’s hagiographers have every considered whether he had some means of calling attention to questionable NSA tactics without a massive public data dump.

39 Charles Johnson  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:03:49pm

re: #38 philosophus invidius

I wonder of Snowden’s hagiographers have every considered whether he had some means of calling attention to questionable NSA tactics without a massive public data dump.

Oh, they have a ready answer for that one — Obama is waging a war on whistleblowers and Snowden would have immediately been thrown into solitary confinement, tortured, and very possibly murdered.

And I’m not exaggerating.

40 CuriousLurker  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:06:44pm

re: #23 Backwoods_Sleuth

O/T, but I’m thinking of buying an inexpensive tablet (I’ll purchase through Amazon Prime via LGF associates).
It doesn’t need to do anything fancy. Doesn’t need cell phone access (because we don’t have that here in the backwoods), just wifi (I have a router).
Mostly, just be able to check weather or LGF in the middle of the night without turning on the real computers, or maybe read a book borrowed from the library via overdrive.com (I have an ancient Sony ereader for books, but a lighted screen would be nice instead of the clip-on flashlight I currently use). Don’t need streaming video because it will always be buffering anyway.

(ETA: also needs a camera for Skyping)

I am soooo confuzed by everything that is available and have no idea what to look for (or to look out for)…

O_o

It really depends on the experience you want and how much you’re willing to pay. If you want inexpensive, iPads are out. Had my boss not bought me an iPad Mini I would’ve grudgingly1 bought a 32GB Nexus 7 (2013). My second choice would’ve been the 64GB 7” Kindle Fire HDX.

I’m not sure about Skype as I don’t use it. Seeing as how popular it is, it probably works on both, but I’d check the reviews or Google it just to be sure.

Anyway, here’s a video review comparing the two:

Youtube Video

HTH—gotta run. BBL
——————————————————
1. Grudgingly because Google’s ubiquity annoys me sometimes.

41 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:11:04pm

re: #38 philosophus invidius

I wonder of Snowden’s hagiographers have every considered whether he had some means of calling attention to questionable NSA tactics without a massive public data dump.

Probably not, but if you decided to “liberate” some groceries from your local supermarket to feed your family because you had no means to feed them and the supermarket was full of food, they’d probably say you deserved your jail sentence.

I truly don’t see much difference in the thefts, as far as ethics are concerned. Just as you could appeal to a food bank or apply for food stamps, Snowden could have gone through legal channels.

The way Snowden did this has pretty much convinced me that he sought advice from people in Wikileaks who in turn alerted him to Laura Poitras and Glenn Greenwald who more than likely encouraged him and helped him plan what he would do and what he might steal during his tenure with Booz Allen at the NSA.

42 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:11:24pm

re: #38 philosophus invidius

I wonder of Snowden’s hagiographers have every considered whether he had some means of calling attention to questionable NSA tactics without a massive public data dump.

The dudebros claim that Snowden had to flee the country and do what he did because Obama tyrant drones.

43 thedopefishlives  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:12:18pm

re: #39 Charles Johnson

Oh, they have a ready answer for that one — Obama is waging a war on whistleblowers and Snowden would have immediately been thrown into solitary confinement, tortured, and very possibly murdered.

And I’m not exaggerating.

These are the same sorts of people who claim that Paul Walker got blown up by an Obama tyrant drone (to borrow a phrase from Lidane’s post above). Rational thought fled from them long ago.

44 Dark_Falcon  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:15:25pm

re: #39 Charles Johnson

Oh, they have a ready answer for that one — Obama is waging a war on whistleblowers and Snowden would have immediately been thrown into solitary confinement, tortured, and very possibly murdered.

And I’m not exaggerating.

Exactly. They’re as bad as the far-right militia types in their fantasies of government evil. They also prefer more dramatic solutions than quieter, more proper ones.

45 jhrhv  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:16:37pm

Reading some of this nonsense from GG and the dudebros reminds me of people with coke addictions saying they have it under control or the drunk driver that says I drive better after having a couple of drinks.

Completely oblivious.

46 Stanley Sea  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:37:17pm

haha Satt just fell asleep on the control board.

47 jaunte  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:45:38pm

re: #39 Charles Johnson

Obama is waging a war on whistleblowers and Snowden would have immediately been thrown into solitary confinement, tortured, and very possibly murdered.

By Triads.

48 Weet  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:49:27pm

Senator Dianne Feinstein, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on “Meet the Press” that Snowden “may well have” had help from Russia.

“We don’t know at this stage,” Feinstein said.

Rogers indicated that the nature of the material that Snowden obtained suggested foreign involvement.

“When you look at the totality of the information he took, the vast majority of it had to do with military, tactical and operational events happening around the world,” he told the CBS program “Face the Nation.”

U.S. lawmaker investigates whether Russia behind Snowden’s leaks

49 Weet  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 1:56:04pm
50 Stanley Sea  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:02:09pm
51 missliberties  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:03:46pm

re: #10 Political Atheist

Heartless SOB. From the article-

Sounds like a wing nut Christian. Fuck the tired, the poor, the helpless and the elderly. They are all lazy and deserve to rot.

Maybe Snowden should go to Siberia and rid Russia of the useless old Russians by sending them out on ice bergs to freeze to death. It’s the only merciful thing to do.

52 missliberties  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:04:23pm

re: #50 Stanley Sea

Hacked.

53 Stanley Sea  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:04:56pm

re: #52 missliberties

Hacked.

Already fixed. ha.

I guess Buster Brown is real.

54 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:05:13pm

re: #50 Stanley Sea

55 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:06:53pm

Also:

56 bratwurst  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:10:45pm

re: #53 Stanley Sea

Already fixed. ha.

I guess Buster Brown is real.

VERY real:

57 Tigger2  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:11:13pm

re: #51 missliberties

Sounds like a wing nut Christian. Fuck the tired, the poor, the helpless and the elderly. They are all lazy and deserve to rot.

Maybe Snowden should go to Siberia and rid Russia of the useless old Russians by sending them out on ice bergs to freeze to death. It’s the only merciful thing to do.

Yeah I hear ya, this old worthless SOB would like to get ahold of that young punk for that statement.

58 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:15:06pm

re: #51 missliberties

Sounds like a wing nut Christian. Fuck the tired, the poor, the helpless and the elderly. They are all lazy and deserve to rot.

Sounds exactly like an Ayn Rand fanboy. Everyone knows that the poor, the elderly and the helpless are just selfish collectivists seeking a handout from their betters instead of being rugged individuals who act in their own rational self-interest.

59 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:17:54pm

Heh.

60 Stanley Sea  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:18:48pm

So purty.

61 Usually refered to as anyways  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:19:55pm

Looking at dictionary definitions, I can see where many may claim Manning and Snowden are ‘whistle blowers’.

Its seems the definition allows for subjective reasoning.
Certainly there is no mention of ‘not fleeing’ nor ‘not threatening’.

merriam-webster

whis*tle-blow*er
noun
: a person who tells police, reporters, etc., about something (such as a crime) that has been kept secret


thefreedictionary

whis*tle*blow*er or whis*tle-blow*er or whistle blower
n.
One who reveals wrongdoing within an organization to the public or to those in positions of authority: “The Pentagon’s most famous whistleblower is … hoping to get another chance to search for government waste” (Washington Post).


oxforddictionaries
whistle-blower
noun
a person who informs on a person or organization regarded as engaging in an unlawful or immoral activity.

62 Backwoods_Sleuth  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:22:15pm

FWIW, I went ahead with the cheapie Dragon Touch 9” tablet for ~$100. Big selling point was the add-on cover/stand that has a little actual keyboard for an additional $16 and change (OK, I’m just that lazy…)
If it’s crap, at least I don’t lose a lot of money and Charles gets a few cents on the deal.

63 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:22:30pm

The last paragraph of Wilentz’s piece sums it all up extremely well, IMHO.

“Snowden, Greenwald, and Assange have largely set the terms in the debate over transparency and privacy in America. But the value of some of their revelations does not mean that they deserve the prestige and influence that has been accorded to them. The leakers and their supporters would never hand the state modern surveillance powers, even if they came wrapped in all sorts of rules and regulations that would constrain their abuse. They are right to worry, but wrong—even paranoid—to distrust democratic governments in this way. Surveillance and secrecy will never be attractive features of a democratic government, but they are not inimical to it, either. This the leakers will never understand. (my emphasis)

Because their narcissism and political philosophy will not allow it.

64 Targetpractice  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:23:39pm

65 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:26:18pm

re: #61 Usually refered to as anyways

Looking at dictionary definitions, I can see where many may claim Manning and Snowden are ‘whistle blowers’.

Its seems the definition allows for subjective reasoning.
Certainly there is no mention of ‘not fleeing’ nor ‘not threatening’.

merriam-webster

whis*tle-blow*er
noun
: a person who tells police, reporters, etc., about something (such as a crime) that has been kept secret

thefreedictionary

whis*tle*blow*er or whis*tle-blow*er or whistle blower
n.
One who reveals wrongdoing within an organization to the public or to those in positions of authority: “The Pentagon’s most famous whistleblower is … hoping to get another chance to search for government waste” (Washington Post).

oxforddictionaries
whistle-blower
noun
a person who informs on a person or organization regarded as engaging in an unlawful or immoral activity.

They did none of those. They schemed to have Snowden actually steal documents and files from the agency he was working in and then allow Greenwald/Poitras control of them in some fashion, as well as (we think) allowing both China and Russia’s govts to get what they wanted as well.

The NSA did nothing criminal and nothing outside of what had been tasked to it by law.

66 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:27:47pm

re: #63 Justanotherhuman

The leakers and their supporters would never hand the state modern surveillance powers, even if they came wrapped in all sorts of rules and regulations that would constrain their abuse.

That’s because these dipshits live in some sort of Bizarro World where governments should be completely transparent. The only countries that spy on people are evil, don’tcha know. Information just wants to be free.

67 Justanotherhuman  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:30:44pm

re: #66 Lidane

That’s because these dipshits live in some sort of Bizarro World where governments should be completely transparent. The only countries that spy on people are evil, don’tcha know. Information just wants to be free.

Exactly. They want the NSA and other national security agencies to be shut down altogether. Put out of existence.

Ain’t gonna happen. So they’ll try to do as much damage as they can.

68 b_sharp  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:33:42pm

re: #67 Justanotherhuman

Exactly. They want the NSA and other national security agencies to be shut down altogether. Put out of existence.

Ain’t gonna happen. So they’ll try to do as much damage as they can.

Youtube Video

69 Usually refered to as anyways  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:33:54pm

re: #65 Justanotherhuman

They did none of those. They schemed to have Snowden actually steal documents and files from the agency he was working in and then allow Greenwald/Poitras control of them in some fashion, as well as (we think) allowing both China and Russia’s govts to get what they wanted as well.

The NSA did nothing criminal and nothing outside of what had been tasked to it by law.

Gday Justanotherhuman,

If Snowden acted because he felt what wasn’t known was immoral, then he may claim to be a whistleblower under the oxford dictionaries definition.

oxforddictionaries
whistle-blower
noun
a person who informs on a person or organization regarded as engaging in an unlawful or immoral activity.

70 missliberties  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:34:38pm

re: #58 Lidane

If I put on my tin foil hat……… a lightbulb comes on that says it is not impossible…..that Snowden and his wiki-leaking ilk could have some shadowy links ($$$) with the Koch Bros and the tea party crowd in the effort to deploy the free market Jesus around the world.

Of course that might not be true, but it doesn’t seem impossible. Especially after listening to Assange’s Randian campaign promises in Australia.

71 Romantic Heretic  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:35:23pm

re: #37 wrenchwench

I’m a little stunned at the treatment you are getting. But then I’ve always thought your work illumined what we need want to see.

What the tweeter really meant. They have trouble differentiating between need and want.

72 Feline Fearless Leader  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:36:14pm

Best TV announcers on a football game ever!

O_o Oh wait!

I have the TV muted and am playing Stevie Ray Vaughn CDs.

(Hmm…)

73 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:37:44pm

re: #31 Backwoods_Sleuth

VB, saw this on one of my other blog visits this morning and thought you might enjoy it..I certainly did.

Tchaikovsky Flashwaltz at Hadassah Hospital

[Embedded content]

That’s great! Love it!

74 missliberties  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:37:58pm

re: #57 Tigger2

The Greenwald Snowden cult followers are worse. I can not abide them.

75 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:38:46pm

10-23 Broncos! Patriots are down. Go Broncos! Destroy them! Woot!

76 Romantic Heretic  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:38:55pm

re: #57 Tigger2

Yeah I hear ya, this old worthless SOB would like to get ahold of that young punk for that statement.

I just tell them, “Old age and treachery will beat youth and beauty every time.” Then leave them to stew in their flop sweat. :D

77 Backwoods_Sleuth  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:40:41pm

re: #73 Pie-onist Overlord

That’s great! Love it!

I actually needed a tissue before the end.
According to the blog where I saw that: “The Academy students enjoyed the day so much that they have decided to schedule regular concerts at the hospital. Hadassah Medical organization treats over one million patients annually, without regard to race, religion or national origin.”

How nice for everyone!

78 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:43:38pm

10-26

Blarg. Good enough drive.

79 William Barnett-Lewis  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:44:14pm

re: #72 Feline Fearless Leader

Best TV announcers on a football game ever!

O_o Oh wait!

I have the TV muted and am playing Stevie Ray Vaughn CDs.

(Hmm…)

I learned a long time ago that the best way to enjoy football is with a muted tv on and a radio doing play by play. Those guys know what they’re doing. I’ve found that the Super Bowl is best with just the radio because then you get the best of the game without the idiotic ads.

80 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:48:00pm
81 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:48:10pm
82 Romantic Heretic  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:48:41pm

re: #31 Backwoods_Sleuth

VB, saw this on one of my other blog visits this morning and thought you might enjoy it..I certainly did.

Tchaikovsky Flashwaltz at Hadassah Hospital

[Embedded content]

The guy waltzing at the end looks remarkably like me. I’m not balding nearly as much though.

83 Mattand  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:52:06pm

re: #49 Weet

[Embedded content]

Mad Magazine: the proto-Onion.

84 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:52:08pm

16-26

3:07 left in the 4th.

85 Stanley Sea  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:52:21pm

Oh ALASKA!

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kathleen Tonn posted a rather unusual video on her Facebook page. The video shows Tonn, fully clothed in the steam room at the Alaska Club, singing in tongues in an attempt to convert another woman named Suzie, who is also in the steam room and “doesn’t know Jesus Christ.” In the video, Tonn says that “speaking in tongues or singing in tongues is very valuable because the message can’t be heard by Satan.”

amandacoyne.com

86 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:53:18pm
87 Single-handed sailor  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:55:20pm

re: #86 Gus

[Embedded content]

That was dumb, now they need 2 TDs to win instead of TD and FG.

88 Kragar  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:55:35pm
89 BongCrodny  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 2:59:17pm

re: #87 Single-handed sailor

That was dumb, now they need 2 TDs to win instead of TD and FG.

No, they were down by 16, so two TDs and two conversions would have gotten them to a tie score.

It was pretty much moot, anyway. The Broncos looked strong and the Pats looked horrible the first half.

90 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:00:34pm

NO SHIT
Mona Holland is a ferocious Anti-Semite.

91 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:02:15pm

HURR HURR!!!!1!!

92 BongCrodny  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:03:36pm

It’s a good thing that Bill Bellyache got his Super Bowl rings early in his coaching career, because that dude is turning into Marty Schottenheimer when it comes to “can’t win the big one.”

93 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:03:59pm

That’s it! The Broncos win! Woot!

94 Pie-onist Overlord  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:04:20pm
95 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:07:36pm
96 Kragar  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:08:11pm

Something about the Super Bowl?

GO PACKERS!

Youtube Video

97 Kragar  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:12:54pm
98 Kragar  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:16:00pm

“OBAMA IS TELLING KIDS TO SMOKE POT! HE WANTS DEAD KIDDING LITTERING THE SKI SLOPES!”

99 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:16:34pm
100 Mattand  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:20:27pm

re: #98 Kragar

“OBAMA IS TELLING KIDS TO SMOKE POT! HE WANTS DEAD KIDDING LITTERING THE SKI SLOPES!”

Who doesn’t?

101 Amory Blaine  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:25:46pm
102 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:25:47pm
103 jhrhv  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:28:01pm

re: #100 Mattand

Crazy right wing logic:
Don’t smoke Teh pot kids but if you want to get drunk and play with a gun we will never outlaw that NEVER!

104 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:28:41pm
105 Tigger2  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:30:13pm

re: #95 Gus

[Embedded content]

Colts should have never dropped Manning.

106 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:30:30pm
107 Eclectic Cyborg  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:32:23pm

Somewhere, Tim Tebow is crying softly.

108 Amory Blaine  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:33:11pm
109 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:35:18pm

Ann Wilson of Heart singing the national anthem. Nice.

110 Kragar  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:35:46pm

re: #107 Eclectic Cyborg

Somewhere, Tim Tebow is crying softly.

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

111 Stanley Sea  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:35:55pm

re: #109 Lidane

Ann Wilson of Heart singing the national anthem. Nice.

And she hit it.

112 austin_blue  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:36:43pm

re: #102 Gus

[Embedded content]

Anne Wilson has got a set of pipes.

Except for the finish. Oof.

113 Kragar  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:37:28pm
114 Stanley Sea  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:37:52pm

re: #112 austin_blue

Anne Wilson has got a set of pipes.

Except for the finish. Oof.

Yah, typed too fast.

Oh well, R&R hall of fame.

115 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:38:58pm

re: #112 austin_blue

Anne Wilson has got a set of pipes.

Except for the finish. Oof.

At least we know she didn’t pre-record it. Haha.

Still love her, though.

116 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:39:42pm

HOW CAN YOU CELEBRATE A FOOTBALL GAME WHEN THERE’S SO MUCH TRAGEDY IN THIS WORLD!!11TY

117 Amory Blaine  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:39:49pm
118 austin_blue  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:40:02pm

re: #115 Lidane

At least we know she didn’t pre-record it. Haha.

Still love her, though.

So does Seattle!

You know, her old bass player, Mark Andes, lives down in Manchaca.

119 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:41:04pm
120 thedopefishlives  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:43:37pm

re: #119 Gus

[Embedded content]

{{{Gus}}}

How are you doing?

121 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:44:56pm
122 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:45:19pm

re: #120 thedopefishlives

{{{Gus}}}

How are you doing?

Meh. OK. You?

123 Varek Raith  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:45:28pm

Gus seems a tad happy.
XD

124 Amory Blaine  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:45:42pm

Ratso!

125 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:45:58pm
126 thedopefishlives  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:46:05pm

re: #122 Gus

Meh. OK. You?

Pretty good now that I got the Mrs. Fish’s car all square and the Broncos put the Patriots in their place. The Doobie Bowl should be interesting.

127 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:46:17pm

re: #123 Varek Raith

Gus seems a tad happy.
XD

A tad. Yes. :D

128 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:47:30pm
129 Lidane  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:49:08pm

Whee!

130 AlexRogan  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:55:05pm

re: #129 Lidane

Whee!

[Embedded content]

Popcorn companies are gonna have a great year this year…

131 Gus  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 3:55:32pm
132 urbanmeemaw  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 4:06:32pm

re: #70 missliberties

Bingo! I’ve felt this from the very beginning. (I’m pretty old so I have quite a few tin foilers hanging in the closet from the 60’s).

I also thought Sean’s comment in the article that their goal was not just to destroy the NSA but the government itself was spot on. I’m very glad he wrote this article, but it is a sad commentary on the mainslime media that it took so long for a publication to do this level of analysis (I would never expect the broadcast media to even touch this).

133 Bridgeghazi: Never Forget!!11!!!!11  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 6:22:08pm

re: #117 Amory Blaine

If someone on pot killed an entire family, it was in spite of the pot, not because of it! LOL.

Hi everyone, I was still back on the immigration thread wondering why there were no more comments, not realizing, everyone had moved on hours ago!

Must be the pot!

134 Bridgeghazi: Never Forget!!11!!!!11  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 6:23:38pm

re: #119 Gus

OMG. I never realized how much Nancy Grace and Sarah Palin resembled each other, till this pic!

/

135 wheat-dogghazi  Sun, Jan 19, 2014 6:59:50pm

re: #85 Stanley Sea

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kathleen Tonn posted a rather unusual video on her Facebook page. The video shows Tonn, fully clothed in the steam room at the Alaska Club, singing in tongues in an attempt to convert another woman named Suzie, who is also in the steam room and “doesn’t know Jesus Christ.” In the video, Tonn says that “speaking in tongues or singing in tongues is very valuable because the message can’t be heard by Satan.”

What do you call someone who can speak many languages? Multilingual.
What do you call someone who can speak two languages? Bilingual.
What do you call someone who can speak only one language? American.

Ergo, Satan is American.


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Detroit Local Powers First EV Charging Road in North America The road, about a mile from Local 58's hall, uses rubber-coated copper inductive-charging coils buried under the asphalt that transfer power to a receiver pad attached to a car's underbelly, much like how a phone can be charged wirelessly. ...
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