Charles Pierce: The Snowden Effect, Continued
As we go into the second week, the Guardian — and Greenwald — simply have to do a better job defending themselves. The first major strategy would be to get Edward Snowden to stay the hell off television for a while because, every time he goes on there and drives the nails into his own palms, he loses his cause a few thousand more supporters. (I know I don’t give a rat’s ass that this government is “hacking” the Chinese, who I assume are hacking us right back. My outrage meter stays well in the green zone when it comes to the butchers of Tiananmen Square, thanks.) We know what you did. I, at least, am grateful for what you did, even if it turns out that Perlstein’s right and you didn’t do as much as we thought you did. But enough with the free-speech-martyr act, please. Your act already has done us all the ancillary favor of helping Congressman Peter King, and Speaker John Boehner, and Tom Friedman make fools of themselves. Your work here is done. Go away and quietly plan your legal defense. And Glenn Greenwald should become more sensitive at distinguishing support from blind idolatry and stop starting fights that remove him from the basic point of what’s going on. If you’re reduced to implying that Rick Fking Perlstein is overly solicitous of this administration, it’s time to lose all the fanboys and come back to the pack a little.