Edward Snowden The Snowman Who Changed Snooping

Photo credit: DonkeyHotey

You've probably formed your own opinion by now about  Edward Snowden, the young talented NSA computer whiz that was in charge of collecting, and surveying  information for the US Governments top cyber-snooping agency, the NSA.   That's of course until he turned whistle blower and created an absolute firestorm that embarrassed our US Government at the hugest levels.

This story is fascinating in many ways, and it's not just because of Snowdens revelations.  After the 9/11 attacks, and the War on Terror  and the Patriot act was unleashed on American society.  Americans have pretty much resigned to knowing that our government has ramped up the snooping, That snooping applies to everyone, and I mean, everyone. This is what I found fascinating though.  When further details were released a few weeks ago after the government shutdown, you had Democrats and Republicans condemning Snowden. Yes, the same Democrats and Republican who couldn't come up with a budget to keep the government open, who were at each others throats, throwing feces  at each other debating and creating drama about our budget, were hand in hand, speaking with one voice, calling Snowden a traitor and a criminal.

Now you have to ask yourself. How is it that what  Snowden did, (which some believe is just be truthful)  could somehow bring US politicians together like no other major issue??  From healthcare, War in the Middle East, gay marriage, approving a budget.  All hot button, divisive issues, yet condemnation of a whistle blower unites the establishment in a common cause like no other.    The President has said that no content is being collected from the billions of  meta date transferred on the monitored networks. He goes further in stating what the NSA is simply  finding patterns that are suspicious and could be deemed a terrorist activity.

What kind of bullshit is that, and who do you think is stupid enough to believe it?  The problem with that is this:  You're collecting data with the assumption that anyone and everyone could be trying to commit a terrorist plot, that includes those who could be totally innocent. And here's the other problem. While the NSA collects and violates the Constitutional rights of the innocent, they still have even yet to even prove those who actually are committing crimes are guilty.  It's like if we searched everyone's home looking for a bomb. Yes, I may find a bomb, but suppose I don't? The presumption of innocence is not there, the probable cause is shaky at best.

We all want our politicians to get along, to work together for the common good of our country, As a free person, ask yourself if what Snowden did was right.  Did he have an anterior motive?  Was he really a spy and foreign operative trying to infiltrate the US intelligence?  From the short interview I viewed.  Here's a young man with a 6 figure salary in his late 20's, his office is somewhere in the beautiful state of Hawaii.  He's young, talented, smart, very articulate, if you were in his shoes, what do you think is at stake?   Now that he ratted our government out, he's facing serious charges, probably a life sentence.  Even worse, if some rouge CIA operative gets to him, he'll probably be kidnapped and brought back to the US, or he'll get missile dropped on his head by some Drone.

0440 spy plane drone (Photo credit: Kevin Baird)

Seems to me he gave up a lot, and really had nothing to gain, except his self respect, and clear conscience for knowing he didn't want to participate further in what our government calls national security, and this diabolical creation dubbed   The War on Terror by the US Government.