Edward Snowden, an American hero

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manas
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Edward Snowden, an American hero

Post by manas »

http://www.examiner.com/article/edward- ... rican-hero

It is sadly ironic that the U.S. Govt considers Snowden a traitor, when in fact, by spying on their own citizens in a way that goes against not only the spirit but also the letter of the U.S. Constitution itself, it is the Govt who are the traitors, not Snowden. I hope he finds a safe place somewhere, where he won't be found by their agents.

:anjali:
Last edited by manas on Wed Jun 26, 2013 12:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Zom
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Re: Snowden, an American hero

Post by Zom »

Sadly and ironic that all governments speak about Democracy and so on, while in reality use double standards )

Putin covers him in Moscow, because "he did bad to the US", while at the same time he forges false cases and throws to jail Russians who fight with massive corruption and theft in the country ))

Sad but true, our world is quite far from the Universal Monarch rule ))
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Modus.Ponens
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Re: Snowden, an American hero

Post by Modus.Ponens »

There is an interesting aspect to this: if we manage to continue to develop at the same pace, I predict that in 20-30 years every individual have the means to do what the US and UK governments are doing. It's at the same time scary and reassuring. Reassuring, because there will be a balance of power in information access.

In face of that, this action by Snowden is even more heroic and idealistic!
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tiltbillings
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Re: Snowden, an American hero

Post by tiltbillings »

manas wrote:http://www.examiner.com/article/edward- ... rican-hero

It is sadly ironic that the U.S. Govt considers Snowden a traitor, when in fact, by spying on their own citizens in a way that goes against not only the spirit but also the letter of the U.S. Constitution itself, it is the Govt who are the traitors, not Snowden. I hope he finds a safe place somewhere, where he won't be found by their agents.

:anjali:
Actually, he is a jerk.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

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manas
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Re: Snowden, an American hero

Post by manas »

tiltbillings wrote:
manas wrote:http://www.examiner.com/article/edward- ... rican-hero

It is sadly ironic that the U.S. Govt considers Snowden a traitor, when in fact, by spying on their own citizens in a way that goes against not only the spirit but also the letter of the U.S. Constitution itself, it is the Govt who are the traitors, not Snowden. I hope he finds a safe place somewhere, where he won't be found by their agents.

:anjali:
Actually, he is a jerk.
Could you elaborate on that, maybe give some specific reasons for your negative appraisal?
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tiltbillings
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Re: Snowden, an American hero

Post by tiltbillings »

manas wrote:
tiltbillings wrote:
manas wrote:http://www.examiner.com/article/edward- ... rican-hero

It is sadly ironic that the U.S. Govt considers Snowden a traitor, when in fact, by spying on their own citizens in a way that goes against not only the spirit but also the letter of the U.S. Constitution itself, it is the Govt who are the traitors, not Snowden. I hope he finds a safe place somewhere, where he won't be found by their agents.

:anjali:
Actually, he is a jerk.
Could you elaborate on that, maybe give some specific reasons for your negative appraisal?
Have seen his interview where he grandiosely claims to have all this knowledge and all this power to wiretap anyone he sees fit (if he wished), including the POTUS?
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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SDC
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Re: Edward Snowden, an American hero

Post by SDC »

"Hero" is just too strong for me to accept. It took guts. There is also the off chance that he is an idiot.
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Re: Edward Snowden, an American hero

Post by DNS »

I'm surprised it is such a big news story. What did the people think the Patriot Act was? Certainly not giving us more freedoms and privacy! The Patriot Act was perhaps the biggest move away from privacy and freedom since the Alien and Sedition Act under Pres. Adams (and then later repealed under Jefferson). I thought it was common knowledge that the government had the power to do these things when Bush took away our freedoms.
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Re: Edward Snowden, an American hero

Post by lyndon taylor »

What's surprising is the Obama administration claiming this level of surveilance is normal, and there's nothing wrong with it, for those of us who supported him, He's turning out to be a big dissapointment.
18 years ago I made one of the most important decisions of my life and entered a local Cambodian Buddhist Temple as a temple boy and, for only 3 weeks, an actual Therevada Buddhist monk. I am not a scholar, great meditator, or authority on Buddhism, but Buddhism is something I love from the Bottom of my heart. It has taught me sobriety, morality, peace, and very importantly that my suffering is optional, and doesn't have to run my life. I hope to give back what little I can to the Buddhist community, sincerely former monk John

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Ben
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Re: Edward Snowden, an American hero

Post by Ben »

In my opinion, I think there are some legitimate and compelling reasons why the US, or for that matter the UK or Australia would engage in surveillance on its own citizens. Without surveillance on its own citizens how could nations neutralize internal terrorist threats or combat well-organized crime?
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Re: Edward Snowden, an American hero

Post by kirk5a »

Ben wrote:In my opinion, I think there are some legitimate and compelling reasons why the US, or for that matter the UK or Australia would engage in surveillance on its own citizens. Without surveillance on its own citizens how could nations neutralize internal terrorist threats or combat well-organized crime?
No government needs to conduct surveillance on all communications, all the time, in secret, based upon secret laws and secret courts, without meaningful oversight, without even informing its citizens that's what it's doing.
"When one thing is practiced & pursued, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises, the conceit 'I am' is abandoned, latent tendencies are uprooted, fetters are abandoned. Which one thing? Mindfulness immersed in the body." -AN 1.230
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Ben
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Re: Edward Snowden, an American hero

Post by Ben »

what secret laws?
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

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kirk5a
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Re: Edward Snowden, an American hero

Post by kirk5a »

"When one thing is practiced & pursued, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises, the conceit 'I am' is abandoned, latent tendencies are uprooted, fetters are abandoned. Which one thing? Mindfulness immersed in the body." -AN 1.230
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Ben
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Re: Edward Snowden, an American hero

Post by Ben »

kirk5a wrote:
Ben wrote:what secret laws?
http://reason.com/blog/2013/06/10/russ- ... secret-leg
oh for gods sake!
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
alan
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Re: Edward Snowden, an American hero

Post by alan »

I'm about as liberal as you can get as far as American politics are concerned, but let's face it--by now, everyone knows electronic media is surveilled.
This guy made a big fuss, wasted his future, and accomplished nothing. Seems more like a loser than a hero.
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