Edward Snowden....what do you think?

[Mabs]

tbh countries should choose their leaders from who wants to have the job the least rather than the most.

like the greek system that worked like jury duty ? but then what would these wasters do if they couldnt fuck stuff up for a few years then write a book and go on tour ?

 

[TdC]

prolly become senior management and get phat lewt for fucking up and then leaving.

 

[Ctuchik]

like the greek system that worked like jury duty ? but then what would these wasters do if they couldnt fuck stuff up for a few years then write a book and go on tour ?

Did anyone read David Eddings Tamuli series? Remember how they did it on the island of Tega?

Basically being elected could be seen as a punishment because if the country didn't prosper (and raising taxes was impossible) you would lose everything you owned (assets being frozen once you were suggested for an office). If you did well and the country prospered you'd get everything back and a big bonus, if the country didn't go well you had nothing to go home to once your elected term ended.

And you could only be elected once, no matter how well you did your job.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Has someone made the "You know nothing Snowden" joke yet?

 

[rynnor]

Fixed.

I don't know him well enough to decide if he's in on it or just a mouthpiece who says whatever he's told to while surrounded by a host of advisors.

I have observed whatever people say before they become President/PM etc. they very quickly become part of the establishment in mindset.

 

[fettoken]

prolly become senior management and get phat lewt for fucking up and then leaving.

I want the phat lewt.

 

[Hawkwind]

at the end of the day the NSA were lying to congress about the breadth of the program, he pointed that out and is now somehow a traitor. Doesn't quite stack up for me.

If he had reported it to Senate Committee members fair enough - instead he went the book/film deal route. No sympathy for this guy at all. He took a path fully knowing the consequence.

 

[Mabs]

If he had reported it to Senate Committee members fair enough - instead he went the book/film deal route. No sympathy for this guy at all. He took a path fully knowing the consequence.

yea, except not at all

you think pissing off the american establishment is funsies and frolickment ?

 

[caLLous]

If he had reported it to Senate Committee members fair enough - instead he went the book/film deal route. No sympathy for this guy at all. He took a path fully knowing the consequence.

If he had done the former you don't think the government would've swept it under the carpet and disappeared him? He chose the route that would get the information into the public domain and open up discussions about this travesty. I don't recall him asking for your sympathy, either. Of course he knew the consequences, that's probably why he did it all from the other side of the world...

 

[TdC]

Tbh if you're going to piss off a government -ANY- government, then you're going to have to have some serious keep-alive measures in place. Given the US is turning into a pretty dodgy place for politics, wiretapping and general spying, we are only commenting on what we have been allowed to see via the *cough* media. Read about Watergate on wikipedia if you want some really bald faced lies and maneuvering, and once again...that's the one that was exposed -and the Preseident of the time Nixon looked the nation in the eye and said it wasn't me.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTbgsoHDc24

 

[caLLous]

The NSA is turning the internet into a total surveillance system

Arseholes.

 

[Ctuchik]

Of course he knew the consequences, that's probably why he did it all from the other side of the world...

He knew the consequences for HIM PERSONALLY.

He couldn't even begin to understand the consequences for everyone else involved.

 

[DaGaffer]

He knew the consequences for HIM PERSONALLY.

He couldn't even begin to understand the consequences for everyone else involved.

What "everyone else involved"? Anyone on the NSA side? Yeah, fuck them. Anyone in the US government? Yeah, fuck them too. They broke the law.

 

[Ctuchik]

What "everyone else involved"? Anyone on the NSA side? Yeah, fuck them. Anyone in the US government? Yeah, fuck them too. They broke the law.

Yes the bosses probably knew that, but all of their employees? Most of them probably didn't have a fucking clue and only did what they were told.

USA would keep secrets from itself if they knew how to. So don't assume EVERYONE is guilty here.

 

[Scouse]

Most of them probably didn't have a fucking clue and only did what they were told.

Sorry to bring it up, but that line of thinking is exactly the line of thinking that let the germans burn people alive with the complicity of the general public.

"I was only doing what I was told" is the excuse of someone who deserves everything they get.

 

[DaGaffer]

Yes the bosses probably knew that, but all of their employees? Most of them probably didn't have a fucking clue and only did what they were told.

USA would keep secrets from itself if they knew how to. So don't assume EVERYONE is guilty here.

Sorry, a. that doesn't matter, and b. I don't believe employees didn't know anyway (at least, not the actual PRISM users), the NSA is hardly known for recruiting morons. Besides, going back to the original point about consequences, no-one has been fired, no-one has had charges raised against them, in fact the USGov has basically turned around and said "fuck you" to everyone, so I really don't know how Snowden's revelations have materially affected anyone (yet), apart from his poor girlfriend, who he seems to have kept in the dark until he did his flit to Hong Kong.

 

[TdC]

in fact the USGov has basically turned around and said "fuck you" to everyone

this tbh. even though they were exposed they said "Snowdon is a traitorous cunt", played the heavy on countries contemplating helping him and also said "oh, yeah, fuck all y'all, hear?". imo their major issue is that spying on others is well and good, but spying on themselves is very low and reveals that they certainly are not the land of the free. America has fuck all to do with freedom these days.

 

[caLLous]

Hah, now America is trying to make Bitcoin a real, regulated currency because they love it so mu - oh no, wait, it's because they're dicks and they want to control everything.

 

[TdC]

http://www.salon.com/2013/08/16/how_to_trap_a_whistleblower/

 

[caLLous]

Feds Threaten To Arrest Lavabit Founder For Shutting Down His Service

Cuuuuuuuuunts.

 

[TdC]

scary laws is scary (and clearly open to abuse)

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/2013/aug/19/glenn-greenwald-partner-detained-live-reaction

 

[rynnor]

scary laws is scary (and clearly open to abuse)

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/2013/aug/19/glenn-greenwald-partner-detained-live-reaction

Its not open to abuse - it was created for abuse - passed in a climate of fear. Boy it's great the kind of crazy laws you can pass when you whip up the ole fear - mmmm

 

[TdC]

you're correct Rynnor, I worded that badly.

 

[Wij]

Its not open to abuse - it was created for abuse - passed in a climate of fear. Boy it's great the kind of crazy laws you can pass when you whip up the ole fear - mmmm

Actually those laws were created in 2000, before 9/11.

Section 7 is open to abuse though as they don't need to even say they suspect, let alone prove why they suspect, terrorism involvement.

 

[rynnor]

Actually those laws were created in 2000, before 9/11.

Section 7 is open to abuse though as they don't need to even say they suspect, let alone prove why they suspect, terrorism involvement.

I didn't mention 9/11 - politicians have been using fear for a long time - I would suggest 1994 as a watershed when the first 'Criminial Justice and Public Order Act' came in and we lost the centuries old right to remain silent.

That act also gave police more stop and search powers (which were abused), rights to take DNA samples (abused), restricted the right to protest and added new laws to tackle raves.

Ever since then there's been a continual drip, drip erosion of our rights.

 

[Deebs]

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/19/david-miranda-schedule7-danger-reporters

 

[Chilly]

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/19/david-miranda-schedule7-danger-reporters

wtf are you doing posting on your own forum? Havnt you died or something?

 

[Deebs]

wtf are you doing posting on your own forum? Havnt you died or something?

I am an AI and therefore my posts will be more intelligent than the real Deebs normally posts.

 

[Hawkwind]

Quite shocking, they held him for the max time allowed, 9 hours. Will be interesting to see if the Home Office makes any comment today, opposition are asking if he knew or had anything to do with it.

 

[rynnor]

Quite shocking, they held him for the max time allowed, 9 hours. Will be interesting to see if the Home Office makes any comment today, opposition are asking if he knew or had anything to do with it.

It makes perfect sense - its the max they could do with no actual grounds to stop him.