Do criticisms of N.S.A. programs by a presidential panel and a federal judge show that Edward Snowden is a principled whistleblower?
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The revelations have already prompted two federal judges to accuse the N.S.A. of violating the Constitution (although a third, unfortunately, found the dragnet surveillance to be legal). A panel appointed by President Obama issued a powerful indictment of the agency’s invasions of privacy and called for a major overhaul of its operations.
All of this is entirely because of information provided to journalists by Edward Snowden, the former N.S.A. contractor who stole a trove of highly classified documents after he became disillusioned with the agency’s voraciousness. Mr. Snowden is now living in Russia, on the run from American charges of espionage and theft, and he faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life looking over his shoulder.
Considering the enormous value of the information he has revealed, and the abuses he has exposed, Mr. Snowden deserves better than a life of permanent exile, fear and flight. He may have committed a crime to do so, but he has done his country a great service. It is time for the United States to offer Mr. Snowden a plea bargain or some form of clemency that would allow him to return home, face at least substantially reduced punishment in light of his role as a whistle-blower, and have the hope of a life advocating for greater privacy and far stronger oversight of the runaway intelligence community.
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And the latest revelations that they were diverting computers and other electronic devices and then loading them up with malware and malicious devices only amplify Snowden's value in protecting a free society.
There is keen interest here in South Africa in a "public interest" defence against charges of violating national security that would inevitably arise from the draconian "don't say anything nasty about the ANC" law that's been bruited and booted around for the past few years, shambling ever closer to Bethlehem.
Is it not an odd thing to consider that if Mr. Snowden were "Boris the asset" living and working in the old USSR and helping the espionage services of the West, he would be regarded as a hero amongst his spy-masters, even if they did use a walking stick to poke his reward across the desk?
After all, he would be helping the "free world" in its eternal struggle against the forces of totalitarianism that would deny "free speech" and all the other "freedoms" that we enjoy - freedom from government agency intrusion into private lives, subversion of public organizations, surveillance of communications etc. for example
Boot/foot anyone?
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts
Intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden has been elected to the post of student rector at Glasgow University.
The former US National Security Agency contractor fled from his homeland last May after revealing extensive details of internet and phone surveillance.
He is currently staying in Russia where he has temporary asylum.
The rector is the students' elected representative. Mr Snowden succeeds the Liberal Democrat's former leader Charles Kennedy.
Mr Snowden beat three other candidates to the post - cyclist Graeme Obree, author Alan Bissett and Scottish Episcopal clergyman Kelvin Holdsworth.
Previous rectors at the university include Winnie Mandela and Mordechai Vanunu.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
