Ed Snowden.
A squirrely cross between Carmen San Diego and Waldo…
Where in the world IS Ed Snowden??
He WAS in Hawaii before he hightailed it to Hong Kong.
It was while he was IN Hong Kong that his hybrid leak of national security secrets and whistle-blowing regarding the NSA and their spying on ALL Americans became public knowledge. He gave a Q and A via the internet during his 2 week stay in the People’s Republic of China and then, boarded a plane for Moscow.
Supposedly flanked by Wikileaks lawyers and advisers, Snowden landed in Russia for a layover on what everyone believed was a run for Ecuador but, alas, the plane bound for a South American country not friendly to the United States left Russia with HIS seat empty.
So…Now we are left with a few questions…
Where IS Ed Snowden and, is he a traitor or a hero?
Let’s take the 2nd question first.
Had Snowden simply blown the whistle regarding NSA spying on Americans, via whistle-blower channels, contacting a Member of Congress or an Inspector General…Ed Snowden would be a hero, no further questions asked.
He did NOT do that.
Snowden chose instead, to STEAL National Security classified information not only regarding the spying on Americans but, related to our covert activities against our enemies. Enemies like the terrorists we must fight and diplomatic “enemies” who we need to keep a “Trust but Verify” eye on constantly.
SO FAR, Snowden hasn’t released any real bombshells regarding the top secret stuff but, he HAS released enough generalities to alert many of our most dangerous enemies and they have, in turn, changed some of their tactics.
Had Ed Snowden sat tight and faced the music for stealing that which did not belong to him he would have been a hero but, again, he chose not to do that either.
Hong Kong? As HK is part of the people’s republic of China and China has, for some time, been hacking American cyber systems while NOT being considered a bastion of freedom, liberty or human rights, and because we’ve been watching China VERY closely, spying on them as they spy on US, Snowden’s run to Hong Kong is HIGHLY suspicious especially considering what he claims to have.
Russia?
See the above description regarding Hong Kong.
Heroes don’t run.
Snowden is no hero but, is he a traitor? Not yet. At least not in the strictest sense of definition of the word but, clearly, he is engaged in things over his head because China and Russia are places where spies run to hide. They are not places where whistle-blowers vacation.
So…Where IS Ed Snowden?
Presumably, still in Russia and THAT country most likely wants some of what he’s toting around before they let him leave. They want some or…ALL of what’s on his thumb drive but, if they get ANY of it, has Snowden become a traitor?
That all depends on what he has regarding our enemies in a time of war.
Right now, Ed Snowden is wanted by the United States for espionage. Theft and quite possibly many other crimes are yet to become official charges and his passport has been revoked while official demands have been made and ignored for his extradition.
This brings up a 3rd question.
Does the United States REALLY want this guy back?
Ed Snowden may be a lot of things but, stump stupid isn’t one of them. That thumb drive, wherever it might be and if it really exists, is his bargaining chip but you know it’s gone from bad to worse for this administration when they trot out the pot, John Kerry, to call the kettle, Ed Snowden, a traitor.
Espionage, so far, the only official charge against Snowden, is a very hard case to prove and my not even hold Constitutional water as the Espionage Act of 1917, was a TEMPORARY law enacted during WWI and has been overturned by the supreme court since.
In fact, NOBODY has been charged, successfully, with espionage SINCE WWI and should the government actually go to trial against Snowden, the Pentagon Papers case would compel the GOVERNMENT to make PUBLIC everything THEY claim that SNOWDEN has stolen. At THAT point…Who’s the REAL leaker of secrets???
There can be little doubt that, if Snowden didn’t know this already, he’s been advised OF it by Wikileaks attorneys who are, reportedly, advising him and this administration knows it too.
Considering what else he has done to this point, theft of classified documents and data, and given that any trial in the U.S. would be before a jury of his piers rather than a military, Brad Manning style trial, there really isn’t that much for Snowden to fear in returning TO the U.S. but…
IF, and it’s a big IF, we DO get him back, his trial will be THE biggest trial in DECADES and ALL of Snowden’s secrets regarding NSA spying on AMERICANS will go as public as his charges for revealing secrets regarding our spying on ENEMIES.
That would be bad…VERY bad, for “the most transparent administration” in history.
Our enemies, diplomatic and otherwise know, full well, that we spy on them and, as far as we know, that is the only thing Snowden has revealed thus far.
That and the fact that no country, enemy or ally, has any respect for the United States after 4 plus years of Obama’s reign.
It’s what he might know regarding the NSA spying on AMERICANS that is of pants wetting interest to THIS administration.
Obama and his ilk want this guy back, at least for now, for purely political reasons and, if we DO get Snowden back, any trial, for the reasons stated above, will be slow-walked to the point that our GRANDCHILDREN will be watching it instead of US and that will inevitably lead to MORE questions regarding this corrupt administration.
Make no mistake, It ain’t Snowden that OUR government wants back…It’s the thumb drive.
And finally, what’s in this for Occupy Commie Countries’ Man of the Year??
A life lived in freedom? Certainly not if he continues to seek asylum in a parade of communist or socialist countries where he won’t even have unfettered internet access.
Standing on ethics?
No again. Had he wanted the ethical high ground, he would have never fled the country.
What it seems Ed Snowden really wants, is infamy. Notoriety is the opiate of the narcissist and Snowden is getting more ink than the Birdman. He’s not just IN the headlines…Snowden IS the headlines.
He wants, desperately, to be the smartest kid in class and the fact that he is a high school dropout could be a big part of this. He may well see himself as some sort of “intellectual” Jason Bourne with spies from every anti-U.S. government chasing him and the Obama administration trying to bring him in.
Snowden, it seems, was tired of being the 3rd rate NSA contract worker in the 15th cubical on room D. He wanted to get noticed. He wanted people to take him seriously and he was willing to do ANYTHING to be the top story at 5 and 10.
In the grand scheme of things however, Snowden is little more than a direct to video D list movie staring nobody you’ve ever heard of.
One wonders how the weasel, Snowden, feels now that he’s competing for the top trending Twitter spot with Paula Deen.
Probably a lot like the puppet, Obama, feels having his strings pulled by Putin.
I’m sure I’ll garner some unsavory remarks but it’s my opinion and I’m entitled to it.. No one has a moral high ground here.. we have a fascist dickTATOR in the white house and anything anyone can do to stick it to him is alright with me.. china and russia know everything we do anyway so Snowden didn’t tell them anything they was news.. the liberals will refuse to believe that this administration would/could do anything it’s accuse of or just plain doesn’t care as long as ‘their’ guy wins…and conservatives don’t doubt anything the snake does or is accused of.. I think Snowden did the country a favor in regard to putting it ‘in your face’ all the crap the white house tries to sneak under the radar.. I hope he is happy and safe in a country that wants to stick it to obama as much as a VERY large majority of the US wants to.. In my book, he’s not traitor.. a traitor is a man who leaves innocent American’s to die on foreign soil when they are begging for help.. a man and his evil wife who spends millions of taxpayer dollars on vacations and playing golf..a man who goes to other countries and apologizes for America. A man who bows to terrorists, employs them in the white house and is holding an office that he is NOT entitled to… that is a traitor to the American people.. jmho..
Not that it’s important, but it’s Carmen Sandiego.