I do not often agree with the New York Times editorial board. But when it comes to Edward Snowden, the editorial board took a correct position in 2014 and again today.
JAN. 1, 2014: Edward Snowden, Whistle-Blower.
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.
JAN. 18, 2017: President Obama’s Last Chance to Show Mercy
President Obama did the right thing in granting clemency to Chelsea Manning, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking huge amounts of classified information about American diplomatic and military activities in 2010. Ms. Manning, who has served nearly seven years, is to be released on May 17.
Of course, it was Mr. Obama’s overly aggressive Justice Department that sought, and in 2013 won, that absurdly long sentence in the first place. The average sentence for those convicted of leaking classified material is one to three years.
No similar mercy, so far, for Edward Snowden, the former intelligence contractor who leaked top-secret information about vast government surveillance programs and now lives as a fugitive in Russia. A White House official said the documents Mr. Snowden revealed were “far more serious and far more dangerous” than Ms. Manning’s. But like Ms. Manning, Mr. Snowden acted in the spirit of a whistle-blower. His disclosures led to significant debate and reforms. He should be offered at least a plea agreement that would allow him to return home.
At Least a Plea Bargain
That describes how I best feel, but a plea bargain with no more than a one year sentence that counts time in exile would suffice.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
in my view Snowden deserves the same treatment as Elsberg. That he does not is simply a reflection of changing attitudes and personal politics.
snowden deserves a pardon. not manning.
Snowden deserves the Medal of Freedom for extreme bravery and service.
Snowden warned us about this, now it has happened:
Under the terms of the changes – which were signed off by outgoing US spymaster James Clapper and the Attorney General Loretta Lynch – the NSA can now pass on intercepted information to the other 15 organizations that make up the US intelligence community. Those 15 members are:
Air Force Intelligence, Army Intelligence, the CIA, Coast Guard Intelligence, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, Marine Corps Intelligence, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, and Navy Intelligence.
The collected information can include any data slurped on a foreign national, including internet activity, files, phone calls, satellite messages and faxes. It applies to communications that take place outside the US and any traffic that passes within US borders.
US citizens can have their data surveilled in the same way on the authorization of the Attorney General, the Director of the NSA, or the head of the recipient intelligence body – or a high-level designee.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/01/12/obama_nsa_sigint_fbi_dea/
“Snowden warned us about this, now it has happened.”
So, WHAT did he actually accomplish other than giving away our entire “spy” playbook to our adversaries?
That’s part of my point – the NON-SELECTIVE BULK RELEASE of EXTREMELY classified materials DON’T make someone a “hero” and, in the end, accomplish nothing positive for US citizens compared to the potential harm done. Black World programs seen as essential or they wouldn’t have existed in the first place will simply continue under different names and/or via different means and YOU AND I WILL NEVER KNOW ABOUT IT. Neither will Congressional oversight committees:
DAVIS: Is there anything you could do in your position as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee to find answers about this, if it is in fact going on?
ROCKEFELLER: Don’t you understand the way Intelligence works? Do you think that because I’m Chairman of the Intelligence Committee that I just say I want it, and they give it to me? They control it. All of it. ALL of it. ALL THE TIME. I only get – and my committee only gets – what they WANT to give me.
There’s a MP3 of that which I won’t bother to link to… again.
“YOU AND I WILL NEVER KNOW ABOUT IT”
To which I will add that, even if we did, we couldn’t effectively do anything about it any more than we can change the garbage economic dogma being used to drive the world economies over a cliff. That’s why I believe Snowden effectively accomplished absolutely nothing positive unless giving people something to bitch about is positive.
“So, WHAT did he actually accomplish other than giving away our entire “spy” playbook to our adversaries?”
He gave US insights into the spy playbook of our main adversary.
If that’s not obvious, you really need to sit down and parttake in a bout of de-indoctrination.
Wolf and sheep are not some form of united, kumbaya “we,” just because they happen to be stuck on the same continent. There are people out there spying on you and me. Snowden gave us, or at least me, a better understanding of how at least some of them do that. Ergo, Snowden did me a favor. I’m not particularly atypical in that respect, as far as residents of the US is concerned.
The Deep State will decide Snowden’s punishment. Bizarrely hypocritical, schizophrenic, of the NYTimes to confront the Deep State on this one individual matter when they embrace its core characteristics.
Then again, the nature of doublethink is the ability to consider two diametrically-opposed ideas and believe both to be true simultaneously.
Snowden is the real deal.
He had it all and sacrificed it in the name of freedom. And for it he lost his.
Snowden should have been first in line for a pardon. Assange #2. Manning #3.
Not surprised in the least that Obama pardoned Manning and ignored Snowden and Assange.
Connect the dots.
Manning is LBGT, Snowden is not. That’s Obama.
I’m pretty sure Assange is being “investigated” by US authorities, but not charged with anything. Sweden charged him with rape, but the 2 women accusers now say they were coerced into the accusations. They now say it was consensual. Nonetheless the Swede prosecutor (persecutor?) refuses to dismiss charges.
Recently I saw a story on Snowden that said he never released much of the information he got. Some people say Snowden endangered lives but I have never seen an example of that. If anyone can show that Snowden endangered lives I would like to know it.
Assange has never been charged – simply accused, big difference.
Get it right!
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/01/julian-assange-not-charged-anything/
But we know that Assange would be charged and prosecuted if America got its hands on him. And if Assange was extradited to Sweden the swedes would turn him over to American authorities in a heartbeat. We know that too.
There was discussion that Obama could’ve preemptively pardoned Hillary before he left office even though she hasn’t been charged with a crime to preclude prosecution down the line. He could’ve done the same for Assange.
This is absolutely hilarious and, actually, groundbreaking! Snowden, Manning, and Assange are all mentioned along with a classic for all time on-the-air fake news FORCED reveal and ADMISSION by the PERP of a fake story and web site that was recently carried by MSM outlets as real news. He was eventually enticed by Tucker Carlson to finally admit it, I think, because Tucker appealed to his ego by complimenting his acting/BS skills. He also admits WHY he did it (to illustrate mainstream media gullibility and, therefore, its BAD “journalism”). I just learned of this via the latest always outstanding Ben Shapiro podcast (love the Andrew Klavan podcasts, too.)
Iceland in 16 Days: Day 10, North Iceland, Sauðárkrókur
https://mishmoments.com/2017/01/19/iceland-in-16-days-day-10-north-iceland-saudarkrokur/
Here’s some scary photograghy tech:
You don’t tug on superman so cape, you don’t spit in the wind. Cross those in power and you pay the price. Let’s pardon all draft dodgers, whistleblowers and anarchists. Such people are harshly punished because they cross those in power. They are examples to others to not do the same thing. It has been this way since the beginning of governments. They are lucky. Two hundred years ago they would be shot or hung very quickly.
The law is supposed to protect those who rat out the government for illegal activities.
If the government doesn’t like their own law they should work to change it. Until then they should honor and obey it.
At least that’s what the authorities tell us when we complain about unjust laws.
I guess it doesn’t work both ways.
Exactly. They give us the law to keep them honest. It is to make us think things are fair. The law is for us, not the government. Pull back the curtain, reveal their hypocrisy, you pay the price.
Does Snowden even want to come back? If I were young I would consider emigrating seeing what a police state the US has become. Only a total revolution can help this country….. I think it’s true that we will go anywhere in the world and do whatever we please to anyone in our efforts to control oil and economic expansion. We’ve pushed the limits of monetary expansion until we are trillions of dollars in debt…. is this of no consequence? Instead of the bankers losing their heads in the 2008 financial collapse they are rewarded with all the money they could want. The world is upside down…… 1% of the population controls the money and the country… what a disgrace.
Some of the comments above are a little sad.
I am sure we all believe in wanting the best for our nations and preserve personal freedoms, lifestyle etc. I doubt we would be reading Mish’s Blog if this was not the case.
Is Whistleblowing not the only way we have left to ensure the general public is aware of developments and that Governments are kept (slightly) in check? These revelations may (or may not) come at a price, the question is, is it a price worth paying? For me it is definitely YES.
We are expected to make sacrifices all the time for some perceived or real (security or other) risk; rapidly eroding our freedoms. We will never be able to secure everything so how about securing (relatively) nothing!
Instead of eavesdropping and reducing our freedoms (and always chasing after the next gap in security) we should revisit our foreign policy!
Ugly choices, but choices we need to make. Patriotism is great, but surely not for the sake of it at the expense of the people?
Hey Ragingfury, I totally agree with your points. All but patriotism. IMO when you think about it, patriotism is just one more silly emotion the Powers That Be use against us. Speaking in general terms, they certainly aren’t truly patriotic and don’t give a damn about us deplorables or about government of the people, by the people and for the people. Patriotism is why false flags work to get the American sheeple gung-ho about getting involved in foreign wars and entanglements. Because it is an emotion, patriotism often prevents us from thinking clearly, logically, and critically Therefore, I shun what passes for patriotism these days. I don’t feel a need to define myself by what country my mother happened to be in when I was born. I’ve been in 35+ countries and they all have something good to offer. Because of the actions of our government over my entire lifetime, the concept of America is just an embarrassment at this point. It no longer resembles very much of anything that my ancestors fought for in 1776. If Thomas Jefferson came back today his only comment would be, “WTF??!!”
Patriotism is the love of the land, the people and their customs.
It has nothing to do with the rabid nationalism promulgated by the political filth.
Add whoever hacked the DNC to your list. B Burdick
I don’t think Seth Rich was ever charged with a crime, or has any need of a pardon.