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Snowden Joins Twitter, Follows NSA
wiredmikey writes: Edward Snowden joined Twitter Tuesday, picking up more than a quarter of a million followers on the social network in just over two hours. Snowden followed a single Twitter account: the U.S. National Security Agency, from which he stole electronic documents revealing the agency's secret surveillance programs. "Can you hear me now?" he asked in his first tweet, which was quickly resent by Twitter users tens of thousands of times. In his second, Snowden noted the recent news about the planet Mars and then quipped about the difficulty he had finding asylum after the U.S. government fingered him as the source of the NSA leaks. "And now we have water on Mars!" he wrote. "Do you think they check passports at the border? Asking for a friend."
I would probably be sad if I knew that I would never again be able to return home or travel because I had exposed the illegal practices of my government.
SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
Khm, I wonder, why he is not following Kremlin's accounts. Just to, you know, hold Putin accountable...
Just because Russia is worse doesn't mean America isn't bad. If you really want to speak out against the abuses of the Medici, you're going to need the protection of the Borgias first. Hypocritical? Sure. But I'm afraid that's just how Renaissance Italy works.
He was just a low/mid-level analyst who leaked a bunch of shit. Why are people treating him like any sort of authority on anything?
Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
According to most, Snowden did his patriotic duty. You don't even have the sack to post with a registered account, yet you're going to be judge jury and executioner for this man? If even a small fraction of the world had half the courage of this man our collective western society would be much better. Like it used to be.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
> Khm, I wonder, why he is not following Kremlin's accounts.
He gave up his cushy life in paradise - literally paradise - for the freedom of his country and the world. Now you expect him to risk his only refuge to tell us all what we already know? What have you done for the world, chickenhawk?
We know the Russian government is evil, spies on its citizens. We know. Pointing it out continually does not diminish the Orwellian nightmare that the U.S. government has become, or diminish the heroism that was required for Snowden to ever accomplish what he did.
I know you don't care because you're shills, I'm only letting you know that your ad hominem arguments are 100% ineffective and you should move on to something better. Thanks.
Utterly unfounded crap. The actual reason he can't leave is that he would be intercepted extralegally by U.S. agents acting on behalf of an illegitimate rogue government violating its own goddam Constitution.
oh give ma damn break
the CIA director lies to congress, and orders hackers to infiltrate senate intelligence committee computers... and Snowden's the Criminal ?
who do you think is celebrating with our tax dollars, lying about it and getting away with it ?
pathetic.
Not a problem for him. He's not an employee or agent of the Russian government, or doing anything that annoys them. In fact, having him there basically lets Putin thumb his nose at the US, so he's welcome there.
Russia's basically one of those places where you're probably fairly safe, as long as you don't get on the wrong side of anyone who's too powerful.
Can I point out that the NSA is only doing what the current administration tells them to do and that it is President Obama that has not pardoned him and is pushing for his arrest?
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
Of course, he is welcome there — as long as he cooperates with the nose-thumbing and, as you put it, does not annoy Putin (such as, for example, by saying something supportive of Ukraine).
That non-committal statement is true about any country, including even North Korea.
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
The NSA is a tool which can, and has been, used for bad as well as good. They have too much power and too little public accountability. A rifle is similarly a tool. In the right hands it can put food on the table and defend a family. In the wrong hands it can murder and maim innocent people. Here are a few highlights that we know happen, and we have no evidence that anything has changed since the Snowden leaks.
NSA data used in parallel construction allowing fabrication of data to arrest people. Data shared with all levels of law enforcement including state, city, county.
NSA data used to squash dissent and opinions. You know better than cops always being in force exactly where needed to disperse people well before a gathering.
NSA data used to mark US citizens as dangerous because they support the wrong party or organization. See Ron Paul followers in numerous States, and more recently the IRS targeting of certain groups. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Now from what we know, there is plenty we can logically speculate. Think bigger, because the people in power do.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
The far more apt comparison would be of Beria (responsible for millions dead) vs. McCarthy (responsible for dozens laid off). Quantity transcending into quality and all that...
Good point, Putin just kills individuals. The U.S. government destroys whole countries.
I don't understand this argument. It sounds a lot like the bullshit that flows from the mouths of John Kerry about it. No matter what Russia does or does not do to its people, that in no way makes the NSA's behavior lessor or more virtuous. We have a Constitution, we have a body of Legal precedent that establishes protections and we have a common largely shared understanding among the public of what those protections mean and are; the NSA just ignores them and does what it wants anyway.
We are loosing our government by and FOR the people in drips and drabs and the NSA's behavior is a drop in that bucket. Snowden could have done nothing, he could have done his 'job' and added to the problem, or he could do what he did even though it amounts to trying to empty the bucket with a tea spoon. He chose to start bailing at great personal cost to himself. I can only wish I had the balls to do that.
Snowden will very likely never by able to go home again. He will never be truly free again, comfortable maybe but greatly constrained in what he can say and do. He needs the protection of Putin who is purely mercenary. Snowden will always be more constrained than he would have been had he done nothing to shelter us from the infringements that were silently taking place against our liberties.
AND THAT ISN"T GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU! No he hast to be martyr as well for some reason. He does not have a lot of choices, there are not many places or people he can go to with the ability to protect him, let alone the desire or will. Putin is the best of bad choices probably. Will I be disappointed if Snowden starts telling us what a standup guy Vladimir is and how Russia is a shining example of freedom and democracy; yes I would. I will however accept his silence on the matter, as hypercritical. He needs a place to stay, you don't insult the master of the manor when you are guest. Russia's problems are not Snowden's fight, that is fight for the citizens of Russia. Snowden fought for freedom in his country, my country, likely your country. I think 'we' owe him gratitude!
Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
Korea, Vietnam. Korea and Vietnam split because the US invaded the South and interrupted democratic elections. The US invaded sovereign countries who didn't want help, and prevented democracy. Multiple times. That should meet your definition.
Learn to love Alaska
Yes, mi is a strange fruit indeed, but he does seem more intelligent than the average conservative (or whatever he is) so it's a bit more fun to argue with him.
The US has a long history of backing guerrillas to topple dictators, just to install new dictators that they can eventually defame and then repeat the entire cycle again. ISIS is really doing America's work with American weapons. http://stormcloudsgathering.co...
It's much easier to digest the depressing headlines about ISIS atrocities when you admit that everything is going exactly to plan... they're there to kick up a lot of dirt in the desert and wreak havoc there to keep the brown people down. And it's working, we enjoy a much better quality of life here than in the rest of the world, so we can take some comfort in that.
You could argue that just about everything the US has accomplished lately has been to counter whatever Russia was doing. The US / UK entered WWII when they did not to save Europe from Hitler, but from Stalin. The Space Race. "In God We Trust" printed on monies starting in 1956 to distance ourselves from the atheist commies.
But I guess whatever proxy conflicts we have now beats the socks out of whatever the world would be like if the US and USSR actually cooperated to rule the world.
I vote that you move to somewhere where your money won't be taken from you by the government.
Snowden traded the US for Russia.
You make it sound like Snowden traded in his used car. NO; he landed in Russia after being denied asylum in Hong Kong. And his asylum there is supposedly temporary, although I'm sure it tickles Putin no end to have him there. As for money in our political system, I certainly agree with you, I'm kind of warming up to this notion of publicly funding campaigns to keep special interests at bay (somewhat), but Snowden's alarums are certainly valid, earnest, and shocking, imo.
Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
Here is the problem:
I agree, that they are dangerous, but I'm not aware of anybody actually suffering because of them without deserving it.
If the Justice system is being bypassed, how can you claim that someone deserved suffering exactly? You don't see the Justice system being bypassed as infringing on Liberty? In your mind this is somehow not violating the US Constitution?
The rest of your comments I will summarize as this. The fact that you believe every turd painted gold has great value is rather frightening. To be very specific here is another great quote from you.
"parallel construction" helps police lie about how they knew of the accused's wrong-doing, but the target must be engaged in some criminality in the first place.
So you know damn well they are liars. You know that they are telling the truth about their lies how exactly?
Sorry, but I live in a very different reality than you. Where I am from, a liar is a liar and not a half-truth-teller or however you wish to paint it.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
Secondly, Russia is NOT his choice, moreover not Putin's evil plan to adopt him. (Julian Assange confirmed it's his plan, that he thought Russia is the safest place for Snowden).
Assange was right, proof:
http://www.wired.com/2014/08/e...
The story, by Greg Miller, recounts daily meetings with senior officials from the FBI, CIA, and State Department, all desperately trying to come up with ways to capture Snowden. One official told Miller: “We were hoping he was going to be stupid enough to get on some kind of airplane, and then have an ally say: ‘You’re in our airspace. Land.’ ” He wasn’t. And since he disappeared into Russia, the US seems to have lost all trace of him.
Thirdly, because of outside CIS reader can't read Russian, the MSM can spin story likely: 'suspected Russian submarine' crashed Irish fishing boat in May and silently revealed in September it is really the Royal Navy one (of course without apology).
... I can't confirm when I don't read Russian.
How to write a propaganda piece on Russia (RT)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Fourthly, yes Russians are not smart enough to use 'creative propaganda' (misleading headline, hit-n-run stories, redirected tactics, buried 'harmful' article under tons of entertainment stories...), but compare to Ukraine:
TheMoscowTimes, Novaya Gazeta (have English version) are explicitly against government, their articles are mostly in this direction, there is no 'positive' news. There Echo, NEWS.ru
Compare to Ukraine, the Kiyvtimes, was actively against Yanukovich, now actively support the government (surprised!?). The opposition journalists, politicians of Ukraine were kills (about 6-7 of them) in bloody week not long after the death of Nemtsov.
The western medias not interested in this story, if they reported, they did not forget to add the story of Nemtsov beside these.
http://www.theguardian.com/wor...
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/...
http://www.rt.com/news/250245-...
or beaten, force head of National TV to resign. (RT had some transcript):
http://www.rt.com/news/ukraine...
The MP in the video, Igor Miroshnichenko, is a member of the new parliamentary committee on freedom of speech.
http://www.theguardian.com/wor...
Klitschko said that the prosecutor general, who is also from Svoboda, should launch an open and transparent investigation into the incident
Igor Miroshnichenko is still strong and healthy. (searching for Ukraine rada fighting in Youtube)
Recently, Ukraine ban 'pro-Russian' from European countries (later lifted the ban, EU journalists only), but if this is Russia, the reaction must be different:
http://www.theguardian.com/wor...
But my point remains — NSA has not been used to actually harm innocents
My point remains -- this is pure speculation which can not be proven. Knowing the heads of the agency have perjured themselves, I don't trust any claim made by those same people.
Once again, You have stated that they have acted illegally and lied, but you then claim they have not done anything against innocents. I am pretty sure this is called speaking out of both sides of your mouth, and if you really believe it it's called delusion.
Don't get me wrong on that either. I'm not saying we have proof that they have harmed innocent people, I'm saying that their known illegal behavior makes any claim of altruism extremely suspicious and doubtful
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
The US went due to a stupid agreement with France ... the US had ridiculous nightmares about communists taking over the world.
I've read the stories of one of member of Deer Team of OSS sent to help Viet Minh, under Ho Chi Minh.
Why Vietnam?: Prelude to America's Albatross by Archimedes L.A. Patti
That said, he, Ho Chi Minh, love U.S.A (he was here, when he was finding 'way to liberate the country', he may like the 'freedom' breath he felt there). He considered U.S.A was the symbol of country against colonialism. He must be good friend with U.S.A.
But, U.S.A don't want 'good friend', they need some one they can control, like Dr. Hämsterviel in Lilo and Stich:
Your minions shouldn't like you. They only need to fear you!
No, it's not 'stupid', or 'ridiculous' decision, it's careful planned: to control the resources:
http://users.humboldt.edu/ogay...
Communist control of Southeast Asia would give Americans control over "strategically important commodities" like natural rubber, tin, coal, iron ore, and oil.
Communist control over Vietnam's rich rice fields and Japan's dependence upon rice would make it extremely difficult to prevent Japan's eventual capitulation to Communism.
Communism was just the bogeyman at that time. Just like 'terrorism', 'dictators' today.
But, what if Ho Chi Minh was puppet of U.S.A, the history must be different. He should be king of Saudi Arabia, instead of Assad/Syria, or Iran.
Why do you fucks keep repeating this tired and debunked talking point? Snowden never chose Russia as his destination. The United States revoked his passport while he was in transit, thus stranding him there.
Maybe you should ask why the United States blundered so terribly to allow Snowden to become a chess piece for Putin that allows him to so brazenly thumb his nose at the US. But you won't ask this, and nobody else who repeats these talking points ever asks this, because it correctly assigns blame where it belongs: the US officials who stranded him there.
It's a beautiful country where the government is not able to stop the enterprising population from pursing happiness by becoming a pirate, having adventures and uncovering booty at the sea. All you need is a ship, lots of guns and men with little to no morals - all of which are very easy to find in this real libertarian paradise. The best of all: when you make it big (and you will) the government will take not one gold bullion from you. You get to keep all the fruits of your work, minus the Do Not Cut My Throat While I'm Asleep fee for the local warlord, which is a very good service and so cheap that the warlord is almost cutting his own throat by offering it.
McCarthy didn't kill anyone. Beria sent his enemies to death camps.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
I suspect that, if you were to research it, you'd find that the majority of the population would want Snowden to stand trial and serve time. He is a fugitive, and is not a criminal only in the sense that he hasn't been convicted.
I believe that most Slashdotters want him exonerated (I do, and like everybody else I extrapolate from one data point), but we're not a representative sample of the US population.
"When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
He lives in Russia now and remains very useful to Putin.
Because I estimate the correlation between people voting for "wealth-spreading" and those mongering the fear of the NSA as above 90%. All of them are either self-inconsistent fools or two-faced scumbags.
No, I'm saying, the IRS is already doing that. NSA's worst offence so far was providing other agencies (local and Federal) with information about real crimes — and freedom-loving Americans are outraged over those other police then lying to conceal the spies' involvement. Some day such lying may evolve and lead to innocent people being framed. But it is yet to happen — so far there aren't even any allegations of anybody being framed with NSA's involvement.
But the IRS is already open and brazen about confiscating your monies on mere suspicion and target opposition-supporters for audits and other prosecution.
Had Snowden escaped from the IRS, you would've had a point.
Well, if your house were on fire, would you concentrate on putting it out, or will you also continue thinking of the danger of an air-plane falling on it some day? The focus ought to be on the clear-and-present threats, not the hypothetical ones from the future. Moreover, significantly reducing the taxation will also reduce the threat of NSA — by lowering the amounts of money at the government's disposal, you make it less attractive for assholes, who would abuse NSA (or any other agency) to remain in power the way they already use the IRS.
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.