Snowden Statement, Today, Moscow

[mpohl 1]

Nothing more needs to be said!


These days, I certainly have more respect for Russia, China, and numerous other Latin American countries than I have for the "democratic" US and its European allies.

And I hold passports to both the US and Europe!

P.S.: It used to be that countries spy on each other. But now countries spying on each individual?






"Hello. My name is Ed Snowden. A little over one month ago, I had family, a home in paradise, and I lived in great comfort. I also had the capability without any warrant to search for, seize, and read your communications. Anyone's communications at any time. That is the power to change people's fates.

It is also a serious violation of the law. The 4th and 5th Amendments to the Constitution of my country, Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and numerous statutes and treaties forbid such systems of massive, pervasive surveillance. While the US Constitution marks these programs as illegal, my government argues that secret court rulings, which the world is not permitted to see, somehow legitimize an illegal affair. These rulings simply corrupt the most basic notion of justice - that it must be seen to be done. The immoral cannot be made moral through the use of secret law.

I believe in the principle declared at Nuremberg in 1945: "Individuals have international duties which transcend the national obligations of obedience. Therefore individual citizens have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity from occurring."

Accordingly, I did what I believed right and began a campaign to correct this wrongdoing. I did not seek to enrich myself. I did not seek to sell US secrets. I did not partner with any foreign government to guarantee my safety. Instead, I took what I knew to the public, so what affects all of us can be discussed by all of us in the light of day, and I asked the world for justice.

That moral decision to tell the public about spying that affects all of us has been costly, but it was the right thing to do and I have no regrets.

Since that time, the government and intelligence services of the United States of America have attempted to make an example of me, a warning to all others who might speak out as I have. I have been made stateless and hounded for my act of political expression. The United States Government has placed me on no-fly lists. It demanded Hong Kong return me outside of the framework of its laws, in direct violation of the principle of non-refoulement - the Law of Nations. It has threatened with sanctions countries who would stand up for my human rights and the UN asylum system. It has even taken the unprecedented step of ordering military allies to ground a Latin American president's plane in search for a political refugee. These dangerous escalations represent a threat not just to the dignity of Latin America, but to the basic rights shared by every person, every nation, to live free from persecution, and to seek and enjoy asylum.

Yet even in the face of this historically disproportionate aggression, countries around the world have offered support and asylum. These nations, including Russia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Ecuador have my gratitude and respect for being the first to stand against human rights violations carried out by the powerful rather than the powerless. By refusing to compromise their principles in the face of intimidation, they have earned the respect of the world. It is my intention to travel to each of these countries to extend my personal thanks to their people and leaders.

I announce today my formal acceptance of all offers of support or asylum I have been extended and all others that may be offered in the future. With, for example, the grant of asylum provided by Venezuela's President Maduro, my asylee status is now formal, and no state has a basis by which to limit or interfere with my right to enjoy that asylum. As we have seen, however, some governments in Western European and North American states have demonstrated a willingness to act outside the law, and this behavior persists today. This unlawful threat makes it impossible for me to travel to Latin America and enjoy the asylum granted there in accordance with our shared rights.

This willingness by powerful states to act extra-legally represents a threat to all of us, and must not be allowed to succeed. Accordingly, I ask for your assistance in requesting guarantees of safe passage from the relevant nations in securing my travel to Latin America, as well as requesting asylum in Russia until such time as these states accede to law and my legal travel is permitted. I will be submitting my request to Russia today, and hope it will be accepted favorably.
If you have any questions, I will answer what I can.

Thank you."

[Skyrad 0]

He still annoys me.

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[sfzombie13 324]

this statement is the reason i would stand behind this guy and throw manning to the wolves.

_________________________________________
Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes

[normiss 905]

The part where he was dishonest about his intentions and lied and deceived everyone so as to get the job and gain access to information that IS legally collected only to steal that information and arbitrarily give it away?
Yea, lots of respect there.

He's a liar, a thief, and a traitor. He's also pretty fucking stupid.

He's gonna have a shit sammich the rest of his life.

[Skyrad 0]

sfzombie13

this statement is the reason i would stand behind this guy and throw manning to the wolves.

Because he annoys me???

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[Kennedy 0]

I really wish people would stop using "thief" and "theft" to talk about people accessing copying and disseminating protected information. It is inaccurate. Mention his alleged crimes and/or ethical violations all you want, but stick to the facts. There was no theft, and if he is captured and indicted, there will not be any larceny charge.

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[mpohl 1]

You are just a chimp! Care for a banana?

Skyrad

***this statement is the reason i would stand behind this guy and throw manning to the wolves.

Because he annoys me???

[mpohl 1]

Forget about it...

That's way too advanced an argument.

Kennedy

I really wish people would stop using "thief" and "theft" to talk about people accessing copying and disseminating protected information. It is inaccurate. Mention his alleged crimes and/or ethical violations all you want, but stick to the facts. There was no theft, and if he is captured and indicted, there will not be any larceny charge.

[sfzombie13 324]

he's no traitor, and the more i learn, the more i respect him. he's also no thief, nor is he a liar. he had access to the phone conversations of lots of americans who were not under investigation for anything, and there was damn sure no legally authorize warrant for said information. and i also do believe that i never once accused anyone of doing anything illegal, just unconstitutional.

now, if you are ok with the govt holding onto your phone conversations for years, and trusting that they won't listen to them, then i cannot form a valid argument for that. i however, value the constitution that i swore to protect and defend. i also consider it my duty to have done the same thing that he did had i found the govt wiping their collective asses with it.

terrorists be damned, it is not ok to just do what you want. i would much rather have an attack every single day than have a police state as a country.

and just for the record, a traitor has the intention of harming the country, aka manning (albeit unwittingly, in my opinion). snowden was a true whistleblower, and judging from the shit coming out because of him, it apppears he was a very effective one.

_________________________________________
Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes

[wmw999 2,600]

One of my brothers lives in Brazil, working in a Brazilian company, married to a Brazilian wife, etc. This is huge news there -- because we (the US) do it, we might have warned Europe, but we for damn sure didn't warn any of our other "allies" who weren't "important" enough (note: I'm not using quotes for emphasis, but for irony).

This is important; he's only the means for disseminating something important, and in our Facebook age, it might become less so.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)