CougarCorner

Re: Snowden

2016-09-26T12:46:50-06:00

He's a traitor who needs to be hung from the neck until dead.
T If he wanted to accomplish what he wanted to, there were better ways to accomplish it. T
I want to believe this is true but I don't think it is. I just don't believe the government running a secret program that has since been shown to have been legally overstepping its bounds would have reformed itself without the public knowing anything. No motivation for government to let go of power in that situation.
I understand that sentiment. Having done some work with the NSA back in the day, I just couldn't see my supervisors and leadership refusing to listen to me if I had the concerns he did. Granted, I didn't work on the projects or programs he did, but from my experience, my leadership took protecting the rights of Americans seriously. I think they 1) would have listened to me, 2) tried to assuage my concerns, 3) gone with me to the next higher level with my concerns if I didn't feel it was resolved.

And then 4) nothing would have changed.

The change needed to happen. Snowden picked a way that would lead to that change.

Truth is treason in our society.

Statistics: Posted by jvquarterback — Mon Sep 26, 2016 12:46 pm

Re: Snowden

2016-09-22T15:14:21-06:00

He's a traitor who needs to be hung from the neck until dead.
T If he wanted to accomplish what he wanted to, there were better ways to accomplish it. T
I want to believe this is true but I don't think it is. I just don't believe the government running a secret program that has since been shown to have been legally overstepping its bounds would have reformed itself without the public knowing anything. No motivation for government to let go of power in that situation.

I understand that sentiment. Having done some work with the NSA back in the day, I just couldn't see my supervisors and leadership refusing to listen to me if I had the concerns he did. Granted, I didn't work on the projects or programs he did, but from my experience, my leadership took protecting the rights of Americans seriously. I think they 1) would have listened to me, 2) tried to assuage my concerns, 3) gone with me to the next higher level with my concerns if I didn't feel it was resolved.

But he could have reported it to the IG, written his congressman, etc. There are proper channels.

Agreed. There are proper ways he could have gone about it. And guess what, going to the IG or Congress would probably have a better chance of fixing those programs than going to the Russians. Just my guess, but I don't think Putin can affect NSA policy that much.

Statistics: Posted by SpiffCoug — Thu Sep 22, 2016 3:14 pm

Re: Snowden

2016-09-22T15:15:10-06:00

But he could have reported it to the IG, written his congressman, etc. There are proper channels.

He wasn't the first one to have questions and problems with what was going on and who did try to use those channels. Nothing happened. It wasn't until after Snowden that Congress knew anything and grilled the NSA about it in their hearings. And the response from the NSA I think was pretty embarrassing as they were later proven not to have been truthful in their answers to Congress. Secret power usually corrupts even if the original intent may not have been so bad.

Statistics: Posted by BlueK — Thu Sep 22, 2016 3:11 pm

Re: Snowden

2016-09-22T15:08:36-06:00

But he could have reported it to the IG, written his congressman, etc. There are proper channels.

Statistics: Posted by Cougarfan87 — Thu Sep 22, 2016 3:08 pm

Re: Snowden

2016-09-22T15:09:27-06:00

He's a traitor who needs to be hung from the neck until dead.
T If he wanted to accomplish what he wanted to, there were better ways to accomplish it. T

I want to believe this is true but I don't think it is. I just don't believe the government running a secret program that has since been shown to have been legally overstepping its bounds would have reformed itself without the public knowing anything. No motivation for government to let go of power in that situation.

Statistics: Posted by BlueK — Thu Sep 22, 2016 3:05 pm

Re: Snowden

2016-09-22T14:58:49-06:00

He's a traitor who needs to be hung from the neck until dead.
To be accurate, he needs to hanged. People are hanged, pictures are hung.

Maybe you are not hung....

What kind of pictures do you have at your place?

Statistics: Posted by snoscythe — Thu Sep 22, 2016 2:58 pm

Re: Snowden

2016-09-22T14:45:18-06:00

He's a traitor who needs to be hung from the neck until dead.

To be accurate, he needs to hanged. People are hanged, pictures are hung.

But yes he is a traitor. If he wanted to accomplish what he wanted to, there were better ways to accomplish it. The fact that he failed NSA training on the agency protects civil and constitutional rights, shows that he really wasn't acting in good faith and conscious.

Statistics: Posted by SpiffCoug — Thu Sep 22, 2016 2:45 pm

Re: Snowden

2016-09-22T13:12:10-06:00

He's a traitor who needs to be hung from the neck until dead.

Statistics: Posted by KingCoug — Thu Sep 22, 2016 1:12 pm

Re: Snowden

2016-09-22T11:50:05-06:00

My take--much like the left has their useful idiots, Snowden has been a useful traitor. While I in no way condone his actions, government and citizens alike needed a slap in the face.

I vehemently disagree with those calling for him to receive a pardon. Even if the information he leaked led to positive reform etc., you can't set the precedent of pardoning the underlying action. Let future would-be-leakers weigh the same penalties before acting. Otherwise, you'll encourage further leakers who hope for hero-status and pardons. He knew what he was doing, he should pay the price.

Pardon, no.

Free and open trial as guaranteed in the Constitution? Yes. I just don't believe the government would allow for that under the excuse of "national security." They'd just try to ship him off to Guantanamo without a trial.

And what happened did lead at least to some reform. The fact is he did bring to light information that showed the government was breaking the law. Maybe his methods weren't totally right, but he's already paying for that by having to live in Russia, which is a totalitarian regime. That makes it arguably already the same thing as jail -- Trump's admiration for Putin notwithstanding.

Statistics: Posted by BlueK — Thu Sep 22, 2016 11:50 am

Re: Snowden

2016-09-22T09:27:17-06:00

My take--much like the left has their useful idiots, Snowden has been a useful traitor. While I in no way condone his actions, government and citizens alike needed a slap in the face.

I vehemently disagree with those calling for him to receive a pardon. Even if the information he leaked led to positive reform etc., you can't set the precedent of pardoning the underlying action. Let future would-be-leakers weigh the same penalties before acting. Otherwise, you'll encourage further leakers who hope for hero-status and pardons. He knew what he was doing, he should pay the price.

Statistics: Posted by snoscythe — Thu Sep 22, 2016 9:27 am