The Edward Snowden Thread

[calidude]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

Unfortunately the only alternative political options are Tea Party/Libertarian types. They may be good on personal freedom matters, but on economic issues they suck to me. They don't care about things like affordable health care or the rising gap between the haves and have-nots.

Sad but true. However the tea party has become a joke now due it being hijacked by greedy idiot fundamental Christian opportunists (Palin, Bachman, and Glen Beck). The Libertarian Party seems like a good choice but some of their candidates are pathetic.
NYC Libertarian Party candidate for Controller, Kristen Davis. She looks like a low class Las Vegas hooker, she was a pimp in a sex scandal, and she's a self described feminist.
There were some other mental candidates but I couldn't be bothered to find them. I like there concept but they need more professional candidates running for office. Once they get serious like UKIP in the UK then they'll most likely have my full support.

 

[Veloce]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

I don't know shit about Hong Kong.

But if I was running from the gov't, I wouldn't choose a metropolitan area. Before blowing the whistle, I'd set up logistics somewhere in South America. Maybe a farm or fishing village in Chile, somewhere way out in the fucking middle of nowhere with no internet access and no points of interest. Grow my hair and beard out, introduce myself as "Diego" to the locals, and start a new life.

 

[renotime]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

I'd move into the National Archives Building in DC and pitch a tent right next to the display of the Constitution.


No one would ever find me.

 

[kdolo]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

I don't know shit about Hong Kong.

But if I was running from the gov't, I wouldn't choose a metropolitan area. Before blowing the whistle, I'd set up logistics somewhere in South America. Maybe a farm or fishing village in Chile, somewhere way out in the fucking middle of nowhere with no internet access and no points of interest. Grow my hair and beard out, introduce myself as "Diego" to the locals, and start a new life.

South America is a no go. No tradition of strong rule of law - but just the opposite: coups, revolutions, separatists, human rights violations, etc....

Hong Kong is perfect:
1. Extremely strong rule of law - individual/human rights - even better than ours at this point.
2. Extremely rich: i.e. cannot be bribed - they have plenty.
3. Ethnically Chinese: i.e. extremely proud in self/culture: no willingness to kiss 'the (white) man's' ass.
4. Chinese territory: NO WAY - will the Chinese allow US intelligence to pursue an op to get this guy on their soil after going there seeking refuge: to do so will be seen a weak and a loss of face.
-very important to Asians.

This move was well chosen.

 

[kosko]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

I don't know shit about Hong Kong.

But if I was running from the gov't, I wouldn't choose a metropolitan area. Before blowing the whistle, I'd set up logistics somewhere in South America. Maybe a farm or fishing village in Chile, somewhere way out in the fucking middle of nowhere with no internet access and no points of interest. Grow my hair and beard out, introduce myself as "Diego" to the locals, and start a new life.

That becomes the issue though as you sill have to earn a living. If he was some crony oligarch in exile he can live of his riches but he is a successfull man but even with his salary can't claim to be wealthy as he made a good wage for good hard work. Hong Kong just looking at it provides oppurinities for a carrer while still having soft cover from the Chinese Government. It's high profile enough that nobody is going to swoop in at night and take him away, by provides avenues in which he can dissapear into the far flungs of China also it seems.

 

[aphelion]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

Jezebel chimes in.

http://jezebel.com/mothers-dont-let-your-girls-grow-up-to-love-morally-u-512266500

"But other people can talk about how awesome Snowden is for doing what he did, and if that's what you're interested in hashing and rehashing and double super rehashing, there are plenty of places to do that today. Right now, I'm kind of worried about his girlfriend. You know, the one who thought he was on a work trip only to find out that he was actually basically Jean Valjean and that she'd probably never ever see him again. Is it worse if your partner goes out for cigarettes never to return, or if he goes out to sacrifice himself in the name of preserving the constitution? Either way, you still have to go through the humiliating exercise of changing your Facebook status to SINGLE."

 

[Roosh]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

Snowden is trying to save America and Jezebel worries about his girlfriend's feelings.

Can't say I"m surprised.

 

[Gmac]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

Fuck his girlfriend. If she was worth it he would have taken her with him. Dude is 29 and if he doesn't get caught women will be throwing themselves at him.

 

[Hencredible Casanova]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

Jezebel chimes in.

http://jezebel.com/mothers-dont-let-your-girls-grow-up-to-love-morally-u-512266500

"But other people can talk about how awesome Snowden is for doing what he did, and if that's what you're interested in hashing and rehashing and double super rehashing, there are plenty of places to do that today. Right now, I'm kind of worried about his girlfriend. You know, the one who thought he was on a work trip only to find out that he was actually basically Jean Valjean and that she'd probably never ever see him again. Is it worse if your partner goes out for cigarettes never to return, or if he goes out to sacrifice himself in the name of preserving the constitution? Either way, you still have to go through the humiliating exercise of changing your Facebook status to SINGLE."

 

[Roosh]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

Fuck his girlfriend. If she was worth it he would have taken her with him. Dude is 29 and if he doesn't get caught women will be throwing themselves at him.

http://www.salon.com/2013/06/10/twitter_thinks_edward_snowden_is_kind_of_hot/singleton/

Yes, the NSA whistleblower is Twitter’s dreamboat du jour, and his attractiveness (deemed “geek chic” by many) is currently the subject of a dedicated Tumblr and an ongoing Internet conversation about whether or not people would let him “blow their whistle,” if you catch my drift.

 

[UrbanNerd]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

It depends how much this affects other NSA contractors like myself. If it doesn't affect me, then cool.

If it does.....fuck him.

 

[MHaes]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

It depends how much this affects other NSA contractors like myself. If it doesn't affect me, then cool.

If it does.....fuck him.

You better start mining some data from the NSA. From the reactions on twitter, it seems like Whistle Blower game might be a solid niche to fill.

 

[InternationPlayboy]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

I'm interested in seeing if this pick of Hong Kong ends up being a wise choice for Snowden. The decision is either brilliant or very naive. I probably wouldn't have gone there. There aren't many, if any, nice places where an American can go if on the run from the government since most countries have extradition treaties with the US. Even for the ones that don't, like China, improving or maintaining good relations with the US government is often an important priority. In light of the Chinese Premier's visit to the US, I find it unlikely that China, which has de facto veto power over decisions in Hong Kong (a place that has an extradition treaty with the US), would stick its neck out for this guy, since improving relations is a key purpose of the trip.

Below is a map of countries that have extradition treaties with the US government (shown in blue). Even for the countries that don't have extradition treaties, many of them have good relations with the US government and strategic military, economic and political ties, and may choose to extradite an American citizen on the run; they often do.

Even though Switzerland will extradite citizens back to the US, it will not if they are wanted for a crime that that the US government is looking to enforce the death penalty. My friends mother blew up her mobster husband in a car bombing the the 90's and was wanted and they were aiming for the death penalty. She fled to Switzerland to avoid being extradited. Eventually the US said they would only put her in jail for life and drop the death penalty idea. She eventually fled Switzerland and was caught in Vienna. Pretty crazy stuff.

 

[Screwston]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

Scary. What are we supposed to do?

 

[calidude]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

Off topic but his girlfriend is a smokeshow.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...an-NSA-leaker-left-member-acrobat-troupe.html

 

[speakeasy]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

^^^ Not bad at all for a nerdy-looking IT guy. Guess it helps to make $250k a year too.

 

[Norset]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

Not surprising its the omegas (Manning - but could possibly be psychological issues) and alphas (Assange, Snowden) who go balls to the walls on these types of things. Those with nothing to lose (70 virgins in heaven anyone?), and those who simply cannot resist.

Edit: Now glancing over the article, please disregard previous theory.. maybe. This guy is fascinating, though. The presence of mind and balls to do what he did doesn't jive with past performance - probably why he got this far into the NSA?

Will be interesting to see if other things get uncovered.

 

[iknowexactly]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

^^^ Not bad at all for a nerdy-looking IT guy. Guess it helps to make $250k a year too.

This guy is definitely different, NOT normal IT guy.

He enlisted in military, and immediately went for Special Forces.

Then he supposedly broke both his legs, and immediately was discharged, but then just happens to start working for the NSA.

I think he actually was recruited from the Special Forces track by the spooks.

When gubmint dudes were talking about disappearing him, and someone said spies don't talk like that, he said "I'm a spy and they do talk like that."

Also, as far as I know, 200K/yr is not normal pay unless you know something that is hard to get experience in. I don't think most gubmint IT con tractors make that much.

Does he even have a degree in Comp Sci? I imagine a lot of Stanford computer science grads would be glad to take a job for 200K to start.

Why in particular was he hired?

 

[Eirykr]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/opinion/brooks-the-solitary-leaker.html?hp&_r=2&

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blo...d-snowden-nsa-leaker-is-no-hero.html?mobify=0

 

[Ensam]

RE: NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden In His Own Words

This makes a lot more sense to me now. I know a few mathematicians and CS types who work for the alphabet soup agencies and they all make 80-120k year.