Why the Ruling Class is So Upset About Edward Snowden

[polly7]

By Gary Leupp

Source: CounterPunch

Tuesday, July 02, 2013

......It all, in my humble opinion, boils down to this. The entirety of the ruling elite and the journalistic establishment are keen on defending the programs Snowden has exposed; keen on punishing him for his whistle-blowing; determined to vilify him as a punk, narcissist, egoist, attention-hungry ne’er-do-well (anything but a thoughtful man who made a moral choice that has enlightened people about the character of the U.S. government); feverishly working on damage control while anticipating more damning revelations; and determined to get those four laptops with their incriminating content back into the bosom of the national security state.

What sort of state is it, that says to its own people, we can invade a country based on lies, kill a million people, hold nobody accountable but hey, when one of us does something so abominable as to reveal that the state spies constantly on the people of the world, we have to have a “manhunt” for him and punish him for treason?

The Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, has the audacity to tell NBC News, “It is literally gut-wrenching to see” Snowden’s revelations… because of the “damage” they do to “our intelligence capabilities”! As though there were really an “our” or “us” at this point. As though we were a nation united, including the mindful watchers and the grateful watched.

No, there are us, and there are them. The tiny power elite that controls the mainstream press and cable channels, the corporations that dutifully hand over meta-data to the state (and then deny doing so to allay consumer outrage), the twin political parties, are sick to their stomachs that they’ve been so exposed.

We in our turn should feel, if not terrorized, nauseated.

http://www.zcommunications.org/why-the-ruling-class-is-so-upset-about-edward-snowden-by-gary-leupp

[maindawg]

1. its starting to resonate

Using myself as the bellweather here, I am beginning to understand. And this is getting interesting.

[DeSwiss]

2. Congratulations on your 8000th post!

And such a great post it is too. Full of truth and nausea, two things we seem to be getting a steady diet of these days.

In answer to your query: ''What sort of state is it?'' -- we're not a state nor a nation in the traditional sense of that term.

We're a national corporate entity specifically created for the efficient removal of the world's wealth and resources from the hands of the many into the hands of the few.

- In short, we are slaves. I know, I know, no chains. But they don't use those anymore unless you're in Guantanamo.......

K&R

[Civilization2]

4. you, who need chains when they can monitor EVERYTHING!

sad state of afters,.

[DeSwiss]

6. Good point.

- And after they've chipped us, no more checkout lines!!!!

[dgauss]

40. I've done some googling and I'm still not sure. Is this real or a parody?

Neither answer would surprise me at this point.

[DeSwiss]

41. Yes it's real.

They're called RFID chips (shown here next to a grain of rice)-

They're used to track merchandise via satellite all over the world. They're in all the US passports now (if you have one, the NSA knows where you are). They can also be injected into your dog or cat (children?) via hypodermic needle in the event it gets lost and can't phone home. They wanted to put them in those REAL ID cards (for easier prole-tracking) that the states have fought since they passed the law that everyone is ignoring right now.

- We would be the ''merch'' in this scenario......

[daleanime]

7. ........

[zeemike]

10. A very interesting video

Thanks for posting it.
Wake up...

[DeSwiss]

12. De nada.

[Jackpine Radical]

13. Well, in Guantanamo and in our prisons, of course.

In short, we are slaves. I know, I know, no chains. But they don't use those anymore unless you're in Guantanamo.......

We DO house the largest per-capita population of prisoners in the world, with more than 2 million in the prisons & many more--maybe another 2 million--in local jails.

[DeSwiss]

14. CCA's headquarters is in my hometown.

I remember them when they were a pup. They now enslave large segments of the disaffected youth (with a preponderance for darker-hued Americans) that TPTB fear so mightily. Unless they're cannon fodder, or they belong to the professional mercenary corps.

- But it's all coming to a head. Soon. And it's about time too.....

[truedelphi]

38. One of my recurring daydreams is that I can wake up tomorrow and

Find Harry Bellafonte installed in the WH, and everyone in Congress is working with him to release all the tens of thousands of kids who have been brutalized by the new slavery.

Dei-O! Dei-O come and I wanna go home.

[Blanks]

33. We are slaves to a number of masters...

If we don't maintain our lawn, we are breaking the law. If we want to buy groceries, we have to own a vehicle.

There are a lot of mandatory activities that come with living in this country. It is difficult to consider us free when so much of our time is spent pleasing the overlords.

Some of us may even be part of the overlord class. City planners, code enforcement, etc.

Regular folks controlling our free time.

[polly7]

18. Thank you.

Wow, I didn't realize I'd posted that much.

"We're a national corporate entity specifically created for the efficient removal of the world's wealth and resources from the hands of the many into the hands of the few."

Nailed it! As are we. I usually try not to post on internal U.S. affairs, but this affects the whole world, imo ... ie., countries in the European Union that have been fighting tooth and nail to keep out GMO's ... knowing that Monsanto is a big player as well as all the other corporations that pretty much run the TPP, how much of the info from this bugging and spying is now in their hands .. do they have certain politicians in the EU sympathetic to their cause they can use? The benefits for these corporations are limitless, and the theory it's being used to 'fight terrorism' imo is as disingenuous as yellowcake was for the invasion of Iraq.

[felix_numinous]

32. Baaa-aaa... squeak...moo-oo

Thanks for that uplifting film DeSwiss! Just when I thought things were looking up!

kidding ----Thank you, yea I think this surveillance leak rattled some invisible cage we were not supposed to be able to detect... Now it will be hard to put the angry farm animals back in.

So now that we can detect the cage, we have a choice. We can say no-- peacefully yet be unified (this I believe)

[cantbeserious]

43. Thanks For Sharing The Video

eom

[Civilization2]

3. "The Grateful Watched" my new band name!

The corporate-security-state has jumped the shark,. . people will not be having this sht!

[The Stranger]

5. There was an article linked from this site about WHY the NSA seeks surveillance over every person.

It went into the dystopian governmental psychology that drives this Orwellian demon-machine. It seems to do with technology and control, but on a bizarre, massive level.

I now cannot find it. Does anyone have the link?

[DeSwiss]

8. I'm not certain what link you're referring to....

...however, what you describe sounds eerily like TIA.



- The stuff DARPA has would creep everyone out. These people have been totally out-of-control since Eisenhower tried to warn us.....

[cantbeserious]

9. Thank You For Sharing

eom

[nineteen50]

11. Who to believe

The Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper admitted he lied to the peoples Representatives with the excuse I didn't understand the question I don't know what I was thinking. He is a traitor to the people and rumor has it one of his concubines is a dancer.

[DeSwiss]

15. Wait! Not a POLE DANCER?!?!?!

[hootinholler]

24. I got Pole Dancers right here!

[90-percent]

16. Rachel eviserated this guy last night

Senator Ron Wyden sent Clapper his questions ONE DAY IN ADVANCE. Most of us that testify before Congress would welcome any help in doing prep work for your SWORN TESTIMONY.

"I didn't understand the question" is about as disingenuous as it gets!

WHY IS CLAPPER NOT BEING PROSECUTED FOR PERJURY RIGHT THIS MINUTE?

-90% Jimmy

PS - I'm ASSUMING Clapper's testimony was sworn. I do not know that for sure.

[warrant46]

25. Clapper= perjurer

perjurer n. a person who intentionally lies while under an oath administered by a notary public, court clerk or other official, and thus commits the crime of perjury. A perjurer may commit perjury in oral testimony or by signing or acknowledging a written legal document (such as an affidavit, declaration under penalty of perjury, deed, license application, tax return) knowing the document contains false information.

[hootinholler]

26. It matters not if he was sworn...

He was giving a report to congress. It is illegal to lie to them in a hearing or in a required report. Few are prosecuted for it, and I think the congress itself does the prosecution.

[EC]

17. The title of the article asks WHY...

I don't see the answer?

[FirstLight]

19. read the whole article...great piece

and truly nauseating, indeed

[stupidicus]

20. indeed, it's all about protecting the mirage of "American Exceptionalism"

and the darkness it hides, which they define, personify, and exemplify, and not the pursuit and promotion of a fair and just world we little people want.

It shows how exceptionally good they are at one thing only -- keeping us down and controlled, and holding onto their power in the process.

Making Snowden the issue isn't just "damage control", it's a recruitment tool the darkside has always employed and deployed on the unsuspecting public that takes a baby step towards or over and into the darkside. Much as the non-UN sanctioned war and occupation in Afghanistan made the lurch into Iraq practically inevitable, the acquiescience of those carrying water for the 1% now with the focus on Snowden will be exploited most energetically going forward.

And given the lack of any accountability for that war crime, where's the deterrent for more abuses of something intangible like "privacy" going forward?

It's all about giving (or trying to) we the victims as a matter of "popular opinion", partial or total ownership of the guilt, kinda like a rape victim. We'd sure hate to see our politicfal heroes have the complete ownership of the raping, like a collection of wayward high school football players, no?

Nausea has been one of the least of things I've felt watching this Snowden "debate" unfold here. The so-called lefty/liberal sheeple here are little more at best, than unwitting, willing, and just as indispensible tools for the 1% as the rightwingnuts have long been. That it is largely confined to this issue doesn't alter that, but it does make this particular rape case a bi-partisan affair.

[GoneFishin]

21. To the extent that we knew something was going on, this sums it up perfect :

"there's a huge difference between strongly suspecting that your husband is fucking around and being shown pictures of him balling the babysitter. There's vast gulf between "knowing" and knowledge. The intelligence services have been forced to say, "Okay, yeah, you caught us." The twist is that they're adding, "And, oh, by the way, we're gonna keep boning the babysitter. Just try to stop us from fucking her." "

[NoMoreWarNow]

22. is there really a manhunt for him?

seems like he wouldn't be hard to find at the Moscow airport for a week.

[BlueStreak]

23. The "power elite" isn't so "tiny". That's the problem

4 million with security clearances. That is about 3% of Americans employed full time. That is very much an U versus Them thing. And nearly a million have top secret clearance.

How much is the budget? We are not allowed to know, but it surely isn't "tiny". It is probably something approaching a half trillion dollars a year in the Security Industrial Complex.

When that many dollars are involved, the number one priority is not to protect Americans, but to protect those dollars.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

27. They are afraid of the masses

We are better armed than ever before. We communicate on a grassroots level, quicker and more efficiently than ever before. We are using the monsters they created.

All it will take is a spark. What will it be?

A tree? Bus fares too high? An uncaring, lying government?

They are scared of the spark. No one knows what it'll be. But it will happen.
Maybe not today or tomorrow, next month or next year. But it will happen here.

He let the secrets out. Nothing that we didn't think about or thought we knew.
He just validated those thoughts. .

[warrant46]

35. Torches and pitchforks

[JDPriestly]

28. We have heard a lot about cyber-terrorism.

That's not Snowden's thing. He is a cyber-revolutionary. I'm not at all saying that I think that is a good thing or a bad thing. I'm just saying how I see this situation realistically.

While I am happy that Snowden has let us know that our electronic communications are not at all private and that we have no right or means to know whether we are among the surveilled or not, I don't know enough about the cyber-revolution, the cyber-war in which he seems to have taken a command for himself to know what it means for the rest of us non-computer-geeks.

I have no idea how computers work other than that I can turn one on and enter stuff and stuff comes out. I don't understand the internet well enough to post successfully on any website other than DU, but I do send e-mails and do Google searches.

Seriously. I have joined other websites, but I can never seem to get back on if I don't go back for a while. I haven't learned to text yet. So you can see. I am not a soldier in the cyber-wars. Not even a likely enlistee.

But I do now understand what General MacArthur said to Theodore White two days after Hiroshima.

"White, he said, White, do you know what this (the atomic bomb on Hiroshima) means?" "What sir?" I (Theodore White) asked. It meant, he said, that all wars were over; wars were no longer matters of valor or judgment, but lay in the hands of scholars and scientists. "Men like me are obsolete," he said, pacing back and forth. "There will be no more wars, White, no more wars."

Theodore White, In Search of History, A Personal Adventure (Warner Books 1978) page 224

Snowden was born in 1983. Although it was already an inevitable reality, Congress argued about opening up our markets to international free trade on a pretty unlimited basis in 1985 (maybe earlier, but 1985 is when I learned about it). Snowden's generation of Americans does not have the same concept of "nation" that his parents and ours did.

Snowden believes in a cyber-world in which everybody puts in their two cents, and the best ideas win. Information is conveyed on line. People shop online, get medical advice online, socialize online, see the world online. The people even vote (recommend, like) online.

Snowden does not believe in nation-states. He buys a computer made in China out of parts made from about five other countries. His pants are made in Sri Lanka. His shirt in El Salvador. (Not really. Just examples.) His tomatoes come from Mexico, his grapes from Chile, his wine from France. He joined the US military and was sent on a cyber-mission, to spy on people around the world of all nationalities, colors, races, including the US.

And now he has taken an open field in the cyber-war. The cyber-war that puzzles the world's governments but is only understood by the computer geeks themselves. We, including our "leaders" are the peasants. Our cyber-fields will be left in ruins by this. Just wait and see. We will be much more cautious in our electronic communications once we begin to comprehend what this means.

And now Feinstein says to him: you took an oath.

Well, Feinstein took an oath too: to uphold the Constitution. But she and the rest of Congress and the Supreme Court construe the Constitution according to their interests - liberally when it comes to the powers of government, when it comes to approving secretive laws and secret cabals within the executive branch and to giving big chunks of tax money to private contractors and military junk production companies.

But when it comes to the First, Second, Fourth and maybe the Fifth and 14th Amendments (at the very least), the Executive, the Congress and worst of all, the Supreme Court believe in free authority for government and restrained rights for people.

That interpretation of the Constitution does not work well in a world of international trade and international electronic communications. Our trade agreements conflict with the concept of local, democratic government. That does not bother members of Congress like Feinstein, Pelosi and Shumer because they know how to profit from those agreements.

But the internet and electronic communications open up the world to ordinary people who clamor for international rights and international freedom. And that scares the same people who have foisted international trade on us in exchange for what used to be our jobs.

Snowden is not revolting against the US. He is beyond that. He is revolting against the constraints of traditional nation-states. He wants freedom for the internet.

He seems to have chosen to be a soldier in the government of scholars and scientists that MacArthur predicted would fight future wars. So here we are. The cyber-war is on.

I sit here, approaching my dotage. I am still part of the library generation, except that more and more, I realize that my generation would better be called the library-book-sale generation. Because that is where I am finding all these precious old books written by people who were not trying to squeeze communication into three one-syllable words expressed in symbols and smiley faces.

I look at what Snowden is doing and I am as baffled as Obama sounds, as Putin looks. I hear the skies are full of planes roaring from the capitols of countries on the out list among American diplomats. What a strange war we are in.

Personally, I'm on the side of the books -- the old books I find in used book shops and library sales -- the casualties, the orphans of this cyber-war. Unless I announce it on the internet, only I know whether I am reading Voltaire or Locke or Goethe or Haiku or Theodore White. That's privacy.

[Blanks]

34. Good post.

[eridani]

37. Should be an OP. Very Good! n/t

[Mojorabbit]

39. Well said. nt

[Th1onein]

44. Day-um! JDPriestly!

Can you write, or whut?

[Warpy]

29. He embarrassed the bureaucrats

by confirming everything we sort of knew all along. That's why he and Assange are so dangerous. Bureaucrats hate to be exposed and embarrassed. It quite puts them off their feed and ups their bar bills.

[nolabels]

30. If the idea of ruling class and wealthy are synonymous then

there will be a problem when another one of the legs of the four-legged stole fails. An economic correction would be my prediction but it might be something more simpler such as an injustice. They are now the king with no clothes now and we know what happens in that story

[nashville_brook]

31. k and r

[eridani]

36. The same parasitic jackasses who don't mind sending a big chunk of our manufacturing capacity--

--to China. Inclucing the only factory that makes magnetic JDAM triggers. And they freak out at trivia like China knowing about our hacking.

[Mnemosyne]

42. Thanks polly, an excellent read! K&R nt