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Octafish

(55,745 posts) Tue Jul 9, 2013, 10:26 AM Jul 2013

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Why the Ruling Class is So Upset About Edward Snowden [View all]

“The Damage to Our Intelligence is Gut-Wrenching to See”

Why the Ruling Class is So Upset About Edward Snowden

by GARY LEUPP
CounterPunch June 26, 2013

EXCERPT...

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.

[font color="green"]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.[/font color]

CONTINUED...

http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/06/26/why-the-ruling-class-is-so-upset-about-edward-snowden/

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106 replies

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Highlight:

Why the Ruling Class is So Upset About Edward Snowden [View all] Octafish Jul 2013 OP

Perhaps because they have secrets of illegal activity they've been involved in? JM42 Jul 2013 #1

Wikileaks Release Suggests STRATFOR Inside Info Plan with Goldman Sachs Exec Octafish Jul 2013 #2

You have to realize that they're all in it for the money. Fuck the country. Money rules. JM42 Jul 2013 #3

That's it, exactly: ''Money trumps peace.'' Octafish Jul 2013 #5

Geeze. He's totally wasted, but at least he was telling the truth for once. JM42 Jul 2013 #6

a warm welcome to DU grasswire Jul 2013 #12

Thanks, but he was still drunk off his ass. Perhaps that's the only way he CAN tell the truth. JM42 Jul 2013 #16

I don't know whether he was drunk. JDPriestly Jul 2013 #25

Okay, maybe it was an LSD flashback, but he's always sounded drunk off his ass. JM42 Jul 2013 #28

Oh he was drunk and often. Remember when the SS had to carry him out of the Cleita Jul 2013 #33

Welcome to DU! colorado_ufo Jul 2013 #20

My bad. I mean Iraq. One stupid letter. And thanks for the welcome. JM42 Jul 2013 #22

Welcome to DU, JM42! calimary Jul 2013 #78

Message auto-removed Name removed Jul 2013 #95

Holey shit, he actually said it. zeemike Jul 2013 #14

It isn't "talk" - it's drunken babble. JM42 Jul 2013 #17

Good point. zeemike Jul 2013 #19

Thank you. The shrub was never a "dry drunk" - he was always drunk. JM42 Jul 2013 #21

Or when he gave Angela Mercle a back rub? zeemike Jul 2013 #23

He was clearly loaded and she was clearly offended. JM42 Jul 2013 #24

He treated a head of state like a hired hand. Remember what he did on Letterman? Octafish Jul 2013 #41

Whose coat is that? JDPriestly Jul 2013 #46

Maria Pope Octafish Jul 2013 #49

Two fucking terms ctsnowman Jul 2013 #90

Message auto-removed Name removed Jul 2013 #92

Yep.... They let us in on that several years ago via "Money Trumps Peace" midnight Jul 2013 #55

Message auto-removed Name removed Jul 2013 #93

another sickening revelation, Octafish grasswire Jul 2013 #8

You are most welcome, grasswire. Octafish Jul 2013 #30

Free market. Ha! Manipulated markets is more like it. JDPriestly Jul 2013 #44

Guess who bought LIBOR today? Octafish Jul 2013 #54

Plus K&R! nt Enthusiast Jul 2013 #82

All of this stuff trickled out over the years, Snowden has The Second Stone Jul 2013 #4

''What Snowden did is illegal. What the government is doing is much, much worse.'' Octafish Jul 2013 #42

Pretty Much Sums Up My Disgust With Obama, Bush And Cheney cantbeserious Jul 2013 #63

Me too......nt Enthusiast Jul 2013 #83

Adlai Stevenson was a great politician Art_from_Ark Jul 2013 #80

+10000000 JDPriestly Jul 2013 #45

'We are the targets, not Al Queda'. That is the scandal they are trying to cover up. sabrina 1 Jul 2013 #48

+++++ marions ghost Jul 2013 #51

Maybe they aren't as upset about Snowden's leaks as they are about... Jessy169 Jul 2013 #7

....and too many who say they are Democrats are helping to vilify him.. grasswire Jul 2013 #10

^^^ THIS ^^^ usGovOwesUs3Trillion Jul 2013 #11

Those in on the secret are one-up on those who are not privy. Octafish Jul 2013 #50

Did Somebody Say... "Secret Government" ??? WillyT Jul 2013 #68

You nailed it. Enthusiast Jul 2013 #84

I think they are fearful that old scandals, BCCI, the Vatican Bank, etc, will be seen as part of byeya Jul 2013 #9

the people are just part of a commodity to them grasswire Jul 2013 #15

Yes. Workers are throwaway commodities along with the resources used to import or make goods byeya Jul 2013 #26

Precisely. And then they blame Americans for needing Social Security. JDPriestly Jul 2013 #47

Absolutely, byeya. Smart people can connect dots. Octafish Jul 2013 #52

as corrupt as the banking system is now, nashville_brook Jul 2013 #67

It seems the corruption has become systemic, a qualification for advancement at least. Octafish Jul 2013 #70

If you're concerned about Riggs Bank, try Googling "Riggs Bank" and "Politico" RufusTFirefly Jul 2013 #75

See your Riggs and raise you a Nugan-Hand Bank. Octafish Jul 2013 #103

I'm tempted to call, but I'll simply fold RufusTFirefly Jul 2013 #104

You've got all aces, RufutTFirefly. Octafish Jul 2013 #105

That is really a big part of the problem... tex-wyo-dem Jul 2013 #79

2 pronged: they own those companies, and they likely benefit financially from the secrets. Myrina Jul 2013 #13

DING DING DING! - We HAVE A WINNER! JM42 Jul 2013 #18

Yes - Their Gravy Train Cannot Be Denied cantbeserious Jul 2013 #64

Carlyle Group spawned many identical monsters, like Trireme Partners... Octafish Jul 2013 #94

Brilliant, thank you for this! Myrina Jul 2013 #96

On how many US Military bases around the world do you... CtDemoFarmer Jul 2013 #27

Big Brother is never your friend... marions ghost Jul 2013 #36

It breaks my heart. It should be totally different. Octafish Jul 2013 #60

Americans have to be kept in the dark or else the game is over. Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2013 #29

Willfull Ignorance By Plan And Design cantbeserious Jul 2013 #65

...in cages without walls, or else they'd all go crazy mad. Octafish Jul 2013 #98

Embarrassment William deB. Mills Jul 2013 #31

+1 truebluegreen Jul 2013 #38

PLUS ONE! nt Enthusiast Jul 2013 #85

thanks heaven05 Jul 2013 #32

I hope this gets blown wide open in the months to come. Our media won't report much and will Cleita Jul 2013 #34

Using this man's definition intaglio Jul 2013 #35

Gary LEUPP: ''We in our turn should feel, if not terrorized, nauseated.'' Octafish Jul 2013 #56

Professor intaglio Jul 2013 #99

That is a great summation. bvar22 Jul 2013 #37

Do wha dididy dumb didity do polynomial Jul 2013 #39

welcome to du madrchsod Jul 2013 #53

Big K & R LiberalLovinLug Jul 2013 #40

to read later snagglepuss Jul 2013 #43

HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!! WillyT Jul 2013 #57

But I thought everything he revealed was already known, and was also (somehow) a lie MNBrewer Jul 2013 #58

Absolutely. This is a threat to The Way Things Are Done. DirkGently Jul 2013 #59

thanks for the post, great article, from a great site. Civilization2 Jul 2013 #61

Thanks for posting this NineNightsHanging Jul 2013 #62

Thank You For Sharing cantbeserious Jul 2013 #66

Yes we're an awful country because of the 1% Progressive dog Jul 2013 #69

68 posts before the authoritarian response shows up? Warren Stupidity Jul 2013 #71

If that's a question it got the number of responses wrong, Progressive dog Jul 2013 #87

Union rules say they have to have a lunch break. No wait that can't be right. A Simple Game Jul 2013 #97

I hate to ask, but in what way is the quote you highlighted deceptive nonsense? Karmadillo Jul 2013 #72

Treason is not only defined in the US Progressive dog Jul 2013 #74

murderers are going free, that was the point. tomp Jul 2013 #88

No it wasn't Progressive dog Jul 2013 #89

That quote is spot-on. (no text) Quantess Jul 2013 #76

K & R Liberal_Dog Jul 2013 #73

K&R. (nt) Kurovski Jul 2013 #77

Kicked and Recommended! nt Enthusiast Jul 2013 #81

trying to understand MichaelKelley Jul 2013 #86

k/r marmar Jul 2013 #91

Marvelous thread. woo me with science Jul 2013 #100

k&r for exposure. n/t Laelth Jul 2013 #101

Excellent thread. Quantess Jul 2013 #102

So much win! whatchamacallit Jul 2013 #106