General Discussion

markpkessinger

(8,923 posts)

3. I think if it weren't for Snowden . . .

Mon Dec 16, 2013, 03:49 PM

Dec 2013

. . . we wouldn't be having this critically important national discussion. However pure or impure Snowden's own motives might be doesn't change the fact that he has done the nation an enormous service, at great personal cost, by bringing this stuff to light.

Besides, I don't buy into your premise of moral equivalency. Even if I believed (and I don't) that Snowden acted for purely selfish reasons, Snowden has no particular obligation to act out of purely altruistic intentions or the best interests of the American people. So his motivations, whatever they were, are of little concern to me. As an agency of the federal government, however, the NSA does have an obligation to be above-board and honest about what it is doing in the name, and on behalf, of the American people. And they have repeatedly been caught lying about what they are doing. And the agency's dishonesty (aided by CBS' complicity) in last night's report only serves to confirm my belief that the agency should be disbanded entirely.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

18 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

A comment I posted last night on 60 Minutes' website re: the NSA segment [View all] markpkessinger Dec 2013 OP

Do you think Snowden passes the smell test? Thinkingabout Dec 2013 #1

Yes, marsis Dec 2013 #2

I think if it weren't for Snowden . . . markpkessinger Dec 2013 #3

I wholly agree with what you said, tavalon Dec 2013 #4

Thanks. We did not begin to reform our intelligence services adequately after 9/11. JDPriestly Dec 2013 #6

+1 dmr Dec 2013 #10

What does that even mean? fbc Dec 2013 #5

What the flying fuck do you mean by that? n/t ChisolmTrailDem Dec 2013 #7

Pointless distraction fail. blackspade Dec 2013 #8

What smell test would that be? Martin Eden Dec 2013 #11

Markpkessinger smell test. The problem classified information was given out, Snowden Thinkingabout Dec 2013 #12

Snowden committed a crime, but that's not a smell test. Martin Eden Dec 2013 #14

Snowden did not follow the rules while he was at NSA, he can not pass the smell test. Thinkingabout Dec 2013 #15

That's not a smell test. Martin Eden Dec 2013 #17

Perhaps you are more interested in Snowden not passing the smell test and therefore you do not Thinkingabout Dec 2013 #18

If Snowden passes the smell test then by the same standards NSA is doing their job, you may not Thinkingabout Dec 2013 #9

"The information was already out and available since 2005 and perhaps earlier." Hissyspit Dec 2013 #13

You may look at this as a talking point but I heard Bush in 2005, checked the information after Thinkingabout Dec 2013 #16