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Recursion

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52. But there's not (at least officially) a way to do 18X into the reserves

Wed May 28, 2014, 02:15 AM

May 2014

It's not like the GED issue, for which there's a waiver; this would have been a one-off acceptance. Now, this happens, but it -- again -- just brings us back to the issue that every single step of his career is "weird":

1. Enlistment into a reserve 18X contract without a diploma
2. Washing out nearly immediately rather than doing a physical rehab
3. Joining the CIA after washing out of the Army
4. Getting diplomatic cover in Geneva after his first assignment
5. Leaving the CIA under something of a cloud but getting an NSA contract rather quickly after that
6. Releasing a ton of information about the NSA and nothing about the CIA

None of those are impossible, but when you put them all together the whole thing is just implausible. He was either a golden boy given one too many chances or a patsy, but either way there's something going on we don't know about.

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EXCLUSIVE: Edward Snowden Tells Brian Williams: 'I Was Trained as a Spy' [View all] ProSense May 2014 OP

Daniel Ellsberg stands behind this young man along with 7wo7rees May 2014 #1

Snowden is on the right side of history. grasswire May 2014 #6

Sibel Edmonds, Bernie Sanders, Jimmy Carter all say he should face his crimes. randome May 2014 #8

I hope they don't expect him to rot in a supermax prison for decades. Vattel May 2014 #20

Why would they? He deserves time but I would hope it wouldn't be excessive. randome May 2014 #90

Given his neurological disorder, I would think he'd qualify for medical pardon, and certainly would msanthrope May 2014 #97

I didn't realize he was diagnosed with a neurological disorder. Vattel May 2014 #108

Late onset seizure disorder is what he claimed to his bosses at BAH. Must suck, not being able to msanthrope May 2014 #109

Why would that get you a medical pardon? Vattel May 2014 #113

It might not. It might get him Butner. nt msanthrope May 2014 #116

"The man is very confused." The smears never stop. Vattel May 2014 #107

Actually, Sanders doesn't care about Snowden because it's the wrong discussion anti partisan May 2014 #66

Please link and kick it if you can, woo me with science May 2014 #14

the comments section is excellent grasswire May 2014 #16

Snowden is nothing but a spoiler. dem in texas May 2014 #2

This guy has really gone off the deep end now. MohRokTah May 2014 #3

agree... HipChick May 2014 #7

He has made boasts that don't reconcile with his record.. Historic NY May 2014 #32

Why should he have to prove any of that? anti partisan May 2014 #70

Absolutely agree w you davekriss May 2014 #88

excellent grasswire May 2014 #118

He WAS a spy anti partisan May 2014 #69

Sure sounds to me like the poor kid has gone round the bend struggle4progress May 2014 #4

that is a disgusting assertion grasswire May 2014 #5

What discredits him is his habit of saying things that are untrue. Less clear is whether struggle4progress May 2014 #9

more insidious assertions of mental illness... grasswire May 2014 #17

Oh, I'm happy to have people question authority. And I've said for years here struggle4progress May 2014 #55

It is impossible to do the nitty-gritty without information. Snowden and Manning were the suppliers. Luminous Animal May 2014 #62

I personally think folk should organize to get Drake a pardon struggle4progress May 2014 #65

Maybe you should be better at expressing your opinion... Luminous Animal May 2014 #73

It would be courteous of you to speak for yourself and not put words in my mouth struggle4progress May 2014 #78

Who are these complainers that aren't doing the hard work? Luminous Animal May 2014 #79

Great post s4p treestar May 2014 #91

So, Whistle Blowers are 'mentally ill' now? But Bush's loyal NSA spies are perfectly sane! sabrina 1 May 2014 #114

The fact is that Snowden himself disclosed a late-onset seizure disorder that raises serious, and I msanthrope May 2014 #83

oh my god grasswire May 2014 #98

I used the term "neurological" not "mental." As you are the parent of an adult msanthrope May 2014 #102

"psychiatric symptoms", "alcoholism" grasswire May 2014 #104

I used "neurological" as opposed to "mental" precisely to avoid conflation. But there's no doubt msanthrope May 2014 #105

but "bizarre and grandiose" and "liar" are attributes... grasswire May 2014 #111

They are attributes anyone can freely assign him after witnessing his antics. He's a 'spy' now? msanthrope May 2014 #117

Just when we thought the smear attempts could not possibly sink lower or become more despicable... woo me with science May 2014 #115

Did he? KamaAina May 2014 #101

Indeed--he not only disclosed it, he told his bosses at BAH he was flying to HK for msanthrope May 2014 #103

Lots of people have lied about Snowden. Snowden hasn't been caught lying. DisgustipatedinCA May 2014 #11

(1) There's no chance he had the ability to wiretap the president, as he claimed. If true, struggle4progress May 2014 #12

Re "There's no chance he had the ability to wiretap the president" 951-Riverside May 2014 #21

The 1997 Gingrich mobile phone call was captured on an ordinary police scanner; in the conversation struggle4progress May 2014 #25

In rebuttal Luminous Animal May 2014 #22

Ty for saving me the time of having to point all of this out. Vattel May 2014 #26

Well, the Obama "loyalists" have to get in line behind the loyal Tigerbeat Snowdenistas. Tarheel_Dem May 2014 #43

This message was self-deleted by its author Whisp May 2014 #56

Snowden is now part of the smear Snowden machine..... whistler162 May 2014 #82

Re 1: Snowden said ""I had the authorities to wiretap anyone" struggle4progress May 2014 #29

Except for the pesky fact that NSA documents reveal just that. Luminous Animal May 2014 #33

If you admit he would have gotten into trouble for doing so, you are also admitting struggle4progress May 2014 #38

Re 2: Stickers on his computer, and whatever parties he threw, are not on point struggle4progress May 2014 #30

Re 3: At least one NSA contractor lost job over this struggle4progress May 2014 #31

So says the NSA. Proven liars. Whereas, Snowden's narrative stands up time after time. Luminous Animal May 2014 #36

Be careful or you will commit yourself to the view that everyone except Snowden is a liar struggle4progress May 2014 #39

Re 4: In story accompanying Snowden interview, the Guardian reported struggle4progress May 2014 #35

I really think you do not know what you are saying. Ft Benning is where special forc recruits train. Luminous Animal May 2014 #40

I provided links struggle4progress May 2014 #48

But there's not (at least officially) a way to do 18X into the reserves Recursion May 2014 #52

I maintain LIHOP. joshcryer May 2014 #76

Apparently, a GED is sufficient: From the US Army Special Forces recruitment criteria site Luminous Animal May 2014 #41

It's possible that requirements vary according to entry mode. This website suggests struggle4progress May 2014 #44

Yeah, the reserve contract was another red flag for me Recursion May 2014 #51

What part of the army confirmed do you not understand. Luminous Animal May 2014 #54

The coverage from even reputable media is often demonstrably wrong here: struggle4progress May 2014 #59

And, I pointed to an actual U.S. Army website that a GED is sufficient. Oh well. Luminous Animal May 2014 #77

Well, yeah, *if* Obama used a gmail account, sure Recursion May 2014 #46

The "diplomatic cover" angle comes from Harding's book. joshcryer May 2014 #63

XKeyscore is not reading the President's emails. joshcryer May 2014 #61

A-fucking-again. *IF* Snowden HAD THE PRESIDENT'S PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS... *IF* *IF* Luminous Animal May 2014 #64

You don't understand. joshcryer May 2014 #67

Okey-dokey. Apparently (hahahaha!) Merkel does not use encryption. Luminous Animal May 2014 #71

On a personal, unsecured phone. joshcryer May 2014 #72

Exactly. Luminous Animal May 2014 #74

Which was secured shortly after Obama took office. joshcryer May 2014 #75

(4) The U.S. army confirmed to the Guardian that Snowden did not join the special forces. baldguy May 2014 #84

Snowden never claimed he was in special forces. Luminous Animal May 2014 #93

Did you read the article? Vattel May 2014 #24

Thanks for that! Luminous Animal May 2014 #27

I have never heard "lectured at the academy" used as a synonym for "spoke at a conference" struggle4progress May 2014 #37

Example UC Berkeley's Lecture Series which is hosting a conference and invited Luminous Animal May 2014 #42

I know what the words mean. I'm telling you how they are commonly used struggle4progress May 2014 #45

Really. I go to lectures regularly at conferences and events at universities and otherwise. Luminous Animal May 2014 #53

The desperation to discover a lie is really pretty funny. Vattel May 2014 #112

Snowden should release his manifesto. joshcryer May 2014 #60

He is just a low level IT hack LOL, he STOLE passwords to get the documents snooper2 May 2014 #89

Article won't load properly for me. Does he say what name he was given? randome May 2014 #10

really getting under your skin, isn't this? nt grasswire May 2014 #19

Poitras and Greenwald have his name and CIA ID #. The CIA refuses to comment. Luminous Animal May 2014 #28

Yeah, and we should believe anything you say....why? Tarheel_Dem May 2014 #49

He was quite clear that he ruined his life *as he knew it* before he came forward as the leaker. Luminous Animal May 2014 #50

I actually found the part about using a false name easy to believe. Every time I get an off-shored Tanuki May 2014 #80

That's not for the purposes of anonymity. baldguy May 2014 #85

Response seems to be off the chart. 7wo7rees May 2014 #13

thank you for your honest patriotism here grasswire May 2014 #18

I think he was trained at the same spy school as flamingdem May 2014 #15

Is that the Snowcone of Silence? Whisp May 2014 #57

Yes, it inspired Snowden and flamingdem May 2014 #96

k krawhitham May 2014 #23

KnR sheshe2 May 2014 #34

I can't believe ProSense May 2014 #86

I can't wait to hear what Bill Maher has to say about this. Tarheel_Dem May 2014 #47

I spy with my little eye - an Eddie who likes to Bullshit. n/t Whisp May 2014 #58

Is that what the smell is? Bullshit? Tarheel_Dem May 2014 #99

Do you realize how foolish you look by mocking the idea that someone could be trained... anti partisan May 2014 #81

And a high school dropout, no less. He's good. Tarheel_Dem May 2014 #100

He was recruited for the super-secret COLGATE4 May 2014 #119

Now that's what I call "white male privelege". From high school dropout to "super secret black ops"! Tarheel_Dem May 2014 #121

He even got his secret decoder ring too. nt COLGATE4 May 2014 #122

Right...because this is a Hollywood movie where a high-school dropout who could not msanthrope May 2014 #110

This message was self-deleted by its author anti partisan May 2014 #68

I think this could only happen for a white, male, child of privilege who dropped out of school. kelliekat44 May 2014 #87

Wondeful...Brilliant Blue_Tires May 2014 #92

Glenn Greenwald: Low-Level NSA Analysts Have �Powerful and Invasive� Search Tool ProSense May 2014 #94

Quick...someone get him a cape!!! Sheepshank May 2014 #95

Your order is ready, Sir... Whisp May 2014 #106

He's gone from James Bond to Forrest Gump in three weeks. ucrdem May 2014 #120