Edward Snowden: Paranoid Goofball or America-Hating Douchebag?

Posted on | June 17, 2013 | 23 Comments

Stephen Kruiser is right: The “hero-or-traitor” debate is becoming tedious. At this point, let’s move on the question of exactly how the hell a flaky weirdo like Ed Snowden got top-secret clearance:

During an online discussion Monday, the man who leaked hundreds of pages of classified documents about the National Security Agency‘s surveillance program accused the U.S. government of “nakedly, aggressively criminal acts” and said he fled to Hong Kong because American authorities would prevent him from getting a fair trial.
Edward Snowden, who came forward June 9 to identify him as the source of the NSA leaks, also denounced President Obama for preventing investigations of “systemic violations of law,” and suggested the U.S. government might try “to cover this up by jailing or murdering me.” …
In his online Q-and-A hosted by the British Guardian newspaper, Snowden said U.S. officials are lying about government surveillance programs. ”Seeing someone in the position of James Clapper — the Director of National Intelligence — baldly lying to the public without repercussion is the evidence of a subverted democracy,” Snowden said. “The consent of the governed is not consent if it is not informed.”

Right: Don’t trust the president. Don’t trust Gen. Clapper.

Don’t trust America’s “subverted democracy.”

Let’s trust “Wolfking Awesomefox” instead.

Category: Crime

Comments

23 Responses to “Edward Snowden: Paranoid Goofball or America-Hating Douchebag?”

NASCARNAC
June 17th, 2013 @ 3:47 pm

RT @smitty_one_each: TOM Edward Snowden: Paranoid Goofball or America-Hating Douchebag? http://t.co/ZxglHt9FMk #TCOT
Adjoran
June 17th, 2013 @ 3:50 pm

Ah, the logical fallacy of the False Dichotomy!

There is no reason whatever to assume the two are mutually exclusive – and plenty of evidence to suggest that Snowden is both a paranoid goofball AND an America-hating douche-bag (like the guy he leaked to, or on).
JeffS
June 17th, 2013 @ 3:53 pm

I’ll go with “Paranoid Goofball Traitor”, myself, especially after he started giving out actionable intelligence (e.g., G20 activities being monitored).

Yes, that sort of monitoring is to be expected. That doesn’t mean you confirm it.
Dianna Deeley
June 17th, 2013 @ 4:02 pm

Yeah, the real problem is that the government is (see: Benghazi, IRS, F&F, Rosen, Fox, EPA, ad infinitum, ad nauseam) corrupt and criminal, *and* that Snowden is a paranoid-goofball, America-hating, douchebag-traitor.
Dana
June 17th, 2013 @ 4:39 pm

This should not be an either/or question.
Evi L. Bloggerlady
June 17th, 2013 @ 4:42 pm

Pat Dollard had a tweet along that line early this morning. So I was raised at least by him.

And yes, the wage disparity meme is a false meme. But it is hardly an unexpected or unusual “gotcha” question. There are plenty of banal answers a Miss America contestant could give to such a question.

But Ms. Utah’s answer was awkward. It happens, but you have to accept it was hardly an eloquent response. She fumbled around badly. I would have loved it if she managed to give a substantive response that someone like Michelle Malkin would have given, but the term for that is staircase wit (thinking up a great response after you missed the opportunity).
OldmanRick
June 17th, 2013 @ 4:58 pm

Somewhere along the line of the vetting process – doing a comprehensive background check and psychological profile – someone dropped the ball. I don’t fault Snowden as much as I fault the system that let him fall through the cracks and have access to such information. Seems the entire vetting process both at the federal and private sector level needs a thorough upgrade.
Finrod Felagund
June 17th, 2013 @ 5:18 pm

Offtopic: check out the story of Elbert Guillory, who after switching parties is now the first black Republican state senator in Louisiana since Reconstruction.

http://moelane.com/2013/06/17/wait-hurricane-katrina-was-bad-for-the-gop-right/
Bob Belvedere
June 17th, 2013 @ 5:21 pm

Adj wrote: …like the guy he leaked to, or on…

Like your answer to Stacy’s question: why not both?
Wraith
June 17th, 2013 @ 6:59 pm

Right: Don’t trust the president. Don’t trust Gen. Clapper.

And you DO? Seriously?

I don’t trust one single word that comes out of the mouths of this criminal, illegitimate ‘government’ or their lapdog media. Yes, I’d sooner trust “Wolfking Awesomefox.” I’d sooner trust that guy on the corner with the tinfoil on his head–at least I know he’s not consciously lying to me for his own nefarious purposes.

Where do you get your information on Snowden’s history? Oh, yeah, from the same media that’s playing Kermit the Frog to the government’s Jim Henson. Not the most reliable source, IMNSHO.

Opinions mean crap. The FACTS are what matter here, and the FACTS are that the US government has stepped FAR outside the boundaries of the Constitution, and have therefore become CRIMINALS. Mr. Snowden has, at great personal risk, exposed this criminality, and I for one thank him for it.

We are a nation of laws, not men. Any of you who think that the government gets to do whatever it wants, without repercussions or scrutiny, have no right to call yourselves Americans.

That’s The Way I See It.
DaveO
June 17th, 2013 @ 7:37 pm

Of note is the allegation that Snowden is an ardent follower Ron Paul.
Perhaps Snowden read a book? Perhaps the anime’ version of the biography of Julius Rosenberg.
Richard McEnroe
June 17th, 2013 @ 7:55 pm

Snowden could well be all of the above, and it changes nothing about the fact that this President and this Administration have turned the full weight of multiple government agencies to systematically violating the enumerated civil, Constitutional and natural rights of their own citizens, and not on the enemies of our country.

So the Democrats have their own Philby? Great. Let’s focus on the corruption, arrogance and incompetence that put him in the position he was in to do this damage, rather than the irrelevance of what an icky person Snowden is. Let’s not do the Democrats’ misdirection and asscovering for them.
Richard McEnroe
June 17th, 2013 @ 7:56 pm

Technically, “manga”.
Adjoran
June 17th, 2013 @ 8:30 pm

It’s also being reported he was angry at Obama, who he supported, for breaking his promises to close Gitmo and reduce domestic surveillance.
Bob Belvedere
June 17th, 2013 @ 8:41 pm

Awwww, poor baby.
Evi L. Bloggerlady
June 17th, 2013 @ 10:08 pm

Patriots do not run off to the Chi Coms to complain about America, patriots fight for what is right. Snowden is a poser and show boater.
Pablo
June 17th, 2013 @ 11:17 pm

If you’re more concerned with Snowden than you are with the NSA, you’re doing it wrong.
Richard McEnroe
June 18th, 2013 @ 10:01 am

Who says the ball was dropped. Snowden seems exactly the kind of person the Dems are stuffing the Executive Branch with.
OldmanRick
June 18th, 2013 @ 10:59 am

Excellent point. Kudos.
RightWingRocker
June 18th, 2013 @ 12:12 pm

At this point, I find it perplexing that any sane person would trust Barack Obama over ANYONE.

RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
RightWingRocker
June 18th, 2013 @ 12:15 pm

“Of note is the allegation that Snowden is an ardent follower Ron Paul.”

As such, he would be an ardent proponent of the Constitution as the supreme law of the land.

If that doesn’t sit well with those trying to shred it, well boo-effen-hoo.

RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
bet0001970
June 19th, 2013 @ 12:47 am

Are you asking us to trust you on this particular issue, McCain? Up to this point, your total knowledge on the inner-workings of the NSA is what, exactly? It’s NOTHING.

James Clapper is known liar. NSA chief Alexander is also a known liar. You’ve spent the better part of the last 5 years discrediting virtually EVERYONE in the Obama administration. So they are not to be trusted.

Half of the Republicans are siding with the Obama Administration, I suspect because they would like nothing more than to keep something like this program in place. So they can’t be trusted.

Three men have come before Snowden and tried to warn of the abuses being committed against the American people by the NSA. All of them failed and were shut down at every level by the NSA.

So now, who would you have us trust McCain?
FMJRA 2.0: Starface : The Other McCain
June 22nd, 2013 @ 4:28 pm

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