Forum Post: Statement from Edward Snowden in Moscow
Posted 10 years ago on July 1, 2013, 7:22 p.m. EST by john32
(-272)
from Pittsburgh, PA
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
"One week ago I left Hong Kong after it became clear that my freedom and safety were under threat for revealing the truth. My continued liberty has been owed to the efforts of friends new and old, family, and others who I have never met and probably never will. I trusted them with my life and they returned that trust with a faith in me for which I will always be thankful.
On Thursday, President Obama declared before the world that he would not permit any diplomatic "wheeling and dealing" over my case. Yet now it is being reported that after promising not to do so, the President ordered his Vice President to pressure the leaders of nations from which I have requested protection to deny my asylum petitions.
This kind of deception from a world leader is not justice, and neither is the extralegal penalty of exile. These are the old, bad tools of political aggression. Their purpose is to frighten, not me, but those who would come after me.
For decades the United States of America has been one of the strongest defenders of the human right to seek asylum. Sadly, this right, laid out and voted for by the U.S. in Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is now being rejected by the current government of my country. The Obama administration has now adopted the strategy of using citizenship as a weapon. Although I am convicted of nothing, it has unilaterally revoked my passport, leaving me a stateless person. Without any judicial order, the administration now seeks to stop me exercising a basic right. A right that belongs to everybody. The right to seek asylum.
In the end the Obama administration is not afraid of whistleblowers like me, Bradley Manning or Thomas Drake. We are stateless, imprisoned, or powerless. No, the Obama administration is afraid of you. It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised — and it should be.
I am unbowed in my convictions and impressed at the efforts taken by so many.
Edward Joseph Snowden"
Bolivian president's plane rerouted due to belief that Edward Snowden was aboard.
http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20130702/f0d5c9cb-af45-425b-99b4-ec22431d6694
That's something else isn't it?
The guy is supposed to be innocent till proven guilty in a court of law - but already they have revoked his passport - and are messing around with the air transport of foreign leaders.
Agree. This is quite a thing playing out.
Sad to see a transparent government that wants to protect and have whistle-blowers come forward to out the crimes going on - OH - wait - hmm - blatant lie told to the public? Sheesh - sure seems like it - Or is this another case of the government pointing the finger elsewhere while saying no it does not include us? this is just about everyone else.
I'm going with blatant lie told to the public.
The only logical conclusion. USG is not a legitimate government, only a gang of thugs.
There it is!!! Plain stark - bare to the bone. When is everyone else gonna see it?
Good question. Everyone on Earth is in jeopardy.
People in other countries seem to be more in touch with this fact.
when it's recorded and placed on the internet
Snowden did what everyone who is unhappy wants/wishes to do - take a big swing and make a difference.
One man did all that. Just one body. With a mission.
Power to the people.
Great post. It is funny how we used to be the place for USSR dissidents and now we are claiming asylum in Russia from our govt. One of histories many ironies.
Why does Germany Claim a higher Value for Privacy in their Culture/Society than what they see of US Values for Privacy? This according to at least one German Representative.
This is a question to Explore.
I think it is only the Military & Corporate Control in the USA ... especially in this Era of the Global War on Terrorism... But I think you have to look at the first Corporations and Big Establishment Churches ... which have often proven to exercise a kind of military control over the thoughts of People, the Values of People for being a part of a Big Organization, The Values for Perfection, the Values for control in General for how people dress, look, act, speak, build relationships, and value sports & military.
Obviously... any Reporter will come up with his or her own ideas here. China controls political thought in it's country. now so does the USA. it also controls political dissidents and political activism. Freedom of speech is limited in the USA.
The Vatican is the original big corporation... and it seems to have developed mind control, through it's missionary efforts around the Globe. People were controlled and originally had to go to Priest to interpret the Law, the Code of the Land, the Bible which was written in Latin.
Today... the USA has complex Laws, tax Laws, Financial Organizations, Private Banking, Derivatives, Accounting, Shell Companies, Off Shore Entities for Retirement Funds, Trust Funds, and for hiding Profits and Avoiding US Taxes. The Result is that Many Americans get in trouble with taxes, the IRS, Corporate Law, Financial Scandals, Shell Companies, Corrupt CEOs and CFOs, .... Today no one can say what the Constitution for the US Means or how to Interpret it... as evidenced by Supreme court Rulings that we have no emphasis on Individual Rights or Privacy... nor is the Protection from Damages from big Corporate Entities that work to change US Laws, Damages from high interest Rates, damages from Commerce, damages to the Environment and Well Water, Damages to the US Elections, Loss of tax Revenue from Corporations & Wealthy, Damage and costs associated with Decapitalization of US Manufacturing Faculties, damages due to Child Labor or Slave Labor used overseas to make products sold in the USA.
This last point is about how Complexity of government rules puts common people at risk for fair treatment in court or in legal matters. The complex corporate machine is a risk to us all.
What if Lawyers deliberately write laws and legislation to create a lower class that can not access the US Laws or Fight or Complain... without incurring high legal fees.
Language is complexity. Language can be sued to create a lower class of common people who can not access congress, the courts, or change our government and rules of incorporation.
The posturing around the Edward Snowden Leaks... is being handled in a way not to admit anything. Politicians are making it complex and opaque. This separates the common people from the US Congress... this is Dumbing Us Down in Action. But the Obama Admin has been Opaque in the same way that Congress has since JFK was Assassinated. Nothing new here.
What do you think about "Unstated International Truths:"
1) US Dominant Powers hate Communist, see Socialists as Communist, and Hate governments & Countries like France because of this.... or at least are very prejudiced against France and other Socialist Countries. This is partly why the US Spies on France and Doesn't Trust France.
2) The USA is a Socialist Country with Plenty of Socialist Programs most notably lacking Social Medicine in Fully Nationalized Medical Care, and Free University, College, or Technical Education. But the Fact is the USA will never admit that it is a Socialist Country in any way shape or form... since this is a very political issue and many lobbyists representing big money are either on Wall Street or in Corporations.
3) Protests by politicians in France & Germany are likely more about show at this point. The basis for this statement is that they are Politicians Speaking... and after everyone was conditioned to accept Cold War Spying, then... we entered an age of Industrial Spying that everyone is involved in and is aware of.
4) The USA will never stop Spying on it's NATO Allies and all other countries because of all the Powerful Forces behind the Lobbying. The US Military-Defense-Security-Prison- and Intelligence Complex... loves it's toys, weapons, communications, training programs, militarized police, international satellite surveillance system, international internet Networks, and all it's power through the world and support from international and state department participants. There is a hell of a lot of money flowing to corporations and to career developmental positions for our security and military people.
5) The day we get Federal Budget Spending on Military under control will be the day we have a total revolution or total collapse. If 1/3 of our Economy is in security, military, intelligence, prisons, court systems, and the Federal Government... the Economy would tank in a way that few could effectively convince the US Congress to shift spending to programs for the people and away from the sexy and conservative spending for the Right Wing.
So, ... Somehow the USA has to shift Federal Spending away from benefiting only Military & security Careers. Just as somehow we have to Spark a new era or new Industry in our economy to provide new jobs and career training for our young people and idle work force. But... deep down we know the News about Edward Snowden is "STILL A SIDESHOW" and is not yet a Full Public Discussion NOR does it resemble Honest Media Reporting in any way shape or form.
How do we become an informed public? The MSM is designed to prevent us from becoming an informed public. There's no use in blaming the public for being ignorant, if MSM is controlled.
“Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.” ― George Orwell
simple ... we need our own MSM...
remember when everyone was scrambling to buy CBS ?.... Turner went around the back door and simply built CNN from scratch... for a mere $20M as I remember
We need our own MSM, it is that simple. Let's make it happen!
the internets will hence force be considered the mainstream media
agree... but radio and tv coverage will come also
What do you think of Equador's idea?
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/17320-ecuadors-new-communications-law-a-democratic-model
Thanks Windy... I'll study it tonight ... ;)
that would be nice
we are in the midst of a generation gap
More on Bolivian thing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/world/snowden.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
our government has been acting poorly under the cover of secret