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posted by takyon on Wednesday July 29 2015, @03:16AM   Printer-friendly
from the nice-try dept.

White House spokeswoman and Presidential Advisor on Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco issued a response to the petition that Edward Snowden receive immunity from any laws he may have broken and be allowed to return to the USA as a free man. Her statement reasserted the Administration's position that Snowden is a criminal, running away from the consequences of his actions and should return to the USA to stand trial (and inevitably serve out the rest of his life in solitary confinement).

The full text of the response:

Thanks for signing a petition about Edward Snowden. This is an issue that many Americans feel strongly about. Because his actions have had serious consequences for our national security, we took this matter to Lisa Monaco, the President's Advisor on Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. Here's what she had to say:

Since taking office, President Obama has worked with Congress to secure appropriate reforms that balance the protection of civil liberties with the ability of national security professionals to secure information vital to keep Americans safe.

As the President said in announcing recent intelligence reforms, "We have to make some important decisions about how to protect ourselves and sustain our leadership in the world, while upholding the civil liberties and privacy protections that our ideals and our Constitution require."

Instead of constructively addressing these issues, Mr. Snowden's dangerous decision to steal and disclose classified information had severe consequences for the security of our country and the people who work day in and day out to protect it.

If he felt his actions were consistent with civil disobedience, then he should do what those who have taken issue with their own government do: Challenge it, speak out, engage in a constructive act of protest, and -- importantly -- accept the consequences of his actions. He should come home to the United States, and be judged by a jury of his peers -- not hide behind the cover of an authoritarian regime. Right now, he's running away from the consequences of his actions.

We live in a dangerous world. We continue to face grave security threats like terrorism, cyber-attacks, and nuclear proliferation that our intelligence community must have all the lawful tools it needs to address. The balance between our security and the civil liberties that our ideals and our Constitution require deserves robust debate and those who are willing to engage in it here at home.


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Fluffeh on Wednesday July 29 2015, @04:16AM

    by Fluffeh (954) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday July 29 2015, @04:16AM (#215245) Journal

    While I think that yes, the majority of users here have a very similar opinion on Snowden, I have many times seen well written counter-arguments written and modded up.

    Keep in mind that when the majority of people share a similar opinion in a place like this, generally the comments that go against the grain are actually often trolls or flamebait. I don't have any problem with those getting down-voted.

    I am however, not a huge fan of the "-1 Disagree" mod. Just because we disagree with it, doesn't mean that the next person will - though I guess with everyone having mod points, they can mod it back up again.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Insightful=2, Disagree=1, Total=3
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   4  
  • (Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 29 2015, @04:21AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 29 2015, @04:21AM (#215246)
    Disagree is a zero mod, i.e. it costs you a point to apply it, but does not actually affect the score of the comment.
  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday July 29 2015, @04:22AM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Wednesday July 29 2015, @04:22AM (#215248) Journal

    There is a +0 Disagree mod, which you should use when you want to burn a mod point to express you disagree with a post, without resorting to incorrect Flamebait/Troll/Offtopic mod.

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 2) by aristarchus on Wednesday July 29 2015, @05:03AM

      by aristarchus (2645) on Wednesday July 29 2015, @05:03AM (#215268) Journal

      There is also a -0 Disagree mod, which you should use when you want to burn a mod point to express you disagree with a post, without resorting to incorrect Flamebait/Troll/Offtopic mod. [Shamelessly plagiarized from takyon, with only an added adverb and a change of polarity.]

  • (Score: 2) by albert on Wednesday July 29 2015, @04:57AM

    by albert (276) on Wednesday July 29 2015, @04:57AM (#215266)

    Keep in mind that when the majority of people share a similar opinion in a place like this, generally the comments that go against the grain are actually often trolls or flamebait. I don't have any problem with those getting down-voted.

    Sure about that? Maybe those comments are simply outside your current Overton window. Perhaps your Overton window will move, and years from now you will be of a different opinion.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window [wikipedia.org]

    • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday July 29 2015, @12:58PM

      by Phoenix666 (552) on Wednesday July 29 2015, @12:58PM (#215421) Journal

      Yes, thanks for that, Herr Goebbels. If only propaganda were better run to instill the proper obedience to authority in the minds of the public, eh? The problem must be that people upset by the government's crimes that Snowden exposed simply haven't been taught well enough to doublethink their way to happiness and complacency.

      --
      Washington DC delenda est.
  • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday July 29 2015, @12:50PM

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Wednesday July 29 2015, @12:50PM (#215416) Journal

    I have many times seen well written counter-arguments written and modded up.

    You may have Fluffeh, but I have certainly not. In my world there is no positive spin that can be put on the vast criminal conspiracy to subvert the Constitution and undermine the very pillars of our freedom, democracy, and society that the United States government has become. Any POS I see cheering for the NSA's crimes I will downmod and I will do it to their face, because it's the least I can do to those who ought to be stripped of their citizenship (American, British, whatever) and sent to live in North Korea where the contempt for freedom and worship of obedience to authority is as absolute as their own. They have no business profaning our company with their bootlicking gibberish.

    Is that clear enough for the NSA apologists out there, or should I tell them what I really think?

    --
    Washington DC delenda est.
    • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 29 2015, @04:05PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 29 2015, @04:05PM (#215520)

      Ah Lordy-Lordy and Hallelujah! For you walk on the RIGHT and TRUE path!! Let us eliminate the INFIDELS who think otherwise!!!

      I'm with you brother! For ours is the ONE and ONLY way! For WE know what is right.

      Let's meet at the Creationism Museum. When we're done, maybe we can go "take care" of some of them abortion doctors too. Fuck those who say there are shades of grey for we know it is a black-and-white world. Fuck those 200-plus years of Constitutional Law, for WE KNOW THE LAW. We'll shit on "Joe Sixpack" when it comes to computers, but we'll fucking loudly and proudly proclaim our "Joe Sixpack" knowledge of law and jurisprudence.

      Yeah, there's no fucking echo chamber and mod abuse going on here. Shouting down contrary opinions is the main argumentative step of the self-righteous asshole.

      Also, your "ends justify the means" mob attitude is a little frightening as well. Why are you against drone attacks that take out terrorist leaders? Doesn't that justify the collateral damage of civilian deaths just like how all that foreign intel Snowden dumped is just collateral damage to the domestic spying stuff? It couldn't be related to YOUR means vs other people's means could it?

    • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday July 31 2015, @06:59PM

      And I'll do the opposite. That's why everyone gets mod points every day, to correct blatant abuses like you're talking about performing.

      --
      My rights don't end where your fear begins.