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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
x3 They're letting him stay to stick it to the U.S. If you recall, back when Snowden first got stuck in Russia, Putin said something to the effect of "It doesn't matter to me whether he stays or goes." The implication being that, since the DOJ wants Snowden brought back to the U.S. so badly, his not playing ball is a way of flexing his political muscle.
edited 14th Jul '16 8:26:29 AM by speedyboris
I actually teared up while reading that.
By all rights, that speech alone should win her the Presidency in a landslide. Let's hope that actually occurs.
Seriously, that brightened up my entire week. I needed that.
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
On the one hand, that speech is amazing, (if maybe a bit pandering to what the people want to hear, but it's probably just The Cynic in me talking,) but on the other hand, I'm still waiting for Hilary to say, 'I am not a crook!'. I mean, I get that she seems to mean well enough and may even do a good job at President, but the fact that she basically lied in everyone's faces still really puts me off of her. If Donald Trump weren't Option B, I'm honestly not sure if I'd vote for her.
@Rational: As quick as you have been in the past like to accuse leftists of "refusing to settle for anything less than perfection" or "insisting on ideological purity" you are engaged in the exact same type of thinking here.
Had they tried to "do the right thing" and gone through "proper" channels, Manning and Snowden would not only have faced reprisal from the American government, but the public would still be in the dark about the various misdeeds they brought to light. While it would have indeed been preferable if Snowden had stayed in the states after his disclosure and been executed or imprisoned for life for doing so, I do not think it is reasonable to expect everyone to be willing to die for this cause, especially if you would not be willing to do the same.
My issue with them isn't ideological. They put people, many of them innocent, at risk.
Besides, Snowden isn't at risk of execution. The US doesn't execute people for espionage in practice and his actions don't meet the narrow definition of treason used in the US.
Manning also leaked the names of informants and civilians in dangerous areas. Her leak was too wide and parts should have been redacted. I'll find more detailed sources when I have access to my laptop.
edited 14th Jul '16 8:51:39 AM by Rationalinsanity
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.The "lies" that Clinton supposedly told were about knowingly transmitting classified documents via the private email account. All the rest is conspiracy theories and right-wing talking points.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"No, she made some pretty damned Blatant Lies.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.![]()
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I only brought up that she obviously and blatantly lied on several key points about the email stuff. Which she did. Period. I'm not the one who brought up my fears of her hawkishness, which are a completely unrelated matter.
As for the MIC, their incompetence only makes things worse. I'd be happy if they were competent and precise. It's greedy, violent, scaredy morons with big guns that I'm afraid of.
edited 14th Jul '16 9:20:26 AM by TheHandle
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.Good bloody lord, enough of the Clinton is Warmonger Extraordinaire simply because she's somewhat more willing to use force than Obama (who, as any international affairs expert would tell you, was TOO gun-shy, going the opposite extreme to Bush and yet still screwing things up). You want an actual warmonger, look at Flynn or Mac Arthur or anyone else who has advocated overreactions to problems. And no, war alone is not an overeaction.
What?
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Obama is too gun-shy? Tell that to all the innocents that got turned into bug-splatter by the CIA.
edited 14th Jul '16 9:22:32 AM by TheHandle
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.![]()
I know — performing a repeat of the Second — let alone the First Gulf War — is impossible with the current level of forces in the West.
Lots of cheap equipment, I guess.
edited 14th Jul '16 9:23:25 AM by Greenmantle
Keep Rolling On![]()
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I think you're leaving out something there.
Yes, having SOF kick down doors and drag people out of cars would be much more surgical than having it all vaporised with a Hellfire, but one of them is something the American public doesn't believe happens (Fox & Co. are still trying to deny American airstrikes in Syria FFS) or are unwilling to permit because they don't want direct intervention. The other is cheaper than training SOF.
I have disagreed with her a lot, but comparing her to republicans and propagandists of dictatorships is really low. - An idiot

@Le Garcon
To be fair, the Russians gain a lot just by keeping him alive and addicted to their protection. Until we have Snowden in the US, we can't know all that he knows, and it becomes the famous "Known Unknown", giving Russia a lot of bluff power.