Edward Snowden Vindicated

[Mystic Wanderer]

It appears Edward Snowden has been vindicated by the Ninth Circuit Court.  I bet no one saw this coming, right?

(Rosdiana Ciaravolo/Getty Images)

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday that the mass surveillance of Americans that former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden exposed seven years ago was unlawful and perhaps unconstitutional.

The ruling determined that the warrantless telephone tapping secretly collecting data from millions of Americans’ telephone records violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and exceeded the scope of Congress’ power.

“We conclude that the government may have violated the Fourth Amendment and did violate the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act when it collected the telephony metadata of millions of Americans,” the ruling reads in part.

Snowden is currently wanted on espionage charges and fled to Russia after disclosing to the public in 2013 that the United States government was conducting mass surveillance on Americans, according to Reuters.

Snowden says he never thought he'd live to see this day.

Neither did I.  

In a tweet Wednesday, Snowden said the ruling confirms what he knew seven years ago.

“Seven years ago, as the news declared I was being charged as a criminal for speaking the truth, I never imagined that I would live to see our courts condemn NSA’s activities as unlawful and in the same ruling credit my for exposing them,” Snowden wrote. “And yet that day has arrived.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called the ruling a “victory” in a tweet Wednesday.

Read more: Court Sides With Edward Snowden, Rules Mass Surveillance Of Americans Is Illegal


Matt Gaetz thinks the President should pardon Snowden. What do you think?

Rep. Matt Gaetz  @RepMattGaetz
[/url]
·
[url=https://twitter.com/RepMattGaetz/status/1301625517746065410]Sep 3


The case has never been stronger that Edward @Snowden
deserves a pardon from President   @realDonaldTrump
.

I used to think Snowden was a hero, but then as I learned more through Q, I changed my mind. Now, it seems he's being deemed a hero again. 

What to think?  What to think?   They are messing with my mind!  

Q is always years ahead of what happens in the news. How did Q know almost a year ago that Snowden might be coming home in 2020?

3691

Edward Snowden Coming Back to USA in 2020?
Q!!Hs1Jq13jV6
15 Dec 2019 - 5:15:09 PM

@Snowden
#HOMECOMING2020
Q

 
Find out more from Q about Snowden. Go to Qmap.pub and type "Snowden" into the search bar to see all the posts.

[xuenchen]

No wonder Obama hates Putin so much 

[F2d5thCav]

He's not a hero.  I frankly think he is an agent, and not for the USA.

Per the court's decision, this action of his was legally valid.  But running off to China and then Russia with God knows what classified material stunk to high heaven.

Cheers

[PLOTUS]

Proscuting whistleblowers seems wrong offhand, depending on circumstance. Yes President Trump should Full Pardon Snowden, scott free..

[Snarl]

I used to think Snowden was a hero, but then as I learned more through Q, I changed my mind. Now, it seems he's being deemed a hero again.

He ran to China.  Then he ran to Russia.

[Ninurta]

I used to think Snowden was a hero, but then as I learned more through Q, I changed my mind. Now, it seems he's being deemed a hero again.

He ran to China.  Then he ran to Russia.

I'm not quite getting why everyone has their panties in a wad over Russia. I see the CCP as the threat, and accusations against Russia as a smoke screen pushed out by the "Progressives" to hide the nefarious dealing of the CCP. Personally, I expect resupply in the upcoming war to come from Russia. It sure as hell won't be coming from the CCP for our side, and you can bet it won't be coming from the US government, either. Too many deeply embedded "Progressives" there.

Basically, I'm just not quite getting why no one realizes that Russia is no longer the Soviet Union, or why they don't understand the difference in the two. It all started with Hillary getting her knickers in a twist over Russia, which I DO understand, since Russia no longer aligns with the communist ideals of the Progressives - but how in the hell did it spread to infect the rest of America?

For context, understand this comes from a guy who actually fought actual Soviets. I have the trophies to prove it. If I can learn to live with Russians, why can't America? Why are they still stuck in a Cold War that is no more? We won - folks need to get over it, or else the Marxists still hiding in the weeds will take us easily.

I never thought that the day would come when America resented a win... but then again, America's Mouthpieces seem to be all manner of put out over defeating the world's foremost communist nation in the Cold War. Now we still have the CCP to go, and Marxists in the bushes right here, and all I hear is "Russia, Russia, RUSSIA"!

It's almost as if someone wants us to take our eyes off the ball...

.

[F2d5thCav]

@"Ninurta"

I would say a guy with the security clearance that Snowden had should not "run" to ANY country, I don't care what he thinks his justification to do so was.  That was nefarious crap.

As for Russia, it ain't about the Russian people.  It is about the fact they run their own state with their own interests, which only sometimes comport with ours.  Same thing with China, same thing with any other country.  Snowden had no business being in either of those countries, especially under the conditions he went to them.

Like you probably have, I've met nice individuals the world over.  But what Snowden became a servant of in Russia is not an individual -- it is their collective called the State.  Big difference.

Cheers

[beez]

I'm always going to side with more freedom, rather than less.

More transparency, rather than less.

Pardon Snowden.

[F2d5thCav]

I'm always going to side with more freedom, rather than less.

More transparency, rather than less.

Pardon Snowden.

I doubt you will find anyone on this site that has an issue with transparency or more freedom.

But pardon?  Hell no.  My suggestion would be a few expended rounds and the time of a firing squad.

Yes, that is harsh.  But allow me to illustrate something by comparison.

Remember the "Pentagon Papers" ?  That was a major reveal -- HUGE.

The guys who did that didn't run off to Russia or China.  They stayed in the USA and faced the music.  And, in the end, they were vindicated.

Snowjob took off to China and Russia with God knows what kind of classified information on his thumb drive.  Now all compromised because one guy decided he knew better than the entire USA.  No.  No pardon.  If we pardon him, we can kiss goodbye ever having classified information again.

Something interesting about the Pentagon Papers.  The journalists who got all the credit ... would have never pulled off their story except a fellow who was the document librarian for a large defense contracting firm in California.  He just happened to be one of the men who sank a Japanese aircraft carrier at Midway.

Cheers

[Ninurta]

@"Ninurta"

I would say a guy with the security clearance that Snowden had should not "run" to ANY country, I don't care what he thinks his justification to do so was.  That was nefarious crap.

As for Russia, it ain't about the Russian people.  It is about the fact they run their own state with their own interests, which only sometimes comport with ours.  Same thing with China, same thing with any other country.  Snowden had no business being in either of those countries, especially under the conditions he went to them.

Like you probably have, I've met nice individuals the world over.  But what Snowden became a servant of in Russia is not an individual -- it is their collective called the State.  Big difference.

Cheers

I do agree, up to a point. The fact that Russians have their own state with it's own interests is true of every nation on Earth - so we can't use that as the sole criteria for a hostile stance towards them. Now, if their interests run in direct conflict with ours, that's another matter, and should lead to a hostile stance... but, in the case of Russia, WE have pretty much poached most of their Eastern European satellite states (I believe Bulgaria is even in NATO now rather than the defunct Warsaw Pact) and I can see how that would be concerning to Russia - after all, we didn't much care for it when they tried to put missiles in Cuba! Same principle - we seem to be poaching in THEIR back yard.

I don't think we'd much care for it if they poached in the Caribbean or Mexico, and to my mind what we are doing to them is the same exact thing we don't want them doing to us, which is a bit uncool.

What I see are Democrats, Progressives and Neocons railing against Russia, and I can only lay that down to the collapse of communism there. Just a few short years ago (from my perspective) their stance on Russia was entirely opposite. The only real difference is the lack of communism there now, and their lack of aggression towards us. I don't see those two changes as good reason to talk shit about Russia, but that's just me.

On a personal level, some of the best friends I've ever had started out as enemies - we just had to first fight it out, establish a pecking order, and figure out which shit belonged to whom. I tend to extrapolate from the small to the large, as Miyamoto Musashi advised in his "Book of Five Rings". He said "from one thing, know ten thousand things"... and nations are, in the final analysis, just big collections of people. What people can do, nations ought to be able to do, too, going by that extrapolation.

Russia appears to be a bit put out with China currently, due to Chinese expansionism, and I think, personally, this might be a great time to broach the subject of an uneasy alliance between us, and against the CCP... but railing against Russia is not a good step in that direction, a fact which I am sure is not lost on the Leftists who are promoting division.

I have no doubt that is the very reason they are promoting division - to divide and conquer.

Russia is no longer the Soviet Union, and folks might want to consider stepping into the 21st century and leaving the Cold War behind where it belongs, in the LAST century instead of this one.

Now someone is going to label me as a "Russian disnformation agent". I don't care. That will tell me more about them than they know about me.

.

[Ninurta]

I'm good with executing Snowden - right after we execute Hillary for substantially the same crime.

I'm not real big on "tiered justice" or "selective justice". If it's good for one, it's good for all. Until we get those above the law back under it, we need not be trying to apply it to the "little guys" either.

As far as classified information goes, there is way too damned much of it. last I checked, around FOUR THOUSAND documents, PER DAY, are classified as a matter of routine by the US government, regardless of whether they contain classifiable information or not.

That's not "transparency" by my definition. It's more like a trap set to catch the little guys in, while we let the big guys skate scot free.

Until the law gets under control and applies to all, pardon Snowden.

.

[guohua]

I'm good with executing Snowden - right after we execute Hillary for substantially the same crime.

I'm not real big on "tiered justice" or "selective justice". If it's good for one, it's good for all. Until we get those above the law back under it, we need not be trying to apply it to the "little guys" either.

As far as classified information goes, there is way too damned much of it. last I checked, around FOUR THOUSAND documents, PER DAY, are classified as a matter of routine by the US government, regardless of whether they contain classifiable information or not.

That's not "transparency" by my definition. It's more like a trap set to catch the little guys in, while we let the big guys skate scot free.

Until the law gets under control and applies to all, pardon Snowden.

.

@"Ninurta" 
My husband just got home and read this thread.
He agrees with you, plus people need to understand he said, they can never arrest Hillary for her crimes, That well Never Happen.
His Old Three Letter Agency has always been 60% want him Dead and the other 40% are on the fence.
My husband said the Walker Family did more Harm and got off lite, Hillary has done as much Harm to our Country.

My husband thinks Mr. Snowden needs to be brought to Justice, but the Fact Is, There Would Be No Real Justice just a Kangaroo Court.

[Snarl]

But pardon?  Hell no.  My suggestion would be a few expended rounds and the time of a firing squad.

Yes, that is harsh.

Was Snowden in possession of classified information when he eloped?

I don't think he's ever 'admitted to it'.

I've never heard him say he's not guilty of anything either;

I've never heard him deny compromising a portion of the National Security of the United States and the American People.

When people say their actions were vindicated ... it usually means they broke the law.  In his case, he frikkin' shattered it.

Personal to @"Ninurta": I've always admired the Russians ... even 'liked' some of 'em.  But, their heads of state are not allied with our heads of state.  I've been in one legitimate gunfight and it was with a Russian down in Panama (typing away with a smile on my face).

[ChiefD]

He's not a hero.  I frankly think he is an agent, and not for the USA.

Per the court's decision, this action of his was legally valid.  But running off to China and then Russia with God knows what classified material stunk to high heaven.

Cheers

I agree. I’ll go a step further. I think he’s a fucking traitor and should face a firing squad. You don’t work for a super secret agency like NSA and then leak things. He’s lucky someone hasn’t already killed him. I guarantee if he ever leaves Russia though, I think he will be “suicided”.

[Ninurta]

@"Ninurta" 
My husband just got home and read this thread.
He agrees with you, plus people need to understand he said, they can never arrest Hillary for her crimes, That well Never Happen.
His Old Three Letter Agency has always been 60% want him Dead and the other 40% are on the fence.
My husband said the Walker Family did more Harm and got off lite, Hillary has done as much Harm to our Country.

My husband thinks Mr. Snowden needs to be brought to Justice, but the Fact Is, There Would Be No Real Justice just a Kangaroo Court.

I agree. Snowden should be brought to justice under applicable law, but the fact is he CAN NOT be brought to justice unless Hillary and the congressional leak crew are also brought to justice under the same laws. Until that happens, justice for Snowden is an impossibility, because there IS no justice if some can skate free while others have the book thrown at them just because a certain class of folk are Untouchables, above the law.

As long as that is the case, there is no justice, and therefore justice is not possible. ANY court held in the matter of ANY case substantially similar is a kangaroo court under those circumstances.

.

[Ninurta]

Personal to @"Ninurta": I've always admired the Russians ... even 'liked' some of 'em.  But, their heads of state are not allied with our heads of state.  I've been in one legitimate gunfight and it was with a Russian down in Panama (typing away with a smile on my face).

I have another friend who was SpecOps and ran some operations into Nicargua during the Contra Wars, which was after my time there. He got some Russians all manner of dusty and dirt faced then. In later years, he actually married a Russian girl, and has set up a community on some land he owns for a group of Russian "Messianic Jews" and provides them with a safe and secure place to live.

I reckon this old world takes all kinds.

it's true their heads of state are not allied with ours, which is exactly what I'm getting at - why aren't they? We have a common foe in the CCP. Our spheres of influence are not - or at least should not be - the same, although there may be a degree of overlap. There is currently no reason I can think of for belligerence between us. We should leave their satellite nations alone, insist they leave ours alone, and make some serious overtures to address the CCP problem. 

Instead, what is going to happen is war in the US, and I'm nearly certain the Right will get resupply from the Russians, since those ideologies currently align whereas Russia is well aware of the source of US belligerence from the Left, which is currently more aligned with the CCP communists, and are now Russian foes. Therefore, the US Left can expect resupply from the CCP. China has some awesome smuggling routes into the US already in place - you'll just have to take my word for that, or not, as I'm not about to give up my evidence or reveal any sources. I don't know that the Russians can compete with them yet... but if they need help setting some up after the balloon goes up, I'll be available, and have some experience.

It will be weird. Back in the day, I smuggled materiel to combat the Russian communists, not materiel FROM the Russians to combat US Fifth Columnists.

Still, smuggling is smuggling, and I'm game if they are. It's not like I have a whole lot of years left to spend in prison if I get caught (more likely a summary execution since it would be working against the Marxists, and that's just how they roll), and I'd probably be of more use in that role these days than as a combatant.

.

[Ninurta]

I agree. I’ll go a step further. I think he’s a fucking traitor and should face a firing squad. You don’t work for a super secret agency like NSA and then leak things. He’s lucky someone hasn’t already killed him. I guarantee if he ever leaves Russia though, I think he will be “suicided”.

I agree, up to a point - shouldn't we have some idea of what he smuggled out, if he smuggled out anything at all, before we start lining the firing squad up? Or is merely looking suspicious enough cause these days to take a mother out?

Asking for a friend...

.

[Snarl]

It's true their heads of state are not allied with ours, which is exactly what I'm getting at - why aren't they?

They've surely got plenty of friends on both sides of our political fences.  At least we're not adversaries at this date.  Wonder how much ground Hillary gained for the Dems in selling-off our Uranium.  If we're lucky, The Russkies'll write that off for what we really owed them for Alaska.  Ha Ha.

[F2d5thCav]

For those wondering "what he smuggled out" . . . think of it this way.

Snowden's record as an employee was not hugely impressive.  He was at best a mediocre employee.

Now: WHY do you think he got VIP treatment from the Chinese -- being swiftly relayed to Russia, where he has been a "guest" ever since ?

Do anyone REALLY believe it was because those two powers were outraged over the NSA spying on American citizens, and wanted to help out poor Eddy ?  Was it because he had such a charming personality ?

People, Snowden had GOODS on him when he arrived in those countries.  Whatever he had was thoroughly protected and the Russian state found it of high enough interest to grant him residence and protection . . . in exchange for him making those GOODS available to his hosts.  Intel work, particularly the handling of agents, is a sordid business.  Sorry, but any other notions are blue-sky fantasies.

And Snowden didn't just arrive in China and get that kind of treatment.  That escape was pre-planned, meaning Eddy was in contact with foreign intelligence agencies before he left the USA.

Agent.  Traitor.  Firing squad.

Cheers

[drussell41]

I'm good with executing Snowden - right after we execute Hillary for substantially the same crime.

I'm not real big on "tiered justice" or "selective justice". If it's good for one, it's good for all. Until we get those above the law back under it, we need not be trying to apply it to the "little guys" either.

As far as classified information goes, there is way too damned much of it. last I checked, around FOUR THOUSAND documents, PER DAY, are classified as a matter of routine by the US government, regardless of whether they contain classifiable information or not.

That's not "transparency" by my definition. It's more like a trap set to catch the little guys in, while we let the big guys skate scot free.

Until the law gets under control and applies to all, pardon Snowden.

.

@"Ninurta" 
My husband just got home and read this thread.
He agrees with you, plus people need to understand he said, they can never arrest Hillary for her crimes, That well Never Happen.
His Old Three Letter Agency has always been 60% want him Dead and the other 40% are on the fence.
My husband said the Walker Family did more Harm and got off lite, Hillary has done as much Harm to our Country.

My husband thinks Mr. Snowden needs to be brought to Justice, but the Fact Is, There Would Be No Real Justice just a Kangaroo Court.

Why can't HRC be arrested?  

The Walkers.  What a disaster.   And she's as bad?   oh man