Edward Snowden: a Whistleblower, Not a Traitor
This is what most Americans are saying. According to the newest Quinnipiac poll, 55% of Americans think Edward Snowden is a whistleblower. 34% think he’s a traitor.
11% have no opinion.
The question was:
“Do you regard Edward Snowden, the national security consultant who released information to the media about the phone scanning program, as more of a traitor, or more of a whistle-blower?”
The opinion that Edward Snowden is a whistleblower was represented equally by both genders and all political persuasions and social groups. The assistant director of the Quinnipiac poll said:
“The fact that there is little difference now along party lines about the overall anti- terrorism effort and civil liberties and about Snowden is in itself unusual in a country sharply divided along political lines about almost everything. Moreover, the verdict that Snowden is not a traitor goes against almost the unified view of the nation's political establishment.”
Good point. This is just another example of how the “leaders” of both parties are out of step with the voters. With so many high profile Democrats calling Edward Snowden a traitor, and threatening any country that offers him sanctuary, one has to wonder: Is there any difference between the two parties?
I still think the Democrats are the lesser of two evils, but the distinction gets pretty blurred sometimes.
Labels: Edward Snowden, Edward Snowden whistleblower traitor, Quinnipiac poll
posted by Tom Harper @ 3:57 PM
5 Comments:
Basically it goes down to if I like what he released, he's a whistleblower, if I don't he's a traitor.
Daniel Ellsburgh is a Whistleblower.
The Great Jack Anderson kept the Government honest and I consider him a Whistleblower
I'm not sure about Bradley Manning
The Walker Spy ring that sold secrets to foreign Governments, they are considered traitors, but how come no one noticed that one of the countries they sold secrets to was Israel?
Maybe they aren't as documents now reveal those secrets helped the Soviets realize they can't keep up with us.
Ex CIA Agent Phillip Agee in exposing the wrongs of the CIA released the names of agents working in other countries and I understand some of them were killed so I guess he's a traitor because he blew their covers right?
So why is it when Scooter Libby blows a Secret cover he get's a pardon?
Erik
I agree with you Tom. Snowden was careful about the information he leaked because what he was trying to do is expose the degree of spying not the information itself. Manning on the other had, leaked something like 500,000 pages of classified documents that directly endangered American troops in combat and exposed undercover Afghan allies who might be dead for all we know. He's a traitor no matter what he claims his intentions were.
Good cop/bad cop, that's all the dums and goopers are. Thumbs up to all leakers. Until I get to decide where my money goes, whether it's fixing roads, increasing benefits to little old ladies, or building that long-overdue Tony Iommi museum, the state, an institution that has never in human history cared about the benefit of everyone not just the few, can go fuck itself. Yikes, that was unwieldy. Time for more booze.
Erik: The whistleblower vs. traitor dichotomy is similar to the "terrorists vs. freedom fighters" arguments during the '80s. Russian/Cuban-backed guerrillas trying to overthrow the El Salvador government were terrorists. American-backed guerrillas trying to overthrow Nicaragua were freedom fighters.
Mr. C: Good point about Snowden. I never followed either case very closely, but from what I understood, I'd have to agree that Snowden is a whistleblower and Manning is a traitor.
Randal: More booze, and let's get on with that Tony Iommi museum.
There has never been a problem that more drugs hasn't solved...except for the problem of excessive use of drugs.
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