Ray McGovern and the Sam Adams party have presented the Sam Adams award to Edward Snowden. I am delighted. This from Ray’s account of the event:
In brief remarks from his visitors, Snowden was reassured — first and foremost — that he need no longer be worried that nothing significant would happen as a result of his decision to risk his future by revealing documentary proof that the U.S. government was playing fast and loose with the Constitutional rights of Americans.
Even amid the government shutdown, Establishment Washington and the normally docile “mainstream media” have not been able to deflect attention from the intrusive eavesdropping that makes a mockery of the Fourth Amendment. Even Congress is showing signs of awaking from its torpor.
In the somnolent Senate, a few hardy souls have gone so far as to express displeasure at having been lied to by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and NSA Director Keith Alexander — Clapper having formally apologized for telling the Senate Intelligence Committee eavesdropping-related things that were, in his words, “clearly erroneous” and Alexander having told now-discredited whoppers about the effectiveness of NSA’s intrusive and unconstitutional methods in combating terrorism.
Coleen Rowley, the first winner of the Sam Adams Award (2002), cited some little-known history to remind Snowden that he is in good company as a whistleblower — and not only because of previous Sam Adams honorees. She noted that in 1773, Benjamin Franklin leaked confidential information by releasing letters written by then-Lt. Governor of Massachusetts Thomas Hutchinson to Thomas Whatley, an assistant to the British Prime Minister.
The letters suggested that it was impossible for the colonists to enjoy the same rights as subjects living in England and that “an abridgement of what are called English liberties” might be necessary. The content of the letters was so damaging to the British government that Benjamin Franklin was dismissed as colonial Postmaster General and had to endure an hour-long censure from British Solicitor General Alexander Wedderburn.
There has been a determined attempt by government to justify the need to intercept everybody’s communications, all the time. We have, yet again, had MI5 claim there are many thousand violent Islamic terrorists running around the UK, (yet somehow not managing to kill anybody). The cry of “paedophiles” is raised, as always. I can imagine them suggesting the entire population be shot dead, and justifying it as making sure they get the paedophiles. The tabloids would go with that.
There still had not been a single credible claim by the mainstream media that any named individual has died, despite that contingency being trotted out all the time as the reason Snowden and Manning should not have revealed state crimes and abuse of power. I am hopeful that, with the internet still largely free to the dissemination of information, out next massive whistleblower is only weeks away.
@For The Return Of Habba, heh – you read too much into my comment. I was only pointing out that the avoidance of sock-puppetting is a benefit to everyone, and is not just something to satisfy a moderator. I’m quite sure you are not a puppet involving socks or, for that matter, any item of underwear.
Anyway, this is turning into a meta-discussion, so carry on!
Do you really, seriously believe that I support what has been done and is being done to the people of Palestine and Gaza?
(PS – if you’re handy with a digital paintbrush, you really should get a protest Gravatar: FREE HABBY NOW! Villager can have one that says YAY FOR EXTREMELY FREE SPEECH! or something, if it will fit).
Fedup, chill dude. People disagree with you about, well, a fair few things, and that’s okay.
Yes!
@Jon, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but do you post at Medialens ?
Why do you believe that?
Jon you made me fucking laugh!
I cannot type for laughing, the thoughts of your suggestion!!!!!!
Thanks for the laugh.
Because I don’t, you know.
Macky, no, I don’t post there, though I’ve popped in very rarely for a peek at the discussion. The two Davids do sterling work though, even though they slightly overdo the Buddhism angle for my taste. I think they are thoroughly decent people.
“(PS – if you’re handy with a digital paintbrush, you really should get a protest Gravatar: FREE HABBY NOW! Villager can have one that says YAY FOR EXTREMELY FREE SPEECH! or something, if it will fit).”
Thanks for your immoderate suggestion, Jon. Now you can fuck off!
Thanks for replying Jon; the reason I asked it that they have a new Poster called Jon, who kinda reminded me of you.
BTW I agree about the decent Davids’ sterling work, & about the slight Buddhist overkill !
“Thanks for your immoderate suggestion, Jon. Now you can fuck off!”
You’ve obviously forgotten Jon, Villager only appreciates Habby Humour !
“Why did you get involved? (who rattled your cage?)”
“Den mother rushing to fore too!”
Maybe you are unaware, Fedup, but Technicolour and I have as much right to post here as you do. Whenever.
The fact that neither of us talk about “putting down mad dogs” does not mean we have no right to speak. Sorry. Get off your high horse. Talking non-stop about ‘ziofuckwits’ doesn’t give you a passport to anywhere in particular. (And neither does attempting to suck up to Jon and/or Mary.)
“Fedup, chill dude. People disagree with you about, well, a fair few things, and that’s okay.” — Jon
Sure it’s ok. He just can’t handle it. He needs an anger management course. Among other things.
“Do dry up Dreoilin”
I already told you, No. WhyTF should I?
We may need an ambulance on stand-by. Fedup is going to burst his aorta one of these days …
“You’ve obviously forgotten Jon, Villager only appreciates Habby Humour !”
For real Macky, for real.
Besides, if anyone wants to make an ass of themselves, i’m always happy to hold up a mirror. Not that either of you two know the meaning of true, unconditional Freedom.
Think I’ll go and play with Photoshop. It’s very relaxing. Especially after a visit here.
“(PS – if you’re handy with a digital paintbrush, you really should get a protest Gravatar: FREE HABBY NOW! Villager can have one that says YAY FOR EXTREMELY FREE SPEECH! or something, if it will fit).”
Now I would have thought that a poster should be greatfull to get the attention of the moderator, after whining and calling for his attention, demanding to be heard, as if Jon was there just for the villager.
NO! you get this nonsensical reply.
‘Thanks for your immoderate suggestion, Jon. Now you can fuck off!
There was nothing immoderate about Jon’s suggestion, just suiggesting you get creative, so get your crayons out and start doodlin’ your new ‘freedom for Hasbba’ avatar.
Besides, if anyone wants to make an ass of themselves, i’m always happy to hold up a mirror. Not that either of you two know the meaning of true, unconditional Freedom.
Here you can ask Dr. Michael Aquino anything you like, just the blog for you.
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread846455/pg4
Resident Dissident: are you suggesting that the situation has improved since Blair promoted Gaddafi?
Well that is certainly what the Index on Censorship article and the RWB index figures suggest has happened with regard to press freedom in Libya since the removal of Ghaddafi – both are respected sources who in general don’t get things wrong – but I would be happy to see reliable and sourced evidence that says otherwise. The situation in Libya is still far from perfect and there are other freedoms to consider other than press freedom – as a starter I would go and look at the Amnesty and HRW reports but I haven’t done that yet.
Maybe Jon can help you with your flyers next time you plan to fail an election. You need help with your basic English. On second thoughts Fedup could help make them ever more endearing 🙂
“We may need an ambulance on stand-by. Fedup is going to burst his aorta one of these days …”
Nah i think he just has some sort of auto comment generator – they just seem to contain the same phrases but just in a different order.
Typhoons out our arses, but this has nothing to do with climate change.
http://rt.com/news/typhoon-japan-fukushima-leaks-219/
Just dropped by to see if you are getting out of your infernal, internal squabbles, but see you are in worse shape than ever.
With all kinds of topics available, like the Mossad assassination of Arafat and apparently Alexandr Litvinenko, the commander of America’s ICBMs, Air Force Major General Michael Carey, becoming a leaking nuclear disarmament unilateralist and getting sacked, Britain’s covert government becoming so paranoid about what Snowden and The Guardian may yet reveal, and Greenpeace being investigated for possible espionage, etc., it is pathetic to see your continual drivel.
Won’t return until I see definite improvement.
I think we’ll probably manage without you, Trowbridge. Fingers crossed.
On the subject of Gravatars…
http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/07/got-an-account-on-a-site-like-github-hackers-may-know-your-e-mail-address/
Full presentation at http://www.slideshare.net/ketaman/deanonymizing-members-of-french-political-forums-passwords13
Even if you don’t have a gravatar most websites (including this one) still broadcast your encrypted email address in the web page for anyone to harvest. It should be assumed that anyone using a gravatar can most likely have their email address reversed by brute force attacks. Unless you use a very long email user ID then you might be safe. A few years ago a similar attack de-anonymised about 10% of the users. This time it was 45% within three days. Agencies with lots of computer power will do much better than that.
Resident Dissident, thanks – hadn’t researched it further but the link you provided stated that press freedoms there now were violently non-existent. Anyway, wasn’t the other point – that it was preferable to live in the UK – slightly undermined by the fact that this may be so, but only because we are not doing to ourselves what our elected representatives are doing/have done to others? You haven’t addressed that bit.
looked up Greenpeace and espionage: found this
“On October 7, 2011, Greenpeace filed a lawsuit in Superior Court for the District of Columbia against two major chemical companies, their PR firms and several individuals for activities that amount to corporate espionage. Chemical companies Dow Chemical and Sasol (formerly CONDEA Vista), through the PR firms Dezenhall Resources (Nichols Dezenhall at the time) and Ketchum, hired private investigators from the firm Beckett Brown International (BBI) to spy on Greenpeace from 1998 to 2000.
The suit charges the defendants stole thousands of documents, intercepted phone call detail records (CDRs), trespassed and conducted unlawful surveillance and theft of confidential information related to Greenpeace’s public interest work.
The complaint charges that the chemical companies, PR firms and individuals “conspired to and did surveil, infiltrate and steal confidential information with the intention of preempting, blunting or thwarting” Greenpeace’s environmental campaigns.”
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/news-and-blogs/news/spygate/
Rather calls into question the posters who were wholeheartedly dissing Greenpeace as a useless corporate front on an earlier post, I fancy. That’s even without the activists and film maker currently facing ten years in Siberia.
http://act.greenpeace.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=18&ea.campaign.id=23002&ea.tracking.id=a30gad01&gclid=CN_Nz_zOmboCFbMftAodEGsA7g
Anyone using a site which uses gravatar to be clear. For instance I don’t have a gravatar but I am pretty much 100% certain that the email I use here would fall to a brute force attack.by anyone who simply downloaded this here web page. Not that I am overly worried about that but I could see why others would be.
So remember. Your email addresses should not be considered to be private unless you take counter-measures thanks to gravatar.
Dreo, very creative indeed, i like it! And thanks for your earlier response this morning.
Now can you please help design one for Jon that reads ‘FREE WILLY’? That’ll fit for sure, won’t it Jon?
Ben: “When the heat of discussion devolves into pyromania as an end in itself, it is counter-productive, because the goal of such free speech is a discussion leading to understanding of one another’s position”
which is beautifully put. you can see it in macro and micro.