Edward Snowden Gets Sam Adams Award 3361


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.


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3,361 thoughts on “Edward Snowden Gets Sam Adams Award

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  • Ben Franklin -Machine Gun Preacher (unleaded version)

    “The city is listed as the victim in the case,”

    Fedup. Now I understand some of your acrimony. We should all be outraged.

  • technicolour

    Me: “Because people are people..just as much as if the word ‘Jewish’ had been replaced by the word ‘Muslim’”

    “If it was anybody else (except of course your juvenile soul mate Villager), I would respond, unpick & show that your nonsense is nonsense, but I imagine that my reply, as most other things seemingly tend to do, will go over your head,”

    go on, try.

  • Macky

    “GG recently announced he was leaving Guardian to establish an indy network, but they had reached the limits of their autonomy.”

    Funny how he announced this one day before news of the investigation of the Guardian over the Snowden leaks; makes me wonder if the two are connected.

    As I pointed out in my Post @ 11.49m Cameron unquestionably lied to MPs concerning the circumstances of the destruction of the Guardian’s laptops, but funny how there no Posts after Posts on this, like there was recently when certain trolls here thought that Galloway had told a lie in the HOC; seems it’s not the lying that counts, but who does it !

  • technicolour

    Ben Franklin -Machine Gun Preacher (unleaded version)

    17 Oct, 2013 – 11:35 pm

    “The city is listed as the victim in the case,”

    Fedup. Now I understand some of your acrimony. We should all be outraged.


    Only now?

  • Ben Franklin -Machine Gun Preacher (unleaded version)

    AA; What, if anything, do you make of ISON’s polar/magnetic direction? Do you think it will pass through path of Earth on approach or return from Sun grazing? Have you looked at my links on bacterial/viral crop dusting on our little satellite?

  • Parky

    I nearly fell off the chair laughing my bloody head off earlier when I learnt that lanky ball hitter Andy Murray was given an OBE gong for “services to tennis” (maybe it should have been tennis services) apparently it was the grand old duke of Cambridge’s first go at performing this mamouth task, but he seemed to have picked it up from granny without too much fuss. Murray was chuffed that the Duke knew who he was and even chatted to him for fifty seconds about sweet FA. It seems even for a minor gong you still get “dubbed” and the duke had practiced on one of the loyal servants earlier to make sure he didn’t remove anyones ears in this important and ancient ceremony so steeped in tradition and pomp.

  • Ben Franklin -Machine Gun Preacher (unleaded version)

    “The prime minister’s spokesman refused to elaborate on what Cameron meant by the issue of the Guardian disclosures being examined by a select committee.’

    Macky; I am certain of the connectivity. I am glad Snowden’s files were not entrusted solely with Guardian/WaPo.

  • Macky

    ” I am certain of the connectivity”

    Pushed or not, with GG no longer on the Guardian payroll, it will probably go easier for Rusbridger iro the investigation.

    Goodnight Technicolour !

  • BrianFujisan

    Alcanon

    Seen the the New Hubble pic earlier…cheers.

    Looking Good for an intact nucleus making it round the Sun…

    Should make for many cold nights out with camera

  • BrianFujisan

    As I pointed out in my Post @ 11.49m Cameron unquestionably lied to MPs concerning the circumstances of the destruction of the Guardian’s laptops, but funny how there no Posts after Posts on this, like there was recently when certain trolls here thought that Galloway had told a lie in the HOC; seems it’s not the lying that counts, but who does it !

    Now There’s a Silence indeed Macky….DEAFENING

    And More Silence Here….

    The first is a poster from the campaigning group Visualising Palestine that shows a photoshopped image of Central Park, eerily naked. Amid New York’s skyscrapers, the park has been sheared of its trees by bulldozers. A caption reveals that since the occupation began in 1967, Israel has uprooted 800,000 olive trees belonging to Palestinians, enough to fill 33 Central Parks.

    The second, a photograph widely published last month in Israel, is of a French diplomat lying on her back in the dirt, staring up at Israeli soldiers surrounding her, their guns pointing down towards her. Marion Castaing had been mistreated when she and a small group of fellow diplomats tried to deliver emergency aid, including tents, to Palestinian farmers whose homes had just been razed.

    The demolitions were part of long-running efforts by Israel to clear Palestinians out of the Jordan Valley, the agricultural heartland of a future Palestinian state. Ms Castaing’s defiance resulted in her being quietly packed off back to Europe, as French officials sought to avoid a confrontation with Israel.

    Even the World Bank Understands: Palestine is being Disappeared

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/even-the-world-bank-understands-palestine-is-being-disappeared/5354591

  • Daniel Rich

    @ BrianFujisan,

    This is where you end up in the US, when you’re deemed too Palestinian/ME friendly [or an actual HIT-list when you’re Canadian David Cole].

    Don’t mention my aunt, OK?

  • Mary

    Brian I put up that piece by Jonathan Cook about the World Bank report earlier last night but not a peep from the trolls in response.

    One of them (RD) is now attempting to distort my contributions by saying I changed the subject from the future of Palestine to oil spills and swimming pools.

    ‘For the return….’ raised the question at 1.24pm having worn on about it to others throughout the morning.

    At 1.13 pm I had already said what my position was.
    17 Oct, 2013 – 1:13 pm
    @ For the return………………………

    Tell us who you really are. I have an idea who lies behind the new handle.

    And after you with the suggestions. Not more peace talks à la B.Liar, Bibi and Kerry please? They are a fiction, a joke, flim flam. A second state? No way as there is hardly anything left for the Palestinian people, just Bantustans. One state with equal representation for EVERY citizen? No you wouldn’t have that. The Zionist Israelis might be outnumbered.

    At 1.37 pm I posted a link to the new piece about the oil spill.

    PS Could any new trolls arriving here use the handle ‘Waste of Space’.

  • Mary

    Mr Danny Alexander, Treasury chief and latterly the Head of Communications for the Cairngorms National Park Authority before he became an MP in 2005, is supporting a plan to reduce fuel prices for 10 rural towns, the majority of which have LD MPs including Alexander! The latter fact was pointed out to him by a BBC Breakfast presenter.

    Sounds like Straw’s treating in Blackburn.

    Fuel discount bid for rural towns
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24575066

  • Mary

    PS on trolls.

    I said @7:09 pm
    I am not communicating with Anon, posting as ‘for the return of Habba…… junk, as I consider him to be a troll. No food for him at all. Let him try one of the growing number of food banks which have arisen in these times of ConDem austerity.

  • Mary

    It’s Time to Put an End to Israel’s “Don’t ask-don’t tell” Nuclear Policy
    by Medea Benjamin and Pam Bailey / October 17th, 2013

    [..]

    Edward Snowden’s predecessor

    In fact, there is an eerie similarity between the stories of Israeli whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu, a nuclear technician who revealed details of Israel’s nuclear weapons program to the British press in 1986, and Edward Snowden. Both held junior positions in organizations serving the defense industry, in which they had access to sensitive national secrets. Both became convinced their employers were responsible for immoral acts and decided to violate their oaths of secrecy to tell the world about them. They both shared what they learned with a British newspaper and set off an international storm. And both have been persecuted since then by their governments, in retaliation for their leaks.

    While Snowden has so far evaded capture by his government, Vanunu spent 18 years in prison, including more than 11 in solitary confinement. Although released in 2004, he has been subjected to a broad array of restrictions on his speech and movement, including several re-arrests for giving interviews to foreign journalists and attempting to leave Israel. Yet, just as activists, foreign governments and others would never have known the U.S. government is tapping their emails and phone calls without Snowden, the world would have known very little – if anything – about Israel’s weapons of mass destruction without Vanunu.

    [..]
    http://dissidentvoice.org/2013/10/its-time-to-put-an-end-to-israels-dont-ask-dont-tell-nuclear-policy/

  • For the return of Habba and Free Speech

    @ For the return………………………

    Tell us who you really are. I have an idea who lies behind the new handle.

    I already have told you as much as I am prepared too – I am not sure why you have issued two messages telling everyone you are not communicating with me since I last posted. You are free not to respond to any questions/comments that I might raise – but I am also free to comment on any points you may raise and ask questions thereon, If you don’t wish your posts to be subject to challenge don’t post.

  • For the return of Habba and Free Speech

    I should also say that I see the way forward as being peace talks (what is the alternative but war), with both sides making an effort to understand each other – and in the mean time the conciliators on each side should be encouraged and the aggressors should be discouraged. Stupid grandstanding by either side should be subject to ridicule,

  • For the return of Habba and Free Speech

    @ A Node

    Thanks. So …. Israel has a ‘partly’ rational need to fear Palestine.
    Do you think that is enough to justify the IDF and the State of Israel inflicting continual human rights abuses on Palestine?

    Silly question really – can human rights abuses by anyone ever be justified? The answer is a clear unequivocal no – at least in my case.

  • Macky

    “This is where you end up in the US, when you’re deemed too Palestinian/ME friendly [or an actual HIT-list when you’re Canadian David Cole].”

    Is that David Cole the person responsible for one of the worst Websites I’ve ever seen ? It was called something like “Stop the ISM”, and had photos & personal details of dozens of pro-Palestinian activists, with offers of cash for providing names & addresses iro other unidentified activists, and advocating in very unambiguous language, for the the murder of these activists.

    If that had been a Jihadist Site, everybody associated with it, & even ever posted there, would all probably now be in US Supermax prisons.

    EDIT: I’ve just checked & that site is still up !

    http://www.stoptheism.com/index.php

    However they have cleaned it up & their “Rogues Gallery” is now blank ! Which I guess means that it’s only available to those that sign-up & gain their trust.

  • For the return of Habba and Free Speech

    “As I pointed out in my Post @ 11.49m Cameron unquestionably lied to MPs concerning the circumstances of the destruction of the Guardian’s laptops, but funny how there no Posts after Posts on this, like there was recently when certain trolls here thought that Galloway had told a lie in the HOC; seems it’s not the lying that counts, but who does it !

    Now There’s a Silence indeed Macky….DEAFENING”

    Might the silence just be because the “troll” community agree with you on this. I know Macky is unable to match the reliability record of a broken clock – but he can be right sometimes. This is not North Korea or Soviet Union where agreement is meant to be indicated by a round of applause is it?

  • For the return of Habba and Free Speech

    If that had been a Jihadist state and someone had posted details of “Zionist” agents – where do you think said Zionist agents would now be. Just as Daniel Rich’s posting last night posted every action has a reaction even in the political sphere.

  • Macky

    “I should also say that I see the way forward as being peace talks (what is the alternative but war), with both sides making an effort to understand each other”

    You really don’t have a clue about what you are talking about, otherwise you wouldn’t make such naive statements; do yourself a flavour & aquaint yourself with the history of the isreal palestine negotiations, and find out which side has repeatdly given away ground (in both senses), & which side has done everything possible to scupper any whiff of a breakthrough, including the timely launching of military action, if not direct assassinations of those actually willing to reach a compromise with Israel.

    Israel is not interested in “Peace Talks”, other than as a time waster in order to cement (again in both senses), the facts of the ground.

  • For the return of Habba and Free Speech

    Macky

    So what is your alternative? How do you get both sides to the negotiating table in good faith – I can think of many ways in which pressure might be applied on both sides. Or do you really think that the matter should be resolved by war and violence – or are you just happy with the status quo?

    You are obviously right about past peace talks – but you still need some alternative other than just saying how everything suggested will fail.

  • Macky

    “Might the silence just be because the “troll” community agree with you on this.”

    But where’s all that previous great outrage that an MP has LIED in the HOC ?!! It seemed such a very big deal to certain vexted Posters, and yet here we have the actual Prime Minister, not a back-bench leader of one man party,clearly & unambiguously lying !!

    Anyhow great ! So I take it that you for one will never ever called people “anti-West”, just because they seldom post on human rights abuses commited elsewhere !

  • Macky

    “So what is your alternative?”

    As Western support for Israel has only made the decades long status quo ever worse, the logical thing to do would be to end all Western support, which would quickly bring the Israelis to the negotiationing table & this time, in good faith.

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