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.
I should add that the last time I had an apparent intrusion attempt it turned out to be a bug in ghostery and that may well be the explanation again. But I thought I’d post nevertheless to see if anyone else was getting a broken padlock on startpage.com (you would get this without ghostery installed if the problem is genuine). So far every time I’ve tried again the page comes up clean.
“Why are the debates on Craigs blog never about the original post?”
The subject runs out of gas, I suppose. I’m certain that if there is news wrt Snowden, it will be shared.
Juteman,
They start off on topic when Craig posts but as the days, weeks, months drag on without a new post everything just drifts off.
Jemand: you are quite right, it was Giles, back in May, and it was ‘dross’; but apart from getting two out of two things wrong I was a hundred percent correct (bows, proffers apologies for not checking first).
That weird Mary link on SF (which I did check) was clearly not her, totally different syntax/aims/mindset, so…
Ahah. After revisiting pages in my history I find one that matches the tracker list exactly that are supposedly on startpage.com – That’s either a coincidence or a sign that ghostery is the culprit – again!
I’d better get in touch with the developer.
And just to close the issue, there was a major re-write of ghostery when it jumped from version 3 to version 5. It appears that view-source now does let you see the page source unmolested by ghostery instead of ghostery simply re-writing the source page. As I cannot see any trackers in the source it looks like it was definitely a false alarm. Might make some TOR users mess their pants if it happens to them though should they install ghostery 🙂
“Every man’s an island,
And the tide is coming in…”
Come on Jemand, what would cheer you up?
I wish Craig would post, or Suhayl would turn up with his kettle and teapot…
Well done AlcAnon. Belated greetings Ben.
Mary
Mr (he is a Surgeon not a Doctor) Nott made no reference to Kouchner (the only reference is in the Medialens comment), said he was apolitical and at no time called for war against Syria – you are just making the smear and libel worse. Perhaps you should read the MSF Charter ant tell us where Nott has breached it http://www.msf.org/msf-charter-and-principles – given the man has worked in Gaza perhaps you should give him a little respect rather than palying your usual guilt by association game.
BtW I thought it was we (subject) and us (object).
A node
In his interview David Nott made it clear that he was apolitical and did not know on which side the snipers were – he only reported that he had been told that they were on the Syrian Government side and were being paid with cigarettes. He didn’t comment on the plausibility of the matter – one because he wasn’t asked and probably like myself he was not in a position to comment on the psycology and motivations of snipers – perhaps you have a better idea.
Clark
If you bothered to read the link that I provided you would see that David Nott had also worked in Gaza. http://www.msf.org.uk/article/occupied-palestinian-territories-msf-now-operating-second-gaza-hospital He didn’t say that they consistently hit the same parts of the body – just that most of the injuries on each day were in certain areas. He didn’t call for a war against anyone – and to do so would be against the MSF Charter. Quite frankly, I expect better of you than to join in with the usual chorus – what I see as a good man is clearly being traduced here on the flimiest of grounds.
@ Mary, à propos Technicolour
“I can never work you out btw.”
Yes, that’s the trouble with those pesky commenters who try to think for themselves and refuse to run along tramlines laid down by others, isn’t it 🙂
I don’t particularly care if Stormfront Mary was the author of the SF post or not – her obsessive anti-JIZ posts are consistent with their mission, making this blog look like a Stormfront Shopfront. I’ll stop referring to her as Stormfront Mary when she moderates her posts or sues me – whichever is sooner.
So why doesn’t Craig have a blog, then a second forum where Zionists can defend the persecution of the Palestinians?
@Clark
Don’t worry Clark, I’m cheerful. Slapping down false prophets and delusional cultists is a recreational sport for me. You remember Scouse Billy, don’t you?
Who are the z!onists here, Juteman?
Juteman,
An added forum has been suggested. But right now there isn’t a single moderator since Jon resigned. If Craig wants a forum and he appoints mod(s) to run it and the blog then I think it would be a great idea.
@ Juteman
“Why are the debates on Craigs blog never about the original post?”
To which question Ben Franklin essays the following answer :
“The subject runs out of gas, I suppose.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nothing much escapes Ben’s eagle eye, does it….
But do let me complete his answer : because some have little interest in, or knowledge of, Craig’s announced themes and so use this blog as a psychiatrist’s couch on which they can let it all hang out, obsessions and all. Simples!
” so use this blog as a psychiatrist’s couch on which they can let it all hang out,”
Which is probably as helpful as modern psychotherapy minus the cost and contraindications of modern drugs. It ‘does no harm’.
For those who missed it (and this is from Snowden revelations)
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2013/10/how_the_nsa_att.html
Of course they can do this to anyone if they want. You don’t have to be using TOR.
resident dissident, 5:49 pm: I accepted your statement that Mr Nott had treated patients in Gaza. Various commenters here seem to have over-reacted, possibly including myself – but it does get confusing at times, in the avalanche of comments with many people over-reacting and misrepresenting the comments of others.
The Times started it all off by misrepresenting Mr Nott for the purposes of propaganda. Mary was quite right to draw attention to that, but probably over-reacted to Mr Nott’s comment about Blair, who I expect seems quite likeable on a personal basis. Blair’s personal charm helped him start the Iraq war.
@ Ben Franklin
“It ‘does no harm’.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
You’re right of course – it does no harm in the real world, which is what counts.
But it does perhaps do a little harm to this artifical world of the blog.
Firstly, it decredibilises the blog and possibly, by extension, its owner (you know, “by their friends shall you know them”).
Secondly, the function of psychiatrist’s couch is inconsistent with the function of this blog, which one might be forgiven for hoping was to promote rational, informed, tolerant and good-tempered debate.
And how Belgium is the enemy now.
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2013/10/how_the_nsa_att.html
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/british-spy-agency-gchq-hacked-belgian-telecoms-firm-a-923406.html
@ Ben
And I might have added that in the psychiatrist’s consulting room it is only the poor old shrink who has to listen to his patient’s ravings, whereas here we all have to suffer – even those of us who follow the blog in the hope of learning and understanding.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/british-spy-agency-gchq-hacked-belgian-telecoms-firm-a-923406.html
Operation Socialist! Who comes up with these names?
Much more than I’ve quoted at the links.
resident dissident, it is unsurprising that Murdoch’s The Times is propagandising for war against Syria. Murdoch always wants war, of course – wars increase newspaper circulation – but Murdoch has also illegally bought oil drilling rights in Syria’s Golan Heights, from Israel, of course:
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2013/02/israel-grants-oil-rights-in-syria-to-murdoch-and-rothschild/
http://www.businessinsider.com/israel-grants-golan-heights-oil-license-2013-2
I’d post a link to John Reed’s article in the Financial Times, but it’s behind a paywall.
Some modest suggestions for a future Moderator; they would not solve all the problems, but might go some way to improving both substance and atmosphere:
1. Summarily delete any post containing a four-letter word; this would curb posters like Passerby/Fedup (and make reaction to them otiose); it might be advisable to include “ziofuckwit” given this blog’s fascination with Israel/Palestine;
2. Summarily delete any post in which the poster accuses another poster of being a “troll”; this might force respondents to bring forward factual counter-arguments rather than responding with a simple insult.
3. The moderator could, where appropriate, take the floor to encourage people who have posted to answer legitimate questions about their posts; at the same time, he/she could encourage third parties to keep out of the discussion until the original poster has answered or until it is obvious that he/she does not intend to do so.
Ben’s link: “Canadian authorities on Thursday sent armed paramilitaries wearing camouflage and carrying high-powered rifles to clear out a group of anti-fracking protesters who’ve blockaded a gas exploration site since Sept. 30, area media reported”
Apparently in response to 6 police cars being set on fire – accusations all over the web that this was the work of a provocateur addressed & dismissed by most witnesses, it seems.
AlcAnon: of course, commercial espionage! Fascinating, thanks.
“But the presentation suggests that it was Belgium’s own European Union partner Britain that is behind “Operation Socialist,””
************
An unfriendly act indeed towards another EU partner.
Almost – but perhaps not quite – as unfriendly as Belgium refusing to sell the UK certain kinds of (legal)ammunition during the Falklands War.
For non techies, what it boils down to is that it seems the NSA/GCHQ etc can infect virtually any PC on the internet any time they want. Doesn’t matter if you are running Windows, Linux, Mac. Doesn’t matter what the browser is. Your virus scanner won’t stop it either. They seem to have exploits for almost anything from the leaked docs.
TOR author Roger Dingledine says in response to the Bruce Schneier article and someone claiming it meant TOR was screwed.
Re Canadian fracking: who started the violence? Looks like good coverage here:
http://inagist.com/all/391606921616056320/
Justinian: we’re all meant to be grown-ups. So perhaps the board needs an admin, rather than a mod.
Sorry forgot link for quote from Dingledine – https://blog.torproject.org/blog/yes-we-know-about-guardian-article
AlcAnon: mmm. Watch the rush to the right as internet users try and placate their spymasters, is my worry…