Obama to Snowden: Screw Your Movie, Come Back and Face the Music
Sometimes it can be fun to take a break from the madness and check out some of the crazier shit that comes your way. And nothing could top the Obama administration's suggestion that Edward Snowden voluntarily return to the United States to face charges. Whether you agree with Snowden's ratting out the NSA or not, to expect this kid to place his fate in the hands of a government that deplores whistle-blowers as much as it deplores transparency, is the craziest shit we've got to post today.
For those who've forgotten, the Obama administration wanted to get a set of cuffs on Edward Snowden in the worst way. And the fact that he sought and received sanctuary in Russia only made matters worse. Russia was the one place where the U.S. couldn't lay a finger on him. This guy was and remains public enemy number one, in the eyes of the U.S. intelligence gathering community. And the administration's attitude toward the whistle-blowing intelligence contractor hasn't changed one bit over the years. They want his ass and they want it any way they can get it. Dead or Alive.
When White House press secretary Josh Earnest was queried about Edward Snowden in relation to the release of Oliver Stone's movie "Snowden", this weekend, here's how he framed the administration's take on the issue:
“The first is that Mr. Snowden has been charged with serious crimes and it is the policy of the administration that Mr. Snowden should return to the U.S. and face those charges. He, of course, will be afforded due process and there are mechanisms in our criminal justice system to ensure that he is treated fairly and consistent with the law. That is what the President believes."
But wait, it gets worse.
“With regard to the impact that he has had on the broader debate, the fact is the manner in which Mr. Snowden chose to disclose this information damaged the U.S., harmed our national security, and put the American people at greater risk,” Earnest said.
“There are mechanisms that Mr Snowden could have availed himself of, if he had concerns about information that he had access to, to communicate this information more responsibly and address some of the policy concerns that he purports to have."
“But the impact of his actions, because of the way he chose to disclose this information, did harm our national security. The President said that on a number of occasions, and his assessment of that situation has not changed,” Earnest said. Translation: Snowden can spend his life like Wikileaks' Julian Assange or U.S. Army Private Chelsea Manning, but either way, he'll be old and gray before he'll see another free day.
Still, Edward Snowden has made several very public pitches for why he should be granted a presidential pardon. In an interview with The Guardian, Snowden said he should be eligible for clemency because his decision to disclose classified information about U.S. and British surveillance programs was morally correct and benefitted the public.
“Yes, there are laws on the books that say one thing, but that is perhaps why the pardon power exists—for the exceptions, for the things that may seem unlawful in letters on a page but when we look at them morally, when we look at them ethically, when we look at the results, it seems these were necessary things, these were vital things,”.
He also added, “I think when people look at the calculations of benefit, it is clear that in the wake of 2013 the laws of our nation changed. The [US] Congress, the courts and the president all changed their policies as a result of these disclosures. At the same time there has never been any public evidence that any individual came to harm as a result.” From this observer's perspective, the only thing that can be said here is "Good Luck with that!"
Bottom line: Edward Snowden embarrassed the United States by exposing a global surveillance entity that was neither accountable to nor overseen by anyone remotely representing "We the People", notwithstanding the rest of the world. Edward Snowden must be made an example of to discourage others. If Snowden is smart, as he's handled himself to date, he'll keep his ass just where it is.
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