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Putin tells Edward Snowden: Russia doesn't carry out mass surveillance [W:31]

Ben K.

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President Vladimir Putin has told the National Security Agency whistleblower, Edward Snowden, that Russia is not carrying out mass surveillance programmes of the kind Snowden exposed in the US.
Snowden made a video-link appearance during Putin's marathon televised question and answer session to ask the president about Russia's attitude to mass surveillance.
Snowden asked: "Does Russia intercept or store or analyse the communication of millions of individuals?" He went on to ask whether increasing the effectiveness of internal security systems could ever justify such actions.
To applause from the studio audience, Putin responded: "Mr Snowden you are a former agent, a spy, I used to work for a intelligence service, we are going to talk the same language."

He said Russia did not have a comparable programme, stating: "Our agents are controlled by law. You have to get court permission to put an individual under surveillance. We don't have mass permission, and our law makes it impossible for that kind of mass permission to exist."


Putin tells Edward Snowden: Russia doesn't carry out mass surveillance | World news | theguardian.com

Wow, any claims of idealism this guy had went kaput when he allowed himself to be used like this. Or he's just extremely simple.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

Putin tells Edward Snowden: Russia doesn't carry out mass surveillance | World news | theguardian.com

Wow, any claims of idealism this guy had went kaput when he allowed himself to be used like this. Or he's just extremely simple.[/FONT][/COLOR]

he had no alternatives. he went into dealings with the devil and now he can't escape.

I think he is an idealist but he also knows, now more so than before, that he won't be allowed to leave Russia without him paying his dues to the overlord Putin. That's the price you see.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

Most definitely this. It saddens me that he felt he had to go to Russia in order to protect himself from our intelligence agencies. I think it speaks volumes about what the US is doing.

he had no alternatives. he went into dealings with the devil and now he can't escape.

I think he is an idealist but he also knows, now more so than before, that he won't be allowed to leave Russia without him paying his dues to the overlord Putin. That's the price you see.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

Credibility? The guy first went to China, the most egregious violator of individual rights, freedom and privacy (well, second to North Korea) then he went straight to Russia, arguably the greatest and most productive spy industry in the world (just look at any of their technology, next to a picture of the US version that came first), that is run by a former spy (KGB) Colonel. And gave them everything he had - even if they just took it without his knowledge. Credibility?

I'm glad that we now know about "metadata gathering" and "domestic surveillance" but to say he went about it the wrong way is an understatement.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

In what universe do you believe that Snowden believes it?

That's only if he's stupid. He's allowing himself to be used for propaganda purposes by asking that question on Russian TV as if he was going to get an honest response.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

I'm glad that we now know about "metadata gathering" and "domestic surveillance" but to say he went about it the wrong way is an understatement.
There was no good way to go about it. He had to sacrifice his life to do it - whether or not that was his view or justification or if there was some selfish motive I don't know. I too am glad we know about all of it - without Snowden being the traitor he is, we still would be in the dark.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

Putin tells Edward Snowden: Russia doesn't carry out mass surveillance | World news | theguardian.com

Wow, any claims of idealism this guy had went kaput when he allowed himself to be used like this. Or he's just extremely simple.[/FONT][/COLOR]

Putin is hardly someone to believe, he's about as slimey and dishonest as Harry Reid, but I'd say it's very likely that Russia doesn't have anything anywhere near what the US has under the NSA. Have you seen that multi-billion dollar facility they have? Russia still operates under cold-war tactics - easier and less costly just to liquidate anyone you don't like.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

That's only if he's stupid. He's allowing himself to be used for propaganda purposes by asking that question on Russian TV as if he was going to get an honest response.

I'm not going to deny that. That was Putin's plan all along, but what choice did Snowden have?

All Snowden did was inform US citizens that their government was spying on them and others among other things. In my book the man is a hero.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

There was no good way to go about it. He had to sacrifice his life to do it - whether or not that was his view or justification or if there was some selfish motive I don't know. I too am glad we know about all of it - without Snowden being the traitor he is, we still would be in the dark.

With the technology that exists today, he could have given it all to a US newspaper and gotten the same result, and he could have gone to a country without an extradition treaty with the US without taking all the secrets with him for anyone to look at.

The newspaper could print the story and keep sensitive material out of the public eye. They do that all the time.

We still would have had the same response from the public as we have now, and the Chinese and the Russians wouldn't have all our damned secrets.

He's the worst traitor that this country has ever seen.

I hate the programs he exposed, but this douche put you, me and my family at risk. And for that, I'll never forgive him.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

Credibility? The guy first went to China, the most egregious violator of individual rights, freedom and privacy (well, second to North Korea) then he went straight to Russia, arguably the greatest and most productive spy industry in the world (just look at any of their technology, next to a picture of the US version that came first), that is run by a former spy (KGB) Colonel. And gave them everything he had - even if they just took it without his knowledge. Credibility?

I'm glad that we now know about "metadata gathering" and "domestic surveillance" but to say he went about it the wrong way is an understatement.
To say "he went to Russia, He went to China" is a b.s. argument. He went to countries that didn't have extradition treaties and wouldn't be afraid to let the U.S. know about it. You recall how the Columbian president's plane was forced to land and was then boarded as agents searched for Snowden.

Where was Snowden supposed to go? The pussified French? Our best friends in Britain? He did have a shot with Iceland but in the end they said no.

This is a real question and not a rhetorical one: where was Snowden supposed to go?
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

There was no good way to go about it. He had to sacrifice his life to do it - whether or not that was his view or justification or if there was some selfish motive I don't know. I too am glad we know about all of it - without Snowden being the traitor he is, we still would be in the dark.

That's BS. We already knew. He didn't reveal anything new. Even if there was, he could have gone about his "moral obligations" in a morally sound way. He's a traitor for personal glory.

You are engaging in idol worship.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

To say "he went to Russia, He went to China" is a b.s. argument. He went to countries that didn't have extradition treaties and wouldn't be afraid to let the U.S. know about it. You recall how the Columbian president's plane was forced to land and was then boarded as agents searched for Snowden.

Where was Snowden supposed to go? The pussified French? Our best friends in Britain? He did have a shot with Iceland but in the end they said no.

This is a real question and not a rhetorical one: where was Snowden supposed to go?

Stay in America and become a media darling and hero?
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

With the technology that exists today, he could have given it all to a US newspaper and gotten the same result, and he could have gone to a country without an extradition treaty with the US without taking all the secrets with him for anyone to look at.

The newspaper could print the story and keep sensitive material out of the public eye. They do that all the time.
I totally disagree. The WH and NSA would have swooped in said this is a matter of national security and told them they cannot print or run a story on it. If he sent it to any media outlet they would not have run it period.

We still would have had the same response from the public as we have now, and the Chinese and the Russians wouldn't have all our damned secrets.
Frankly, our country deserves everything they get. It's a ****ty way to do things especially spying on your own people which is against the law, against the constitution and the intent of pretty much everything we as American's hold dear like liberty and freedom.

He's the worst traitor that this country has ever seen.
I'm still glad he did it.


I hate the programs he exposed, but this douche put you, me and my family at risk. And for that, I'll never forgive him.

I don't think it's put me at risk at all. He's let out the dirty laundry our government has been doing to it's own people. Maybe this will serve as a flashpoint of change and our government and secret services won't be such douche's in the future.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

That's BS. We already knew. He didn't reveal anything new. Even if there was, he could have gone about his "moral obligations" in a morally sound way. He's a traitor for personal glory.

You are engaging in idol worship.

Personal glory?

The guy is ironically stuck in Russia for ****s sake.

The federal government are the traitors - they're the ones pissing all over the Bill of Rights.

As far as I'm concerned you're a tyrant for defending the government and bashing Snowden.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

This twerp comes off as nothing more than a psychotic, disconnected, self-aggrandizing, duped traitor.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

Personal glory?

15 minutes of fame, secretary style. He couldn't know it would land him as a Putin lapdog.

As far as I'm concerned you're a tyrant for defending the government and bashing Snowden.

What has ever given you the impression that anyone here could give a crap?
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

Stay in America and become a media darling and hero?

Yeah right.... The tyrannical authoritarian government wants Snowden in prison on charges of treason for reveling and confirming their tyrannical secrets.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

That's BS. We already knew. He didn't reveal anything new. Even if there was, he could have gone about his "moral obligations" in a morally sound way. He's a traitor for personal glory.

You are engaging in idol worship.

If we knew everything he revealed it would have been a non story and you would have your panties in a wad over it. :shrug:

I'd rather worship an idol than what you worship - which is apparently a corrupt and ever expanding government. BRING ON THE IDOLS!!
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

This twerp comes off as nothing more than a psychotic, disconnected, self-aggrandizing, duped traitor.

You do realize the government is committing crimes against US citizens?

How do you feel about that?

Exposing and confirming that our government is committing treason is NOT treason.

What do you think? the Bill of Rights is a joke? or do you believe the Bill of Rights is just a useful tool SOMETIMES just like the rest of the progressives?
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

15 minutes of fame, secretary style. He couldn't know it would land him as a Putin lapdog.



What has ever given you the impression that anyone here could give a crap?

He didn't do this for fame..... Does he look famous to you? progressives (republicans and democrats) would love nothing more than to see him executed like the Rosenbergs.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

He didn't do this for fame..... Does he look famous to you?

Obviously. Are you confused?
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

You do realize the government is committing crimes against US citizens?

How do you feel about that?

Exposing and confirming that our government is committing treason is NOT treason.

What do you think? the Bill of Rights is a joke? or do you believe the Bill of Rights is just a useful tool SOMETIMES just like the rest of the progressives?

You conveniently leave out that much of what he revealed was global intelligence processes that are directly involved with national security. It's not just home-based information he revealed.

What libertarians don't understand is that, while your ideology sounds really nice in some ways, your country would last a nanosecond in this evil world. Some government is unfortunately quite necessary.

As a conservative, I can support some of what he did, but not when he runs to China and Russia, and no doubt, undoes years of intelligence work on America's part. I have no doubt that this, in conjunction with a U.S. president whom Putin finds laughable, is largely the reason Putin is so bold and unafraid right now as he Hitlers along in the Eastern bloc.
 
Re: Edward Snowden - Useful Idiot?u

Obviously. Are you confused?

The man could walk down the streets of "any city USA" and he wouldn't even be recognized.... That is why if I were in his shoes I would have just jumped the boarder like the illegal aliens do....

The guy is not famous, he may be "famous" amongst those who actually follow politics or currant events, and our government certainly wants to murder him...
 
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