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Thread: Snowden’s full statement from Moscow: ‘I did what I believed right’

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    Snowden’s full statement from Moscow: ‘I did what I believed right’

    Hello. My name is Ed Snowden. A little over one month ago, I had family, a home in paradise, and I lived in great comfort. I also had the capability without any warrant to search for, seize, and read your communications. Anyone’s communications at any time. That is the power to change people’s fates.




    http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/1...elieved-right/









    You guys should read this.

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    Senior Member Penguin's Avatar

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    Hello. My name is Ed Snowden. A little over one month ago, I had family, a home in paradise, and I lived in great comfort. I also had the capability without any warrant to search for, seize, and read your communications. Anyone’s communications at any time. That is the power to change people’s fates.

    It is also a serious violation of the law. The 4th and 5th Amendments to the Constitution of my country, Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and numerous statutes and treaties forbid such systems of massive, pervasive surveillance. While the US Constitution marks these programs as illegal, my government argues that secret court rulings, which the world is not permitted to see, somehow legitimize an illegal affair. These rulings simply corrupt the most basic notion of justice – that it must be seen to be done. The immoral cannot be made moral through the use of secret law.

    I believe in the principle declared at Nuremberg in 1945: “Individuals have international duties which transcend the national obligations of obedience. Therefore individual citizens have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity from occurring.”

    Accordingly, I did what I believed right and began a campaign to correct this wrongdoing. I did not seek to enrich myself. I did not seek to sell US secrets. I did not partner with any foreign government to guarantee my safety. Instead, I took what I knew to the public, so what affects all of us can be discussed by all of us in the light of day, and I asked the world for justice.

    That moral decision to tell the public about spying that affects all of us has been costly, but it was the right thing to do and I have no regrets.

    Since that time, the government and intelligence services of the United States of America have attempted to make an example of me, a warning to all others who might speak out as I have. I have been made stateless and hounded for my act of political expression. The United States Government has placed me on no-fly lists. It demanded Hong Kong return me outside of the framework of its laws, in direct violation of the principle of non-refoulement – the Law of Nations. It has threatened with sanctions countries who would stand up for my human rights and the UN asylum system. It has even taken the unprecedented step of ordering military allies to ground a Latin American president’s plane in search for a political refugee. These dangerous escalations represent a threat not just to the dignity of Latin America, but to the basic rights shared by every person, every nation, to live free from persecution, and to seek and enjoy asylum.




    Yet even in the face of this historically disproportionate aggression, countries around the world have offered support and asylum. These nations, including Russia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Ecuador have my gratitude and respect for being the first to stand against human rights violations carried out by the powerful rather than the powerless. By refusing to compromise their principles in the face of intimidation, they have earned the respect of the world. It is my intention to travel to each of these countries to extend my personal thanks to their people and leaders.

    I announce today my formal acceptance of all offers of support or asylum I have been extended and all others that may be offered in the future. With, for example, the grant of asylum provided by Venezuela’s President Maduro, my asylee status is now formal, and no state has a basis by which to limit or interfere with my right to enjoy that asylum. As we have seen, however, some governments in Western European and North American states have demonstrated a willingness to act outside the law, and this behavior persists today. This unlawful threat makes it impossible for me to travel to Latin America and enjoy the asylum granted there in accordance with our shared rights.

    This willingness by powerful states to act extra-legally represents a threat to all of us, and must not be allowed to succeed. Accordingly, I ask for your assistance in requesting guarantees of safe passage from the relevant nations in securing my travel to Latin America, as well as requesting asylum in Russia until such time as these states accede to law and my legal travel is permitted. I will be submitting my request to Russia today, and hope it will be accepted favorably.

    If you have any questions, I will answer what I can.

    Thank you.

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    Administrator Krupski's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by 5.56NATO View Post
    This willingness by powerful states to act extra-legally represents a threat to all of us, and must not be allowed to succeed.
    LMAO! I'll bet Zero and company are fuming right now!

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    Team Guns Network Silver 04/2013 alismith's Avatar

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    Senior Member Dr. Gonzo GED's Avatar

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    Who want's to bet Russia denies him asylum?

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    Team GunsNet Bronze 07/2011 weevil's Avatar

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    Registered User LAGC's Avatar

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    I read somewhere that it would cost a little over 200 grand to charter a private flight directly to Venezuela so that he could seek asylum.

    Maybe some anonymous rich patron will come to his rescue like they did with Julian Assange...
    "That tyranny has all the vices both of democracy and oligarchy is evident. As of oligarchy so of tyranny, the end is wealth; (for by wealth only can the tyrant maintain either his guard or his luxury). Both mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms." -- Aristotle, Book V, 350 B.C.E

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    Senior Member AKM's Avatar

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    I wonder if Snowden knows that Putin has reporters killed that give him a hard time!

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    Team GunsNet Bronze 07/2011 T2K's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by LAGC View Post
    I read somewhere that it would cost a little over 200 grand to charter a private flight directly to Venezuela so that he could seek asylum.

    Maybe some anonymous rich patron will come to his rescue like they did with Julian Assange...
    Not if the countries in between deny use of their airspace (France, Germany, Spain, UK...).

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    Registered User LAGC's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by T2K View Post
    Not if the countries in between deny use of their airspace (France, Germany, Spain, UK...).
    I think the plan was to fly over the Baltic Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, avoiding land the entire way.

    It would take one massive plane with a huge fuel tank to fly that far without refueling though, which is why the expensive $200K price tag...
    "That tyranny has all the vices both of democracy and oligarchy is evident. As of oligarchy so of tyranny, the end is wealth; (for by wealth only can the tyrant maintain either his guard or his luxury). Both mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms." -- Aristotle, Book V, 350 B.C.E

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    Quote Originally Posted by weevil View Post
    THIS^ Snowden is a hero IMO, whenever the feds overstep their bounds the only way to put the spotlight on is by whistleblowers. The media has already advocated that role.( at least when a Communist is in the Whitehouse, it would be a different story if it were anybody but a commie/marxist/socialist/green ect..

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    Team GunsNet Bronze 07/2011 weevil's Avatar

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    5.56NATO thanks for posting that.

    While I don't particularly like many of the countries that have offered him asylum I am glad that some have. I feel bad for him I wouldn’t really want to live in any of those.

    This spying program disgusts me as well as our country’s efforts to get a guy who has done nothing but expose the fact that the US government is breaking the law. I find it funny in a way that they consider what he has done to be breaking the law. All he has done is expose the fact that they were breaking the law and that is a crime?

    I guess we had better never ever report any crimes we see eh? If that is the case, I am reminded of the old saying, All that is needed for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing. I wish Snowden the best of luck. What he has done has taken guts. He has had to leave everything behind and, I have the feeling when all is said and done he will have an unfortunate mysterious death.

    This war on terrorism has cost us dearly. The government now figures it can spy on anyone and everyone whenever it wants outside of the rule of law. It also feels that it can arrest you secretly and hold you forever without charging you or even telling anyone. If that wasn't enough, they feel that they can even kill an US citizen on US soil without due process.

    When the government sets aside the rule of law as they see fit you have no protection under the law at all. You become a nation of men, not laws and your freedom disappears. All you have left is what the powerful will permit. It really isn’t that different from being ruled by a war lord.

    This used to be the land of the free and the home of the brave. I don't feel that it is either anymore. As well I feel that it is getting worse. There are many days where I guess my feelings could best be described as I love my country it’s the government I fear. God help us all at this point.
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    I find all this very troubling to say the least, just came across a article stating Obama just passed another "executive order" that scares the hell out of me as an ex-vet. Has anyone heard of the "Assignment of National Security Emergency Communications Function"? According to what I am reading it gives him the right to shut down any and all electronic communication in this country, TV, Radio, Internet, cell phones, everything thru "homeland security" Maybe this young man is on to something real big? they sure as hell want him BAD! And big ole Janet leaving now? something smells fishy around here. It was posted on a website called examiner.com, came across it by accident, sure makes you wonder.
    Last edited by rshaneck2002; 07-13-2013 at 12:23 PM.

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