Snowden Granted 1-year Temporary Asylum in Russia, finally left Moscow Airport.

[Ser Gregor]

http://rt.com/news/snowden-entry-papers-russia-902/

He's so far managed to survive the long arm of the United States, now time to see how he deals with Russian roads.

 

[Black Noise]

Good for him, and good for Russia.

 

[Ser Gregor]

Good for him, and good for Russia.

Well it isn't like Russia's standing up for the underdog. They're as guilty as the United States.

Still, I'm happy he's finally got asylum somewhere...

 

[Dóiteán]

Though I didn't care if he found asylum or was handed over to our government, I will say this: if things were reversed and it was a KGB agent (or any Russian agent) that leaked classified documents and they fled to the US, Russia would be pressuring the American government to hand that agent over.

 

[Kaeb]

Though I didn't care if he found asylum or was handed over to our government, I will say this: if things were reversed and it was a KGB agent (or any Russian agent) that leaked classified documents and they fled to the US, Russia would be pressuring the American government to hand that agent over.

For many, it's not about the fact that they were simply classified documents, it's about the content within those documents. If a contractor for Russian intelligence services discovered that their government was monitoring the digital secrets of their citizens, I trust he or she too would be outraged and appalled enough to do the right thing and inform those citizens that their rights to privacy are being infringed upon by their own government.

It's the fine line between protection and secrecy, unfortunately given the way things are progressing, that line is likely to get a lot blurrier in the years to come.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

I just want to point out that the Russian KGB hasn't existed for 22 years.

 

[Ser Gregor]

I just want to point out that the Russian KGB hasn't existed for 22 years.

Beat me to it. The FSB and SVR are the two successor agencies to the KGB.

 

[Kaeb]

Yeah, that certainly threw me for a loop.

 

[Chairdor]

Meanwhile the NSA lives on

 

[Dóiteán]

@Brandon I know the KGB hasn't been around (I just couldn't remember the name for their agency).
@Hollow That is true. Our government is becoming more like a large dictatorship the further we go. It sickens me. America was founded for freedom and equality but as time goes on, we lose more freedoms and as it stands now, not everyone is equal.

 

[Kaeb]

@Hollow That is true. Our government is becoming more like a large dictatorship the further we go. It sickens me. America was founded for freedom and equality but as time goes on, we lose more freedoms and as it stands now, not everyone is equal.

Dictatorship?

I think the term your looking for is totalitarian rule.

 

[Dóiteán]

Thank you Hollow, that is what I meant.

 

[Kaeb]

I wouldn't stretch for that term just yet though, before many of these documents were made available to the press and furthermore the public, I would have thought it was obvious that our governments were monitoring not just potential threats but their own citizens, especially given the increase in homegrown/domesticated violence throughout the United States and Europe.

But just because I can see the logic behind it or at the very least trace the origin of their decision making, it doesn't make me like it a single iota.

Given the rise of the digital age, it was a statistical inevitability.

 

[Dóiteán]

I believe the government and the CIA are corrupt. The assassinations of 2 certain presidents has me and my folks suspicious.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

The fear isn't what the Obama administration will do, or even what the Bush administration would or did do. What I'm concerned is that we're running our governments based on the assumption that Caesar can do no wrong. One of these days, though, a bad President is going to come along and exploit the well-intentioned security programs these Presidents have set up. There's too much short-term thinking.

 

[Kaeb]

I believe the government and the CIA are corrupt. The assassinations of 2 certain presidents has me and my folks suspicious.

Good for you buddy, try not to scratch your head too much, I hear those tin-foil hats can be pretty itchy.

The fear isn't what the Obama administration will do, or even what the Bush administration would or did do. What I'm concerned is that we're running our governments based on the assumption that Caesar can do no wrong. One of these days, though, a bad President is going to come along and exploit the well-intentioned security programs these Presidents have set up. There's too much short-term thinking.

All true, I've read a shit load of articles that are alarmed by the notion that the very act of allowing these programs to exist, is in a very real sense creaking open the flood gates before someone takes the opportunity to barge through. But again, it's all pure speculation at this point.

I really haven't a ****ing clue what's going to come next.

 

[Jaqen H'ghar]

The fear isn't what the Obama administration will do, or even what the Bush administration would or did do. What I'm concerned is that we're running our governments based on the assumption that Caesar can do no wrong. One of these days, though, a bad President is going to come along and exploit the well-intentioned security programs these Presidents have set up. There's too much short-term thinking.

Agreed, and it's not just in congress or what have you, it's with the people as well. No one pays attention to all the little changes, and the system itself is essentially set up to make it impossible to do that. A single legislative law passed averages how many pages now? Some are over 1,000. I think that our founding fathers would be utterly terrified at what our country is turning into, over all.

For many, it's not about the fact that they were simply classified documents, it's about the content within those documents. If a contractor for Russian intelligence services discovered that their government was monitoring the digital secrets of their citizens, I trust he or she too would be outraged and appalled enough to do the right thing and inform those citizens that their rights to privacy are being infringed upon by their own government.

It's the fine line between protection and secrecy, unfortunately given the way things are progressing, that line is likely to get a lot blurrier in the years to come.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Woooo.aahh...haha...hah...heh..hehehe...heh.

That was a good one.

 

[Kaeb]

-snip-

You never know mate, you never know.

 

[Dóiteán]

The reasons we think that are:
When Lincoln was assassinated, the, then, secret service was not guarding him.
With JFK, when he was shot his head went back and there's the "magic bullet".

 

[Brandon Rhea]

The reasons we think that are:
When Lincoln was assassinated, the, then, secret service was not guarding him.

I'd be impressed if they did, considering the Secret Service was created the day he was assassinated. It wasn't officially commissioned until after his death.