About Snowden

HERO OR TRAITOR?

by Dwight Kehoe, ©2013, blogging at TPATH

(Jun. 24, 2013) — Admittedly there is still much to learn about Mr. Snowden and his perceived or proven agenda.  But enough time has passed and enough information has been tossed around, some good, some bad and mostly unsubstantiated, for us to be able to form at least a preliminary tableau.

As with many conservatives, Libertarians and constitution minded citizens, the first Snowden interview we were exposed to had us standing and cheering.  Here we had a young and seemingly very intelligent individual, who had seen the light and was ready to put his career and even his life on the line in order to expose a government that no longer valued the rights and privacy of the American people.

It’s no secret – pun intended – that most governments and in particular this Obama administration, can not be trusted to do the right thing.  It’s very clear that the NSA and the rest of those government entities that gather information, have used it very minimally for national security while the bulk of their activity engaged in political extortion here at home.

Snowden became an instant hero for being the insider who was able to confirm what we all already knew.   If that was all there was to it, and if our Republic actually does survive these next few years, history would be very kind to Mr. Snowden.

But alas, there appears to be more. Much more. 

No one who has paid even a modicum of attention to world affairs during the past decades could fail to understand that the beacon of freedom and the desire of the world’s people to be free is formulated on and dependent upon, America.  And its true, sadly, that in our fervor to maintain freedom here at home and to extend that liberty to others, our leaders have stepped over the line from time to time.

Having said that, its also no secret that there are many forces of evil which proliferate around the world.  These evils differ slightly in context and organization but all are consistent in their desire to destroy America, her power, her reach and her ability to hold despots accountable.

Before we return to Mr. Snowden, it is important our readers understand, if they don’t already, the dangerous world in which we live as a result of modern cyber technology.  TPATH has had conversations with people to whom our national security is entrusted relating to this area.  These people, especially during the past several years have expressed frustration beyond belief that our government refuses to take retributive action against government sponsored attacks facing our military and financial  systems.

Hundreds of times a week, China and Russia, sometimes by proxy and others openly and blatantly, hack into our government computer systems.   Our response is to thwart them when we find them and continue to monitor and detect new attacks.  Never is there retaliation.

So why should we be concerned if Communist governments or Islamic Jihadists get access to our systems?  Many reasons, but the most dangerous is if they get control of any Military systems or satellites without our knowledge, any future confrontation with those governments could be not only disastrous for American lives and equipment, but would put America’s friends around the world in peril.  South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Israel and others could be left unprotected long enough to have them overrun and defeated.

Its also not unknown to many the danger of an atomic explosion high in the atmosphere which could put America in the dark for decades.  This technology, while extensive, has already been acquired by Iran, North Korea and of course in much greater ability, China and Russia.  All that is needed to implement one or more of these EMF’s would be to get one or more nuclear bomb laden rockets into low orbit and then detonated over our continent.

Returning now to Mr. Snowden.  If he had stopped at the revelation, most of which we knew, that scoundrels in our government were using technology to spy on and extort political opponents, he would not have been able to be accused of subverting his country, the Constitution or even the oath he swore.

If he had of confined his revelations to those Domestic crimes he most likely would not have had to even leave the country.   His supporters would be far and wide.  He would be a hero whistle blower. 

But….He did not stop there.

He went on, it’s reported, to inform our enemies that we have been working to protect our systems, our country and our lives, by employing the same tactics on them that they have been relentlessly doing to us.   That we have actually had the nerve to try to hack into their systems to see what it is they were doing to ours and what they intended to do with the information and technology they were gathering from us. 

If it has gone even further than that, to the extent that the methods and means we use, have been disclosed, that would be a very, very bad thing.

Again, it’s entirely too soon to place the final vignette on his character or intent.  But it’s not too early to see his actions may be more aligned with Communism than Capitalism.  If in fact, as has been reported, he has given our enemies information on how and what we are doing to keep track of them and thereby thwarting our ability to protect or circumvent malicious intent, his status as a hero whistle blower would be immediately reclassified to traitor.