Is America a Free Country?

Jimmy Carter is making waves: "America does not have a functioning democracy at this point in time,” he told a meeting of the American Bridge, held in Atlanta, when asked about Edward Snowden’s exposure of Washington’s secret global surveillance system. Looks like the only outlet that covered the meeting was Der Spiegel, but word is … Continue reading “Is America a Free Country?”

Snowden’s Russian Sojourn: A Moral Failure?

Edward Snowden’s flight to freedom is being watched the world over as a contest of wills between one very determined person and the mightiest empire in world history: so far, Snowden is winning. His personal victory, however, may be short-lived, as he runs up against what may be an insuperable wall: Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Blocked … Continue reading “Snowden’s Russian Sojourn: A Moral Failure?”

The Prisoner

Why didn’t Edward Snowden agree to be jailed, abused, silenced, and quite possibly tortured? This is what Melissa Harris-Perry wants to know. Harris-Perry is one of MSNBC’s minor weekend anchors, a professor currently at Tulane University who started out retailing her academic pretensions as a sometime guest on the Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes shows: … Continue reading “The Prisoner”

Snowden a Hero to Americans

He’s been portrayed in the mainstream media as a "narcissist," a scheming "traitor," an agent of Russia, a Chinese spy, a clueless high school drop out, an anti-government "extremist," and I’m quite sure I must’ve missed a few of the more exotic epithets. I’m talking about Edward Snowden, of course, the former CIA employee and … Continue reading “Snowden a Hero to Americans”

Egypt’s Coup: Revenge of the NGOs?

The United States government hasn’t decided yet whether to call the overthrow of Egypt’s democratically elected government by the military a coup – they’re still mulling that one over in Washington: "Though officials did not dispute the fact that Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy, a democratically-elected leader, was ousted by the military in an extrajudicial fashion, … Continue reading “Egypt’s Coup: Revenge of the NGOs?”

Do They Really Want Snowden?

The French denied it, and then acknowledged it: the Portuguese claimed "technical" reasons, the Spanish outright lied about it, and the Italians weren’t saying much: 48 hours after Bolivian President Evo Morales was "kidnapped by imperialism," as his Foreign Minister put it, and refused overflight rights upon returning from a conference in Moscow, the explanation … Continue reading “Do They Really Want Snowden?”

Come On Down to the Malware Cafe

Whenever anyone challenges yet another power grab by government bureaucrats to spy, harass, and otherwise push their noses where it doesn’t belong, the post-9/11 "explanation" is always the same: It’s all the fault of the terrorists, because, don’tcha know, we’ve got to keep our Eye on them all the time. So shut up, whiner, it’s … Continue reading “Come On Down to the Malware Cafe”

Politics and Persona: Edward Snowden as Symbol

The debate provoked by Edward Snowden‘s revelations is drawing new battle lines in American politics, and redefining the image of the US in the eyes of the world. As Snowden’s personal fate, and his dramatic hegira from a Hawaiian paradise to the world’s drabbest airport, captures the narrative, we hear complaints from some of his … Continue reading “Politics and Persona: Edward Snowden as Symbol”

Smearing Glenn Greenwald: The Gregorian Connection

The campaign to demonize Edward Snowden, whose revelations about the National Security Agency’s ubiquitous and ongoing spying on the American public has the Obama regimein furious disrray, has taken on a new dimension – now they’re going after Glenn Greenwald, the Guardian reporter and columnist Snowden chose to tell his story. Glenn has already preempted … Continue reading “Smearing Glenn Greenwald: The Gregorian Connection”