The Price of Liberty - Thank You Edward Snowden

[jonriv]

According to the Guardian, Snowden is a 29-year-old high school dropout who trained for the Army Special Forces before an injury forced him to leave the military. His IT credentials are apparently limited to a few “computer” classes he took at a community college in order to get his high school equivalency degree—courses that he did not complete. His first job at the NSA was as a security guard. Then, amazingly, he moved up the ranks of the United States’ national security infrastructure: The CIA gave him a job in IT security. He was given diplomatic cover in Geneva. He was hired by Booz Allen Hamilton, the government contractor, which paid him $200,000 a year to work on the NSA’s computer systems.

Regardless of your political leanings, how does this happen? Our government has become so incompetent.

This is the scariest part of the story- was not that easy to get my top secret clearance as an Army officer. I do hope someone will investigate his career path and find those responsible for his rapid ascent

[Dugout Dad]

Whistleblowers do not give their information to foreign papers and governments(some potential adversaries)

I think if he would have brought these concerns to his superiors, he would have been silenced, permanently. No US newspaper would have reported on this because fear of the DOJ arresting their reporters.

Silenced permantly- you read too many spy novels

Inspector Generals Office

Go See Bernie Sanders from Vermont

e-mail Black Widow

etc, etc.....

There are plenty of media outlets here that would love such a story. But the Chinese and Russians- sorry, sound treasonous to me

Come on JR, so naïve, do you think we will ever hear from him again if caught or found by the CIA?
According to the AP, all their sources have been silenced. Apparently Holder's wire tapping worked.

[jonriv]

Absolutely- for one he is a US citizen and secondly they will need to find out what he knows and thirdly they(the government) would love to prosecute him.

Again-you are watching too many spy movies and are caught up in too many conspiracy theories.

[Dugout Dad]

Absolutely- for one he is a US citizen and secondly they will need to find out what he knows and thirdly they(the government) would love to prosecute him.

Again-you are watching too many spy movies and are caught up in too many conspiracy theories.

A 27 year old high school drop out has access to the NSA computer system, is able to stick a thumb drive into a USB port and download classified material as though he was downloading pictures to be printed at Target.
I think they know exactly what he has, and it is damning to this administration.

[PDad]

According to the Guardian, Snowden is a 29-year-old high school dropout who trained for the Army Special Forces before an injury forced him to leave the military. His IT credentials are apparently limited to a few “computer” classes he took at a community college in order to get his high school equivalency degree—courses that he did not complete. His first job at the NSA was as a security guard. Then, amazingly, he moved up the ranks of the United States’ national security infrastructure: The CIA gave him a job in IT security. He was given diplomatic cover in Geneva. He was hired by Booz Allen Hamilton, the government contractor, which paid him $200,000 a year to work on the NSA’s computer systems.

Regardless of your political leanings, how does this happen? Our government has become so incompetent.

Reminds me of Stephen Skelley, the Master Chief that conducted experiments with 16" guns and resulted in the 1989 turret explosion on the USS Iowa.

[ontheblack]

Ron Paul on Snowden:

My understanding is that espionage means giving secret or classified information to the enemy. Since Snowden shared information with the American people, his indictment for espionage could reveal (or confirm) that the US Government views you and me as the enemy.

[Pale Rider]

Bill Gates was a college dropout, so was Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs...
Don't confuse education and intelligence...some of highest educated, as in College degrees people I know are dumb as a sack of rocks...Super nerds Ive been around seem to have a phobia about bathing...
He would have had to have Comptia Sec+ and probably a Network+ and CISSP...Those aren't easy...
USBs Flashdrive access has been turned off by DoD policy...and this where I shut up


I think he has dirty secrets and laundry is why Holder wants him so bad...

[Pale Rider]

You cannot get a Top Secret Clearance if you own up to ANY dope use...How did Obama get it?...Holder had a GUN VIOLENCE charge...He cant get one either...Biden has no brain matter...

So let me get this straight- some low-level functionary who decides on his own to release classified information to a foreign newspaper and then goes to run and hide in China and then goes off to Moscow is your hero?

If he was a whistleblower- why not the Inspector General, a congresman, the NY Times...?

When you work for the government , as I did until 3 weeks ago, in a high security position, you go through a fairly intense review. Mine was even more intense because I had a immediate family member who served in a foreign military - (my father-in-law, a legal immigrant (remember those) served in the Swedish army during WWII ) and we all know how many of those Swedes have come in to our country , grabbing planes, wearing bombs, etc. etc. ) and so it took me longer to get clearance. What they cant test for - is sense, plain and simple sense. That's why sfb's like this guy takes a lot of information that he has access to and gives it to whoever. Just like the highly educated but incredibly stupid scientists who worked on the manhattan project that gave the atomic bomb secrets to the soviets. Lots of education DOES NOT EQUAL intelligence.

And I agree with JR, if he was really a whistleblower , why didn't he go an honest congressman (oops, never mind) or a legitimate news media agency (ok nevermind again), but there most of been someone. Really.

[ontheblack]

You cannot get a Top Secret Clearance if you own up to ANY dope use...How did Obama get it?...

So let me get this straight- some low-level functionary who decides on his own to release classified information to a foreign newspaper and then goes to run and hide in China and then goes off to Moscow is your hero?

If he was a whistleblower- why not the Inspector General, a congresman, the NY Times...?

When you work for the government , as I did until 3 weeks ago, in a high security position, you go through a fairly intense review. Mine was even more intense because I had a immediate family member who served in a foreign military - (my father-in-law, a legal immigrant (remember those) served in the Swedish army during WWII ) and we all know how many of those Swedes have come in to our country , grabbing planes, wearing bombs, etc. etc. ) and so it took me longer to get clearance. What they cant test for - is sense, plain and simple sense. That's why sfb's like this guy takes a lot of information that he has access to and gives it to whoever. Just like the highly educated but incredibly stupid scientists who worked on the manhattan project that gave the atomic bomb secrets to the soviets. Lots of education DOES NOT EQUAL intelligence.

And I agree with JR, if he was really a whistleblower , why didn't he go an honest congressman (oops, never mind) or a legitimate news media agency (ok nevermind again), but there most of been someone. Really.

He did go to a legit news agency.

[Pale Rider]

He bragged about it in his book etc...Anyone in DoD, owns up to ANY drug use is a NO/GO in a TS clearance investigation...Holder seized an ROTC office in college with a firearm involved....hes a no go also