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Has Sen. Sanders explicitly stated a more welcoming attitude concerning the status of Mr. Snowden?

by _-__--- 11y ago

tptacek 11y ago
He's more welcoming, but he too believes Snowden is a criminal; he wants lenient charging and sentencing for him (a "plea deal" of some sort, is how he put it).
- toomuchtodo 11y ago
  I'd rather vote for a candidate who offers a slap on the wrist to appease mob justice then others who are spewing rhetoric about life in prison or execution.
  - tptacek 11y ago
    Sure. Me too.
- radmuzom 11y ago
  By law, Snowden IS a criminal irrespective of whether his actions are moral or not (as I am not American, I don't take a stand on that and I don't care).
  - monstruoso 11y ago
    Presidents can pardon.
  - jugad 11y ago
    Only saying that "he broke the law, hence he is a criminal", is almost meaningless. Its like, the sun rises in the east. Everyone knows he broke the law, and its not part of the debate at all. The question is... knowing all that we now know, should we treat him like a criminal? Many people broke the law and became criminals, in order to do what was right. Gandhi became a criminal by refusing to pay tax on salt. Americans became criminals by refusing to play ball with 'taxation without representation'.. (or the boston tea party). Rosa parks became a criminal when she refused to sit in the back of the bus. In taliban's view, Malala became a criminal when she decided to go to school. Breaking the law is not always bad... sometimes, it is essential to break the law, in order to do the right thing. I find it difficult to believe that you really don't care, don't have an opinion or have no moral stand on this issue. It reminds me of this famous line... First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. Mass surveillance and punishing whistleblowers are not just American evils. They are the evils of the powerful, who are everywhere around the world.
functionalfish 11y ago
"In my view," Sanders continued, "the interests of justice would be best served if our government granted him some form of clemency or a plea agreement that would spare him a long prison sentence or permanent exile from the country whose freedoms he cared enough about to risk his own freedom." http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/06/snowden-clemency-sanders-nsa/4344467/ http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/06/snowden...
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
toomuchtodo 11y ago
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/why-i-dont-care-about-edward-snowden http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/why-i-dont-... "Love him or hate him, we all owe Snowden our thanks for forcing upon the nation an important debate. But the debate shouldn't be about him. It should be about the gnawing questions his actions raised from the shadows. In the end, fear and politics likely will prevail, as it has in America's past. Washington elites will close ranks to protect the Surveillance State, to trample out transparency and to mislead the public. Maybe we can talk first?" EDIT: nicklaf mentions below that this was actually written by Ron Fournier, not Sen. Sanders, although I believe that if its considered "Must Read" by Sen. Sanders, its congruant with his position on the topic.
- nicklaf 11y ago
  Just to be clear, that article was posted on the Senator's website as "must read" material, but was not written by Bernie Sanders himself. The article was written by Ron Fournier, and published in the National Journal.
  - toomuchtodo 11y ago
    Thank you for pointing that out. I've updated my post to reflect that.
dethstar 11y ago
A quick googling revealed this: https://youtu.be/mJTmRoXG2DA?t=2m30s https://youtu.be/mJTmRoXG2DA?t=2m30s
igorgue 11y ago
This post from 2013 can answer that: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/why-i-dont-care-about-edward-snowden http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/why-i-dont-...

Has Sen. Sanders explicitly stated a more welcoming attitude concerning the status of Mr. Snowden?

by _-__--- 11y ago

Has Sen. Sanders explicitly stated a more welcoming attitude concerning the status of Mr. Snowden?

He's more welcoming, but he too believes Snowden is a criminal; he wants lenient charging and sentencing for him (a "plea deal" of some sort, is how he put it).

toomuchtodo 11y ago
I'd rather vote for a candidate who offers a slap on the wrist to appease mob justice then others who are spewing rhetoric about life in prison or execution.
- tptacek 11y ago
  Sure. Me too.
radmuzom 11y ago
By law, Snowden IS a criminal irrespective of whether his actions are moral or not (as I am not American, I don't take a stand on that and I don't care).
- monstruoso 11y ago
  Presidents can pardon.
- jugad 11y ago
  Only saying that "he broke the law, hence he is a criminal", is almost meaningless. Its like, the sun rises in the east. Everyone knows he broke the law, and its not part of the debate at all. The question is... knowing all that we now know, should we treat him like a criminal? Many people broke the law and became criminals, in order to do what was right. Gandhi became a criminal by refusing to pay tax on salt. Americans became criminals by refusing to play ball with 'taxation without representation'.. (or the boston tea party). Rosa parks became a criminal when she refused to sit in the back of the bus. In taliban's view, Malala became a criminal when she decided to go to school. Breaking the law is not always bad... sometimes, it is essential to break the law, in order to do the right thing. I find it difficult to believe that you really don't care, don't have an opinion or have no moral stand on this issue. It reminds me of this famous line... First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. Mass surveillance and punishing whistleblowers are not just American evils. They are the evils of the powerful, who are everywhere around the world.

functionalfish 11y ago

"In my view," Sanders continued, "the interests of justice would be best served if our government granted him some form of clemency or a plea agreement that would spare him a long prison sentence or permanent exile from the country whose freedoms he cared enough about to risk his own freedom." http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/06/snowden-clemency-sanders-nsa/4344467/ http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/06/snowden...

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

toomuchtodo 11y ago

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/why-i-dont-care-about-edward-snowden http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/why-i-dont-... "Love him or hate him, we all owe Snowden our thanks for forcing upon the nation an important debate. But the debate shouldn't be about him. It should be about the gnawing questions his actions raised from the shadows. In the end, fear and politics likely will prevail, as it has in America's past. Washington elites will close ranks to protect the Surveillance State, to trample out transparency and to mislead the public. Maybe we can talk first?" EDIT: nicklaf mentions below that this was actually written by Ron Fournier, not Sen. Sanders, although I believe that if its considered "Must Read" by Sen. Sanders, its congruant with his position on the topic.

nicklaf 11y ago
Just to be clear, that article was posted on the Senator's website as "must read" material, but was not written by Bernie Sanders himself. The article was written by Ron Fournier, and published in the National Journal.
- toomuchtodo 11y ago
  Thank you for pointing that out. I've updated my post to reflect that.

dethstar 11y ago

A quick googling revealed this: https://youtu.be/mJTmRoXG2DA?t=2m30s https://youtu.be/mJTmRoXG2DA?t=2m30s

igorgue 11y ago

This post from 2013 can answer that: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/why-i-dont-care-about-edward-snowden http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/why-i-dont-...