Edward Snowden, Where Art Thee? Hong Kong Is Not The Land of OZ

A Libertarian Paradise? Or, yet another misguided libertarian belief system?

Edward Snowden is continuing to speak from a cloaked location. The young violator of his Top Secret security clearance and disser* of trust from people who hired him, places himself in a precarious position. The next comment is not meant in any way to be humorous. If I were Snowden and insisted on staying on the tiny island of Hong Kong, I would probably use an al Qaeda type sheet behind his camera view. People who perform INTEL manhunts for a living ‘bad guys or goods guys’ (perspective is up to you), have ways of discern- ing lots from images.

Snowden has indicated he will stay in a country that is about freedom of speech and the right for political dissent.  

Huff Post

Snowden has previously said that he sought refuge in Hong Kong for its “spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent.” The revelation sparked spirited debate about whether it was a wise choice, with some experts arguing that Hong Kong would likely extradite Snowden to the United States given the treaty between the two governments. Other legal experts, however, said that he could remain in Hong Kong for years if he fights extradition attempts in court.

We ask, “Has the following measure been repealed or is Snowden stepping into a pile of  “yellow snow, in  a country where there is no snow?” 

Hong Kong Surveillance Law Passes

By KEITH BRADSHER

Published: August 6, 2006

HONG KONG, Aug. 6 — Pro-Beijing lawmakers approved legislation here today giving broad authority to the police to conduct covert surveillance, including wiretapping phones, bugging homes and offices and monitoring e-mail. 

The bill passed the 60-member Legislative Council on a vote of 32 to 0 soon after pro-democracy lawmakers walked out of the chamber in protest early this morning. The Democratic Party and its allies had tried to introduce nearly 200 amendments to the bill through four days of marathon debates, but all were defeated or ruled out of order.

Maybe Snowden is influenced by libertarianism and maybe he has read articles such as this.  As Snowden has indicated an affinity for Ron Paul, it isn’t much of a leap to think he has libertarian political and social views. Maybe, the guy who claims to seek better government in the United States should follow another high profile case from the Hong Kong judicial system: the Milkshake Murder Case. 

The Atlantic published a piece two days ago that pretty well sums-up Snowdens lack of good judgment in his choice of “havens.” 

The New Yorker has also published regarding Snowden’s choice of “safe haven.”

In choosing to go to Hong Kong, Edward Snowden, the former C.I.A. tech, who leaked news of the U.S. government’s collection of private Internet and telephone data, put himself at the intersection of forces more powerful than what he called that city’s “commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent.” He’s not wrong about that commitment—it’s one of Hong Kong’s most appealing distinctions—but going to Hong Kong out of devotion to free speech is a bit like going to Tibet out of a devotion to Buddhism; the people love it, though they live under authorities who intervene when they choose. On Monday Wen Yunchao, a liberal blogger in Hong Kong, wrote that Snowden has gone “out of the tiger’s den, and into the wolf’s lair.

As a very suspicious sort, Snowden’s revelation (Proud revelation) about Ron Paul strikes me as interestingly intriguing. Paul’s reciprocal “hero” characterization and his possible cloaked appeal for more leaks was also telling.  Paul stated the NSA “leakers” were the heroes. As far as I know there has been only one leaker.  But, of course, I do not watch Fox News. Paul may know information I do not know. Is Paul exhorting more like Snowden to leak national secrets?  As far Snowden, could his devotion to Paul also spill into the “dark world” of libertarian anti-government conservatism?  I posit there is  real danger in libertarianism as two major contributors to libertarianism are the Kochs. If anyone reading here feels the Kochs are about a democratic republic and inclined towards fair handling of big business, you have read here far too long. 

I visited a website called The Whited Sepulchre, an obvious libertarian web page.  My quest took me to this piece.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Why I am a Libertarian – Hong Kong

Excerpt

Time magazine just named Hong Kong the best city in the world for 2012.

This may or may not be related to The Heritage Foundation giving Hong Kong the #1 spot in their index of economic freedom.

The Heritage Foundation? Seriously?

We located another site called Big Lychee on the failed free market experiments in Hong Kong.  Could Snowden be the victim of old reports of some idyllic world where there is a laissez-faire government with unparalleled free speech and open decent?  We realize he certainly  had no interaction with Paul, but think for a moment just a bit outside the box.  Wasn’t Paul the debate candidate who tried to help Rick Perry remember the number and names of federal agencies to dismantle? FEMA was one of the five agencies Paul helped Parry to intimate.  Wasn’t it Paul who stated in the olden days (a time of cherish and relish remembrance for many conservatives) the churches helped people during the aftermath of natural disasters?  Imagine Paul’s world of  churches working to rebuilding cities in Oklahoma, or in New Jersey, or in New Orleans or, in his State of Texas.   The mindset could very well emanate from a common set of cognitive beliefs and could very much have worked its way to the “susceptible to influence” Snowden.  So, he runs to a country that may not be his path to an idyllic Land of Oz.

The Big Lychee piece: RIP, Great Libertarian Experiment. 

Imagine the impressionable young Snowden sitting or talking with wily libertarians (In all anti-government splendor) and receiving coaching to run to the Great Libertarian and fabled Land of Oz.  

One quick peep at the psyche and irrational thought processes of Ron Paul.

MSNBC Chris Matthews

Insanity looms whenever the name Paul works into the dialog.

* disser: (one who disses as in dismisses, a practitioner of dismissiveness)

Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi Convicted Of Federal Corruption Charges Joins A Long List (GOP and DEM)

Renzi Sabah Arar / AP file Small image of the day!

Former Arizona Congressman, Renzi, convicted for federal corruption. We are seeing more an more of this stuff and it cuts across party-line How about a guess as to the common thread among all cases: money. Before we look at an Open Secrets money trial on Renzi, lets take a quick look at historic corruption at the highest political level.

Political Corruption

Political corruption is the use of power by government officials for illegitimate private gain.

Corruption in the US Congress is nothing new. I cannot recall a single year in which I was spared the astonishment of the extent of greediness and corruption in human beings.  As a young person, I was unaware of the opportunity for government fraud, money-grabbing influence peddling and other means of securing money well beyond the congressional paycheck.

Richard Nixon’s Spiro T. Agnew was my first exposure to seriously corrupt politicians.  In May of 2012, Real Clear Politics published a list and bios of their assessment of the ten most corrupt politicians in US History.  Since the Real Clear Politics list appear infested with Republicans we sought a list of democrats deemed corrupt based on the classic definition of corruption. Ranker Dot Com published a list of Democratic corruption that reaches well back into the 1800’s. A couple of names stand out as noted perpetrators of fraud and corruption. The Ranker list was created before the conviction of Illinois Governor Blagojevich and probably well before the admissions of Jesse Jackson Jr. and before allegations against former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (An  no conviction to date and should actually not have been added to the list)

My purview of the lists also didn’t yield Tom Delay (R) Texas. We went with our lists knowing the lists may fall shy of completely comprehensive and up-to-date.

A site called Top Secret Writers list five top corrupt presidential administration. While the list includes Richard Nixon, we notice it excluded Ronald Reagan. Reagan: The Daily Kos; Reagan WIKI.  Some have written that George w Bush was a close second to Reagan. I posit Bush’s major corruptions were international (wars), a fake economy (Sub-prime Bubble and no regulation), No Bid war contracts to Halliburton, and the Halliburton Loophole (Fracking exclusion that could have benefited Cheney Halliburton holdings).

The latest conviction for fraud and corruption was handed to former Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi: Federal corruption.  NBC report on June 11, 2013, linked. Open Secrets took a look at Renzi’s money trail and appeared ripe for “bought influence” and criminal acts.

Open Secrets

Rick Renzi. You may want to click a few tabs and make certain to click the “Patriot Fund” PAC link.  I cannot help, but wonder if this guys PAC money received any IRS scrutiny.  Of course, there probably was no 501 (c)(4) issues with the Patriot Fund PAC.