New Statement from Edward Snowden, page 1

+89 more
posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:07 PM

link

The following has been posted on Wikileaks by Edward Snowden

One week ago I left Hong Kong after it became clear that my freedom and safety were under threat for revealing the truth. My continued liberty has been owed to the efforts of friends new and old, family, and others who I have never met and probably never will. I trusted them with my life and they returned that trust with a faith in me for which I will always be thankful.

On Thursday, President Obama declared before the world that he would not permit any diplomatic "wheeling and dealing" over my case. Yet now it is being reported that after promising not to do so, the President ordered his Vice President to pressure the leaders of nations from which I have requested protection to deny my asylum petitions.

This kind of deception from a world leader is not justice, and neither is the extralegal penalty of exile. These are the old, bad tools of political aggression. Their purpose is to frighten, not me, but those who would come after me.

For decades the United States of America have been one of the strongest defenders of the human right to seek asylum. Sadly, this right, laid out and voted for by the U.S. in Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is now being rejected by the current government of my country. The Obama administration has now adopted the strategy of using citizenship as a weapon. Although I am convicted of nothing, it has unilaterally revoked my passport, leaving me a stateless person. Without any judicial order, the administration now seeks to stop me exercising a basic right. A right that belongs to everybody. The right to seek asylum.

In the end the Obama administration is not afraid of whistleblowers like me, Bradley Manning or Thomas Drake. We are stateless, imprisoned, or powerless. No, the Obama administration is afraid of you. It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised — and it should be.

I am unbowed in my convictions and impressed at the efforts taken by so many.

Edward Joseph Snowden

Monday 1st July 2013

edit on 1-7-2013 by citizenx1 because: err, URL doesn't work - have a look on wikileaks!

edit on 1-7-2013 by citizenx1 because: .

edit on 1-7-2013 by citizenx1 because: (no reason given)

Archie

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:11 PM

link

Good catch, citizenx1.

My favourite part:

In the end the Obama administration is not afraid of whistleblowers like me, Bradley Manning or Thomas Drake. We are stateless, imprisoned, or powerless.

No, the Obama administration is afraid of you. It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised — and it should be.

I am unbowed in my convictions and impressed at the efforts taken by so many.

Edward Joseph Snowden Monday 1st July 2013

He's absolutely right. It's stupid how in a democratic society, people are so afraid of the power they possess.

introV

+17 more
posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:14 PM

link

No, the Obama administration is afraid of you. It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised — and it should be.

Goosebumps. If only the average citizen gave a hoot about ANY of this stuff.

citizenx1

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:16 PM

link

Originally posted by Archie
Good catch, citizenx1.

My favourite part:

In the end the Obama administration is not afraid of whistleblowers like me, Bradley Manning or Thomas Drake. We are stateless, imprisoned, or powerless.

No, the Obama administration is afraid of you. It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised — and it should be.

I am unbowed in my convictions and impressed at the efforts taken by so many.

Edward Joseph Snowden Monday 1st July 2013

He's absolutely right. It's stupid how in a democratic society, people are so afraid of the power they possess.

I'd have expected this behaviour of Bush but never of Obama. Just shows how power corrupts.

Moshpet

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:16 PM

link

Nah, the government is not afraid of you.
They are more afraid of not collecting a cheque from the Koch brothers.

M.

lacrimaererum

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:23 PM

link

temperature is rising.

this is the kinda statement that could have far reaching consequences.

Trueman

+26 more
posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:25 PM

link

I predict more people coming up like him.

No matter what they do, this is unstoppable.

I believe restoring America has began.

Rocker2013

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:32 PM

link

Originally posted by introV

No, the Obama administration is afraid of you. It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised — and it should be.

Goosebumps. If only the average citizen gave a hoot about ANY of this stuff.

Share it, discuss it, promote this thought, and then maybe people will care.
Start contacting your media and calling them out on their BS, point out to them on all the comments pages they have that their propaganda is obvious. People have been doing so all over the BBC.

It's not good enough to just complain that people aren't listening, make them listen, do your little bit and help to spread the message.

It's a great statement OP, thanks for sharing it. This shows that Snowden is well aware of what he's doing, he's kept it short enough, because he knows that internet folk are increasingly lazy. He's set out a challenge and a call to spread the message, and I hope Americans actually take this seriously and do it.

July 4th is coming, along with protest. It's not going to be anything like the protests we've seen in other countries (something the USA definitely cannot falsely claim to be "the best" at) but it's a start I suppose.

yourmaker

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:33 PM

link

The moral/political divide has been drawn and now we await the masses to choose their side for the final act.

defcon5

+42 more
posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:34 PM

link

The following is my opinion as a member participating in this discussion.

Folks, I cannot stress enough how important that this statement is:

The Obama administration has now adopted the strategy of using citizenship as a weapon. Although I am convicted of nothing, it has unilaterally revoked my passport, leaving me a stateless person.

At present McCain and friends have an immigration bill in the senate that states you MUST have a valid US National ID card (A Real ID) to be employed in this country. If you do not own such a card you no longer can prove your citizenship.

What this means, especially as we see more corrupt corporate control over our government, is that if you tick off the wrong entity, whether that be the government or a group with enough pull with Washington, they can delete you from the system and make you a non-person/non-citizen. A person with no official citizenship is NOT granted any rights under the Constitution.

So lets say you file a big lawsuit against a major corporation that is in bed with the government... Guess what, if you no longer exist as a citizen, you cannot sue that company anymore. Lets say you go to a political rally where you are protesting against something that the government is supportive of... Again, you cease to exist as a person, or a citizen, and loose all your rights.

This is nothing more then a way to get the slaves in alignment under their true masters, and silence any dissent using your citizenship here as though its a “privilege” instead of a “right”. Sorry, but citizenship is not a “privilege” its a constitutional right, and I should not be having to prove my “loyalty” to receive the fundamental rights that are inherently granted to all citizens. Additionally, I should not be having to prove my innocence, with the implication that I am guilty of something, by having to present papers or biometrics without a warrant.

The Real ID, and all the “tack on” legislation that is being based on it, are the greatest danger to American citizens in history.

As an ATS Staff Member, I will not moderate in threads such as this where I have participated as a member.

edit on 7/1/2013 by defcon5 because: (no reason given)

smurfy

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:38 PM

link

The man is right. My bad that I was too focused on some really other crappy threads here at the moment to see this.

christafinias

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:39 PM

link

They are afraid, the citizens are going to rise up and use that 'right to bear arm's' you guys love so much......however it seems it takes a bit more than the government snooping on you, to get you guys riled up.

I'm please Snowden keep's popping up and is safe and well (as can be) however I feel for him the life on the run, the loneliness, being hounded.....I just hope his efforts weren't in vain.

S&F

edit on 1-7-2013 by christafinias because: Typo

PlanetXisHERE

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:40 PM

link

The guy sounds pretty sharp and makes some great points, I can see why for the most part the lamestream media has negatively slanted comments when talking about him.

Has anyone on ATS been staunchly opposed to what he has done and outed themselves as either ignorant or a blantant tool of the globalists?

citizenx1

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:42 PM

link

Originally posted by christafinias
They are afraid, the citizens are going to rise up and use that 'right to bear arm's' you guys love so much......however it seems it takes a bit more than the government snooping on you, to get you guys riled up.

I'm please Snowden keep's popping up and is safe and well (as can be) however I feel for him the life on the run, the loneliness, being hounded.....I just hope his efforts weren't in vain.

S&F
edit on 1-7-2013 by christafinias because: Typo

He knew this would come as a result of his actions and his act is one of true heroism.

Speaking as a fellow Brit, I'm ashamed that we've participated in this snooping and wouldn't stand up for a person such as this.

PlanetXisHERE

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:42 PM

link

reply to post by defcon5

What is up with McCain, he so often seems the rabid war-monger, I thought people who had been through the experience like he has are more reflective and peace-oriented.

MidnightTide

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:43 PM

link

Originally posted by Trueman
I predict more people coming up like him.

No matter what they do, this is unstoppable.

I believe restoring America has began.

It has gone on for far too long, the elite have a tight grip - nothing short of a revolution will stop it.

PlanetXisHERE

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:47 PM

link

Originally posted by Trueman
I predict more people coming up like him.

No matter what they do, this is unstoppable.

I believe restoring America has began.

Though I wish it were true I'm afraid it isn't, it will have to get much worse, the masses are too attached to their flat screen tvs, smart phones and other status conscious toys and symbols. People live in fear, divided, die-hard materialists - how worse could it be, or how better could it be if you were a globalist? What percentage of the population is even reflected on this somewhat awakened site, 2% maybe? Probably much less........

Rocker2013

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:48 PM

link

reply to post by defcon5

We had the same attempt in the UK, and I think that was even called the same thing 'Real ID' (or maybe it was 'universal ID'?) We shut that MF down, but they tried to bring it back several times since, just like the new "snoopers charter" our Himmler wannabe wants to install.

Your post is spot on, if Americans don't do something soon they might as well just accept that they have a totalitarian regime.

defcon5

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:48 PM

link

Originally posted by PlanetXisHERE
reply to post by defcon5

What is up with McCain, he so often seems the rabid war-monger, I thought people who had been through the experience like he has are more reflective and peace-oriented.

I have a relative that truly believes that he is a “Manchurian candidate”.
This immigration law he is spearheading certain is "communist" enough to be highly questionable.

christafinias

posted on Jul, 1 2013 @ 05:48 PM

link

Originally posted by citizenx1

Originally posted by christafinias
They are afraid, the citizens are going to rise up and use that 'right to bear arm's' you guys love so much......however it seems it takes a bit more than the government snooping on you, to get you guys riled up.

I'm please Snowden keep's popping up and is safe and well (as can be) however I feel for him the life on the run, the loneliness, being hounded.....I just hope his efforts weren't in vain.

S&F
edit on 1-7-2013 by christafinias because: Typo

He knew this would come as a result of his actions and his act is one of true heroism.

Speaking as a fellow Brit, I'm ashamed that we've participated in this snooping and wouldn't stand up for a person such as this.

I agree he is a hero.

It's funny I wrote to my local MP and to parliament (for all the good it does) demanding to no how far we participated, what snooping have any gov been doing to use and so on along with some other topics such as corporate tax avoidance and only the labour MP bothered to get back to with a 4 page letter skirting round the issue and wanting to know the same things himself.