With NSA leaker Edward Snowden still on the run, and therefore keeping the story alive, prominent figures in political media are weighing in.
Disparate voices from Glenn Beck to Michael Moore are publicly declaring support for Snowden's disclosures, calling him a hero, and the usual voices of statist apologists are spewing their familiar venom, pointing to Snowden's lack of a high-school diploma (which says more about the value of diplomas than it does about Snowden).
This article is the most ridiculous attempt at damage control ever. In summation, the NSA says trust us, we have the capability to use PRISM judiciously. I don't think anyone disputes that fact, but it's the intent and not the capability that is of concern here.
But all the media praise or scorn will mean very little if and when Snowden is detained.
I want to hope he is able to flee to some place where he can be safe of the U.S., and can remain in the public eye to prevent being "disappeared." If anyone can do it, I think a Super-Rich Libertarian Hacker Spy can.
It needs to stay in the public consciousness because we need to have a public debate on whether programs like PRISM are right for America. We don't want to go the way of supposedly post-communist Russia, outlawing basic rights to protect the government's positions.
Many libertarians are not terribly excited by the recent news, since we've been warning everyone about this for years. Wake up, civil libertarians! The time is right, and right now, to take a stand on this.
I expect many attempts to discredit Snowden over the next few weeks, but we mustn't shoot the messenger, because in this case the message is too important.
And I fear that if this chance to change government surveillance policy is missed, it may never come again...
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