Look, just give us Snowden
sure, no problem, just give us Bout
America will hold high-level talks on political and military teamwork with Russia this Friday - despite the latter country's offer of temporary asylum to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel are due to meet their Russian counterparts in Washington to discuss " …
"sure, no problem, just give us Bout"
No comparison, Bout is an arms dealer responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands, possibly millions. Of course, if you wish to compare Snowden with him you'll have to run hard - apart from the fact that Snowden has effectively attacked his own government - inasmuch that Snowden has ethical pretensions, and Bout doesn't give a fuck. Perhaps, in the final axiological analysis, nothing really matters it's merely a game of claiming that things matter. Your choice. Quite literally and axiologically.
No comparison, Bout is an arms dealer responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands, possibly millions.
You missed the point. The US government invokes international law when it suits their needs, when it doesn't they don't break a sweat over it.
That they seem so hurt over Russia not giving away Snowden, when they themselves have protected far worse people, only makes their hypocrisy more glaring.
Do you mean like the US military complex that includes handgun manufacturers that KILL thousands and possibly millions of innocent people every year? You know those 'little incidents' like Colombine and Sandy Hook.
At least Bout doesn't sell handguns inside the US... we do.
"We would like to see Mr Snowden returned to the United States. I don’t know technically what that requires, but we know they have the capability to do that," she said.
Actually I'm pretty sure now that they've granted him temporary asylum they can't. I mean isn't the whole idea of asylum that they're granted protection from this sort of thing? Surely changing their minds afterwards would break some kind of UN protocol (they always have a protocol)
No. Article 12, section 4 of the Russian Federal law # 4528-1 of 19/02/1993 "On refugees" states: "A person who has been granted temporary asylum can not be returned against his will to the country of his nationality ( or country of his usual residence). Snowden has been granted temporary asylum under this law, so...
When it's a UN vote like 100 in favour, 30 against plus abstainers and the US is in the 100 it's a Great Day For Democracy(tm)
When it's something else which gets like 154 against, 1 for (yeah guess who) then it's more like 'very disappointed that good sense was cast aside (P.S. we'll do what the fuck we like anyway)'
I refer the honourable reader thusly: http://bit.ly/1cJ3ZYc (Google books page extract via bitly)
In fact start on the previous page, 86.
Actually the USA tends to ignore the UN on principal. There was a case recently when they (the senate I believe) refused to ratify a UN convention on disabled rights. The stunning thing was the US had already met all the conditions 20 years ago. So basically it was nothing more than acknowleding what was already law. The real issue was elements of the senate see it as ceding authority to the UN. It views the UN as a tool, not an equal or higher power, and to cede power would be to acknowledge it was a higher power. Depending on what area of government, the US will not acknowledge any higher power than the federal or state government, at least in recent times.
Rightly or wrongly, that is how it is :-)
When an American has to go to RUSSIA to be free and escape a rabid government persecution bordering on a mob witch burning, maybe that's the time to reflect and ask yourself 'Gee, is this really the path I want to take?'"
Hugs and kisses.
The rest of the civilized world.
No shit,
There was a time when ballerinas and KGB colonels used to defect to the US for a better life. Gave the US some moral high-ground to stand on and a nice rep for TJATAW too, Now it looks like the Russkis are getting a little payback. I'm surprised they aren't riding this whole thing harder.
WTF happened? Has whistle-blowing, forum chatting and leaking become the only form of civil disobedience left ? How long before that's gone too?
It's growing faster than the Ackermann function.
I will magnanimously include the rest of the political caste and their assorted sycophants in press and think tanks into this.
I hope some gigantic meteorite laden with cancer-causing chemicals but curiously exhibiting the form of an eagle coloured in blue, white and red flattens everything inside the Beltway.
Then we can plant beautiful trees on top.
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Really? You fell for the hype and promises?
Anyone that ignored that and looked at what the two did *before* they were groomed to run for POTUS would have found the only real differences between Obama and McCain was their stated political affiliation and skin tone.
"I hope some gigantic meteorite ..."
Careful there! You could be accused of Astronomical Terrorism!. And then you would be charged with 'Intent to Commit Astronomical Terrorism', 'Possession of Astronomical Terrorism Paraphernalia', 'Astronomical Terrorism on Mondays', 'Astronomical Terrorism on Tuesdays', and so on, like Manning!
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Wasn't it Obama himself who said whitleblowers should be protected and not procecuted? The US is a country of liars and backstabbers, who will only do the right thing, if it serves their purpose. The US like to point to other countries when it comes to human rights, but they themselves wipe their ass with human rights if they feel the need for it.
I'm finding myself cheering for Rusia, though i must admit that has a strange taste to it.