Whistles are blowing all over the place, Truthseekers, which is a good sign for freedom-loving Americans who believe government secrets only damage our security, not strengthen it. But it may be bad news for the brave souls who risk receiving the "Manning Treatment" for their efforts to pursue open, honest, truthful government practices.
Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee, has "outed" himself as the man responsible for disclosing the Obama administration's questionable invasions into the privacy of our telephone conversations and Internet transactions. He is a young man, at 29, and bears a slight physical resemblance to Private Bradley Manning, drawing a more than obvious comparison. Unlike Manning, however, Snowden is not subject to military action and has sought asylum in Hong Kong, and is perhaps headed to Iceland.
"A day after former intelligence worker Edward Snowden outed himself as the man responsible for leaking details of U.S. surveillance programs, White House spokesman Jay Carney defended the administration's stance on the initiatives, calling them a necessary middle way between total privacy and unacceptable threat.
"He said President Barack Obama would be willing to consider changes should a national debate show the public wants them. But, he wryly noted, 'This is not the manner by which he hoped to have the debate.'
"Meanwhile, the world continued to digest what Snowden had to say in a Guardian newspaper interview published Sunday about the reasons for leaking the classified information.
