re: Snowden and Putin really throwing it down on us now.

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The USSR and the current Russian state are two very different animals.

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I agree 100%

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The Russians are clearly a rival power but to consider them outright enemies as if there is no difference between the current Russian state and the Soviet Union is rather simplistic and inaccurate.

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It was a very simplistic explanation but it is also a very offtopic discussion. That poster enjoy derailing topics and does it quite frequently. We have stronger ties to China thn we do to Russia and they are not a friend of ours. As I said earlier you can tell who our governments friends and enemies are by contingency war plans and where our ICBMs are tasked with delivering payloads. We don't have one contingency plan in place to invade or attack England. Our entire European war plan revolves around Russia.

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Obviously we don't consider Britain a geopolitical threat for a litany of reasons that aren't even worth delving into. But I'll bet in the early 1900's we considered them more of a rival than now, in spite of the very common and close ties we have. Geopolitically, Russia has all the makings of being a more dangerous rival then a Britain or some other NATO country. That doesn't make them enemies or direct threats to American security interests. It's dangerous to characterize them this way and it's typically done by the interventionists to convince typical Americans to view Russia as a dangerous threat when really they are little more than a geopolitical rival.

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They are direct threat just by the very nature of the weaponry the have. If they were not a nuclear power they would be of no consequence. Our NATO allies are nuclear powers but are not presently threats because we have similar interests. We also rule the roost, and we are an empire even though many have trouble admitting it. All world powers that are not under our "umbrella of protection" are considered enemies because they are. I realize this is not a popular view but I assure you it is the view of our government and has been for a very long time. It doesn't matter if you or I consider Russia a threat it only matters if the guy with his finger on the button considers them a threat.

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I'll give you a better answer. NO ONE is going to change it. I think we are well past the tipping point.

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I hate to be so cynical, but I think you're right. To me, the last watchdog was an objective Press, but when it was exposed that the DOJ was spying on the AP Why did the Obama Administration spy on the AP?, and most of the press continued fawning over the Administration, I knew all was lost.

Unchecked power in the hands of any Administration is very dangerous. In the hands of one who wishes to fundamentally transform America, it puts us on a course that is going to be most difficult to correct.

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he USSR and the current Russian state are two very different animals. The Russians are clearly a rival power but to consider them outright enemies as if there is no difference between the current Russian state and the Soviet Union is rather simplistic and inaccurate.

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Now YOU are an insufferable troll as well.

If the state didn't do everything that Snowden says they did, I'd have a problem. The sad part is what he is saying is true.

Obama wanting to make the police state bigger just tells you the direction and destination we're headed in. Snowden didn't make this situation, and if the Russians are holding it over the govt's head, they brought it on themselves.

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Unchecked power in the hands of any Administration is very dangerous. In the hands of one who wishes to fundamentally transform America, it puts us on a course that is going to be most difficult to correct.

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One point about Snowden should have turned himself in....

People are so naive and ignorant if they think Snowden could have successfully blown the whistle using "proper" channels. frick no, the gov't may talk a good game about transparency and honesty but that is complete lip service bullshite. They only want to get Snowden black bagged and stick him in a hole in the middle of nowhere. The number one instinct of the state is self preservation and image maintenance. It doesnt matter how noble it may be, if it makes the gov't uncomfortable, they're putting an end to that shite any way possible. We wouldn't have heard anything at all out of Snowden had he gone through the "proper" channels and gov't would be getting away with more bull shite lol.

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meant to embarrass the United States and he seems to be happily participating.

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Theres a difference between embarrassing a gov't as opposed to the citizens of this country.

What's wrong with embarrassing your gov't that's doing shady and wrong shite and calling them the frick out on it? We all feel embarrased when we frick up and do wrong shite. The state is no different.

Embarrassment spurs you to take steps to correct the behavior that led to this and it's needed for the gov't we have today on not just the issues Snowden is concerned about but everything else including the abomination of a fiscal situation we have today.

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I do as well but this is an obvious propaganda piece meant to embarrass the United States and he seems to be happily participating.

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If there was no truth to Snowden's allegations, the U.S. would have no reason to be "embarrassed".

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I wonder, do you have difficulty with the fact that most of this board is openingly siding with our enemy Putin?

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When a government's primary interest becomes the surveillance and control of its population, who is the real enemy of its people?

Is Putin the one pulling Obamas puppet strings?