[ExI] snowden paradox: was: RE: Sanders, Clinton and Trump

[spike]

From: extropy-chat [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Adrian Tymes
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>…From 18 U.S. Code § 2381 (titled "Treason"): "Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason"  …Both of these seem to require an actual enemy to have been intentionally assisted, or levying war against the US.  Neither one seems to have happened in this case…The charge in his case was "violating the Espionage Act", not "treason".

 

OK so we are arguing over meanings of words, but here is where it goes from here.  We know that street cops are not judges, but often act as if they are.  We have a case here where I think the FBI has plenty of evidence to do what cops are hired to do, but they might act as an on-the-spot judge and do nothing.  I recognize there is a possibility.  My guess is that they will act as a cop and recommend indictment, then nothing more will happen.  John Clark has courageously bet 200 bucks against ten that the FBI will act as a judge and decide no harm no foul no indictment close the case.  We shall see.

If they do that, then I agree Mrs. Clinton probably will get elected, as plenty of the electorate will STILL be unaware of the email business, or assume it was all a conspiracy.  Then… we don’t know what happens if the yoga starts to leak after the election.  Stay tuned.

On a related brighter note, Adrian we were struggling over what constitutes an enemy of the state.  Back in the old days it was pretty straightforward.  That would be the guy in the three-cornered hat launching Minnie balls in your direction.  Now, warfare is mostly firing information.  So we have a case where an insider (Ben Rhodes) tells the New York Times the government lied to us, makes a habit of it, does it intentionally, is justified in doing it, uses the feeble-minded press as willing accomplices as so forth.  Now it is unclear which are enemies of the state and which are heroes.  

Both Rhodes and the NYT are in the Snowden paradox: some will assign each to either category, or both, or neither.  Are Jedi mind tricks being used on the press now, with the email scandal?  Who is doing it?  Who are the simpleton Imperial Storm Troopers currently in the echo-chamber?  Have we any reporters not in the echo-chamber, and if not, do they count as reporters?  Or are they to be assigned as enemies of the state?  If so, does it constitute treason to give them stories?

spike

 

 

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