So, the german government has "decided" against a hearing of Snowden

[Catfish]

Listen up, when you stand up for real freedom and democracy you better not come to this country.

That is what democracy, freedom of speech and liberty is about, in Germany!

With the justification that it might damage the "good relations", with the USA. Against the will of the people, against the truth, and against all common sense.

Words escape me.
They have to be tried for treachery, and deserve a beating out of the Bundestag, all of them ! :nope:

[Mittelwaechter]

What a wretched situation.

See you monday evening in the streets.

[Flamebatter90]

That's how the world revolves I'm afraid.

One can be sacrificed for the "greater good".

[Schroeder]

@Catfish
Did you really expect anything else from a CDU/SPD government? There was never a chance, never!

[Betonov]

He was lucky.

our little vassal of a ''government'' would behead him and offered his head to Obama like Ptolemey offered Pompeuses head to Ceasar

[Cybermat47]

So, I'm a bit confused. Is Snowden good or bad? Because giving people information they should know about seem good to me.

[Oberon]

Is Snowden good or bad?

Yes

[u crank]

Yes

Good answer.....:03:

[Stealhead]

Great answer....err what u crank said.

[Skybird]

Technically and formally, Stauffenberg was a traitor and assassin. But I have not heard so far that somebody outside the Nazi scene tries to make that a moral argument against him.

Snowden, what he did - was necessary. That's how I rate him: necessary. Whether it will have a lasting effect, will mean a lasting change, is something different - and the answer is No. But nobody has any excuse anymore to just trust "them" and believe all those stupid manipulative lies they are telling us.

Nobody has an excuse anymore not to know it better.

[Jimbuna]

Yes

LOL :)

[ETR3(SS)]

There's a fine line between being a traitor and a patriot. And really depending upon your perspective he's both. He exposed the government for it's lies (which we all suspected anyways but this just proved it).

I am not a terrorist, yet when I go to the airport I'm treated as one (potentially). Having served post 9/11, DHS considers me a credible threat to the state (spoken potential terrorist). The fed (regardless of administration) has fostered an environment of fear of terrorism to justify its abuses of the Constitution.

Now was what Snowden did illegal. Sure. But he did it anyways because he thought the American people had a right to know of these abuses. Unfortunately he didn't account for the shear amounts of apathy and ignorance the average American has, which ultimately made it all pointless.

[Mittelwaechter]

If your law is inhumane and totalitarian, resistance and treason are duty.

This is true, even if 50% of some very special, extraordinary, blessed, exceptional, remarkably, free and superior folks support this law and make their youth fight, kill and die for it all over the world.

Just some simple learnings from German history.

[Wolferz]

It all boils down to rampant paranoia on the part of certain people within our government. It's nothing new. It's been going on since before our independence. Now, if other governments wish to squelch the truth, then you know who they jumped into bed with and why.

"The government is a monster and it will not obey"
~Steppenwolf~

[Catfish]

This is the reason, why there will be no interview in Germany:
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/edward-snowden-befragung-durch-nsa-untersuchungsausschuss-a-967144.html

A legal opinion from the US, to apply pressure on the german government. Ah.

Not the same article, but some background in english:
http://www.vosizneias.com/157689/2014/03/09/1718-snowden-germany-changed-spying-law-under-us-pressure/

As i said before, no friendship between nations, only interests. "He who has such friends, does not need enemies".
But how could we have thought that things would improve, after 1989 ? Time for a new assessment.

Maybe we should try our politicians for treason, against their own people ?

[Skybird]

In German only, sorry (they have dramatically cut down their staff for their former English international edition and do not publish that much in English anymore):

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/edward-snowden-befragung-durch-nsa-untersuchungsausschuss-a-967144.html

US tries to intimidate and threaten German members of parliaments to force them into line with US positions regarding Snowden.

The empire strikes.