Both John Kerry and Hillary Clinton have suggested that Edward Snowden should return to the U.S. and face trial. That brings to mind the current, worldwide philosophical (and practical) clash between the Institutionalists and the Insurrectionists. Institutions, or the Establishment in general, ostensibly exist to serve the People in various ways; that's their purpose. The Oligarchs who run Institutions often sincerely believe in the goodness of that function... until the Institution is exposed in some wrongdoing or another... until the end supposedly justifies foul means. Then everything changes. The Oligarchs hunker down and do everything possible (legal or not) to protect the Institution; to hell with the People, or Justice, or due process.
I would think that most people know that if Snowden did return, he never would receive a fair and just trial. Here's why---
1. In all likelihood, he would be held incommunicado.
2. Evidence would be suppressed. The Gov't would claim "State Secrets", "National Security", "Executive Privilege", etc., ad nauseum.
3. The Judge, or perhaps Tribunal, would allow nothing to surface that didn't relate to the 1917 Espionage Act. In other words, the Govt's many, many, many wrongdoings and violations of the Constitution would be deemed "not pertinent to this case" or "not relevant".
4. Jury nullification would not be allowed.
The tragic irony in the Snowden affair is that Obama, when first running for President, publicly claimed that his Administration would protect whistleblowers... that they were good for government. As soon as he was elected, he continued the case against Tom Drake (an NSA whistleblower)... a case first brought to trial by Alberto Gonzales under Dubya Bush. As the Australian socialist, journalist, and documentarian John Pilger once stated, "Brand Obama...and it's all fake.".
I'm fairly sure that Oligarchies around the world are beginning to worry because nonviolent Insurrectionists courageously are exposing the gross wrongdoings of various Institutions. Just as importantly, the People no longer are buying the Propaganda put out against patriotic, peaceful whistleblowers. Notice, however, that those at the highest levels in any Oligarchy continue on no matter how illegal, unjust, and unethical their exposed actions are shown to be. They accuse the whistleblower or journalist of being a criminal, and then claim that the Institution will "reform" its wrongful ways. Distract, distract, distract. All of that means it will take a long, sustained effort to really reform any corrupt Establishment.
Kudos to Daniel Ellsberg, John Perkins, John Pilger, Matt Taibbi, Jeremy Scahill, Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, Julian Assange, Sarah Harrison, Edward Snowden, Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning, Tom Drake, and many, many others for the great personal costs they have paid in order to help bring Outlaw Gov'ts into the light. Exposing rogue Institutions is a very risky business. Very little is more patriotic. We the People should support the peaceful Insurrectionists to the hilt.
Be Well
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